These 39 series, along with their English cousins, the 38 series, really put Dinky Toyson the model map in the late 1930s. The 39 series showcased new American sedans when they were introduced in 1939, and along with the 38 series of English tourers, were two key series of diecast Dinky models at that time.
Models from the Dinky 39A Series
Dinky Toys historians and experts believe that both the 38 and 39 series were two of the most important series Dinky ever made. They were the first Dinky Toys cars to be modeled more precisely on real cars. Besides that, they are just lovely models!
Dinky Toys 1950 US catalog
Looking at the details on these castings, Dinky Toys certainly established a “look” with their models that was distinctive for a very long time. It was a combination of an initial design based on the original vehicle, executing the die with Dinkyesque detail, and finishing it. It was a very successful combination for a long time. In this article I share my impressions and photos of the series.
39A Packard Super 8 Touring Sedan
This lovely Packard was made from 1939 to 1941 and then from 1945 to 1952. The model shown dates from around 1950.
Dinky 39A Packard Super 8 Touring Sedan and Dinky 30G Caravan
I have seen many photos of the later 1950’s Caravan by Dinky Toys, but the earlier one, No. 30G, in the photo above was made pre-war only, and remarkably free of any of the dreaded metal fatigue which haunts so many pre-war Dinkys. This instance was made around 1939, and it is being towed by the majestic Packard.
39B Oldsmobile Six Sedan
This 39 series Dinky Toys Oldsmobile Six Sedan dates from around 1950 and is painted a beautiful violet blue color. These pre-war and early Post-war Dinky Toys models have a wonderful look and charm all their own. Even as a young boy, I came to love them.
39C Lincoln Zephyr Coupe
A very popular model from the 39 series was the Lincoln Zephyr, a very stylish coupe. I love the graceful fastback design of this model. These vintage models are elegant in their simplicity; sometimes less is more!
39D Buick Viceroy Saloon
My favorite 39 series car is the Buick Viceroy, probably because it was one of my first purchases from H. Hudson Dobson in 1958. Mine is a later one with colored wheels. I have also always been a huge Buick fan. Years after I bought it, I wondered where the model name Viceroy came from, and after some searching I discovered that was an export model name that was never used in the US, which made sense. After 62 years of ownership, this one still has my heart!
Dinky 39D Buick Viceroy
H. Hudson Dobson had quite a few new old stock (NOS) Dinky Toys when my friend and I first contacted them in 1958, including those of the 38 and 39 series, 36 series, 25 series small trucks, and others. I thought it was neat that we were able to buy them, and at their original prices. I think this Buick cost me 75 cents!
39E Chrysler Royal Sedan
Another of the 39 series that showed some style was the Chrysler Royal sedan. I love the 3/4 rear view that shows the sweeping lines. It’s such a classic car and also a very classic model that Dinky produced early on.
This is another one I was fortunate enough to buy still new in 1958, my second acquisition from H. Hudson Dobson, the US distributor. They had been discontinued for several years, but H. Hudson Dobson had leftover NOS (new old stock) models that were sold for just 85 cents. It has stayed nearly pristine for 70 years. What a stylish car it was!
39F Studebaker State Commander Saloon
Another member of the wonderful 39 series of Dinky Toys, the Studebaker State Commander, was made briefly before the war during 1939–1941 and then again during 1945–1950. I just have one example: this lovely olive green instance from years ago. It has the smooth, non-ridged wheels, so has to be an early post war model, likely made around 1946.
It must be pointed out that although the focus of this article is about Dinky Toy development, the order of the steps outlined below would be applied to all in house manufactured products, though not all steps would be relevant (e.g. new parts for Meccano outfits). The use of the word “prototype” denotes the actual real life vehicle, not the model. The accompanying illustrations follow the development of DT 199, the Austin Seven Countryman introduced in May 1961.
A well proven route
Product development followed a well proven route:
1) The New Product Committee would identify a proposed model to manufacture.
2) The committee’s choice would be passed to the New Product Development Manager who would liaise with the manufacturer (e.g. Ford Motor UK) and obtain photographs and drawings. In the absence of good photographs of all sides of the prototype, a trip would be taken to photograph the prototype further using a wooden measuring bar graduated in inches and placed against the prototype as required. By signing confidentiality agreements with manufacturers, details could be obtained of vehicles that were yet to reach the public domain. This way a Dinky would be released to coincide with the maker’s launch.
3) Using the above data, a draughtsman assigned to the New Products Manager would prepare an assembly drawing of the Dinky showing the proposed number of parts, materials and color scheme. The scale of the assembly drawing would be 1:1 so as to give the correct impression of size.
4) Next to the Drawing Office, a small Model Shop would manufacture a working model at the proposed scale, especially if a mechanism needed to be proven. Not all proposed products would need a model if they were part of an established and proven Dinky group (e.g. saloon cars). Models would be made from a variety of materials such as wood, brass, plastic, sheet steel, or a combination as required.
5) Using the assembly drawing and historical data from previous similar products, the Costing Department would prepare a rough estimate of manufacturing and packaging costs. With this information and the model shop mock-up, the New Products Committee would make a final decision on whether or not to proceed with development.
6) The Drawing Office would now proceed with a detail design of all the new parts required.
