Marklin Tin-Plate Clockwork / Wind-up Racing Cars

This information on this page has not been updated in many years. Märklin has manufactured several additional clockwork vehicles since this page was last updated.

1987 "Silver Arrow" Racing Car (#1099)

The 1987 "Silver Arrow" was the first in a series of clockwork tin-plate racing cars manufactured by Märklin for sale in their factory museum in Germany. The silver-gray MB W25 was also available on a limited basis from authorized Märklin dealers in the United States as Item #1099. The suggested retail price was $196.

1988 Metall Racing Car Kit (#1076)

The 1988 Metall Racing Car Kit was the second in a series of clockwork tin-plate racing cars manufactured by Märklin for sale in their factory museum in Germany. The red MB W25 was also available on a limited basis from authorized Märklin dealers in the United States as Item #1076. The suggested retail price was $260.

While many of the wind-up vehicles sold by Marklin in the 1930s were in kit form, this item is the only contemporary Märklin clockwork vehicle sold as a kit.

1989 "Silver Arrow" Racing Car (#1098)

The 1989 "Silver Arrow" was the third in a series of clockwork tin-plate racing cars manufactured by Märklin for sale in their factory museum in Germany. The silver-gray MB W196R was also available on a limited basis from authorized Märklin dealers in the United States as Item #1098. The suggested retail price was $192.

1990 Metall Racing Car (#1097)

The 1990 "Silver Arrow" was the fourth in a series of clockwork tin-plate racing cars manufactured by Märklin for sale in their factory museum in Germany. The silver-gray MB W154/38 was also available on a limited basis from authorized Märklin dealers in the United States as Item #1097. The suggested retail price was $230.

1991 "Silver Arrow" Racing Car (#1096)

The 1991 "Silver Arrow" was the fifth in a series of clockwork tin-plate racing cars manufactured by Märklin for sale in their factory museum in Germany. The silver-gray MB W25 with hinged canopy was also available on a limited basis from authorized Märklin dealers in the United States as Item #1096. The suggested retail price was $328.

1992 "Alpha" Metall Racing Car

The "Alpha" racer is a white version of the 1990 Mercedes Benz W154/38 Märklin museum wind-up racing car (sold in the U.S. with Märklin catalog #1097). The Alpha racer was "given" to U.S. dealers who purchased a certain minimum amount of particular Märklin erector sets, silver-plated Z-scale anniversary locomotives, etc.

Very few of these cars were imported and there was never a suggested retail price for the cars (since they were not meant for retail sale).

1993 Red 300SL Gullwing (#1092)

The red 300SL Gullwing was the sixth in a series of clockwork tin-plate racing cars manufactured by Märklin for sale in their factory museum in Germany. The unit was also available at the Mercedes Benz factory museum, as well as on a limited basis from authorized Märklin dealers in the United States as Item #1092. The suggested retail price was $675.

The version available at the Mercedes Benz factory museum had a large Mercedes tri-star logo silk-screened on the front hood.

1994 Silver 300SL Gullwing (#1952)

The silver 300SL Gullwing differs from the 1993 red Gullwing described above in color and wheel treatment. The silver unit was sold through dealers participating in Märklin's MHI program for limited edition items. The suggested retail price in the United States was $495.

1994 Nickel-Plated "Maxi" Racer (#45293)

The "Maxi" racer is a nickel-plated version of the 1989 Mercedes Benz W196R Märklin museum wind-up racing car (sold in the U.S. with Märklin catalog #1098). The Maxi racer was part of a promotional package that dealers were allowed to order in early 1994 when they placed their initial orders for Märklin's then-new Maxi line of large-scale tin-plate electric trains.

While the promotional package was sold to dealers with a Suggested Retail Price of over $2000, the individual pieces (locomotives, railroad cars, wind-up nickel-plated delivery truck, erector set airplane, and the W196R) were not assigned individual Suggested Retail Prices. Some dealers kept their Maxi promotional sets for store displays, some sold the entire set intact, and others sold some or all of the individual components as separate items.

