Topps World On Wheels Trading Cards Collector Guide
In 1953, the Topps Card Company released a set of trading cards based on new and historical vehicles. Initially released under the title “Wheels,” the set has gained a following among collectors over the years, and is now referred to as the “World on Wheels” set.
A total of 180 cards were released over two series between 1953 and 1955. Cards were sold in one cent and five cent packs.
Each card features either automobiles or industrial vehicles from a number of eras. That includes some of the earliest auto models from the early 1900s, military vehicles used during World War I and II, and a selection of foreign and domestic cars.
There has been some confusion as to exactly when the cards were actually released. According to Skytamer, inserts inside a box of cards indicated the cards were likely released in late 1953, although many collectors incorrectly assume they were released in 1954, based on the inclusion of 1954 car models in the set.
The colorful card design bares a passing resemblance to the 1953 baseball set Topps released that year, but the cards individually are worth far less than their baseball counterparts. A typical card in the first series (cards #1 – #160) of the “Wheels” set can often be found from dealers or online for about a few dollars each. Graded cards, especially in higher grades, will sell for far more.
Cards in the second series (cards #161 – #180), however, are rarer and command higher prices. Cards 161 to 170 were printed with red backs, while cards 171 to 180 have both red or blue backs.
While most of the cards in the first series are fairly inexpensive, finding a complete set in excellent condition (especially with series 2) can be challenging.
Bob Lemke, the former editor of Krause’s Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards, created a set of ten custom World on Wheels cards featuring vehicles (even bicycles) from the era that could have been included. Click right here to read posts on his blog about the custom cards. The cards are included in the checklist below.
The 1953 Topps “Wheels” Checklist (card number, followed by vehicle name on card)
Series One
1. Diamond T (Concrete Mixer)
2. Cummins Diesel (American Racer)
3. Connaught (British Sports Car)
4. Buick (1910 Toy Tonneau)
5. Mercer (1911 Raceabout)
6. Excalibur J (Sports Car)
7. Norton Motorcycle (There are 2 reported variations of this card, one listing as “German Motorcycle” and another as “English Motorcycle”)
8. Lumber Truck (Straddle Type)
9. Buick (1911 Runabout)
10. Lancia (Italian Sports Car)
11. Maserati (Italian Racing Car)
12. Mack (Diesel Tractor)
13. Maxwell (1911)
14. Gatso (“Cyclops” Dutch Sports Car)
15. Osca Maserati (Italian Sports Car)
16. Pierce Arrow (1911 Station Wagon)
17. White (1910 Opera Coupe)
18. Cemo Turbo (French Experimental Car)
19. Pegaso (Spanish Sports Car)
20. Pierce (1903 Motorette)
21. Brush (1911 Panel Delivery)
22. Lago Talbot (French Sports Car)
23. Lakester (American Hot Rod)
24. Pierce Great Arrow (1905 Touring Car)
25. Airport Fire Truck (Fire Engine)
26. Cooper – Bristol (Racing Car)
27. Mercedes Benz (German Sports Car 300SL)
28. Ford (1903 Runabout)
29. Simplex (1910 Speed Car)
30. Alfa Romeo (Italian Racing Car)
31. Hose Truck (Combination Emergency Fire Engine)
32. Renault (1909 Victoria Runabout)
33. Willys (Jeep)
34. Borgward Hansa (German Sports Car)
35. EFFYH (Swedish Racer)
36. Locomobile (1907)
37. Ford Model T (1910 Commercial Roadster)
38. Kenz (Twin Ford Hot Rod)
