Toy vehicle having simulated engine noise

A motorless, free-wheeling toy vehicle which when propelled by a player to run at a changing speed makes a repetitive sound simulating the noise of an internal combustion engine as a function of running speed, said vehicle comprising:

• A. a chassis having bearings supporting front and rear wheel axles;
• B. a miniature sound producing drum having a resonance chamber and a drum head formed of elastic material enclosing the resonance chamber, said drum being mounted on top of the chassis between the wheel axles;
• C. a clapper cantilevered from one end of the chassis, said clapper being formed of a flat metal spring terminating in a striker that normally rests on the drum head, said spring having a finger located between the striker and the cantilevered end of the clapper and projecting downwardly therefrom at a position displaced from the drum;
• and
• D. a hub mounted on one of said axles, located outside of said resonance chamber, said hub having spaced teeth which when the axle rotates at a rate depending on the running speed then successively engage the tip of the finger, whereby each time the finger is engaged by a moving tooth of the spaced teeth, the finger is pushed forward to raise the striker above the drum head, and when the finger then falls between adjacent teeth, the striker is released to hit the elastic drum head to generate a low-pitched thumping sound, the repetition rate of the clapper action depending on the running speed of the toy vehicle as determined by the player.