Penny Racers on Sale in 1981

Uncovering that recent Penny Racers ad sent me back into the newspaper archives in search of the earliest information on the Takara line. I didn’t find anything earlier than that advertisement, but I did uncover this May 8, 1981, Mansfield, OH, News Journal ad where the Penny Racers appear as “summer toys.” And at just $1.19/each — the equivalent of $3.26 today — I’ll happily take all eight of the “different models to choose from.”