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 or cream color. Tin side moldings, front hood strips and taillights. A very colorful tin lithograph interior. Tin chassis with bumpers and a hand held, battery operated with two “C” battery cells, wired remote control with forward / reverse and steering action. This was the driving school (Fahr Schule) version. Blinking amber light on hood in front of windshield. Plastic male student driver and uniformed instructor figures. Another version was the same as the driving school but with two uniformed instructors or POLIZEI figures.