A discussion on the Austin Seven Countryman in the Drawing Office at the Binns Road factory of Meccano Limited. Image: Meccano Magazine
7) As soon as detailed parts became available for checking, a Tool Designer would study each part and determine where the tooling split lines (parting lines) would be. This was a skilled job with the aim to make the split lines as unobtrusive as possible consistent with ease of manufacture. Tool design and pattern manufacture could now commence.
Patterns would be carved in wood at 3 or 4 times the intended size of the finished model. The pattern is “male”. “Female” casts are now taken from the pattern in wear resistant resin whose boundaries follow the split lines already determined. These casts are used by the toolmaker on die sinking machines (pantograph copiers) to create the moving parts of the tool in steel.
A pattern maker at Binns Road prepares a wooden model of the new vehicle. Image: Meccano Magazine
Some further comments about patterns:
Meccano did have an in house pattern shop, but capacity problems lead to the use of external pattern makers in late 1960’s. The quality and accuracy of these pattern makers provided an opportunity to reduce the number of dimensions on detail drawings. Provided the drawing was drawn accurately at 3 or 4 times finished scale, the pattern maker would take their measurements directly from the drawing and with the aid of a good set of photographs create the pattern. Obviously, areas of designs that related to correct fit and function of working parts (e.g. doors, etc.) would still be dimensioned, but not the 3D shape and profiles of the external bodywork.
A pantograph in action, with the 3D cast on the right and the workpiece on the left. Image: Meccano Magazine
Not all parts required a 3D wooden pattern. In the case of parts with an irregular profile but a fixed depth, one or more steel templates would be used on the pantograph (die sinking machine).
A toolmaker at work on a pantograph machine. Image: Meccano Magazine
It’s now necessary to describe the manufacture of the clear polystyrene windows fitted to many models which fit inside body castings with a minimum gap. To achieve this, a duplicate steel core is made, identical to the one in the diecast tool for the body. After hardening, this core is sent to a special manufacturer and used as a “hobb”. The hobb is forced under extreme pressure into a billet of special steel, thus creating the cavity of the window. Several machining operations follow on the billet to make it suitable for fitting into the window injection mold.
The hobb would be used repeatedly depending upon the number of cavities (impressions) in the window mold. The special steel is capable of receiving the very high (mirror) polish necessary to mold the windows crystal clear.
8) When extra tool making capacity was required, subcontracted tool makers were used. In this case only the component designs and drawings showing the location of the split lines would be issued. The subcontractor is now responsible for tool design and pattern making. However, such tool designs and patterns had to be submitted back to Meccano Ltd for approval prior to manufacture. Meccano had a strict tooling standard for subcontractors to adhere to.
9) Finished new tools would be tried and sample parts assembled. Any modifications necessary to improve fit or function would be carried out and the tool tried again.
A fresh casting. Image: Meccano Magazine
Diecast parts would be placed in a vibratory machine with graded hard stone media to remove flash and then “bonderised”, a liquid wash process that cleaned the castings and etched the surface so paint would adhere well to the Mazak.
Sprue and flash removal. Image: Meccano Magazine
Painting would be carried out in automatic spray booths that transported the castings and spun them under strategically placed spray guns to apply an even coat on all surfaces. The parts would then be transported through an oven to harden the paint.
Loading the auto sprayer with body castings. Image: Meccano Magazine
Mask spraying. Image: Meccano Magazine
If secondary detail was required after hardening, the castings would be hand sprayed in individual booths. In the booth the part would be placed behind a mask to shield everything except the detail to be sprayed. Several color schemes may be tried to help the New Products Committee and sales staff arrive at a final decision.
The final touch up process which ensures protection of the finish of the vehicle. Image: Meccano Magazine
10) With all tools and parts approved, a 500 sample manufacturing run would be processed from start to finished boxed product. After fixing any remaining issues, full production would commence.
Assembly of the base and the body of the Dinky Toys model. Image: Meccano Magazine
The final inspection which precedes the sample run of 500 models. Image: Meccano Magazine
During steps 5 to 9 other areas would be getting their house in order, such as material purchasing, detail costing, packaging design, sales and marketing, paint shop masks, assembly jigs and preferred sequence of assembly. By the late 1960’s, overall time to market from idea to production was reduced to 12 months by using concurrent engineering methods. This enabled the release of two new Dinkys per month.
The traditional method of assembly was down a conveyor, with female operatives on each side doing a single operation from the parts provided to their work point. At the end of the conveyor, the completed model would be inspected and boxed.
A typical assembly conveyor. Image: Meccano Magazine
Output was fast, but the work was very repetitive and boring for the ladies so during the 1970’s a different approach was adopted in which a single lady had her own workstation supplied with all parts where she could build a complete product. For some products the conveyor system would still have to be used.
A completed Dinky 199 Austin Seven Countryman. Image: Vectis Auctions
Modernizing the machinery
An important fact relates to the quality of diecast and plastic tooling. With the exception of press tooling (Dinky tin bases, Meccano etc.) prior to late 1962 all diecast and plastic tools weren’t hardened (heat treated) and quality “Hot Work” steels weren’t used.
Not using “Hot Work” steels reduced die life and in the extreme case where aluminum (which has nearly twice the melt temperature than Mazak) was used on the Vulcan Bomber, the die catastrophically failed after about 500 shots. So special new steels were used and tools hardened. This gave a tool life of potentially 250,000 shots using Mazak, depending on die complexity.
