Corgi Classics Limited

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The distinctive Corgi logo
The distinctive Corgi logo

Corgi Cars was launched in 1956 as a new range of die cast toy model cars by Mettoy Playcraft LTD, the toy car company founded in 1936. These new toy cars were soon a huge hit because at the time they were the only toy cars on the market that included transparent plastic windows, they soon became known as the ones with the windows!

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[edit] Early years

Although Corgi has had many model car competitors ranging from Dinky Toys to Lledo through out the years, it has fought hard to stay at the top of the market, its name well known to the day. In its first year of trading Corgi sold an amazing 2.75 million cars, making it a clear leader of the British toy car industry. In 1966 Corgi won the Queen’s Award To Industry and the National Association Of Toy Retailers’ Highest Standards Award, two very prestigious awards. In March 1969 a year's supply was destroyed in the Swansea factory by a fire - a major setback cutting profits tremendously. Despite this, Corgi continued to remain among top collectibles for many years.

[edit] Middle years

Sales rocketed in the late 1960s and early 1970s after the James Bond Aston Martin DB5 and the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car was released, but sales were dramatically cut after the 1969 fire. Because of the fire, substantial ground was lost to its main rival Dinky, but by 1971, the Swansea factory was back to full production again after major repairs costing over £1.3 million. The Queen’s silver jubilee model edition released in 1977 was an instant best seller, along with other nostalgia model: Edward VII’s coronation state coach of 1901. After a rapid decline of sales, in 1983 economic analysts said that decline was inevitable; children and adults had moved on to more sophisticated pleasures, others however did not agree; they believed if it had not been for the fire there would have been no problem.

[edit] Later years

Corgi reformed as Corgi Toys Ltd. in 1984, it turned its attention to regaining the British toy company’s confidence. But 3 years later Corgi turned to the export market for profits, soon distributing in Australia, Europe and the USA. Very soon after this point Corgi started the Collectors Club quickly gaining worldwide membership.

In 1989 the company was taken over by Mattel, worldwide toy manufacturing giant (manufacturer of Barbie Dolls and Hot Wheels cars), production was moved to Leicester, the Mattel headquarters. Corgi then bought out its new range: Corgi Classics, selling nostalgia cars, vans and trucks from the 1930s, 40s, 50s and 60s; a huge success aimed at people who had been children at that time giving them the chance to return to their childhood memories, a brilliant innovation that is still running strong today. At around the same period in the US, Corgi released a new range of trucks, fire tenders and buses based on North American prototypes, but was not as successful as hoped. After renewed success, in 1995 Corgi regained its independence and moved to new premises, proving the legend of Corgi had not died out.

Corgi now turned to British TV for model ideas, and soon released models such as Mr Bean’s mini, Inspector Morse’s Jaguar and later even models based on Enid Blyton’s Noddy tales. A variety of firms ranging from Cadbury's chocolate to Guinness beer to Eddie Stobart haulage have had Corgi scale models made of their road vehicles. In 1999 Corgi was taken over for the 2nd time, this time by Zindhart - a US collectors specialists. By 2000, as in the 1960s Corgi was once again Britain’s top model maker. In 2002, Corgi bought the rights to the Lledo name (and many of the molds), taking over the popular Days Gone series, which itself was in some respects an offshoot of the various consolidations at Matchbox, another giant of the British and worldwise die-cast industry. (Lledo had been owned and operated by Matchbox pioneer Jack Odell.) The Lledo Vanguards series was also acquired in the deal. Days Gone and Vanguards models were sold by Corgi under the Lledo moniker until 2004, after which the Lledo name was dropped and the models officially became part of the Corgi Classics line.

In 1999, Corgi debuted the wildly popular Aviation Archive line of diecast military airplanes. Beginning with 1/72 scale, Corgi created one of the most expansive and widely collected lines of highly detailed limited edition collectable diecast metal aircraft. This line has been expanded in successive years to include new moulds and liveries and even new scales, such as the super-detailed 1/32 scale Aviation Archive line. Corgi followed with a new line of 1/50 scale Armored Vehicles ranging from WWII up to through the Vietnam War. In 2006, Corgi broke new ground offering handpainted, spin-cast metal figures and soldiers in the 'Forward March' series which compliments their 1/32 and 1/50 scale lines of vehicles.

Corgi Classics, as the company is now known, continues to this day to produce highly detailed, die-cast models of the world’s most popular vehicles, remaining still very popular amongst both children and adults.

[edit] The first Corgi releases

These are models released in 1956; Corgi's first year of existence With model suffix.

  • 200 Ford Consul
  • 201 Austin Cambridge
  • 203 Morris Cowley
  • 204 Vauxhall Velox
  • 205 Riley Pathfinder
  • 206 Hillman Husky

[edit] Other Corgi models

This is a list of a few of Corgi’s most famous models:

[edit] See also

  • Mettoy-Corgi for the history of Corgi under the orgininal parent company

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[edit] External links

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