Tag: Topps

Categories
Automotive Art Racing Ephemera

Topps World on Wheels: Scarab

Pull the shoebox out from under your bed and let’s get back to trading some of our Topps World on Wheels cards. This time it’s Lance Reventlow’s baby, the Scarab.

From the card’s reverse: Only three of the powerful American Scarab racers were built in Southern California, but they won many races. Their Chevrolet Corvette engines were modified for racing conditions. Scarab bodies were made of aluminum, shaped by hand. The special frames and brakes were also completely hand-made.
HP: 390 | Top Speed: 165 MPH | Price: $17,000

$17,000! I’ll gladly give you twice that for one!

More Topps World on Wheels here.

Categories
Racing Ephemera

Topps World on Wheels: Maserati

Keep your rookie cards and let’s dig back into the Topps World on Wheels trading cards sets. This time, Maserati.

From the card’s reverse:

“Maserati is one of the great names in racing cars. Some of the most famous drivers in racing history have used the Maserati to win prizes… Wilbur Hatch having twice driven one to victory in the Indianapolis Races. In Italy, the Maserati Company is known more for production of spark plugs and batteries than for racing cars.”

Fascinating to me that they played up the Indy 500 connection and were so dismissive of Masers in Europe.

More Topps World on Wheels in the archives.

Categories
Automotive Art Racing Ephemera

Topps World on Wheels: Healey Silverstone

Let’s see how shrewd we can be with our trades. Pull out your shoebox of Topps World on Wheels cards and let’s get down to business.

From the card’s reverse:

“The Healey is an extremely light, very rugged car… build for competition. It is designed to stand racing abuse, and provide with moderate power a performance that cannot be equalled in its class. In seven seconds, this car can reach fifty miles per hour from a standing start!”

That zero-to-fifty time might not sound impressive today, but I guarantee you look better doing it in this Healey Silverstone than you would in any of the contemporary production sports cars that can achieve 60 in half this time.

More Topps World on Wheels in the archives.

Categories
Automotive Art Racing Ephemera

Topps World on Wheels: Twin Tanker

Twin Tanker Trading Card

Spread out those trading cards on the bedroom floor and let’s make some trades!

From the card’s reverse:

The Twin Tanker is probably the first of its type to be built in the United States, and is patterned after an Italian design. The tanks, about three and one-half feet apart, are connected by a cross-piece through which all the controls run. The engine is in the right tank, and the controls in the left. Steel tubing and plates reinforce the interior of the tanks to make them strong and safe.

Strong and safe… riiiiiight.

More from the Topps World on Wheels trading card series in the archives.

Categories
Automotive Art Ferrari Racing Ephemera

Topps World on Wheels: Ferrari Formula 2

Ferrari Formula 2 Trading Card

The card box is open. Grab your set of Topps World on Wheels cards and let’s trade.

Enzo Ferrari, once a racing driver himself, decided he wanted a car exactly to his own design. He hired an engineer to translate his ideas into facts, and the famous Ferrari racing car was the result. Ferraris have chalked up an amazing record of wins on almost every track in Europe. In addition to this car, Ferrari also makes the most advanced unsupercharged sports car in the world today.

From the card’s reverse:

More cards from the World on Wheels series in the archives.

Categories
Automotive Art Racing Ephemera

Topps World on Wheels: Kurtis

Ready to trade? Forget the baseball cards and grab your deck of Topps World on Wheels series. This time: Kurtis.

From the card’s reverse:

This new American sports car is sold either as in the picture, or in separate parts! Then the buyer can have the pleasure of putting it together, if he wishes. The Kurtis is powered by a Hudson motor, with a top speed from 120 to 165 mph, depending on the type of motor installed. Cadillac, Chrysler, DeSoto, Lincoln, and Mercury motors can be installed, at around $3,000.

More cards from the World on Wheels series in the archives.

Categories
Automotive Art Racing Ephemera

Topps World on Wheels: Siata

Pull the card box from under the bed, it’s time to flip back through the Topps World on Wheels trading card series. This time a personal favorite: Siata.

From the card’s reverse:

Cylinders 8
Price $4,660
The Siata Company began life by manufacturing equipment for increasing the speed and power of cars already on the road… “hop-up” equipment. Now, however, the company has turned to making its own sports cars. They use many standard parts, get as much horsepower as possible from a stock engine, and have attractive bodies.

$4,660. Sigh.

More cards from the World on Wheels series in the archives.

Categories
Automotive Art Racing Ephemera

Topps World on Wheels: Connaught

Connaught trading card

More from the Topps World on Wheels bubblegum card collection. This time, Connaught.

From the card’s reverse:

Horsepower: 107
A tiny factory in England, producing only about two cars per week, makes the Connaught. The body is very light and is built for speed. It has cycle fenders, outside exhaust pipes, bucket seats and a good finish. The price of the Connaught is $5,500! the basis for this car is a Lea-Francis engine. Under the cowl is a two and one half gallon gas tank.

Anyone have $5,500 I can borrow?

More Topps World on Wheels here.

Categories
Automotive Art Racing Ephemera

Topps World on Wheels: Allard


The latest from our series featuring cards from the 1953—1955 Topps issued bubblegum cards, “World on Wheels”. This time it’s Allard: “British Sports Car: Speed-Lined Beauty”.
From the card’s reverse: Horsepower 160
This British sports car weighs less than 2,500 pounds, and can reach a speed of sixty miles an hour in about seven seconds. This is from a standstill. The top speed is about 130 miles per hour. The Allard’s brakes are right out in the open, and are highly efficient. Allard now makes two kinds of cars… one for normal, everyday use, and the other as a competition car.
These artifacts of boyhood obsession with racing are so very valuable. I can’t help but imagine an 8 or 10 year old laying on his bedroom floor obsessing over every detail in this basic line drawing and imagining himself changing gear through a hairpin.
Check out the rest of the the World on Wheels series.

Categories
Automotive Art Racing Ephemera

Topps World on Wheels: Alfa Romeo

The latest from our series featuring cards from the 1953—1955 Topps issued bubblegum cards, “World on Wheels”.

From the card’s reverse:

Alfa Romeo

This famous-make Italian racing car has seen action in almost all the major automobile races in Europe. In one race in Switzerland, an Alfa-Romeo, driven by Nino Faurino, hit a wrecked car… causing his car to run into the crowd, injuring both his legs. The Alfa-Romeo company is considered the greatest builder of Grand Prix racing cars in the world. They make sports cars as well.

More on Topps’ World on Wheels at the Topps Archives.