Mettoy-Corgi
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Corgi Toys (trademark) is the name of a line of die-cast toy vehicles manufactured by Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. in Britain from 1956 to 1983.
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[edit] Beginnings
Corgi Toys first appeared in July 1956, manufactured by Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. in Swansea, Wales, as direct competition to Meccano's Dinky Toys model vehicles, which had dominated the British toy car market for many years.
The Mettoy company was founded by German emigree Philip Ullmann in 1933, who set up a business in Stimpson Avenue, Northampton, England. Ullmann had twenty one years experience running his own toy company in Germany called Tipp, and he was soon joined by South African born German, Arthur Katz, who had worked for him there. In the 1940s and 1950s Mettoy produced a range of die-cast model vehicles which, although crude, proved to be popular and Ullmann and Katz realised that a wider range of toy cars could not only be profitable, but could also break the stranglehold that Meccano's range of Dinky Toys had over the market.
A factory was built in Swansea to manufacture the new range of toys providing up to six thousand jobs in an area of high unemployment following the scaling down of local coal mining operations. The name 'Corgi Toys' was chosen by Philip Ullmann in honour of the new location and was taken from the Welsh breed of dog, the Corgi, also popular with Her Majesty the Queen. It was also snappy and easily remembered, and echoed the name of their great rival, and the famous Corgi dog logo was chosen to brand the new range. Corgi Toys' initial sales gimmick was to include plastic glazing which lent the models a greater authenticity, and they rapidly became known as 'the ones with windows'.
The 1956 releases concentrated on British vehicles which would have been familiar to youngsters at that time. The first six models to be issued were all saloon cars that 'Dad' may have owned; Ford Consul (200/200M), Austin A50 Cambridge (201/201M), Morris Cowley (202/202M), Vauxhall Velox (203/203M), Rover 90 (204/204M), Riley Pathfinder (205/205M) and Hillman Husky (206/206M). These were swiftly followed by two sports cars; Austin Healey 100 (300) and Triumph TR2 (301), and a light commercial; Bedford CA van in 'Daily Express' livery (403) and in 'KLG Plugs' livery (403M). The light commercial range was expanded with development to the basic Bedford CA casting, and the Bedford 'Dormobile' mini-bus (404/404M) was issued along with the Bedford 'Utilicon' emergency vehicle in Army Fire Service livery (405) and in Fire Dept livery (405M). The emergency vehicles both featured a tin plate ladder fixed on the roof. The first heavy commercial vehicles in the Corgi Toys range were the Commer Dropside lorry (452) and the Commer Refrigerated van finished the attractive livery of Walls Ice Cream (453), which would have been close to many youngsters' hearts.
Initially, all models were issued in free-rolling form, or with friction drive motors, with the notable exception of the heavy commercials which would have been too bulky, and the sports cars whose low slung bodies would not be able to accommodate the motors. The Mechanical versions, as they were known, were indicated by an 'M' suffix in the model number and were available in different colour schemes. They were issued with tougher die-cast bases to support the extra weight of the motor, and in far fewer numbers. They were phased out by 1960 - the final Mechanical model being the Ford Thunderbird (214M), and today command higher values amongst collectors. The die-cast baseplates were expanded across the range to replace the original tin plate at the same time.
[edit] Expansion and Innovation
British cars dominated the releases over the next few years, reflecting what was being driven on British roads at that time and the company's concentration on the home market, but in 1957 the first American car, the Studebaker Golden Hawk (211/211M), was released. By the early 1960s the Corgi range was being exported widely, finding particular popularity in Europe, Australia and the United States of America, and gradually more foreign vehicles were included to appeal to these new markets, the first European car to be modelled being the Citroën DS19 (210) issued in 1957.
Models were issued on a monthly basis and the range grew quickly to include vehicles of all types. Apart from the many cars there were commercial trucks and delivery vans, coaches and buses, emergency vehicles, tractors and combine harvesters, military vehicles and rockets, ice cream vans and even a hovercraft. No other manufacturer could rival Corgi Toys for variety and inspiration, and they quickly challenged Dinky Toys' previously market domination.
