The 25 series English Dinky Toy trucks were all originally designed and made pre-war, then again reintroduced right after the war, and then produced until around 1952. The latest versions ones even had colored wheels as you can see on the blue truck and green tanker. These pre-war trucks aren’t based on an actual prototype but are simply a stylized look on real trucks that were being made around 1937. All of these in the picture below are various postwar versions that had minor changes to the front radiator and fenders, and also to the base plates.
The blue open truck and the green tanker were both purchased by me around 1959, directly from H. Hudson Dobson who was the U.S. distributor for Meccano. They still had new old stock of many early postwar Dinkys offered at their original price of $0.75 each! I bought quite a few Dinkys from them during 1958–1960.
NOTE
When I was about thirteen years old, another Dinky collector friend and I somehow thought of writing to H. Hudson Dobson to inquire about acquiring older Dinky Toys. My friend had already bought the 39 Buick Viceroy, and since it wasn’t in the 1953 catalog, we figured it pre-dated that. Fortunately, the Dobson folks were quite nice about hearing from a couple of teenage Dinky collectors, and over the next several years sent me quite a bit of correspondence which I still have for some reason! I would ask about discontinued models and they would send me a list with prices. I would then order them and have them delivered to me. This allowed me to purchase quite a few older Dinkys at their then original retail price!
The following trucks were issued:
- 25A Wagon
- 25B Covered Wagon
- 25C Flat Truck
- 25D Petrol Tanker
- 25E Tipping Wagon
- 25F Market Gardener’s Lorry
25A Wagon
This is a very late version of the Open Wagon, finished in a lovely light blue, with matching blue wheels. This model also had a nice amount of original plating on the radiator shell. When these Type 4 trucks were introduced around 1948, Dinky decided to equip them with colored wheels and smaller, passenger car size tires. Earlier versions had larger smooth tires.
Notice the wider and more wrap around the front fenders as well. The 4th type baseplate has a simulated drivetrain. Also notice the radiator shell has original plating. It isn’t a bright silver color, but a slightly warmer tone. I think Meccano might have used nickel plating.
25B Covered Wagon
The Covered Wagon is a 3rd version of the casting (Type 3), from the late 1940’s, showing just how well Meccano finished these early trucks. The 3rd version came without the front bumper but with the older style fenders. Many survivors are now missing one or both headlights, but lots of these were made, so decent ones can still be found.
25C Flat Truck and Trailer
The timeless, classic look of the 25 series Dinky Toys is illustrated with their Flat Truck and Trailer, also shown with a non-Dinky load. This one is the later Type 4 version from around 1950.
25D Petrol Tanker
Pictured below is my later export version tanker. These were the last produced and were intended for the US market in the early 1950’s. This is also a Type 4, and they have a few changes from the earlier ones. First, the chassis is completely new and different, and features larger fenders, which in front now extend down much further. The rear fenders are also slightly wider. The bottom of the chassis also shows a symbolic drive train, with the bottom of the engine and a driveshaft. The wheels were also painted the body color, instead of black, and lastly, the tires were now the smaller black ones. The Tanker body itself was unchanged. The more common versions have “Pool” wording on them.
The next tanker truck is an earlier Type 3 with smooth, non-ridged wheels, and white tires, issued in late 1945, right after Meccano resumed making models again post-war. If you look closely, you can also see that the wheels are not only black, but a kind of shiny black… very soon after they went to a flat black. Also the use of the large white tires is a carryover from pre-war issues. This casting soldiered on until the series was deleted in 1952.
Type 3 versus type 4
The 25 series trucks were all 3 piece models, not counting the wheels: the chassis and fenders, the body, and the front grill/bumper assembly. The one on the left is a Type 3, produced immediately post-war, in 1946. The one on the right is a late, Type 4 export version, produced at the very end of production in 1952.
The one of the left just looks much older, with its narrow fenders and lack of a bumper on the front. The tires are also much larger and in white. The later model has the newer front and rear fenders, which are extended more over the tires, plus have the new front bumper attached. And finally, the later model also has the wheels painted the body color, instead of just black.
25E Tipping Wagon
The 25E Tipping Wagon was introduced in 1935, made in 4 different versions, and discontinued in 1950. At first glance it looks a lot like the 25A Wagon, but closer inspection shows the rear bed indeed has a hinged tailboard and the entire bed does tip up and down. Pre-war versions only were made in two-color schemes, with the cab and the bed in different colors. Mine is another example of an early post-war Type 2 with the open base plate, dating from 1946.
Shown above is also a close-up view of the open style baseplate on the Type 2 casting, used only through 1946. Notice that these early baseplates mentioned Liverpool but not England!
25F Market Gardener’s Truck
The Market Gardener’s truck, or, as most Americans call it, a stake truck. This was always one of my favorite versions of the 25 series: the rear stake bed is just so nicely done, and this one is the 3rd version, with the older style front end, with no bumper. These were available in yellow and black, or green and black.
In the second photo, the truck is shown with its two cousins, the English Dodge Farmer’s truck and the metallic blue French Ford Farmer’s truck — all stake trucks!