39. BRM (British Racing Car)
40. Columbia (1900 Surrey)
41. Stanley Steamer (1911 Touring Car)
42. M24 Tank (Light Tank)
43. Twin Tanker (American Hot Rod)
44. Panhard (1902 Racer)
45. Franklin (1904 Touring Car)
46. Belly Tank (3-Wheeler)
47. U.S. Army (Anti-Aircraft Half-Track)
48. Packard (1912 Landaulet)
49. Long Island Automotive Museum
50. Dream Car (Two Place Astra-Coupe)
51. Vertias (German Sports Car)
52. Locomobile (1899 Stanhope)
53. Studebaker (1906 Touring Car)
54 Cunningham (American Sports Car)
55. U.S. Army (2-1/2 Ton Truck)
56. Cadillac (1906 Touring Car)
57. Vim (1916 Stage)
58. Dream Car (Curvision Rear Engine Coupe)
59. Alfa Romeo (Italian Sports Car)
60. Success (1906 Auto Buggy)
61. White Steamer (1906 Touring Car)
62. U.S. Army (Armored Gun Carrier, 40-MM Dual Self-Propelled Guns)
63. Ferrari (Italian Sports Car)
64. Pierce Arrow (1916 Raceabout)
65. Thomas Flyer (1910 Raceabout)
66. Jaguar (British XK Super Sports Car)
67. Delahaye (French Sports Car)
68. Oakland (1911 Roadster)
69. Knox (1904 Surrey)
70. 1500 Gallon Pumper (Fire Engine)
71. Lincoln Mercury (Experimental Car XL500)
72. Hudson (1911 Touring Car)
73. Ford (1906 Runabout)
74. Cadillac (El Dorado 1953)
75. Willys (Aero-Falcon 1953)
76. Peerless (1913 Roadster)
77. Northern (1904 Touring Car)
78. Hudson (1953 Wasp)
79. Plymouth (1953 Cranbrook)
80. Pierce (1905 Stanhope)
81. Dodge (1953 Coronet)
82. Henry J. (Corsair Deluxe)
83. Pontiac (1953 Chieftain)
84. Lincoln (1953 Capri)
85. U.S. Army (48 Medium Gun Tank)
86. Chrysler (“Special” Sport Model)
87. General Motors (Le Sabre)
88. Nash (Ambassador – 1953)
89. Chevrolet (1953 Bel Air)
90. Ford (1915 Fire Chief’s Runabout)
91. Chrysler (1953 New Yorker)
92. Mercury (1953 Custom) – There is a reported error on this card, in which the wheelbase and horsepower statistics on the back are inverted. It is not clear if the card was corrected.
93. Studebaker (1953 Champion)
94. Ford (1953 Country Squire)
95. Buick (General Motors XP300)
96. Healey Silverstone (British Sports Car)
97. Packard (1953 Patrician)
98. Kaiser-Frazer (American Sports Car DKF-161)
99. Buick (1953 Roadmaster)
100. Pontiac (La Parisienne)
101. Elgin (Sweeper Truck)
102. Cisitalia (Italian Sports Car)
103. Ford (School Bus)
104. Napier (1904 Touring Car)
105. Adams-Farwell (1906 Stanhope)
106. Allard (British Sports Car)
107. Dream Car (Allen Williams Design)
108. Moon (1912 Raceabout)
109. Leon Bollee (1898 Tricycle)
110. Apache (American Hot Rod)
111. Nardi (Italian Racing Car)
112. De Dion Bouton (1896 Tricycle)
113. Oldsmobile (1905 Coach)
114. Dream Car (Sakhnoffsky Design)
115. Reliant (Bantam British Sports Car)
116. Knox (1905 Runabout)
117. Ford La France (1920 Chemical Hose Truck)
118. Kurtis (American Sports Car)
119. Hudson (Super Jet)
120. Ohio (1908 Roadster)
121. Brewster (Town Car)
122. Fiat (Italian Sports Car)
123. Frazer-Nash (British Sports Car)
124. Packard (1904 Tonneau)
125. Stevens-Duryea (1910 Roadster)
126. Triumph (British Sports Car)
127. Riley (British Sports Car Roadster)
128. Hudson (1912 Roadster)
129. Hoffman-Vespa (Italian Motor Scooter)
130. Volkswagon (Convertible)
131. M.G. (British Sports Car Mighty Midget)
132. Ford (Cargo King)
133. Packard (1904 Racing Car)
134. Lucciola (Italian Make Miniature Car)
135. Reeves (1911 Octoauto)
136. Glasspar (Detachable body)
137. Land Rover (British Make)
138. Siata (Italian Sports Car)
139. Checker (Taxicab)
140. Kaiser (1953 De Luxe)
141. Cartercar (1913 Three Passenger Coupe)
142. Thomas (1905 Limousine)
