The Queen of the Japanese Tinplate Toy Automobiles
Would Virgil Exner have approved? I think he would have loved it!
The queen of all Japanese post-war tinplate toys, the Asahi
'62 Imperial is as pretty as it is rare.
I had about a dozen going through my hands over the years, maybe more than
anyone since the toy was manufactured by the famous Japanese Asahi Toy Company
(ATC) in 1963.
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The toy is rather large at 14". The thin steel sheet is stamped with as complex a shape as that of the original Exner design. |
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Except for the rear-view mirrors, hood ornament and taillights, all the "chrome" trim is made of thin steel stampings, and that includes the Imperial graphics on the sides of the toy. |
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The tires are rubber with molded-in whitewalls. The mechanism is by friction, typical of period Japanese toys. |
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The paint is very nice, a bit of an orange peel feel. The whole interior is made of stamped tin at the exception of the oval steering wheel made of injected plastic. |
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The rear deck under the window is printed with "Made in Japan" as required by US Customs laws. |
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The glorious taillights have injected plastic lenses. |
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The headlights are made of die-cast zinc moldings fitted with injected plastic lenses. |
