ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR...

The rubberband version

1965 - yup, that was the year I got my rubberband-powered STINGRAY by LONESTAR. If I remember correctly, the box had some cut-outs of some of the characters on the back - TROY, PHONES, ATLANTA, etc. There was also a clockwork version which looked pretty much the same (see below), but it was the cheaper version I had. Cheaper, but not any less fun at the nearby pond just along the road from where I lived at the time. And there was also the kitchen sink or the bath for Stingray to continue its explorations when I couldn't be bothered going out.

The clockwork version

I've since re-acquired this toy and have it proudly on display. VIVID IMAGINATIONS produced their own, far more detailed version of this craft sometime back in the '90s, but there's something about the '60s original which is hard to beat.