Road Devils from Remco (1972)

Company: Remco | Release date: 1972 | Where to purchase: eBay

Released in 1972, Remco’s Road Devils were a line of futuristic-looking stunt-driving race cars equipped with high-speed “gyro-motors.”

Each Road Devil was propelled by a hand-held Power Injector containing a Launching Ramp and a Cranking Gear used to lock the car in place. Once locked in, the gyro-motor could be revved up by turning the hand crank. The faster the crank was turned, the more rapidly the wheels on the car would spin.

A speedometer at the top of the Power Injector indicated the power level the child achieved (from 0-30). Once the desired speed was reached, a trigger button released the Road Devil to perform an “amazing series of super stunts.”

Each car had a stunt-control lever with three positions. Position 1 caused the Road Devil to run in a quasi-straight line. Position 2 caused the car to do wheelies and random hops and turns. Finally, Position 3 resulted in “twisting and spinning like crazy.”

Remco built its line of Road Devils out of CYCOLAC, the same plastic that, at the time, was used to manufacture football helmets worn by NFL players, making the toy cars reasonably durable. A Road Devil was included with each set with additional stunt racers sold separately, including these models: Snowmobile 7179, Stunt Truck 7175, and Aer-O-Car 7177.

Note: If you buy something using the eBay link in this story, we may earn a small commission.