Police Car Tin Car by T.N. Nomura “Moving Gun” Japan Friction *SOLD*

Police Car Tin Car by T.N. Nomura “Moving gun”

Here’s yet another case of a toy that hasn’t surfaced before.  We get to offer a superb Police Car toy with a menacing machine gun strapped to the hood.  This “Moving Gun Police Car” was offered by Nomura in the late 1940’s or possibly the early 50’s.   It is a Japanese made toy made, likely, for the US Market.

Our example features a working gun that oscillates as the toy is pushed across the floor.  The toy is in excellent condition and the box is in superb original shape with light wear.

A brief history of Nomura Toy Industrial Co., Ltd. (T.N) of Tokyo Japan:

Nomura Toy Industrial Co., Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan, also known at TN, was one of the biggest and most prolific of all postwar Japanese toy makers. Nomura is believed to have manufactured toys from the late 1940’s through the 1970’s. The letters “T.N” within the diamond logo means that the company is often referred to as TN or Toys Nomura. A wide range of tinplate toys had this logo emblazoned on its boxes whilst its later die cast toys simply featured ‘Nomura toy’ on their boxes.

Nomura was an early manufacturer in the tin toy world of Japan. They opened their doors in the late 1940’s and quickly dominated the marketplace with colorful, original tin toy vehicles. They produced a wide variety of mechanical and battery (Electromobile) operated toys, military and civilian vehicles, space toys, and novelty items. They are responsible for many Astro Boy and Tetsujin 28 toys. As well as, creating many Robby robot and Sparky robot toys; all were classics.

By the mid 1970′s, like many other Japanese toy companies, it had to make the move into die cast in order to survive.  Their toys designs have even reappeared with the company Masudaya Modern Toys (MT). Nomura continued in one form or another until 1992 when they were bought out by the largest toy company of the time Hasbro.