From 1961 and up to 1965, new high pressure fully automatic diecasting machines were gradually introduced with many ready for when the Speke casting facility was closed and brought into Binns Road. Because the original manually operated “Kipp” casters were no longer required they were phased out. This effectively gradually killed off dozens of Dinkys because the Kipp tooling wasn’t compatible with the new machines.
The new machines offered faster production and much denser quality castings with big savings on Mazak, because the path from injection point to cavity was much shorter and smaller. The machines were designed by a very clever gentleman Desmond Youde who was Senior Plant Engineer for Meccano, and were constructed at Binns Road.
The impact of metrication
During the 1970’s several changes took place, notably metrication (which Meccano took very seriously) which revised the general wall thickness for castings and moldings from 0.040″ to 1 mm. In the late 1970’s, wall thickness for castings was further reduced to 0.8 mm to save material and cost without any noticeable reduction in strength. Because the most used materials were Mazak and High Impact Polystyrene (HIP), the use of shrinkage allowance in tooling was abandoned as both these materials shrank at identical rates (0.6%).
With the average Dinky saloon being about 105 mm long, this introduced an overall scale length error of about 0.6 mm which wasn’t worth worrying about compared to the advantages of eliminating downstream errors when applying shrinkage. A further move was to draw designs on plastic film rather than traditional tracing paper. This eliminated the need to trace designs onto linen for durability as plastic film is virtually indestructible.
How it’s done today
Today of course, design and tooling are done very differently. Prototypes can be 3D laser scanned and the data loaded into a 3D CAD system for detailed design of the product. This 3D data can be used in stereolithography (desk top printing) to produce resin models for assessment, downloaded into CNC machines to directly machine detail into hardened steel, or to manufacture electrodes used in EDM (spark erosion) machines.
CAD — Computer aided design
CNC — Computer numerical machining
EDM — Electric discharge machining
About the author
Vic Mumby joined Meccano Ltd. in 1961 as an apprentice toolmaker and transferred to the drawing office in 1965. After spending several years in product design, he transferred to tool design and finally became Chief Draughtsman from 1975 until the closure of the company in 1979.
Vic is active in the Hornby Railway Collectors Association (HRCA) and Dinky Toy Collectors Association (DTCA) and was interviewed by Jon Angel. You can read the interview here:
This article covers the history of the London Austin taxi which was produced by Meccano Liverpool in three models from 1938 to 1979. London taxis are a British icon and unique in the world of taxis, with regulations anchored in British tradition. Some of these requirements include a maximum turning radius of 25 feet (7.62 meters), a glass partition between the driver and passengers, a taximeter, and enough headroom to sit in it with a top hat.
Later requirements included wheelchair accessibility, passenger doors that were at least 20.5 inches (75 cm) wide and could be opened 90 degrees, and a maximum total length of 16 feet 4 inches (5 meters). Austin was able to meet these demands and acquired a leading position in the taxi world.
I’ve always been intrigued by the the unique design and appearance of these taxis and am particularly amazed by the open luggage compartment next to the driver, which has existed since the early days of London taxis before WWII. This open luggage compartment was eventually closed off with a door in 1958 with the introduction of the Austin FX4 taxi.
Austin taxis plying on Shaftesbury Avenue as seen from Piccadilly Circus in the West End of London, circa 1949. Image: Wikimedia
Austin 12/4 Low Loader London Taxi (1934–1948)
In 1906, the General Cab Company imported 500 Renault cabs into London. It was because of this sudden influx of cabs that the licensing authority decided that it would impose rules on their design. One of the conditions was a 25 foot turning circle. The next change occurred in 1907, when the fitting of taxi meters was made compulsory and the vehicles began to be known as “taxicabs”. The “cab” suffix was soon dropped and they were simply called “taxis”.
The regulations were revised in 1928 to encourage more manufacturers to start producing taxis. Will Overton, director of the car dealer Mann and Overton who had been selling cabs in London since 1906, approached Herbert Austin about modifying the 12/4 chassis so that it would comply with the London “Conditions of Fitness”. A chassis from a Austin 12/4 was modified with bodies from various coach-builders.
Because the overall height of the taxi was higher than the competition, it received the nickname “High Lot”, a design that afforded top hat wearing customers ample room. The Austin taxi soon began to outsell the Bearmore and Morris-Commercials versions. Building on its success, a new model, the “Low Loader” was introduced in 1934.
Brochure of the Austin Low Loading Taxi ‑Cab. Image: Pinterest
The 1935 Austin 12/4 Low Loader London taxi cab body by Jones Bros. Note the landaulette style body that allows the rear of the roof to be folded down in good weather. Images: Wikimedia and Flickr
London Austin taxi meter. Image: Wikimedia
Dinky Toys 36G Taxi with Driver (1938–1950)
Meccano Liverpool reproduced the prewar Austin taxi with driver as model 36G, which was first advertised in the February 1938 issue of Meccano Magazine. It belongs to the Series 36 motor cars with drivers, but was only later added and advertised separately in Meccano Magazine. Cecil Gibson refers to model 36G in his book History of British Dinky Toys as “Smaller, and in my view nicer than the post-war 40H taxi.”
