The Original Space Rover
It appears that Mattel tried to produce a string-riding vehicle, using some type of battery-operated cam/pulley system that would propel Matt across the room. It is unknown why the vehicle was scrapped, but my guess is that the vehicle was either too heavy to traverse the string or the setup proved to complicated for a typical parent. I also believe the Rover was repurposed as the Astro Trac, and that the idea for a string-riding vehicle was developed into the much simpler Reconojet concept, relying on the weight of the figure instead of a battery-operated conveyance. I own an original Mattel prototype of a "Snow Cat" that appears to be an early attempt at producing a vehicle, ultimately becoming the Astro Trac. The Snow Cat uses the earlier Space Rover mold with large wheels added. I'll post more pics and information as I document the discovery.
More from Frank
Assembly Notes
Starting out with an Astro Trac donor made this custom a no brainer. As the Astro Trac was the production adaptation of the Space Rover, the addition of the flywheel, cams and hanging-armature brought great results. Finishing up with silver spray paint and stickers, the result was a vehicle approximating the original.
During construction, Frank wrote to me.. "Well, got the stickers off finally. I wipe a little grease on them & let
it penetrate( 3-4 days usually) & they peel right off. I'll clean the doner vehicle good next. The gears: looks like I'm back to plexiglass discs (using a roto-zip for the cut-outs). The gears I'd looked at for a mold pattern just won't do (:-() Y'all don't know how badly I wanted this sucker to run! On 2nd thought, I guess you do."
Then at a later time during construction: "The top part with the fingers is part of a
Space Crawler battery cover. I just couldn't get the wheel/fingers to do right. I tried to find some markings for the bottom wheels,but never found any. The SPACE ROVER sticker was printed off my WebTV, outlined in black & combined
with the number "3" from the Space Sled and glued on. I used repro Astro Trac stickers as well as my own "Space Rover 3" sticker. The Rover glides well down a length of string, but is heavy."
John's Notes
New Images from the 1967 Mattel "Toy Fair" Catalog
Some time in 2000, a very rare, previously unknown Mattel Catalog surfaced with an all black cover and the Space Rover in the lower-left corner. I finally managed to find a copy. The more common 1967 catalog has had the black "sky" cut out and filled in with blue. It also has a portion of Mountain texture covering up where the Rover once was located. The back cover has an additional image, which details the other side of the Rover. I sent these new, fresh scans to Frank and he wrote back.. "Wish I'd seen these a couple of years ago. Looks like the bracket is maybe pressed steel. Not as detailed as I thought. I could've made mine at least strong enough to hang. And sure does look like a wheel in the front." (under the control column).
You can write Frank about his amazing custom here, but please note that he built the Space Rover for his personal collection, and doesn't intend to offer any for sale.
All Mattel images and captions are copyright Mattel and used without permission. All other content, including images and editorial, is Copyright © 1997-2023 John Eaton and/or contributors unless otherwise stated. If there are any comments or objections, please contact John Eaton.
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