Description

1921 Sutcliffe Hot Air 12" Battleship Stunning 1921 Sutcliffe Hot Air 12" Battleship made by the legendary Sutcliffe Pressings Ltd of Horsforth, Leeds. This is one of the very first boats ever produced by the company and is in remarkably original condition with original paint, original burner and original box! The 12" Battleship was the first model boat to go into production, in about 1920, and was loosely based on the 'dreadnought' type battleships of the first world war. The boat was not unlike the boats being produced by the German toy makers just after the first world war and had some similar features such as the built in 'foot' which acted as a stand, but the Sutcliffe boats were made from a heavier gauge of steel and were painted in a thick enamel paint, rather than being lithographed like the German boats. The hull of the boat consisted of two halves, soldered together along the seem; the two halves originally being part of a single pressing that was cut in half by hand. In all, the boat consisted of approximately 30 individual parts, all soldered together by a small, but highly skilled workforce of metal workers. These very early Sutcliffe boats produced so early in the companies history rarely come up for sale in any condition let alone still with the original paint and box! The boat will be exceptionally carefully packed for transit but just to note that the paint is very flaky due to it being over 100 years old and can flake off. This is a highlight of my personal collection! PLEASE STUDY PHOTOS VERY CAREFULLY AS THESE FORM PART OF THE DESCRIPTION AND DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS! Sutcliffe Pressings LTD was a world famous toy maker based in Horsforth near Leeds from 1885 up until its demise in 1984. Started by John William Sutcliffe as a sheet metal works, it wasn't until 1920 that J.W Sutcliffe introduced the idea of producing tinplate toy boats. John's son Kenneth took over the factory in later years and along with his wife Joan turned Sutcliffe into one of the most famous tinplate toy manufacturers in the world. A notable employee was factory foreman Herbert Goodban who's enthusiasm helped Sutcliffe make some of their most successful toys. Although Sutcliffe is best known for its manufacturer of tinplate boats they also made Submarine's, Dumper Trucks, Toy Crane's, Pull along Trucks, Dust Pan and Brush's, Loaf Tins and notably a wide selection of Oil Cans, all of which are documented on this website. Toy's made by Sutcliffe are some of the most sought after by today's collectors.