Dinky Toys 36G Taxi with Driver advertised in the February 1938 issue of Meccano Magazine
The Dinky 36G is indeed a very realistic reproduction of the real taxi in all aspects, including the landaulette style body that allows the rear of the roof to be folded down in good weather, so that passengers could admire the beauty of the city. The prewar 36G has a small open rear window like the real vehicle, while the postwar 36G has the rear window filled in. It was issued in green, dark blue and maroon, with some models produced in grey or yellow.
Prewar Dinky 36G Taxi with Driver with taxi sign on roof, silver colored radiator and headlights, smooth convex hubs with white rubber tires. Image: EasyLiveAuction
Prewar Dinky 36G showing the nicely detailed open luggage compartment with driver on his seat, silver accented taxi meter, and raised door, roof and hood lines. Image: EasyLiveAuction
Prewar Dinky 36G showing the landaulette style body that allows the rear of the roof to be folded down, the rear open window, spare wheel, license plate, raised door and roof lines, and sunken fuel cap. Image: EasyLiveAuction
The Dinky 36G was reissued after the war until 1950, but only with the name “Taxi” and was always issued in a trade box of 6 units.
Dinky 36G Taxi with Driver in a prewar trade box of 6 units. Note the different colors. Image: J K Diecast Models
Dinky 36G Taxi in a postwar trade box of 2. Note the postwar ridged hubs. Image: Vectis Auctions
Austin Taxi FX3 (1948–1958)
After the war, Mann & Overton decided it needed a more up-to-date design. It was agreed that Austin would supply the engine and chassis, with a body been supplied by Carbodies in Coventry, although the body was actually designed by Austin’s chief body designer Jim Stanfield. In 1948, a new Austin Taxi called the FX3 appeared on the streets and soon became the market leader. Although in 1952 a diesel engine from Ferguson was available as an option, in 1954 Austin began offering their own 2.2 liter diesel engine as standard equipment. Also produced was the FL1, which was the same model but with the space for luggage next to the driver replaced by a bench seat, and no roof sign.
Austin FX3 London Cab advertisement circa 1949. Image: Pinterest
Although the Dinky 36G was reissued after the war and produced until 1950, the model’s outdated look was beginning to show. Meccano Liverpool therefore decided to introduce the more modern Austin FX3 taxi that had been in service since 1948, along with a driver, as Dinky 40H. And for the first time, this taxi model was given the name “Austin Taxi”.
Dinky 40H Austin Taxi, first advertised in the November 1951 issue of Meccano Magazine
The 40H appeared in an advertisement in the November 1951 issue of Meccano Magazine and was a very popular model in the 1950s, being released in a variety of colors. In 1954, it was renumbered to Dinky 254 and remained in catalogs until 1962 with a production run of 11 years.
Early models of the Dinky 40H Austin Taxi were issued in a trade box of 6, after which they received their individual box. Image: Vectis Auctions
The Dinky 40H was included in catalogs from 1951. It appeared for the first time in color in the 1952 international color catalog, in which it was depicted in blue with a black interior.
Shown above are my first versions of the Austin Taxi. On the left, the dark blue model with with an unnumbered or “40H” base, and on the right, the violet blue variant with an unnumbered base that appeared in the 1952 catalog.
The early Austin Taxi models didn’t yet have a model number embossed on their base. According to Mike & Sue Richardson’s Great Book of Dinky Toys, the model number 40H was added to the base on 7 July 1952. The Dinky 40H debuted in yellow with a brown interior and driver in the 1953 and 1954 UK catalogs as shown above. The yellow version of the taxi is special because it was issued with both a brown and a black interior and driver.
Austin Taxi in yellow with brown interior, driver and base plate numbered 40H
Austin Taxi in yellow with black interior, driver and unnumbered base plate
A closer comparison of the yellow Austin Taxi with brown and black interiors
On 8 March 1955, the model number 40H was replaced by 254, which appeared in the 1955 UK catalog with a green body and yellow roof.
In the January 1956 issue of Meccano Magazine the two tone 254 Austin Taxi was advertised with the byline “Dinky Toys. Gayer than ever in 1956.”
Austin Taxi in yellow over green with black interior, driver and base plate numbered 40H or 254 as shown in the 1955–1958 catalogs
The final version of the Dinky 254 Austin Taxi was issued in black with a grey interior and a driver, more closely resembling the real Austin taxi. It also featured hollow aluminum hubs known as “spun” hubs, and unlike its predecessors, a taxi meter that was painted silver.
The final Dinky 254 Austin Taxi appeared in the 1950 UK catalog shown below.
Base plates of the Austin Taxi in blue (L) and yellow ®
Base plates of the Austin Taxi in yellow on green
Base plate of the Austin Taxi in black
My collection of the primary variations of the Dinky Austin Taxi
Front view of the primary variations of the Dinky Austin Taxi
My collection of all variations of the Dinky Austin Taxi
Austin Taxi FX4 (1958–1982)
The Austin FX4 is a hackney carriage that was produced from 1958 to 1997. It was sold by Austin from 1958 until 1982, when Carbodies, who had been producing the FX4 for Austin took over the intellectual rights to the car. Carbodies only produced the FX4 for two years, until 1984, when London Taxis International took over the rights and continued producing it until 1997. In all, more than 75,000 FX4s were built.
Austin Taxi brochure. Image: eBay
Over its lifetime the FX4 increasingly became regarded as a design classic and a visual icon of London recognized throughout the world, to the point where its eventual successors, the TX-series and the current LEVC TX, continue the FX4’s basic styling and overall aesthetic. In order to improve air quality, electric propulsion has been mandatory for taxis since 2018.
