Always something new from Dinky
An advertising slogan used by Meccano Ltd., but how ‘new’ was new? Andrew Ralston investigates.
In the first instalment of this series on the theme of second time around ( Something old, something new, November 2020 issue), we took a general overview of how diecast manufacturers try to make their tooling go further, whether by producing the same model in multiple colours or liveries, by modifying the moulds to produce variants or, in some cases, eventually selling on the tooling abroad where production continues under a different trademark.
All of these tactics were employed by Dinky Toys and, over the years, many articles have been written chronicling the multiple variations on Bedford, Foden, Guy and other chassis in detail. Here, however, we approach the topic from a different angle and look at three other ways in which Dinky recycled ideas and tooling - firstly by returning again and again to the same subjects and bringing them up to date, secondly by modifying the tooling of models already in the range to turn them into something new and, thirdly, in a few instances modelling the same vehicle twice over, albeit it in a more sophisticated form.
In order to provide a fair cross-section of the types of vehicles to be seen on the roads, Dinky ensured that such categories as taxi, ambulance, fire engine, double-deck bus, road roller and so on were always represented in the range. Inevitably, as the years went on, these would begin to look dated, and new versions of the same basic concept would appear. It would of course be impossible in the space of one article to trace this process in relation to the entire Dinky range and we will therefore focus only on selected examples which demonstrate the continuity that existed over several decades.
Take, for instance, the idea of a breakdown truck. In the past cars were less reliable than today so there’s no surprise that a breakdown appeared in the Dinky range as early as 1935, even if it was only a crane on the back of an existing lorry. A more elaborate Commer breakdown came along in 1950. With the arrival of the motorway era breakdowns were frequent as the ordinary family runabout wasn’t used to being driven flat out for long distances. Hence, in 1964 Dinky introduced
the new Bedford TK crash truck in Top Rank Motorway Service livery. The connection between old and new was made explicit in the April issue of the Meccano Magazine, which described the TK as “a much sought-after replacement for the old [Commer] Breakdown Lorry first introduced to the range many years ago”. Though the Bedford obviously looked more up-to-date, the technology involved in operating the crane was much the same as the previous model, apart from the replacement of a winding handle by a knurled wheel.
But variations on the breakdown concept were not confined to the British Dinky range. In the French factory, at Bobigny outside Paris, the Commer had a counterpart in the 35A/582 Citroën U23 (made between 1955 and 1971), while the rear part of the Bedford TK was used on No 589, the Berliet GAK breakdown, between 1965 and 1971.
An even clearer example of this kind of continuity would be the Turntable Fire Escape, which just about every child had during the 1960s. This was produced between 1958 and 1970 with a Bedford cab. Then, in 1968, the French Dinky factory issued a similar vehicle with an elongated Berliet cab (No 568), using the same ladder mechanism, and it has been suggested that these components were produced in Liverpool and sent across to France for assembly. Production of the Berliet then transferred to Binns Road where it was pictured in the UK catalogue until 1973, carrying the same reference number (956) as the original Bedford. This is another interesting example of the cross-fertilisation that occurred between Liverpool and Bobigny, which explains the anomaly of why the British product says “956 Turntable Fire Escape” on the underside of the cab yet still carries the legend “568 Echelle Incendie” in French at the rear.
In order to provide a fair cross-section of the types of vehicles to be seen on the roads, Dinky ensured that such categories as taxi, ambulance, fire engine, doubledeck bus, road roller and so on were always represented in the range. Inevitably, as the years went on, these would begin to look dated, and new versions of the same basic concept would appear.
Many other examples could be given of a new model being essentially an update of an old favourite. The Massey Harris Tractor, introduced in 1948, was succeeded by the Leyland Tractor in 1971, still in the catalogue at the close of production in 1979 and still using the same simple swivelling front axle steering method. The year 1949 saw the introduction of the Coventry Climax Fork Lift truck, followed in 1971 by the Conveyancer Fork Lift. The 1967 Jones Fleetmaster was essentially a more up-to-date equivalent of the 1955 Coles 20 ton Lorry-Mounted Crane, though the two models overlapped in the catalogue for a couple of years. We could go on and on – newer interpretations of car transporters, petrol tankers or road rollers all appeared in the course of time.
