Eddie Stakes is still playing with old toys. While the last toy AMX he showed us had photovoltaic cells atop the roof that apparently were used to guide the battery-powered car around, the latest two use pneumatic steering controls. Eddie explains:
Eldon AMC AMX 69-70 steerable air car. Battery powered, had ‘pneumatic’ steering, that is, a small hand-held bellows that would turn wheels right or left. If you got good at it, you could steer it straight ahead, but it took some practice. The license plate read 1970, BUT it was a ’69 AMX. Eldon toys rocked, and this was no different. A battery in this could last a whole day! It was like walking the dog, except it was an AMX. The photos here are of a NOS unit I have, and have a used one in collection, both from 1969. I am guessing that Eldon used a 1970 license plate on them thinking AMC would not change design on the two seater for 1970.
COX AMC Matador Stocker (NASCAR) Gasoline powered! Yes, runs on real gas. These big COX AMC Matador Stockers not only ran on real gasoline (back when it was 29 cents a gallon, but also had pneumatic steering, real rubber tires. Patterned off the successes of American Motors efforts in NASCAR (Team Penske) these wore red, white and blue paint. The two here, one is NOS, the other used, both from my collection. They made a pppfffffffttttt sound and the LONG steering wheel tube used to get in the way, but as you walked along with the car, you were driving a REAL GAS-powered car. As a kid. These could really scoot along at a good clip, I may add. Dad never realized the gas came from our ’62 Rambler wagon anyways, hee hee.
Thanks, Eddie!
