UNIVERSE EXPLORATION CAR, EXPLORER SPACE TANK - LINEMAR - JAPAN

Remote control tin battery op Space Tank with steering action. Three astronauts, one driving, two with lighted guns. Single searchlight. "Guns revolve and fire, headlight flashes. Vehicle steers right or left." Marked SPACE TANK EXPLORER on the toy.

This was released in 1958. It appears in the Sears Chritmas Book for that year described as Armored Car, and in 1959 as Futuristic Armored Car. The remote control carries the Linemar logo but we do not yet have the maker's name. The art work gives the tank the X-5 wording but this is not present on the toy. It also features a large dinosaur, a stegosaurus. In fact, the artwork bears only a passing resemblance to the actual toy.

Compare with the AHI Space Explorer Tank, a one astronaut version, and Space Tank, the two pilot version.