The first model of the Austin FX4 London taxi. The “rabbit ears” roof turn signals and the small rear lights predate the 1968 upgrade. Image: motorious.com
The London 2009 view shown above includes a post 1968 Austin FX4 taxi with direction indicators on its front wings on the right, and another post 1968 model on the left, with prominent tailfins to accept the taillights and turn indicators on its rear.
Dinky Toys 284 London Taxi (1973–1979)
After the successful production of the Dinky 254 Austin Taxi ended in 1962, it wasn’t until 1973 that Meccano Liverpool started producing the new London Austin Taxi FX4 which had been in service since 1958. It was introduced in the April 1973 issue of Meccano Magazine as No. 284 London Taxi, equipped with opening passenger doors, windows, and a fully detailed interior and driver.
It was first listed in the 1973 UK Dinky catalog shown above and was released in two versions which are described below. It’s remarkable that Meccano Liverpool first produced the “private hire” 282 Austin 1800 taxi which was launched in 1967–1969, before releasing the “professional” London Austin Taxi, which had already been in service since 1958.
Type 1 Dinky 284 London Taxi finished in dark blue with grey interior and driver without cap, orange taxi sign on roof, jeweled headlights, Speedwheels and front white license plate with black registration number INJ 72L.
Rear view of the type 1 Dinky 284 London Taxi in its first type box with raised license plate at rear with black registration number INJ 72L and “410 Hackney” on a yellow background, Speedwheels and red painted tail lights. Image: eBay
Type 2 Dinky 284 London Taxi finished in black with black taxi sign on the roof, grey interior, blue driver with cap, silver colored headlights, and chrome license plate sans registration number at front.
Rear view of the type 2 Dinky 284 London Taxi with smooth trunk lid, red painted tail lights and no license plate. Image: eBay
Dinky 284 London Taxi in the 1979 Dinky UK trade catalog at the end of its production run
Although somewhat forgotten today, the Peugeot 204 celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2025. At the time, Peugeot adopted a single-model strategy. Although the 404, with its modern design and robustness, was a resounding success, Peugeot didn’t really offer a car accessible to the general public until the arrival of the Peugeot 204 in April 1965, which felt like a small revolution. The car wasn’t designed by Pininfarina and was front-wheel drive!
The 1965 Peugeot 204 Image: Rudolf Stricker
Dinky Toys partnered with Peugeot, which led to an immediate reduction in production of this new model. The first models were presented in a blue box and were white in color. This version, now very rare, wasn’t selected by Atlas, which offers a replica of the standard model.
As usual, Dinky Toys offers a magnificent reproduction of the original car that showcases its beautiful lines and numerous details. The engine hood opens and the headlights are fitted with plastic lenses, enhancing the model’s realism. In 1977, the mold was adjusted, and the rear bumper was now a single piece, in accordance with Peugeot’s restyling.
Atlas’s replica captures the characteristics of the original model and is quite successful overall. Unfortunately, the metallic red paint doesn’t cover the body evenly, making some of the details stand out excessively. The wheels are also a rather fanciful design. Finally, the chassis reveals the model’s Chinese origin, whereas the original was labeled Meccano.
The Norev model adheres to current standards, meaning it’s packed with details, some a bit crude like the windshield wipers, but it has no opening parts. The front grille is reproduced with great finesse, and the interior, already well-detailed in Dinky Toys models, is here reproduced down to the smallest detail. Strangely, the taillights aren’t made of translucent red plastic but are painted.
Individual pictures of the Atlas and Norev models follow.
The pictures below include a portion of the roofs.
Finally, a comparison of the roofs and underbody are shown.
Note
This is an updated version of the author’s original article “Petite Revolution” published in May 2015.
Sometimes a model arrives on the workbench and you instantly know: this one’s going to be a challenge. That was exactly the case with the Dinky 33C/570 Simca Miroitier Cargo.
The little truck looked pretty miserable when it came in. The flatbed was detached, the spare wheel missing, the tires crumbled, and worst of all, the glass rack was badly damaged. Broken, bent out of shape, and the advertising sign completely missing. And yet, the truck hadn’t lost its charm. That’s what made it so appealing. Not a flawless restoration, but a true rescue mission.
Here’s what I did:
The glass rack was straightened, aligned, and firmly soldered back together.
A new advertising board was made, neatly fitted into its slots and given a fresh coat of paint.
The iconic lettering “Miroitier / Saint-Gobain” was designed in a vector program and applied to the board.
Two plastic glass panes were added, complete with “Fragile” stickers, because let’s face it — a glass truck without glass just doesn’t make sense.
Finally, new tires were fitted and the flatbed with spare wheel was reattached to the chassis.
The result: a Simca Miroitier Cargo that proudly shows its history, while standing tall on its wheels once again. Not a pristine showroom piece, but a living fragment of toy history. And that leads us to the question: what’s the real story behind the Simca Cargo and its connection to Dinky Toys?
Dinky 33 Simca Cargo
The Dinky 33 Simca Cargo is one of the most recognizable French Dinky Toys from the 1950s. The model was based on the real Simca Cargo, a light truck produced in France between 1955 and 1956. Dinky Toys France released several versions, including a flatbed, a tanker, and a fire engine.
