This is an old wind-up toy that I've had for a LONG time. The man standing next to the car is the wind-up key. I had another Parameta car, but it got destroyed years ago. The only thing that survived was the wind-up key.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/STUTZ64/DSC02925.jpg

The base of the car showing the positions for the lever.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/STUTZ64/DSC02926.jpg

Pretty cool in the chrome. Nice old piece.

Wow, that's quite the interesting piece!
About 1'32nd scale or bigger?
So strange that a toy that old is chrome. Now is it actual chrome or is it
christmass ornament bulb chrome like a JL? It's hard to tell from the pics 'cause it's in
excellent condition. Almost looks like nickel.
Is that another switch on the rear bumper?
Thanks for sharing!!!

cool piece

Wow, that's quite the interesting piece!
About 1'32nd scale or bigger?
So strange that a toy that old is chrome. Now is it actual chrome or is it
christmass ornament bulb chrome like a JL? It's hard to tell from the pics 'cause it's in
excellent condition. Almost looks like nickel.
Is that another switch on the rear bumper?
Thanks for sharing!!!

I'm not sure about the finish Lummox......I think it's chrome. It's 50+ years old and has been played with by a child that loves toy cars. :p

The switch that you are asking about on the rear bumper is a speed control (1st., 2nd., 3rd., and reverse). The front control has 3 positions for a circle, 2 circles that are a large circle and then a small circle, and a figure eight. They just don't make toys like this anymore.

I'm guessing the Parameta Buick 405 is somewhere around 1/40 scale or so. It's a little biger than a 1/43 scale Brooklin Buick.

Here's a comparison of a 1/43 scale 1948 Buick Roadmaster and the Parameta 405 Buick. I believe a 1949 Buick Roadmaster was used in the movie "Rainman".

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/STUTZ64/DSC02929.jpg

A top view of both cars for better size comparison.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/STUTZ64/DSC02930.jpg

I just can't get over that. What an amazing toy!


By '49 all GM cars were of the next "envelope" post war style ecxept Cadillac went a year early in '48.
Wasn't the Rainman Buick the earlier style like the above models?

I just can't get over that. What an amazing toy!


By '49 all GM cars were of the next "envelope" post war style ecxept Cadillac went a year early in '48.
Wasn't the Rainman Buick the earlier style like the above models?

Yes, it was similar to the blue 1948 Buick Roadmaster made by Brooklin in the above pic Lummox.

A 1949 Buick Buick Roadmaster was used in "Rainman". Here's a pic of the car.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/STUTZ64/934.jpg

By '49 all GM cars were of the next "envelope" post war style ecxept Cadillac went a year early in '48.
Wasn't the Rainman Buick the earlier style like the above models?

Here's a couple of pics from the internet to compare the 1948 and 1949 Buick Roadmaster Lummox. The 1949 model has those "cool" portholes on the fender.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/STUTZ64/1948-buick-roadmaster2.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/STUTZ64/49roadmaster.jpg

Truely a wonderfull toy!
Stutz! If you got more of those vintage stuff, please share!!! I love it!!!

Karl-E. Denmark

Thanks for the added pics, Stutz.
I do know the difference, but it's been a long while scense I've seen the movie.

Those '48s have an interesting hood mechanizem. When that little trim piece at the rear of the hood is actually the hood release. When pulled, the hood raises SIDEways.
AND you can raise it from EITHER side! How cool izzat?!
Stutz, your old enough, you probably already knew that!

Porthole history; Portholes were I thing on all Buicks '49 on up but strangely not on '59 models.
Some useless trivia for ya!

Truely a wonderfull toy!
Stutz! If you got more of those vintage stuff, please share!!! I love it!!!

Karl-E. Denmark

I'll see what I can dig up when I go to storage Karl. Just TOO MANY boxes to look through at storage.

I do have a metal F-100 fighter jet that greets me at storage every time I go there. My buddy worked on F-100 fighters when he was in the Airforce. He bought in while he was in the service, and I begged him to trade me something for it. It was on display above my desk, but other things got priorty for display.

Thanks for the added pics, Stutz.

Porthole history; Portholes were I thing on all Buicks '49 on up but strangely not on '59 models.
Some useless trivia for ya!

Glad you liked them Dave. I have a 1949 Buick 2 door sedan made by Brooklin that I'll post in the 1/43 scale forum sometime this week.

Here's a couple of close-up pics of the Parameta Buick 405 base. As you can see, it's a post war toy made in occupied Germany.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/STUTZ64/DSC02933.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i34/STUTZ64/DSC02935.jpg

Oh yeah, I was going to ask you that very question - if it was a made in occupied Germany situation.
Well that confirms my suspicion.

The quality of this toy speaks volumes of the situation over there at the time.
The good German people were clearly ready for a change!

Thank you very much Ray for sharing this great piece of your collection
and for the added close-ups!
You're truly an asset to Hobby Talk.

I thought the link below was an interesting auction on the 'Bay for a Parameta wind-up key. The seller sold a Parameta car two months earlier, and then listed the wind-up key just recently. It's amazing what the winning bid was.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=120174740618&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=002

Totaly! And like you mentioned in you last PM to me,
I woulda just mailed the dern thing to the winner of the car in the first place!!!
I mean, why wouln't you WANT him to have it?!?! ($$$...I know.)

I woulda just mailed the dern thing to the winner of the car in the first place!!!
I mean, why wouln't you WANT him to have it?!?! ($$$...I know.)

With a winning bid of $128.49 for a wind-up key I'm sure the seller was happy.

Too bad the winner of his Parameta car didn't key the wind-up key sent to him. :rolleyes:

I thought the link below was an interesting auction on the 'Bay for a Parameta wind-up key. The seller sold a Parameta car two months earlier, and then listed the wind-up key just recently. It's amazing what the winning bid was.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=120174740618&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=002


He is an @@S for not sending that key along to the person who bought the car from him that it went with. :rolleyes:

He is an @@S for not sending that key along to the person who bought the car from him that it went with. :rolleyes:

I agree!

I can't believe that Parameta wind-up key sold for that much money. I checked a few days later on the auctions and two more Parameta wind-up keys were listed. :rolleyes:

I checked a few days later on the auctions and two more Parameta wind-up keys were listed. :rolleyes:

:rolleyes: :p