1994 VEDES "Silver Arrow" Racer (#81102)

The VEDES racing car is a limited-edition version of the 1995 Silver Arrow Metall Museum car (MB W196/54) produced for sale at the Märklin factory museum in Germany. VEDES, the German Association of Specialty Toy and Hobby Shops, commissioned a unique edition of the car for sale through its member dealers to commemorate VEDES' 90th anniversary.

The VEDES car bears the racing number "6" and the signature of Hans Herrmann, one of four world-famous drivers who drove the prototype for the Mercedes Benz racing team in the mid-1950s.

1995 "Silver Arrow" Racer (#1102)

The 1995 "Silver Arrow" was the seventh in a series of clockwork tin-plate racing cars manufactured by Märklin for sale in their factory museum in Germany. The museum car bears racing number "4" and the signature of Karl Kling, one of four world-famous drivers who drove the prototype for the Mercedes Benz racing team in the mid-1950s.

The silver-gray MB W196/54 was also available on a limited basis from authorized Märklin dealers in the United States as Item #1102. The suggested retail price in the United States was $495.

1995 Mercedes Benz Museum Racer (#81104)

This version of the 1995 "Silver Arrow was manufactured by Märklin for sale in the Mercedes Benz factory museum in Germany. The Mercedes Museum car bears the signature of Juan Manuel Fangio, one of four world-famous drivers who drove the prototype for the Mercedes Benz racing team in the mid-1950s.

The silver-gray MB W196/54 with racing number "2" has a unique front grille and was only available at the Mercedes Benz factory museum. The Märklin item number for this version of the 1995 Silver Arrow is 81104.

1995 Bavarian Broadcast Network Racer (#1947)

The Bavarian Broadcast Network racing car is a limited-edition version of the 1989 Silver Arrow Metall Museum car (MB W196R). The Bavarian Broadcast Network is said to have commissioned the car as a gift for guests who appear on a German financial television program similar to PBS' Wall Street Week The blue and white MB W 196R was also available on a limited basis from authorized Märklin dealers in the United States as Item #1947. The suggested retail price in the United States was $359.

1996 Mercedes Benz SSK Racer (#1103)

The Metall SSK racing car is by far the largest of Märklin's clockwork racers, this re-edition of the 1107R (originally sold in the 1930s) appears to be built on the same chassis that is used for Märklin's wind-up trucks.

The unit - a red, white, and green MB SSK - was available on a limited basis from authorized Märklin dealers in the United States as Item #1103.

Production was limited to 7000 units worldwide and the the suggested retail price in the United States was $627.

1997 Marklin Museum Racer (#11021)

The red MB W196/54 "Monoposto" was manufactured by Märklin for sale in their factory museum in Germany. The car bears the museum logo on its hood.

This model was not imported into the United States by Märklin, Inc. and was not generally not available through Märklin dealers.

1997 Marklin Modellbahn Treff Mercedes Benz SSK Racing Car (#11050)

The Modellbahn Treff Racing Car is a limited edition version of the 1996 Mercedes Benz SSK Racer (#1103). This stark black and white version was not distributed through Märklin's dealer network and was only available for purchase at Märklin's first annual Modellbahn Treff (Model Railroad Festival) held in GÖppingen, Germany in May 1997

1997 Streamlined Sedan (#19031)

Märklin Photo

The 1997 Streamlined Sedan is the most recent in a series of replica clockwork tin-plate vehicles manufactured by Märklin for sale via their MHI dealer network.

The 1997 replica was changed to allow easy distinction from the original model produced in the 1930s. Production was limited to a one-time run in 1997. The suggested retail price in the United States was $627.

1998 Märklin Museum Racer (#19440)

The 1998 "Rekordwagen" is the most recent in a series of clockwork tin-plate racing cars manufactured by Märklin for sale in their factory museum in Germany.

The car commemorates the 60th anniversary of Rudolf Caracciola's 468 km/hr (260 mph) speed record.


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