The situation is slightly different where cars are concerned. It is noticeable that many of the long-running commercial vehicle models were fairly sophisticated for their day, with operating features that provided more play value compared to the simpler cars. Quite a few were also at the more expensive end of the range and may have been more profitable to produce over a long period when the tooling costs would have been absorbed. Furthermore, while commercial vehicle models did eventually come to look a bit old-fashioned, their shelf-life was still longer than most cars whose styling would go out-of-date after a few years. Thus, Dinky cars did not lend themselves to quite so many variants as did commercial vehicles, though some were of course turned into police cars or taxis.
Sometimes, though, it was possible to introduce a ‘new’ car to the Dinky range, without going to the expense of entirely new tooling, by using an existing model as the basis of another, or giving it a facelift to follow what was happening to the real thing. There was “always something new from Dinky” - but that ‘something’ wasn’t always as new as it appeared.
A good example would be the Daimler V8 saloon. The launch of the real car in October 1962 gave Dinky an easy opportunity to make a new model as the Daimler shared the bodywork of the Jaguar MkII, a car which had been in the Dinky range since 1960. Normally, it could take months or years before a new prototype appeared as a Dinky, but the Daimler was ready for sale by January 1963, as all that was required was a modification to the grille, a new baseplate and a different paint job. The Meccano Magazine explained at some length that the real Daimler was based on the Jaguar before going on to promote the Dinky as an “exciting new model”, conveniently omitting to mention that it was little more than a minor reworking of an existing one.
On the same principle, but involving slightly more change, was the transformation of the Triumph Herald into a Triumph Vitesse. First seen in 1962, the real Vitesse had a six-cylinder engine and Herald bodywork with a new sloping frontal appearance and double headlamps. Again, the Meccano Magazine was reticent in explaining that the Dinky Vitesse was a modification of the Dinky Herald, though it did acknowledge that the Vitesse was “a natural follow-on” from the earlier
car. Always looking for something to praise, the Toyman reported that “Detail is amazing, even the bonnet catches are represented!” - though that was also true of the Dinky Herald, introduced four years earlier.
Similarly, the Dinky models of two popular Ford family saloons of the 1960s, the Cortina and Corsair, evolved in tandem with the real thing. The first Cortina (No 139) came out in 1963 but was quickly reworked to become No 133, a 1965 Cortina with new-style grille and ‘aeroflow’ vents on the rear pillars. The Corsair, introduced in 1964 as No 130, re-emerged three years later as No 169, a Corsair 2000E, a luxury version in silver with the then-fashionable feature of a black vinyl roof. The Cortina also appeared as a rally car and the Corsair can be found in the Fun A’Hoy Gift Set, towing the Healey sports boat.
A parallel process of evolution can be seen in the Morris Mini Minor (No 183) that was succeeded in 1975 by No 178, a Clubman with the squared-off front. The frontal appearance of the Ford Transit van also received this treatment, and later versions had fewer opening parts than the first Kenwood issue of 1966.
Such updates helped to refresh the Dinky range, but there are a few instances where a real vehicle remained in production for so long that Dinky produced a completely new version of the same car for a second time.
The most obvious example in this category would be the Volkswagen Beetle. This first joined the Dinky range in February 1956 and was a good choice of subject for several reasons. By 1956, Volkswagen Motors Ltd had been in existence for three years, handling imports of the car to the UK, making it a familiar sight on British roads while, in an era when much of Dinky production went for export, the Beetle was recognisable worldwide and, during the sixties, enjoyed particular popularity in the United States. Though the styling of the Beetle evolved over the years in many ways - the oval rear window of the Dinky was already out of date by 1957 – to the general public the rounded profile of the car looked much the same and Dinky just kept on producing it. Describing this model, the Meccano Magazine of February 1956 stated that “there is sure to be a big demand for the Dinky Toys Volkswagen” - prophetic words, as it was still being made fourteen years later! Of course, by then it was something of an anomaly, as it had all the characteristics of a fifties’ Dinky Toy – tinplate base, no windows, seats or opening parts – and the only significant changes were to colour schemes and to the wheels which, like many other Dinky cars, were at first painted and then replaced by shiny aluminium hubs.
