#210 LEMEZÁRUGYÁR BUDAPEST – LENDÜLET MOTORKERÉKPÁR (Around 1960)

Maybe you find the title of this entry strange… well it was also for me before I wrote this article. My father bought this great tin motorbike a few years ago in a flea market. It has been ever since in a drawer because it was to tall to fit in our showcases, I think he bought it because it goes well with other similar toys we have.

After thoroughly inspecting the body of the toy, we found no information about where was it made, or which was the brand of the toy. The only “hint” was a big L logo with the word “foreign” below it. I decided to search information about it today, and found some things and pieces of information I’d like to share with you.

The "L Foreign" Logo

The logo belongs to a company named Lemezárugyár Budapest, that was founded at the beginning of the 50s in the Hungarian capital, Budapest. It remained active until the 90s, although it probably lost importance during the last years.

The history of this company is very difficult to follow, since the only references I have found are written in Hungarian, which is such a complicated language that online translators cannot translate it to an “understandable” level. Impossible. 

Wheels are marked: Ballon Cordatic 325x19

These wheels are also market "Ballon Cordatic"

Bottom view - friction motor

This time you’ll forgive me if I cannot give much information about the toy company. I am myself very curious about it, it has surely an amazing story behind it. If you are Hungarian and you are reading this, maybe you can make a summary of the History of Lemezárugyár Budapest to be published here, or in any other place.

Here’s the story of the company (in Hungarian) written by its president László Kotan in 1972 for the 100 anniversary of the company. The company founded in 1872 is not exactly the same (this one was founded in Györ, anothercity), but it is considered to be it’s parent company. Maybe both companies were merged later.... In the eastern communist industry it was common that factories produce more than one type of good. A metal and tin plate works had easy to produce for example kitchenware, tools… this seems to be the case as well. If we only focus on toys, the history from 1972 to 1993 is here.

Another nice website with many pictures of toys made by this company.

Hope you enjoyed this entry!

After this 1961 catalogue image tha motorbike can be dated around 1960 (taken from szerencsijatekbolt.hu)

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: LENDÜLET MOTORKERÉKPÁR
• Year: Around 1960 (Probably sold during many years)
• Company: LEMEZÁRUGYÁR BUDAPEST (Hungary)
• Size: 24 cm