Tethered Cars

1948 cartoon from Model Car

Model cars followed very quickly after the arrival of the motorcar and just like the real thing, a power unit of some sort in the model was preferable to pushing or pulling. Clockwork and rubber provided the power until the arrival of the small, model sized, internal combustion engine. More power, more noise, more speed, the essential ingredients to move from a child's toy to an adult hobby.

Initially cars were allowed to run free and were built with very large sprung front ‘bumpers’ to prevent damage when they hit something solid. As speeds increased this became somewhat dangerous and the concept of the tether  was borrowed from the model hydroplane  fraternity. A wire, or even a piece of string connected the car to a central rotating pivot and the tethered car had arrived.

Pylon cars, Tethered cars, Cable racing, Round The Pole and in the US ‘spindizzies’ derived from the practice of using yourself as the ‘central pivot’ are all terms used to describe the same activity. The 1930s saw a huge growth in popularity in the US and by the end of the decade a large number of companies were supplying cars, parts and accessories, to the hobby.

In the UK development was somewhat slower, and it was not until the early years of World War 2 that modelers turned their attention to ‘pylon racing’. With no commercial activity at the time, all cars and many of the engines were completely home built, with wooden chassis’ and wheels being commonplace. By 1945 a number of designs had been published to encourage the ‘home constructor’ including the Curwen Special, a scale Magic Midget  from J. Cruickshank,  D.A. Russell's scale Auto Union, a simple Beginners Car by Galeota  and Gerry Buck’s Number 2. which became better known as 2A following an accident and rebuild.

With the ending of the war, tethered car racing in the UK became enormously popular. Groups of enthusiasts formed clubs and racing took place in hangars, works canteens, garages and on purpose built tracks. Cars became more sophisticated and speeds quickly rose from 30mph to 70. Commercial concerns and individuals were soon producing wheels, tyres, gearboxes, engines and complete cars to satisfy the growing demand. By the end of the 1940s over 50 companies were supplying equipment for the sport and there were similar numbers of permanent or temporary tracks. Cars were soon exceeding 100 mph and then 120mph, but with these much higher speeds came problems with cost of competition, noise and track safety, and as quickly as the sport had arrived so it declined.

By 1955 tethered car racing and the industry that supported it had all but vanished. There were still enthusiast who continued to race and compete at international level but many had turned to rail racing and other pursuits. Of the British companies involved, J.A. Oliver, not only survived, but became world-renowned for its engines.

Tethered car racing did not die out completely. The Eastern Bloc promoted it heavily amongst its youth organisations and sponsored teams at international events. Clubs continued to operate in Scandinavia, Europe America and Australasia. The sport is now highly specialised with cars exceeding 200mph. There are World and European umbrella organisations with championships being run on a regular basis. Because of noise and safety considerations there are now relatively few tracks available. Cars, engines and equipment to race at the very highest levels are available from a number of specialist sources around the world. For those rooted in the past, the Retro or Old Timer movement is flourishing, with a variety of magazines, newsletters, meetings and suppliers to keep interest alive.

For a more detailed history of model car racing have a look at George McDermott’s excellent five-part article, Model Cars-An Early History at www.rrcsa.org.au

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