In 1957 Corgi introduced a new range of models of larger commercial vehicles known as Corgi Majors. The first commercial modelled was the 'Big' Bedford tractor unit which was coupled with the Carrimore car transporter (1101) and the 'Mobilgas' petrol tanker (1110). The Corgi Majors range continued to showcase beautifully produced commercial vehicle models until the 'Majors' name was dropped in 1969.
Gradually the models became more sophisticated with the addition of such features as 'Glideamatic' spring suspension and a detailed interior on the Renault Floride (222) in 1959, and the early fibre-optic 'Trans-o-Lite' illuminating lights system first seen on the Volkswagen 'Toblerone' Delivery van in 1963. The early type of interior which was known as 'vac-formed', was produced by pressing a thin sheet of acetate over a mould by means of a vacuum, and lasted for three years until being replaced by the crisper, more detailed injection-moulded type first seen in the Thames 'Airborne' caravan (420) in 1962.
Always relying on innovation leading to greater 'play value', the Corgi design team came up with the first model with an opening feature in 1960, the Aston Martin DB4 (218) which had an opening bonnet. Steerable front wheels, jewelled headlights and rear lights and an opening boot complete with spare wheel were added on the Bentley Continental Sports Saloon (224) in 1961, and in 1963 with the release of the Ghia L6.4 (241) new levels of authenticity were reached. This beautiful model featured a number of 'firsts' with not only an opening bonnet, but also opening doors and boot, and a crisply detailed interior complete with a rear view mirror, folding front seats, and a model Corgi dog sitting on the rear parcel shelf. The Ghia proved immensely popular despite its relatively high price, and around 1.7 million were sold before being withdrawn in 1969. Ironically, only six examples of the real car were ever made. The ideas and development of the Corgi technical team always kept the range ahead of their rivals who often struggled to keep up.
The company diversified into the adult collector market in 1964 and released a range of highly detailed models of vintage cars called 'Corgi Classics'. Although generally superior to Matchbox's 'Models of Yesteryear', they were comparatively expensive and met with mixed success. The first releases were a 1927 Bentley (9001), an open 1915 Model T Ford (9011) and a version with the hood raised (9013), a 1910 Daimler 38 (9021) and a 1911 Renault 12/16 (9031). Two years later a 1912 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost (9041) was added to the range. The 'Corgi Classics' were dropped by 1969, although the name was later revived by the Corgi Company in the late 1980s.
[edit] Themed Vehicles
[edit] Movie and TV tie-ins
[edit] 1965-1967
By 1965 the 'play value' stakes were taken to new heights with what was set to become the most famous toy car of all - the James Bond Aston Martin DB5 (261) from the film 'Goldfinger'. Although the company had earlier issued a Volvo P1800 (258) as a tie-in with the British television series 'The Saint' starring Roger Moore, this was a somewhat basic toy car with no operating features. Despite the fact that the casting of the new James Bond car was based heavily on the earlier Aston Martin DB4, it was the extraordinary special features that marked out this model. There were machine guns in the front wings which popped out at the touch of a button, a bullet proof shield which popped up to protect the rear screen when the exhaust pipes were pressed, and most spectacular of all was the ejector seat which fired through a roof panel which opened by the touch of another button. The quality of design and engineering remains unparalleled in a mass produced toy car, and released in time for the 1965 Christmas market the Corgi factory found it was unable to keep up with demand, leading to coverage in the British press of stories of toy shop shelves being cleared of this new must-have toy in minutes. Needless to say, there were many disappointed little boys that Christmas morning. The model remains in production to this day in an updated form and has gone on to sell more than seven million examples, making it the biggest selling toy car ever produced.