The Special Saint-Gobain Version
The most popular version is the Simca Cargo “Miroitier Saint-Gobain” (No. 33). This glass transport truck appeared in the mid-1950s and featured a metal rack on the bed for miniature glass panes, complete with the “Saint-Gobain” lettering, referring to the famous French glass manufacturer. This detail made the toy more than just a truck – it became a miniature piece of French industrial history.
The Original: the Real Simca Cargo
The toy was modeled after the Ford Simca Unic Cargo, designed in 1948 and first shown at the Paris Motor Show in 1949. Over the years, the truck was marketed under different names.
Ford Cargo (1950–1955)
Simca Cargo (1955–1956)
Unic Cargo civil (1956–1960)
The real truck was powered by a strong 100 hp V8 engine and was later offered in diesel and 4x4 military versions, notably used by the French Army in Algeria. Production shifted several times, from Poissy to the Unic factory in Puteaux, with engines even supplied by the old Bugatti plant in Molsheim.
Between 1950 and 1966, thousands of these trucks — both civilian and military — were built, making the Simca Cargo an important symbol of France’s postwar automotive industry.
The abbreviation SIMCA stands for Société Industrielle de Mécanique et de Carrosserie Automobile, a French car factory founded in Nanterre in 1934 by Henri Pigozzi.
Meccano Ltd and Dinky Toys made a grand entrance prior to the start of WWII. In these early days, they combined their diecast toys along with a few tinplate items, such as the RAC (Royal Automobile Club) Hut shown below. Another charming touch was the use of artistic scenes in the boxes of sets, which were set up for a nice, easy display. Here’s the Dinky 43 RAC Patrol Set that was produced between 1935 and 1941.
Unfortunately, neither the tinplate items nor the artistic scenes survived the war, although in the 1960’s, some scenes were again included. Pre-war Dinkys certainly are antiquated toys, crude by later standards, but have undeniable charm in their form and expression, of hand labor from long ago, when things were much less automated. As an example, notice the figures. All those tiny details — buttons on blouses, badges and facial expressions — were all hand painted by women wielding tiny paint brushes. That ended up being too time consuming and expensive, and became another casualty of the war.
The box containing the Dinky 43 RAC Hut gift set.
So turn the clock back to about 1937 for this little gem that has survived intact almost 90 years!
Another pre-war Dinky Toys set from long ago also used diecast manufacture, hand painted details, and a charming illustrated display box. This is the Dinky 42 Police Set with Police Hut, Motorcycle Patrol, and Policemen that was produced between 1936 and 1941. When WWII intervened in 1941, many early Dinky Toys sets were discontinued forever, but the Police Motorcycle Patrol and the Police Hut or Box survived to be reissued after the war. However, this early charmer is still a joy to view and offers insight into what toy making was all about so long ago.
The picture below is of both the pre-war Police Box on the left, and a post-war version on the right. Notice that both have the red painted light on top. The only real difference I can see is that the color of the box is quite a bit darker in the pre-war one, but that could be attributed to a different batch of paint. Also notice that the pre-war model seems to be a bit taller, but it’s the same die, and started out the same height. The pre-war model is suffering from a bit of metal fatigue or zinc pest, and has grown in size. This happens to many Dinkys from pre-war days, and some actually fall apart due to too much corrosion.
I was born in 1970 and for the first five years of my life, my parents and I lived on the fourth floor of an apartment building in Fort Lee, New Jersey, a very urban suburban town. Our building was perched on a hill overlooking busy Interstate 95, and the George Washington Bridge was less than 1000 feet away. It was so close that the lights on the bridge would shine into my bedroom at night.
There was never a shortage of commercial vehicle traffic to stare at through the window or look at on walks with my parents, and as a young child I quickly became fascinated by commercial vehicles. Interstate 95, Interstate 80 and Cross Street where the apartment located was always filled with truck traffic going to and from New York City. But there was one truck apart from all others that caught my eye, and that was Mercedes-Benz. The big chrome three pointed star that adorned the grill left a lasting impression on me at a very early age.
The 917 Dinky LP 1920 Mercedes Benz truck and trailer was released in 1968 and is shown here with related Mercedes Benz factory material: A 1963 Mercedes Benz LP 1920 brochure, a smaller 1963 pamphlet with a sketch of the LP 1920 truck and a vintage Mercedes Benz North America license plate, all which complement the model superbly.
For a brief period, the US headquarters of Mercedes-Benz was located literally right down on the road from me on Linwood Avenue in Fort Lee, and since the mid-1960’s, Mercedes-Benz had been gradually entering the massive US truck market, especially in the lucrative NY/NJ area. I saw Mercedes-Benz trucks daily and I was so enamored by them that my Montessori school teacher Ms. Kathy had one drawn on my cubby box. Other kids wanted animals or superheroes drawn, but I wanted a truck. Naturally, I had to have my own toy trucks to match, and my parents obliged.
My first Mercedes-Benz trucks were the Matchbox Mercedes-Benz covered truck and an Efsi model, also Matchbox sized which were made in Holland. Both these toys were based on the real Mercedes-Benz LP 1920 models which were never imported into the USA by Mercedes-Benz.