But the popularity of the Beetle was so enduring that Meccano considered it worthwhile to make a new model of the car on a more up-to-date pattern. Thus, the January 1966 Meccano Magazine introduced a new Volkswagen 1300 saloon with opening doors, bonnet and boot, the only link to the earlier model being that the standard aluminium wheel hub style was still in use. The Toyman made no direct reference to the previous Dinky Volkswagen, but his statement that the VW was “‘the most popular foreign car in virtually every country throughout the world” was sufficient justification for making a new version of it. He
adds that the ten millionth example had been on display at the 1965 Motor Show. A look back ten years to the February 1956 Meccano Magazine report on the original Dinky Beetle shows that the equivalent production figure then was one million, and even that was remarkable enough compared to many other cars.
It may seem strange that, for a time, there were two VW Beetle castings in the Dinky range, the production of the old model overlapping with the new one for a period of about four years. The explanation may well be that the tooling costs for the first model had long been absorbed, making it cheap to produce and sell at just under three shillings (15p) in 1968 compared to just under nine shillings (45p) for the new one. In effect, these items were catering for two different markets, one being a basic toy and the other a more sophisticated offering, so they were not really competing against each other.
Further mileage was got out of both castings by the production of a special export version in the Swiss postal livery of yellow and black. Until 1966, the simple early casting was used, but between 1966 and 1976 this was replaced with the 129 casting, initially in the hard plastic style of display box. By the end of production the spun hubs had given way to less attractive plastic wheels of the “Speedwheels” variety and packaging was of the less robust ‘bubble pack’ type.
At sixteen years, the production cycle of the first Dinky VW casting was remarkably lengthy, but even that was exceeded by the Land Rover which kept going for twenty years. Again, this was one of those iconic vehicles whose distinctive lines remained recognisable for decades, making the toy a steady seller.
Introduced in April 1950 as “a fine model of a vehicle designed to go anywhere and do anything”, the Land Rover was considered as part of the 25
series of farm vehicles, later being renumbered as 340. Two years later, a matching trailer was produced, and over the next two decades these models would be issued in a variety of colours and with minor updates, such as the replacement of the metal driver and wheel hubs with plastic ones. Being produced in open form, right from the start the Land Rover had seats, steering wheel and driver and in that respect did not look quite so dated against more modern Dinkys.
Nevertheless, by 1970, Dinky had decided to make a more modern Land Rover. This time, unlike the case of the Volkswagen, the Meccano Magazine made direct reference to the existing model. In the July 1970 issue we read that “There has actually been a Land Rover in the Dinky Toy range for many years now, but the new release is quite different in that it
Twenty years later, this long wheelbase version appeared, though for a time production overlapped with the older one.
is based on the long wheelbase (109 inch) pick-up version, with enclosed 3-seat cab and open load body, whereas the existing model represents the common short wheelbase ‘open’ type of vehicle.” The article goes on to explain that “as is only to be expected, the new model, numbered 344, is a very much more sophisticated reproduction than the old”, being fitted with opening bonnet and doors as well as a new wheel pattern being used for the first time. The new Land Rover lent itself to variants which could be produced by fitting different body components onto the open rear deck. This was done in 1973 to produce a breakdown crane and a fire appliance, followed in 1976 by a bomb disposal unit. The Land Rover also appeared in the Dinky kits range and, in the last couple of years of the Binns Road factory’s existence, two others were offered briefly - a police van and a customised version with large wheels.
Much more could be said about the ‘second time around’ theme in relation to the Dinky range, but the selected examples given here show how Dinky used creativity and imagination to come up with endless ways of modifying existing ideas without going to the expense of entirely new tooling each time. The management at Binns Road obviously worked on the same principle as the American President, Calvin Coolidge, who once said, “I am for economy. After that I am for more economy.”