More big selling film and television tie-in models were released over the next few years, each with innovatory special features to entertain children, and in 1966 Mettoy scooped two of the most prestigious awards; 'The Queen’s Award To Industry' and the 'National Association Of Toy Retailers’ Highest Standards Award'. 1966 also saw the release of another British television tie-in, a two car set from 'The Avengers' which featured figures of the stars of the show 'John Steed' and 'Emma Peel' and their respective cars; the 1927 Bentley from the Corgi Classics range and a white Lotus Elan. Strangely, the Elan featured in the show was painted the same shade of metallic blue as the earlier Corgi issue (318) which had been released the previous year. Later in 1966 The Man From Uncle 'Thrushbuster' car (266) was issued. This was a revitalised Oldsmobile Super 88 casting dating back to 1961, but now with models of the stars of the television series 'Napoleon Solo' and 'Illya Kuryakin' firing guns out of the windows at the baddies they were pursuing. The Christmas market was again dominated by a Corgi toy car; this time the 'Batmobile' (267), a George Barris customised 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car from the American television series 'Batman', which featured rocket launchers, pulsating 'flames' from the jet engine exhaust, a chain cutting device and models of 'Batman' and the boy-wonder 'Robin' sitting in the car. Another massive sales success, the Batmobile went on to sell over five million examples in its lengthy life, staying in the range until the 1980s.
The following year GS3 was issued consisting of 'The Batmobile' towing a 'Batboat' on a trailer, and another James Bond car soon followed - the Toyota 2000 GT (336) from the film 'You Only Live Twice', which fired rockets from the boot. Also issued this year was the 'Daktari' gift set (GS7) which featured a Land Rover painted in the camouflage style of the Wamaru Nature Reserve with a model tiger draped across the bonnet, along with figures of 'Dr Marsh Tracy', his daughter 'Paula', 'Clarence' the cross-eyed lion and 'Judy' the chimp; the human and animal stars of the US television series 'Daktari'. The previously issued 1927 Bentley was updated for a second time to tie in with the British television series 'The World of Wooster' (9004) which starred Ian Carmichael, and featured figures of 'Bertie Wooster' and his butler 'Jeeves' at the wheel.
[edit] 1968-1969
The following year saw the release of 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' (266), the motorised 'star' of the successful film, complete with wings that popped out from the car's side skirts when the hand brake was pushed and highly detailed miniatures of inventor 'Caracticus Potts', 'Truly Scrumptious' and the children 'Jeremy' and 'Gemima', as well as the 'Monkeemobile' (277), a Dean Jeffries customised 1966 Pontiac GTO from the popular American television series 'The Monkees', which although not having any operational gimmicks did feature models of the members of the band inside the car, and was a thoroughly attractive model. An updated version of the James Bond Aston Martin DB5 (270) was also released this year. This time featuring the correct silver paintwork, (the original was painted gold after the design team decided that pre-production models painted silver looked as if the metal bodies were unpainted) it also boasted new tyre slashers and clever revolving number plates, whilst retaining all the features of the original. Early examples of this re-vamped version packaged in a short lived bubble-pack are even more valuable today than the earlier release. The final film and television related model released in 1968 was something of an anomaly. The crime fighting car 'Black Beauty' (268), a George Barris customised 1965 Imperial Le Baron which included an operational satellite launcher inside the boot and a rocket fired from behind the grill, was featured in the American television series 'The Green Hornet' which was not screened in Britain until years later. Despite this it went on to sell over 2 million examples; testament to the brilliance of the toy's clever design. Later in 1970 the 1912 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost from the Corgi Classics range was reissued, but updated with psychedelic paintwork and featuring figures of the group from 'The Hardy Boys', another American television series not shown in Britain. This time the model failed to sell, making it extremely rare today.
