ROLLS-ROYCE & HORSE BOX

Collectors refer, rather disparagingly, to plastic toys made in Hong Kong in the 1960s as being ‘copies’ of British Dinky and Corgi toys. The implication is that the Far Eastern factories lacked the imagination to design their own products and were simply rehashing someone else’s designs. The truth is a little more complicated. It’s certainly true that many of these plastic toys were, shall we say, ‘inspired’ by British diecasts, but that doesn’t mean they are merely slavish imitations. This Rolls-Royce and Horse Box set, branded as Lucky Toys, is a good example. Diecast collectors will immediately see where the ideas came from. The car, a Silver Cloud III, is similar to a Dinky Toy first seen in 1964. This had opening doors and a bonnet that correctly opened in two halves, but the plastic version has only an opening boot. As with many plastic toys of this genre, it’s powered by a friction motor and has glitzy plated wheels. Attached to it is a horse box and this time the subject originates from Corgi, which introduced its Rice’s Pony Trailer in 1958. The Hong Kong version crops up in other permutations, too: there’s a similar set with a Jaguar MkX marketed under the name ‘Fairylite’. Plastic toys such as the horse box set are becoming harder to find as collectors now appreciate the qualities of these Hong Kong products, once dismissed as cheap imitations. Whether a Silver Cloud III is the best choice of vehicle for towing a horse box is another question, though!