To supplement the limited number of French models available at the time, Meccano Paris imported the UK Dinky Toys 14C, 27A, 27C, 561, 562, and 571 into France between 1950 and 1951. Very little has been published about the release of these models.
The French Meccano Magazine wasn’t published again until October 1953, but thanks to Jean-Michel Roulet’s book Histoire des Dinky Toys Français 1933–1978, I know these models were released during 1950–1951. Because I own three of these models, namely 27AC, 14C and 571, I searched for information regarding their release in France, but that wasn’t easy. Fortunately, I came across some important French Meccano publications from the period 1950–1952, which provide more clarity and confirm that these models came to the French market during that time.
However, these publications also reveal that these models were only available in very limited quantities and were released only for a very short time. Consequently, they have become highly sought after collectors’ items and are difficult to find. In retrospect, unfortunately these six models imported from the UK did little to help Meccano Paris.
I think it’s interesting to review these publications to better understand the release of the imported UK models. It is known that these UK models were released by Meccano Paris in a French box, but there’s something special about these French boxes, which I’ll explain at the end of this article. I will first show the imported UK models with their French boxes in question.
The Six Imported UK Dinky Toys with Their French Boxes (1950–1951)
Dinky 27AC is the only one of the six imported models shown in the French 1950 catalog, with its luxury box identified as “nouveauté”. The other models don’t appear in any French catalog. The 1950 catalog announced that the Dinky 27AC would be available in June 1950.
French luxury red box 27AC with UK models 27A and 27C. Note the round red French control stamp on the lid of the box.
French 27AC with luxury French box in the 1950 French catalog with the mention “Available in June”.
It was released in a completely French red, plasticized cardboard box with a yellow French label bearing the French name ‘Tracteur “Massey-Harris” et remorque epandeur d’engrais’, as shown in the photo above. The inner cardboard packaging contains the original UK models 27A Massey-Harris tractor and 27C Massey-Harris Manure Spreader with a British baseplate. One flexible side wall can be bent outward to store the models in the cardboard inner packaging, which has holes cut out for the wheels.
The catalog doesn’t mention the British origin of these models. Because the 27A and 27C weren’t released as a combination in a box in the UK, Meccano Paris had to design a box for this pair. As a result, the French box is unique and has become a collector’s item.
The first issue luxury red French box 14C Chariot a Fourche containing a 1950 UK 14C.
According to Roulet, the 14C was issued in France in 1950 in a luxurious red, plasticized cardboard box with a yellow French label “Chariot A Fourche” like the 27 AC, and later in 1951 in an orange cardboard box with an orange and white label, similar to the British 14 C box, but with the French orange and white label “Chariot a Fourche”.
The second issue French box 14C Chariot a Fourche containing a 1951 UK 14C.
Both boxes contain inner packaging for storing the model. The original French boxes of the 27AC and the first issue of the 14C contain a round red French quality control stamp.
The French box of the 571 Grue Roulante containing a 1950 UK 571 and a French instruction leaflet.
Shown above is the French box for the 571 Dinky Supertoys Grue Roulante with a beautifully illustrated French label featuring a crane on the blue cardboard box. The box is complete with inner packaging and a French instruction leaflet.
Illegible British control stamp on the interior lid of the box.
The model on the box is the original UK model 571 Coles Mobile Crane with a UK baseplate. The box has an illegible British inspection stamp on the inside lid and was also issued in 1950.
I don’t own the French 561 and 562 imported by Meccano Paris. These imported UK models were also released in France by Meccano Paris with a French box in 1951, which are shown in the pictures below. All box labels state “c’est une fabrication MECCANO.”
The 1951 French box of the 561 Bulldozer containing a UK 561 and a French instruction leaflet. The green tracks are replacement tracks.
Image: Ivoire France Auctions.
French box of the 562 Dumper Basculeur Automoteur containing a 1951 UK 562 Muir-Hill Dumper Truck.
Image: Ivoire France Auctions.
Baseplate of the 1951 UK 562 Muir-Hill Dumper Truck.
Image: Ivoire France Auctions.
The French Meccano Dinky Toys Publications
French Meccano Dinky Toys order form (April 1950).