The film and television related models continued to be issued in 1969 with one of the most attractive and desirable of all, the Yellow Submarine (803) from the animated Beatles film of the same name. This beautiful model featured two hatches that lifted at the touch of buttons on the side of the craft to allow models of John, Paul, George and Ringo to pop into view. The 'Yellow Submarine' commands very high prices today amongst both die-cast collectors and Beatles related collectors too. Corgi Toys also introduced the 'Corgi Comics' range this year - a range of 'character' toys aimed at younger children. Noddy's car (801) featured figures from the Enid Blyton children's novels of 'Noddy', 'Big-Ears' and 'Golly' sitting in the rumble seat, though the model was later reissued with 'Teddy' sitting in the rumble seat to avoid slurs of racism, and issued again in the 1970s with just 'Noddy' at the wheel. Also released in 1969 as part of the 'Corgi Comics' range was 'Popeye's Paddlewagon' (802) a spectacular half car - half boat featuring 'Popeye', 'Olive Oil' and 'Swea'pea' from the 'Popeye' cartoon series, and 'Basil Brush's' car (808) featuring a model of the famous glove puppet fox from the popular British television series 'The Basil Brush Show' driving a colourful version of the 1911 Renault also from the Corgi Classics range of models of vintage cars. Boom boom !
Also issued at the same time was a very ambitious range of toys from Serge Danot's animated television series 'The Magic Roundabout'. These included the 'Magic Roundabout' Carousel (H852), 'Mr Mac Henry's' trike (H859), the 'Magic Roundabout' train (H851) and 'Dougal's' car (807) - strangely enough, a modified Citroën DS featuring models of 'Dougal' the dog, 'Dylan' the rabbit and 'Brian' the snail. Individual figures of all the characters were available, as was a 'Magic Roundabout' Playground set (H853) that included all the models in the 'Magic Roundabout' series as well as a large 'magic garden' base that featured trees and train tracks. The models in the series were all able to run on these tracks, and would move around the 'Magic Garden' at the turn of a large plastic handle. This set is now one of the most valuable and rare of all Corgi Toys products.
[edit] 1970s and beyond
The releases of film and television related models continued into the seventies, and included more James Bond models. A Ford Mustang Mach 1 (391) and the 'Moon Buggy' (802) from the film 'Diamonds Are Forever' were issued in 1972, and the Lotus Esprit (269) in 'underwater' mode from 'The Spy Who Loved Me' in 1977. The Space Shuttle (649) from the Bond movie 'Moonraker' appeared in 1978 along with a 'DRAX' helicopter (930) from the same film, and a Citroën 2CV which James Bond drove in the film 'For Your Eyes Only' was issued in 1981.
As the decade progressed some of the film and television related models became less authentic and more a product of the imagination of the Corgi design team. In 1973 'Dick Dastardly's' Car (809) was issued featuring models of the characters 'Dick Dastardly' and his sidekick 'Muttley' from the popular children's television programme 'Wacky Races'. However, this Corgi offering was little more than an updated racing buggy, and was a far cry from the famous '00-zero' car that 'Dick Dastardly' drove in the cartoon series. A similar model was updated in 1978 as 'The Penguinmobile' (259) - another unlikely mode of transport for 'The Penguin'; the arch criminal from the 'Batman' television series. A 'Batbike' was released in 1978 featuring a figure of 'Batman' sitting astride a modified motorbike which fired two rockets (with his cape dangling dangerously close to the rear wheel), along with a series of vehicles that were issued as the result of obtaining the Marvel comic license. These included a 'Spidervan' (436); a suitably decorated Chevrolet van, which had also been issued the previous year as a tie-in with the American television series 'Charlie's Angels' (434), a 'Daily Planet' helicopter (929), a 'Spiderbuggy' (261); a Jeep CJ5 with a model of 'Spiderman's' arch enemy 'The Green Goblin' trapped in a web styled plastic bag dangling from a crane fitted at the back of the vehicle, a 'Spidercopter' (928) and a 'Spiderbike' (266). A similar treatment was also given to other Marvel characters including a 'Captain America' Jetmobile (263), a somewhat bizarre 'Captain Marvel' Porsche 917/10 Can-Am racer (262) and an 'Incredible Hulk' Mazda pick-up (264) which featured a caged model of the 'Hulk' on the flatbed of the truck. A 'Superman' gift set (GS21) was also released featuring a 'Supermobile', the 'Daily Planet' helicopter and a Buick Century police car, as well as a 'Spiderman' gift set (GS23) consisting of the 'Spiderbuggy', the 'Spidercopter' and the 'Spidervan'. These later film and television related releases were not models of authentic vehicles as were the earlier issues from the 1960s, but merely existing models updated to take advantage of recently acquired licensing deals.
