Extremely rare Marklin ‘Fidelitas’ tinplate clockwork Clown Car Train, German circa 1909, the leading three wheel car with large clockwork motor and stop/start lever, painted in red with gold lining, the seated clown with hands to steering wheel, wearing painted light blue trousers and cream top and neck ruff with red lining, second car finished in dark blue with red lining, clown holding stick and hoop and wearing red painted trousers and yellow top, third car finished in green with light green lining and the clown with flower holder to left hand and wearing painted white trousers and red top, rear car finished in blue with light blue lining, clown holding ‘Fidelitas’ sign and wearing painted yellow trousers and green top, all clowns with weighted nodding heads, and wearing cream hats with blue lining, each car with cream painted spoked wheels, total length 37 ½” (95cm), condition: overall generally good for age, in good working order, totally original paint, lead car lacks one flower post, part of hoop has come apart from solder, one clowns head nodding weight replaced, some loss to paint mainly to spoked wheels and edges of cars, clown heads generally good, one fair. Est: Refer to department Leigh.gotch@candtauctions.co.uk

One of the rarest of Marklin toys, the company being better known for their trains, boats and cars very few novelty toys were made by Marklin, but this extremely rare toy which is generally only ever seen in reference books must rate as the ultimate novelty toy of the Edwardian period, when the four Clown cars are connected the overall length is an impressive 37 ½” (95cm) long and is propelled forward in a zig-zag pattern by a large strong clockwork motor.  This all original example is believed to be only the second to come to auction in the past 20 years, a true attic find.