BANDAI was founded in 1950, when Naoharu Yamashina took over a former textile wholesales company, that he himself had restructured into distributing toys. He renamed it BANDAI, which was derived from the Chinese phrase for "things that are eternal." At this time the firm was mainly selling celluloid and metallic toys, along with rubber swimming rings. In March 1951, BANDAI began to export inexpensive toys like metal cars and planes to the United States and other foreign markets. In early 1955, BANDAI established a manufacturing facility, the Waraku Works and started making toys themselves too. In the early 1960s, BANDAI began to establish direct overseas sales and opened an office in New York. Nowadays BANDAI is the world's third-largest producer of toys.
A very nice tin lithographed top down Volkswagen Cabrio toy available in a metallic red color. Tin side moldings, front hood strips and taillights. A very colorful tin lithograph interior with a plastic male driver. Tin chassis with bumpers and an electric motor and a battery compartment holding two “D” battery cells. The Cabrio had a Bump ‘n Go action mechanism for continuous driving. The front hood on this version opens up revealing a tan colored trunk liner with luggage lithographed and a spare tire.
Note: Notice the plea to children on the original display box photo saying “Ask your Mama and Papa for Bandai’s battery operated toy!”
