Pullback motor

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title: "Pullback motor" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["toy-cars-and-trucks", "mechanical-toys"] description: "Simple clockwork motor used in toy cars" topic_path: "general/toy-cars-and-trucks" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pullback_motor" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Simple clockwork motor used in toy cars ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Darda_model_car_powered_by_a_pullback_motor.jpg" caption="Darda]] model car powered by a pullback motor"] ::

A pullback motor (also pull back, pull back and go or pull-back) is a simple clockwork motor used in toy cars. A patent for them was granted to Bertrand 'Fred' Francis in 1952 as a keyless clockwork motor.

Pulling the car backward winds up an internal spiral spring; a flat spiral rather than a helical coil spring. When released, the toy car is propelled forward by the spring. When the spring has unwound and the car is moving, the motor is disengaged by a clutch or ratchet and the car then rolls freely onward.{{Cite web |title = Darda standard Mega-motor |url = http://www.onlytoys.com/toystore.taf?do=skudetail&sku=D11713 |publisher = onlytoys.com |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20030423011846/http://www.onlytoys.com/toystore.taf?do=skudetail&sku=D11713 |archivedate = 2003-04-23

Some pullback motors, usually intended for racing in pairs, have used a catch and release mechanism to retain their springs. These may be wound separately, then launched together by releasing their spring triggers. Darda toys use such a mechanism for their Stop'n'Go motor.{{Cite web |title = Darda Stop'n'Go replacement motor |url = http://www.onlytoys.com/toystore.taf?do=skudetail&sku=D11714 |publisher = onlytoys.com |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20100829180913/http://www.onlytoys.com/toystore.taf?do=skudetail&sku=D11714 |archivedate = 2010-08-29

References

References

1. (2009). "Toy Stories". Conway.
2. "Keyless device for winding up clockwork mechanism".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::