Later in 1980 the 'Buck Rogers' Starfighter (647) from the film 'Buck Rogers in the 25th Century' was released, though the planned 'Dan Dare' Spacecar never saw the light of day. A series of models featuring characters from 'The Muppet Show' were also issued in 1980. These included 'Kermit's' car (2030), 'Fozzy Bear's truck (2031), 'Miss Piggy's' Sports Coupe (2032) and 'Animal's Percussionmobile' (2033).
By the mid 1970s some of the most popular series on British television were American police dramas, and Corgi astutely decided to model several of the vehicles featured in these shows. In 1976 the Buick Century (296) from the series 'Kojak' was issued, along with a miniature of the lollipop sucking New York cop, and a year later the Ford Gran Torino from 'Starsky & Hutch' was released also with figures of the show's stars. In 1980 a silver Ford Capri 3.0 S (342) was issued as a tie-in with the popular British television crime drama 'The Professionals' featuring models of 'Bodie', 'Doyle' and 'Cowley', as well as a 1956 Ford Thunderbird (348) from the relatively little known American series 'Vegas'.
To complement all of Corgi Toys film and TV related tie-ins, these models they were issued in packaging with beautiful period artwork, making examples with the original packaging and complete with all accessories such as rockets, satellites and umbrellas in the case of The Avengers set, both highly desirable and valuable today. The modern Corgi company has reissued many of the more popular of these film and television related models in recent years, allowing collectors to own examples without the having to pay the small fortunes that the original currently attract.
[edit] Other themes
[edit] Rallying
Models following other themes were also released over the years. In 1964 Corgi updated the existing Citroën DS Safari to become a promotional vehicle for the 1964 Winter Olympics (475), complete with a skiier figure, four model skis and two model ski poles. Painted 'snow' white and with a decal of the Olympic rings logo on the bonnet, this model then reverted to a 'Corgi Ski Club' version after the games were over. It was revamped again for the 1968 Winter Olympics (499), this time painted white with a blue roof, and with a model toboggan on the roof rack along with a figure of a tobogganist and a pair of skis and poles, and a stylish 'Grenoble Olympiade 1968' decal on the bonnet. The final version introduced in 1970 was an Alpine Rescue vehicle (510), painted white with a red roof and which came complete with figures of a St Bernard dog and rescuer, and today is the rarest of the versions.
The Monte Carlo Rally, a road race around the snow covered mountains near Monaco held annually in January, provided a rich source of model cars for four years between 1964 and 1967. By following the rally closely, Corgi Toys were able to issue a model of the winning car shortly after the end of the event. Often there was not even enough time to produce a unique box for the new model, which had to make do with a hastily produced sticker applied to a standard issue box for a similar model. The 1964 winner Paddy Hopkirk's Mini Cooper S (317) featured jewelled headlights and a rally lamp on the roof, and was finished in the BMC team colours of red with a white roof with authentic Monte Carlo Rally transfers. Three Monte Carlo Rally cars were issued in 1965, the winning Mini Cooper S of Timo Makinnen (321) finished in the same red with a white roof, and two jewelled rally lamps, a Rover 2000 (322) in maroon with a white roof with two jewelled rally lamps in the grill and a Citroën DS (323) with four small jewelled rally lamps and finished in pale blue with a white roof complete with roof aerial. All three of these models were available in a beautifully presented Monte Carlo Gift Set (GS38); a highly prized set for today's collector.
Another Mini Cooper S in Monte Carlo Rally finish was issued the following year complete with two jewelled rally lamps in the grille and the signatures of the driver Timo Makinnen and his co-driver Paul Easter printed on the roof. The model number 321 was carried over from the 1965 car. A Hillman Imp was also issued as a Monte Carlo Rally car (328), finished in blue with a white flash along the sides and two jewelled rally lamps, and was driven by an all female team of Rosemary Smith and Valerie Domleo in the 1966 event.