The L in “LP” stands for “Lastwagen” which is German for “truck”, while the P stands for “Pullman cab” which relates to the advanced spacious cab over or forward control cab designs that these trucks utilized. Pullman harks back to the early American railway cars that were very spacious and luxurious. Mercedes-Benz often called their flagship 600 limousine Pullmans. So “LP” is “Truck Pullman” in English.
Beginning in the early 1960’s, Mercedes-Benz slowly began to enter the massive US truck market and this handsome first generation Mercedes-Benz LP shown above was well suited for the job of hauling beer for Lowenbrau. For the truck enthusiast at the time, seeing this truck would have been a very rare treat. It was photographed around 1961 while delivering Lowenbrau to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. Note the optional decorative wheel covers and the chrome grill guard, a must for inner city delivery trucks to prevent front end damage. Tekno and Wiking modelled these early first generation LP trucks.
When I was about seven, while browsing through a group of Dinky Toys catalogs that were given to my mom and I from a local retailer, Five Corners Toy and Gift in Westwood, NJ, I discovered that Dinky Toys had made a model of a LP 1920 Mercedes-Benz truck and trailer. However, it wouldn’t be until 1981 that I would finally acquire one.
The 917
The Dinky 917 was introduced in 1968 and withdrawn in 1974. It was the second longest Dinky Toy commercial vehicle ever made after the earlier 983 car carrier and trailer. Modelled after the typical European rigid truck and trailer in 1/42 scale, it was based on the real Mercedes-Benz LP 1920 trucks that were unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Exhibition in late 1963. The LP model trucks boasted an extremely modern design with a very clean, simple look and uncluttered lines. Many have said the LP was the most modern truck design of the 1960’s and its look is still timeless more than sixty years later. The large cab, often referred to in German as “Kubische Kabine” (Cubic Cabin)was designed to maximize interior space and the tall windows afforded excellent visibility. There was an option for two bunks, and the expansive windshield required three windshield wipers.
This rare color Mercedes Benz factory photo dates back to 1963 and shows an early LP 1920. Note the clearly visible wooden slats on the double sided drop down cargo bed. Image: Mercedes Benz Trucks Classic archive
The naming was also new for 1963 and the leading one or two numbers designated the gross vehicle weight rating while the last two digits indicated the horsepower rounded off, or with a zero as needed. The LP 1920 would have translated into a 19 ton gross vehicle weight truck with a 200 horsepower diesel engine. They were built at the Manheim plant and were very good sellers until 1973 when they were replaced by the NG model.
The 1964 cutaway flyer from Mercedes-Benz shown above illustrates the mechanicals of the LP/LPS 1620/1920 Drivers cab. Despite being a cab over engine truck, the cab did not tilt for engine access on early models. Maintenance flaps were instead utilized. Close examination reveals many of the details that Meccano captured for the Dinky 917 including the three cab seats, with armrests on the passenger side seat.
The Dinky 917 was heavily laden with features which were all the rage at Meccano at the time, including a very unique one-off suspension system and it was a very expensive model to produce. It was first previewed in the February 1968 issue of Meccano Magazine. Writer Chris Jelley who reviewed the model wrote:
The truck itself is built up on an excellent reproduction of the Mercedes-Benz LP 1920 cab and chassis, to which a 6 inch long truck body has been fitted. The cab, however, is undoubtedly the star of the show, being the most sophisticated commercial cab ever produced by Meccano or indeed by anybody else to my knowledge.
Not only is it fitted with windows, seats and steering wheel, but it also has an opening roof ventilator and opening upholstered doors — the very first diecast on the market with this latter feature! The right hand passenger seat, incidentally, has proper armrests.
Other features include wing mirrors, big oval jeweled headlamps, and German style license plates. But the thing I personally found most interesting is the superb suspension system fitted to all the wheels, both of the truck and trailer. The fact that the suspension is included in such a large model is in itself, fairly unusual, but the Dinky system used has never appeared on a Dinky Toy. It consists of sprung “plungers” acting on each axle, the axles being mounted in slotted bearings to allow vertical movement. The result is excellent.
Both the truck and trailer bodies are identical, being large detailed castings equipped with opening tailgates and carrying detachable molded canopies, shaped to represent tarpaulins. The swiveling bogey wheels at the front of the trailer are attached to a special tow bar which slots into a recess in the back of the truck. The chassis is blue with the truck and trailers bodies in yellow, and the cab roof and tarpaulins are white. All in all, a very pleasing sight.
Meccano issued this rare large format catalog shown above in late 1967 to accompany the February 1968 issue of British Toys, a trade publication for the British toy industry. This catalog is a sight to behold with many colorful illustrations of the wonderful new for 1968 Dinky toys, including the 917.
Meccano packed the 917 trucks in all card boxes with a simple colorful illustration of the truck on the exterior and a very attractive illustrated inner stand with an illustration of a German Autobahn. This insert in the all card box was a nice holdover from an earlier era when Meccano spent heavily on all carded box design even when they already had later changed to blister boxes.
Instructions on hooking and unhooking the trailer were printed on the rear of the insert. The card box evolved from having the old Dinky logo, to one with the new Dinky logo and a Meccano logo, and finally to one that had both the new Dinky logo and the Airfix logo.
Shown above is my trio of Dinky 917’s showing typical variants when it comes to roof vent, cab roof colors and wheel designs. Early trucks had detailed plastic chrome wheels while later versions were fitted with 12 lug cast wheels. The blue tilt version is the rarest of the non-promotional 917 models and the blue tailgate version is scarce compared to the usual white.
