Darda Racetrack Illustrations (Two original product illustrations, circa 1986)

N.p.: N.p., 1986. Two vintage product illustrations for toy racetracks made by German manufacturer Darda, both by illustrator Ken Zaruba, circa 1986. The two track illustrations presented here are variants on Darda's track sets, "Raketenbaum" (Rocket Car) (with an annotation on the overlay of "Rollercoaster Roadway"), and "Bahn mit Tankstille" (Track with Gas Station), both manufactured in 1986, each signed by the artist, one with a Zaruba Studio label on the overlay.

Popular in Europe and the US during the 1980s and 1990s, the Darda motor was invented by Helmut Darda in 1970, and feature a unique pullback motor, winded by rolling the cars back and forth, which then propel the cars to speeds up to 30 mph, requiring no batteries or electricity. While the cars can be run on any surface, Darda designed brightly colored tracks for the vehicles, incorporating loops, jumps, curves, and crossovers, which can be combined to create elaborate circuits, which run both vertically and horizontally. Darda cars and tracks are still manufactured today, and maintain compatibility with Darda toys manufactured from the 1970s through the 1990s.

Ken Zaruba is an artist from Westminster, Maryland, who has worked extensively as a commercial illustrator for the toy car and train industry, both domestic and international, since the 1970s.

Gouache on heavy stock paper. 18 x 19.5 inches and 24 x 16 inches. Very Good plus, with faint soiling and light edgewear.