1967 was the final year that Corgi issued Monte Carlo Rally cars, and the famous Mini Cooper S (339) appeared yet again, this time with four jewelled rally lamps in the grill, a sump guard and two spare wheels on a roof rack borrowed from the 'Surfing' Mini Traveller (485) from 1965. The 1967 Monte Carlo Rally Mini Cooper S stayed in the Corgi range until 1972, spanning two different castings. Another Mini Cooper S (333) was released in the same red and white paintwork, but as campaigned in the 1967 RAC/Sun rally by Tony Fall and Mike Wood, along with another Rover 2000 (322) from the same event and finished in white with a matt black bonnet. The final Monte Carlo Rally car was the Sunbeam Imp (340) also from 1967, which featured four jewelled rally lamps and was finished in blue with a white flash and front panel. Corgi, however, were not finished with producing rally cars and issued the winning Hillman Hunter (302) from the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon, complete with Take Off Wheels, roof mounted tool box and a plastic grill guard. The packaging even included a model kangaroo and details of the event, and in 1972 the Ford Capri 3-Litre rally car (303) driven by the late Roger Clark was released.
[edit] Formula 1 Grand Prix and Indy Cars
Corgi Toys did not confine their sporting pretensions to rallying. Throughout the company's history they have been closely associated with modelling Grand Prix and Formula 1 racing cars. The first issued was the Vanwall Grand Prix car (150) in 1957. Finished in green and carrying racing number 3, it was a scale model of the actual car driven by Stirling Moss. This was followed in 1958 by a BRM Grand Prix car (106) also with green paintwork, and both cars featured in the Racing Car Set (GS5) from 1958, along with the Lotus X1 Le Mans racing car (151). The Vanwall, however, had been re-coloured red.
An interesting motor racing related release was that of the Ecurie Ecosse Racing Transporter (1126) issued in 1961 as part of the Corgi Majors range. This unique vehicle was a high speed transporter custom built for the Scottish racing team Ecurie Ecosse, with room for three cars and an onboard workshop. The Corgi model featured fully operational ramps, a sliding door revealing the workshop complete with a miniature lathe, operational steering, and was finished in an authentic dark blue. It was also the centre piece in the Racing Transporter Set (GS16) also released in 1961, along with three racing cars; the Vanwall, the BRM and the Lotus XI.
In 1963 the Ferrari Tipo 156 'sharknose' F1 car (154) was released finished, naturally, in Ferrari racing red, and was also featured in a Land Rover and Ferrari F1 car set (GS17) that same year. It was followed in 1964 by the Lotus-Climax F1 car (155) in an authentic British Racing Green, and in 1967 by the Cooper-Maserati F1 car (156) painted blue. The Lotus-Climax and the Cooper-Maserati were re-engineered in 1969 to include steerable front wheels operated by moving the driver from side to side, and a high level rear wing in the style of real Formula 1 cars of the time. They were re-coloured orange in the case of the Lotus-Climax (158) and yellow in the case of the Cooper-Maserati (159). A Lotus Racing Car set (GS37) was issued in 1966 containing the Lotus-Climax F1 car, two Lotus Elans and a Volkswagen breakdown tow truck.
