Dinky toys are die-cast miniature model cars and trucks. They appeared in early 1934 when Meccano Ltd of Liverpool, England introduced a line of "modelled miniatures" under the trade mark "Meccano Dinky Toys". The announcement was in the April 1934 issue of Meccano Magazine.
In 1931 Meccano Ltd issued a series of railway and trackside accessories to compliment their O scale Hornby Railways model train sets. Six model cars were produced alongside model track workers, passengers, station staff and other trackside accessories. The cars were basic representations and had die-cast metal bodies, tin plate bases and wheels with rubber tyres. By 1934 Frank Hornby, who owned Meccano Ltd, had expanded the range to include die-cast model ships and aeroplanes, and the range was christened 'Meccano Dinky Toys', the first set of 'Dinky Cars' being released in 1934. The set of vehicles was designated No. 22, comprised of six 1:43 scale models and retailed at 4 shillings:
22a Sports Car
22b Sports Coupe
22c Motor Truck
22d Delivery Van (with same chassis and cab as 22c)
22e Tractor
22f Tank
Pre-war Dinky Toys were cast from an impure alloy and today suffer from zinc pest, making good condition survivors rare today. The first model car available individually was numbered 23a which was a sports car based on an early MG, and by December 1935 there were around 200 different products in the Dinky range even including dolls house furniture. The first model cars were generic representations of vehicle types and were available individually from trade packs of 6. Models would not be available in individual boxes until 1952. In 1935 a new series was introduced which featured accurate likenesses of specific vehicles. Series 30 included :
30a Chrysler Airflow Saloon
30b Rolls-Royce
30c Daimler
30d Vauxhall
The number of commercial vehicles expanded with the addition of Series 28 which included a series of delivery vans. Liveries of well known companies began to decorate these vehicles. Production was halted during the Second World War and the Binns Road factory in Liverpool was given over to the Allied War effort.
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