ROBOT ST1 WITH CART - STRENCO - WEST GERMANY

A silver painted wind up tinplate robot. Coiled spring antenna on the head. Backpack with a wire antenna and an on-off switch. The arms have ball-shaped hands designed to fit into a cart. The feet have simple flaps that perform as ratchets, ensuring the robot moves forward. Sometimes called the Kohler Robot.

The robot first appeared at the Nuremberg Toy Show in 1954. The first toy on Strenco's list in spring 1955 was this robot - therefore the name ST 1 (Strenco number 1). The ST 1 with the cart appeared one year later (1956) with the number 1 + 1. The same cart ( with driver before) was an old toy from Hörndlein 1954. A prototype ST 1 - with a mechanical remote control - came up in 1956 too, but was never produced.

The robot was on sale in the US in December 1955.

Strenco's box is a relatively fragile with a limited palette of colours. The cart comes in a separate box with no significant artwork.

An accessory designed to complement the Strenco ST-1 is the push-along truck.

Three box variations. Left to right: first, the version without a switch; second, version with a switch and with the extra logo on the box; third, version with a switch but no logo on the box. Notice the distinct difference in the color of the boxes.