In 1972 Corgi worked with the newly formed Grand Prix Association to produce a series of Formula 1 racing cars. The first was the Yardley McLaren M19A (151) driven by New Zealander Denny Hulme. and this was closely followed by the Brooke Bond Oxo Surtees TS9B driven by John Surtees (150), later issued in the livery of Italian sponsors 'Pagnossin' (153). The following year saw the release of the Ferrari 312 (152) and the John Player Special Lotus 72 (154) of World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi, and in 1974 the Shadow F1 car was issued in both UOP livery (155) driven by Jackie Oliver, and as Graham Hill's Embassy Shadow (156). Multiple World Champion Jackie Stewart's Elf Tyrell F1 car (158) was also released along with the STP Patrick Eagle (159) driven to victory in the 1973 Indianapolis 500 by Gordon Johncock. The final two models in the series were the Hesketh 308 F1 car (190) driven by Englishman James Hunt issued in 1976, and the six wheeled Tyrell Project 34 driven by South African Jody Scheckter issued in Elf livery (161) and First National City Travellers Checks livery (162) which was released in 1977. Two Formula 1 cars were also issued in the larger 1/18 scale, the John Player Special Lotus 72 (190) in 1974 and the Marlboro McLaren (191) in 1975.
[edit] Further Innovations, Decline and Demise
By the late sixties the toy car market had changed with the arrival from the U.S. of Mattel's Hot Wheels range and their associated track sets. Sales of Corgi Toys began to fall away and matters were not helped by a disastrous fire at the Swansea factory in March 1969 which destroyed a warehouse full of models awaiting delivery.
Even one of the company's cleverest innovations, the Golden Jack 'Take-Off-Wheel' system which first appeared in March 1968 couldn't halt the slide. The realistcally detailed die-cast wheels fitted to these models were attached to the axle by means of a 'Golden Jack', which when folded downwards both released the wheel and supported the model. Only seven models were produced between 1968 and 1970 with this novel feature. The Mini Marcos GT850 (341), the Rover 2000 TC (275) fitted with a glass roof as featured on an a real Rover 2000 on the Triplex stand at the 1965 Earls Court Motor Show, and a spare wheel holder attached to the boot lid. The Oldsmobile Toronado (276) was merely an update of the 1967 issue of the same model, but the Chevrolet Camaro SS350 (338) was all new. The previously mentioned 1968 London to Sydney Marathon winning Hillman Hunter rally car (302) was issued in 1969 complete with a model kangaroo, but the Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray (300) fitted with detachable roof panels and the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow Mulliner Park Ward Coupe (273) which followed in 1970 proved to be the last of this beautifully engineed and short-lived line.
Low friction wheels known as 'Whizzwheels' were introduced in 1969 to keep up with the competition. The first incarnation known to collectors as 'Red Spots' featured rubber tyres and brass hubs with low friction red nylon centres, which though attractive and effective, were expensive to produce. These were soon replaced by oversized plastic wheels which were a step backwards as far as realism was concerned and tended to ruin the appearanace of the models, and are collected today more for their rarity value than their attractiveness. Sales remained fairly static for the next five years, but by the late seventies the models had become less innovatory and sales slumped continually into the 1980s.
There were many reasons for the decline of Corgi Toys, and indeed the entire toy car industry - not least the changes in tastes of youngsters, the spiralling cost of developing new features that would capture the imagination, and the emergence of computer games consoles. The end finally came in 1983, when Corgi Toys were forced to call in the receivers after years of staving off the inevitable, ironically three years after the demise of their great rival Dinky Toys.
Both these famous brands were revived in the 1990s, but although the Matchbox 'Dinky Collection' was relatively short lived the current Corgi company (Corgi Classics Limited) has managed to establish itself as the market leader in the adult die-cast collectable market.
For today's collector, however, the company has left a vast legacy of models to obtain at toyfairs, auctions and on the internet; the 'Golden Era' generally agreed to be the years 1956-1970. After this, the company introduced new ideas which for the majority of collectors proved anathema; in 1970, the unsightly Whizzwheels: in 1973, the increase in scale to the ungainly 1:36 scale: and finally in 1974, the deletion of Corgi's famous blue and yellow packaging for the non-descript multi-coloured offerings
[edit] Further reading
For further reading 'The Great Book of Corgi' by Marcel Van Cleemput, who headed the Corgi design team from 1956 to 1983, is an invaluable mine of information and features hundreds of full colour photographs from the author's collection. ISBN-10: 1872727190, ISBN-13: 978-1872727196.
[edit] See also
- Corgi Classics Limited, the current manufacturer of Corgi toys
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