Early European Toy Cars – Part III

Published June 15, 2026 - AutoMobilia E-Newsletter
​By Louis Natenshon

Early European Toy Cars – Part III
Colors, Features, and Plenty of Visual Appeal
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This is the 3rd part in an ongoing series of articles about early European tin automotive toys. We began with the earliest examples, circa 1900, and proceeded more or less chronologically from there.  

Part I - The Early Years is in the PRINT edition of AutoMobilia Magazine issue 43, Nov/Dec '25 edition. Part II - 1905-1915 is in the PRINT edition of AutoMobilia Magazine issue 45, Mar/Apr '26 edition.

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Precise dating of these toys is rarely possible, because early toy catalogues offer limited information, and a particular toy may have been on the market for years, or even decades, if it continued to sell. Like most toys, toy cars mirrored the adult world and reflected the changes in full-size autos, providing another clue to when exactly the toys were made. The cars pictured here date from the teens into the 1920s. All the toys shown are from the Natenshon family collection.  
​
Louis Natenshon

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Carette 50
This is a Carette 50, so named because the number 50 always appears prominently on the radiator. All have the same color scheme, with the vivid red-and-gold lithography characteristic of Carette on the body, and with black paint on the fenders. They were available with or without a top and typically included four hand-painted figures – two ladies and two men – and a pair of cowl lights. Although these are only 8" long, both versions are sought after and sell from around $1,000 to over $2,000.

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Gunthermann Rue-de-Belge style touring car
German toy manufacturer Gunthermann offered a wide range of high-quality tin automotive toys, most of which were medium-sized. This 9.5" Rue de Belge style touring car, with its sumptuous rear seat fit for a king, was offered with or without the simulated convertible top. It also included a bellows horn, rubber tires, and lights. This example is itself a rare and desirable toy, but the 11" version with a Royal Crest on the door is by far the rarer and more valuable.  This size should bring $1,500-$3,000. What then would the Royal Crest version be worth? Given the fact that this toy was on the market for a long time, from about 1908 to 1920, the extreme rarity today of a complete 9.5" toy is surprising, possibly a result of a very fragile top, which could have easily been lost or broken. 

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ORO and Ismayer buses   
Both of these 7" lithographed tin wind-up buses were made in Germany at about the same time. While both are appealing, they differ greatly in quality and rarity. The red ORO bus has the lifeless matte finish that is seen on many ORO toys. Conversely, the blue bus, made by Ismayer, has a rich and lustrous finish. It is more desirable, and far more difficult to find. Both of the tin bus drivers are original to the toys, as are the tin seats, but the seated passengers were not originally included. Small European “composition” figures were widely available during the early years of the 20th century. They were often used as passengers in toy train cars, and to fill seats and benches on other tin toys. Original ones can still be found, but reproductions are available. Tin Toy Works of Allentown, Pennsylvania, offers new examples (TinToyWorks.com). Whether new or old, the figures add to the appeal of these double-decker buses. Without the passengers, the ORO bus ranges from $100 to $300, while the Ismayer bus should bring $1,200 to $2,500.

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Bing Limousines
These popular lithographed tin Bing limousines were offered in five sizes, ranging from 7" to 12.5", and came in a wide variety of color schemes, many of which are very attractive. The largest and smallest versions are pictured here. All but the smallest size had opening doors, and lights were offered only on the largest size. The smallest size should bring from $100 to $300, while the largest size generally ranges from less than $1,000 to more than $2,000.

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CR Bus
​French toymaker CR (Charles Rossignol) made a series of these lithographed buses, which reflected the changes in the actual Paris buses as they were modernized. This richly detailed 12" example is not the earliest version, but it is among the earlier versions, which I find more appealing than the somewhat simplified later buses. Prices range from $750 to $1,500.

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ORO Truck
This 9" ORO truck has the look of quality, quite unlike the red ORO bus pictured earlier. The lithography here is lustrous, and the radiator and headlights are plated. Although some other ORO vehicles were of similar high quality, that was by no means typical. These don’t turn up often in the United States; you are more likely to find them in Europe. One of these trucks sold for $1,300 at the Kaufman Auction in 2010. I am by no means certain that that price will ever be reached again.  

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HESS Limousine
Unlike the other tin autos in this article, this handsome 10" lithographed limousine does not have a wind-up motor. The crank, visible on the front of the car, can be used to spin a heavy lead flywheel, which acts as an inertia motor. Hess used these inertia motors on many of its cars and referred to them as “Hessmobiles.” This example, which I find very attractive, resembles an early Mercedes limousine. The price ranges from under $1,000 to near $2,000.

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EBO Limousine
​At 14" long, this is the largest of this specific series of EBO limousines. While the lithography seen here is complex and exuberant, it pales in comparison to the yellow version. These limos turn up at auction and have sold over a wide range, from around $1,500 and up to $5,500 for a pristine yellow example in the recent Tom Sage Auction. Condition and color are certainly a factor. 

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Fischer and EBO taxis
Although each of these lithographed clockwork cars measures only about 8" long, both have an unusual number of deluxe features, some of which are rarely seen. The brown Fischer taxi includes a tin rear passenger in addition to the driver, as well as a folding fabric top, rear windows that slide up and down, lights, and a taxi meter – a very rare combination of features.  The red car was made by another German manufacturer, Hans Eberl Nurnberg. That company was also known as EBO, or HEN. Unusual features on this toy include a hand brake, a working horn, glass windows, and lights. Both cars are appealing and hard to find. The EBO is the rarer, but either of these could bring $1,500-$2,500. 

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