“Here’s Real Magic!”
In the 1950s, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based General Molds & Plastic Corp. was a prolific manufacturer of battery-controlled mechanical toys made of moulded plastic. The company’s Andy Gard-branded line of toys was a novelty at the time because they were powered by one or more integrated motors controlled by a battery-powered, hand-held remote control.
This dealer advertisement for the Electric Ladder Fire Truck (Model 124) became a popular addition to the Andy Gard line. Powered by two flashlight (C-sized) batteries, the fire truck featured two individually-controlled motors. The first motor moved the fire truck forwards and backwards, while the second operated the attached aerial ladder. At the click of a button on the remote control, the ladder could be raised to a full 8 inches in length and lowered to approximately half that size.