143. NSU-Lambretta
144. Greyhound (Scenicruiser Bus)
145. American (1911 La France)
146. Columbia (1906 Double Victoria)
147. Knox (1905 Surrey)
148. Apperson (Toy Tonneau)
149. Oldsmobile (1904)
150. Columbia (1904 Limousine)
151. Knox (1904 Touring Car)
152. Oldsmobile (1912 Defender Coupe )
153. Pope (1904 Toledo Touring Car)
154. Pope (1902 Hartford)
155. Columbia (1905 Royal Victoria)
156. Royal (1906 Touring Car)
157. General Motors (1912 Electric Taxicab)
158. Columbia (1905 Landaulet)
159. Thomas (1904 Flyer Limousine)
160. Haynes Apperson (1905 Light Touring Car)
Series Two
161. Chevrolet 1954 (Corvette)
162. Mercury 1954 (Monterey Plexiglass Roof Coupe)
163. Packard 1954 (Caribbean Two Door Convertible)
164. Cadillac 1954 (Series 62 Four Door Sedan)
165. Miniature Car 1954 (German Make Family Machine)
166. Hudson (1954 Italia)
167. Microbo (1954 Miniature Car)
168. Bristol (1954 Convertible)
169. Ford 1954 (Thunderbird Sports Car)
170. Buick (1954 Skylark)
171. Pontiac (Strato-Star)
172. Chevrolet (Biscayne)
173. Buick (Wildcat III)
174. Messerschmitt (German Mighty Mite)
175. De Soto (1955 Fireflite)
176. Chrysler 1955 (The “300”)
177. Cadillac 1955 (Eldorado Brougham)
178. Nash 1955 (Rambler “Cross Country”)
179. Dodge 1955 (Custom Royal Lancer)
180. Ford 1955 (Crown Victoria)
Following are ten custom cards created by Bob Lemke. They continue the numbering of the original set, beginning with 181. He also created one variant and each card came with red or blue backs, consistent with the original cards. However, it should be noted that these cards are not considered part of the original set, and are for fan consideration only.
181 Buick Centurian (front view)
181 Buick Centurian (back view)
182 Dodge La Femme
183 Volkswagen Microbus
184 London Black Taxi
185 Schwinn Whizzer
186 Vincent Black Shadow
187 Minerva Town Car
188 Airstream Wanderer
189 Chrysler Town and Country
190 American Moto-Scoot
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Hi there,
This is the first time I have heard of a series 2. And you say nothing of the error cards such as card #7, one is listed as a German and the other as English and number 92 which has the wheelbase and horsepower inverted on the back. Those are the only two that I know of. Also, just for information, Bob Lemke, who at one time was editor and publisher of Krause Publications, made some (what I call “Cards that never were”), numbers 181 thru 190 with both red and blue backs. These have within them four variation cards as well.
Hello Charles,
Yes, based on my research, series 2 was not labeled as such, but was actually later shipments of the cards with the last twenty cards inserted in the packs, hence the rarity of those cards. With the various different wrappers that exist for the cards, it appears those were part of running changes in later printings of the cards that included series 2. However, we cannot place particular wrappers with those later waves.
As far as variations, we generally don’t include them in our collector guides (whether it is cards or action figures), as it is often so difficult to include or confirm them all. In this case, however, you might be correct that they should be included. I’ll include those you mentioned and do some research into any others, and add them as well.
Thanks for your comments, and my apologies in the delay in posting and responding to them.
I have hundreds of these cards but they could use some cleaning. Do you know how I could clean them a bit without damaging them? Thanks!