I thought that the Gumball was "invented" only a few years ago, has the site of the gumball (
http://www.gumball3000.com/) says. But.. caught a movie today where there were a few rich guys doing a race. In the end of the movie I saw the name and it was: "The Gumball Rally", and the movie is from 1976!!
It is a nice and comic movie with a few nice cars.
More info in:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074597/...b24_;fc=1;ft=1