Toy vehicle

A toy vehicle comprising:

• a body;
• wheel support means mounted on the body for rotation relative thereto about a generally vertical axis;
• a supporting wheel mounted on the wheel support means for rotation about a generally horizontal axis in position for peripheral engagement with a supporting surface to move the vehicle thereover, said supporting wheel comprising a flywheel being capable of rotation at a speed sufficient to provide a gyroscopic action with respect to the entire vehicle;
• means for effecting rapid rotation of said wheel whereby said wheel serves as a gyroscopic rotor to guide the vehicle along a straight line irrespective of the angular orientation of the body about said vertical axis relative to the flywheel;
• and
• selectively actuatable biasing means between the body and the wheel support means to positively rotate said body relative to said wheel and wheel support means about said vertical axis as the vehicle moves across the supporting surface.

A gyroscopic, flywheel-type toy vehicle, comprising:

• a vehicle body;
• a ground engageable flywheel rotatably mounted on said vehicle body for peripheral engagement with a supporting surface to propel the vehicle thereover;
• means for effecting rapid rotation of said flywheel, whereby said flywheel serves as a gyroscopic rotor to guide the vehicle along a generally unidirectional path as well as propel the vehicle over the surface;
• actuatable means for changing the directional operating characteristics of the vehicle;
• and
• a figure toy positionable on said vehicle operatively associated with said actuatable means to actuate the same upon removal of the figure toy from the vehicle.