Vintage Dinky
DTCA Chairman, Michael Driver, picks another vintage favourite by Dinky.
DTCA Chairman, Michael Driver, picks another olden favourite.
Tanks have been part of the army since World War I and have been in most conflicts since then.Today as technology changes there are discussions about the future of them. Models of tanks have been in the Dinky Toys range since 1934 up to the factory closure in 1979. Many of these Dinky Toys tanks were used in playroom battles with the later models having extra play features and even being able to fire shells.
One of the last Dinky Toys tanks was the Chieftain Tank (No 683), issued in November 1972.The advert on the back page of the Meccano Magazine that month describes it as “New Dinky Military Might! New Chieftain Tank Pride of the Armoured Corps.” In the December issue, Dinky Toys News states that it is “a ‘masterpiece’ rather than just a mere ‘model’. It is probably the finest military reproduction ever to appear from the Dinky Toys stable – certainly as far as play-value is concerned”.
The model was fitted with black plastic tracks and had a 360-degree swivelling gun turret that could be elevated and fire shells.To do this you pulled back a spring-loaded lever in the end of the gun barrel. There were yellow plastic shells for firing, many of which I am sure, were lost by the junior tank commanders! It is finished in service green and there are transfers with numbers, symbols and Union flags.
The tanks were sold in blister packs, with a separate card section on the base to hold the shells and the transfer sheet under this card.A sticker also says “Please do not point missile at people”.The later models came in the red and blue hanging window boxes.
The Chieftain Tank was deleted in 1980, after the factory closed, but it remained in the shops for a time afterwards. During its lifetime, it was included with the AEC Artic with Chieftain Tank (No 616) and, in the set, it had a camouflage net.The set came in a large illustrated card end flap box with a packing piece and was available between 1976 and 1977, which was the last time it was seen in the Dinky Toys catalogue.
The tank also joined The Dinky Action Kits in the newly named Dinky Military Kits in 1974. It was number 1037 and came in the illustrated folded card and plastic packs before its deletion in 1977.
The Chieftain tank was a replacement for the Centurion and Conqueror tanks and a prototype appeared in 1959 with a better gun, armour and a better general performance. It is powered by a Leyland 19-litre engine and can reach a speed of a governed 25 mph.The gun is a 120 mm and there are two 7.6 mm machine guns.There is a four-man crew and the tank can also travel through water up to 15 feet deep when fitted with a special snorkel attachment.The Chieftain was replaced by the Challenger tank in 1994. DC