The French Meccano Dinky Toys order form of April 1950 shown above listed the 27AC without a price and available in June, but the French Meccano Trade catalog of April 1950 (shown below) with an image of the 27AC mentions it as being available in July. The release date of the 27AC is therefore unclear.
French Meccano Trade Catalog, April 1950.
Image: eBay France.
L: French Meccano Dinky Toys leaflet (Sep 1950)
R: French Meccano Dinky Toys price list (2 Nov 1950)
The French Meccano Dinky Toys leaflet of September 1950 shown above lists the 14C, 27AC, and 571 being available for the first time, but without the mention of a price. The French Meccano Dinky Toys price list of 2 November 1950 lists all three imported models, the 14C Chariot a Fourche, the 27AC Tracteur agricole et remorque and the 571 Dinky Supertoy Grue Mobile with their prices. However, “temporarily exhausted” is noted alongside the 14C and 571. This indicates there was already a shortage of models 14C and 571 soon after their release in September 1950. The 27AC was apparently produced in larger quantities, as it’s not listed as being temporarily exhausted. No other models imported from the UK appear in the French order forms of 1951 and 1952.
The Meccano promotional trade catalog of March 1951 titled “Fiftieth Anniversary Sales Campaign” shown above lists the 14C, 27AC and 571 again with prices, but preceded by an asterisk with the explanation “Special items 14C, 27AC, and 571, marked with an asterisk, are available in limited quantities. We cannot guarantee restocking.” None of these three models are listed in the French catalogs or leaflets of 1951 and 1952.
I could find only one other Meccano publication mentioning the UK imported 561 Blaw-Knox Bulldozer and 562 Muir-Hill Dump Truck. Jacques Dujardin’s Dinky Toys Encyclopedia depicts a 1952 French Meccano Trade catalog in which the models 14C, 27AC, 561, 562, and 571 are no longer listed. But below the list of Dinky Toys. the following comment appears:
“The special import items 14C — 27AC — 561 — 562 — 571 that we were able to supply to you last year will probably not be available this year because we cannot obtain the necessary import licenses.”
In the promotional trade catalog of March 1951 shown above, models 561 and 562 aren’t listed, leading to the conclusion that they first were issued after March 1951 making them extremely scarce. Because no more import licenses could be obtained, no more new UK Dinky Toys models could be imported into France after 1951.
Conclusion
Based on the Meccano France publications, it can be concluded that all six imported UK models were released in France in 1951. Model 561 and 562 were first released after March 1951. Models 14C, 27AC, and 571 had already been released in France since September 1950. Only limited quantities could be imported and restocking of these items wasn’t guaranteed. The stock of the imported British models were quickly exhausted, making them very scarce.
The So-Called “French” Boxes
Brian Salter wrote an excellent article about these models in the June 2006 issue of Model Collector. He writes the following about the 14C, 561, 562 and 571:
“Despite the fact that they left Liverpool exactly as they would for the UK market, they were repackaged by the French in similar boxes but with locally produced labels. These were on sale for just one year.”
“All these four French labels were printed just a shade wider than their UK counterparts, and then neatly applied over the originals, so perhaps the local printing was a late decision. Whatever, these lasted just a single year as well, so are also not easy to find today.”
The French Dinky Toys box labels of the imported UK models with the French model name, along with the text “c’est une fabrication Meccano” suggests that the models and boxes were manufactured by Meccano Paris, as this text is stated on every original French box. But as shown, this isn’t the case with the models imported from the UK. The French label is the “French” aspect of these Dinky Toys models and boxes, as explained by Brian Salter in his article.
A comparison of the British and French boxes of the Dinky 562 Muir Hill Dumper Truck.
Image: Jan Werner
A DTCA forum entry on the 562 contains an image comparing the British and French boxes of the 562. The label of the French box clearly shows it obscuring the British label beneath. This picture, along with the photo of the British inspection stamp on the French 571 box verifies Brian Salter’s statement (mentioned earlier in this article) that the French boxes are in fact original British boxes on which French labels have been applied, with the exception of boxes of the 27AC and the first issue 14C, which were produced entirely in France.