TOY NOMURA Co., Tokyo, Japan was founded in 1923 and used a trademark of T.N inside a diamond. In the 1950's and 1960's they were of the largest toy manufacturers of Japan. In 1993, the company was bought by HASBRO, Inc. TOY NOMURA, like many other Japanese toy manufacturers, produced toys for the USA market and used the toy importer CRAGSTAN, based in New York.
TOY NOMURA (T.N) produced this very nice tin plate Volkswagen Convertible with the top up. Tin body is painted a dark brown or dark blue and there are metal trim pieces that include windshield trim, headlights, VW hood emblem, side trim and door handles. The tin top has cutout windows, painted a pale grey or light blue color and attaches to the body. The tin interior has a very colorful lithograph design detailing the dashboard, door panels, seats and a tin steering wheel attaches to the tin interior. There are no TOY NOMURA markings anywhere on the VW. The tin chassis is painted black and has a friction motor with rubber tires, shiny hubcaps and tin bumpers with guards. The chassis is stamped MADE IN JAPAN. The rear deck lid is clear plastic insert for viewing the lithographed fan shroud and a clear motor with the four little silver colored pistons going back and forth as the friction motor in the VW car moves.
The TOY NOMURA Cabrio came in a very colorful blue box cover with a Bernd Reuters style drawing of the VW Cabrio. Printed on the box was WORLDWIDE VOLKSWAGEN CONVERTIBLE with the VW insignia. FRICTION OPERATED VOLKSWAGEN WITH PISTON ACTION and the T.N insignia was also printed on the box cover. The lower part of the original box was just plain cardboard.
This TOY NOMURA Volkswagen Convertible is seldom found especially with the original box.
The TOY NOMURA Cabrio VW V1 is basically identical to the ALPS Cabrio VW except the ALPS Cabrio has the ALPS insignia in the rear seat lithograph. It is also known that ALPS and TOY NOMURA had a connection in the 1950s as there is a similar ALPS and TOY NOMURA tin Oval Window VW produced as well. See the Oval Window section on the site for further information.
Just to note: There is a single example of the TOY NOMURA Cabrio that is painted blue with white sides and a white top. We strongly believe It is a one-off fabrication especially with a so called original (fantasy?) box with HEBMÜLLER printed on the box. Besides the TOY NOMURA Cabrio VW V1 is representing a Karmann VW Convertible and there is no way that it represents a Hebmüller Cabrio. Also, it is doubtful that TOY NOMURA would have been aware that Karmann and Hebmüller were the manufacturers and would have specifically noted that on their box artwork. TOY NOMURA just called it a VOLKSWAGEN CONVERTIBLE toy and would not have printed KARMANN or HEBMÜLLER on the boxes.