Underside view of the Dinky 917 chassis sans trailer which enables a view of the very unique one-off spring operated suspension system on both axles. The trailer featured the same as well.
The card box evolved from having the old Dinky logo (bottom box), to the new one with the Meccano logo and finally to one that had both the new Dinky logo and the Airfix logo.
The back of the Dinky 917 had printed instructions for hooking and unhooking the trailer drawbar.
The early issues featured detailed chromed plastic rims that mimicked the actual trucks wheels. While the wheels were a very accurate representation of the actual trucks, the chrome plating was designed to sell toys, giving them a flashy look to attract a child’s attention while the real trucks were painted steel. Around 1973 the new 12 lug truck type wheels would replace the chrome versions and the license plates were deleted as a cost saving measure.
Early versions featured a blue cab with a white roof, all yellow bodies and white molded color plastic tilts textured like real canvas, with white plastic tailgates. Later variants would see a blue roof with a white or blue roof vent and white or blue tailgates, and the rarest color combination would be the all blue cab with blue tilts. I’ve never seen any noticeable casting variants on the 917, just the color variants as described. Some collectors and sellers have noted there is a cream tilt version but this looks more like the aging of the white plastic, changing color over time. I say this as I have cleaned and polished the white tilts on a few of my trucks to bring back some of the original white, and the cream shading turns lighter.
The Dinky 917 from my childhood shown here is the blue tilt version, and not knowing its scarcity as a kid, it was almost resold soon after. In 1981, while perusing Model Railroader magazine, I noticed a classified ad from a Canadian seller advertising mint boxed Dinky toys. With my mom’s help I wrote to get a sales list and when it arrived, it included a mint boxed 917 for sale. I had always wanted the 917 but since it was withdrawn in 1974, I missed it since I was too young. My mom kindly purchased it for me with an international money order from the US Post Office, my first international toy purchase!
I was disappointed when it arrived, because it looked nothing like the white tilt version in the older Dinky catalogs I had. Instead, it had blue tilts which weren’t present in any any catalog. I kept my disappointment to myself and it would take me years to finally realize it was actually the rarest variant of the normal non promotional 917 models!
This LP 1920 ad appeared in the October 1965 issue of Truck and Bus Transportation, an Australian publication. Gottleib Daimler built the world’s first truck in 1891, which is shown next to the then state-of-the-art LP 1920.
In 1968, the Inchman comic strip appeared in Meccano Magazine for the first time. In this issue, the 917 was featured and Inchman foils hi jackers. The same illustration with the policeman would be used for a few years in other Meccano printed material.
The Brussels based Dutch Meccano importer, P. Fremineur and Zoon utilized this attractive advertisement to promote the new for 1968 Dinky models which included the Dinky 917. “Steeds meer natuur-getrow” translates in English to “increasingly true to life”.
The dealer poster and catalog illustration for the Dinky 917 was updated in 1972 with the new Dinky logo. 1972 would be the last time this image was used in a catalog , because by 1973 all models would be photographed and not drawn.
A pair of LP trucks and trailers at work in the 1970s. Image: Mercedes-Benz Trucks Classic
Photographed in the 1970’s, the pair of LP truck and trailers shown above were hard at work in what was then West Germany. Note the TIR plates, which comes from the French term “Transports Internationaux Routiers” which allows for easy transportation of goods across international borders without the need for customs clearance at each border crossing.
There were two promotional versions of the Dinky 917. The rarest and most attractive is the German issued Münsterland version made for the German transport company around 1973. It was painted in Kelly green, and its white tilts made for a very eye catching promotional. Supposedly a few hundred were made. I have been a lifelong fan of the 917 and this version was unknown to me until about twenty five years ago. As soon as I saw it, it went onto my “want” list, but they are very elusive and usually only turn up for sale at European auctions. They are also quite expensive so I doubted I’d ever find one.
In January 2025, I found mine on eBay Germany and while the seller was very friendly, he couldn’t end the auction early to change the listing for shipping to USA shipping since it already had bids. I reached out to my fellow collector contact in Germany, Hubert Moller who sold me the Dinky Coles German promotional cranes some years back and he graciously won it for me for a fair price. It’s a lovely very near mint example and after a thorough detail cleaning, the Kelly green finish shows its lovely sheen. Finding the Münsterland truck was one thing, but the other fascinating parts of my acquisition are the unique Münsterland sticker on the insert and an incredible provenance. The insert wasn’t visible in the pictures that accompanied the auction, so the sticker was a big surprise. I had seen this sticker only once on some previously sold examples; however, it was never clear enough to read so I translated mine:
It was a pleasure for us to be able to serve you quite often last year with our MUNSTERLAND TRUCK (or also with a smaller vehicle).
Of course, we would be very happy if, in the coming year, the MUNSTERLAND TRUCK could deliver our quality products to you even more frequently than before. With these words, our sincerest thanks, and our best wishes for 1974, we would like to present you with this small “Remember Me” gift, the “Mini-Munsterland ‑Truck”.
Munsterlandische Margarine-Werke. J. Julf
I have often reached out to the seller of toys I purchase and asked if they can share any background or history, especially if they are rare or outstanding examples, and the answer I received certainly didn’t disappoint.
The seller’s name was Mathias and he was from Luneburg, Germany. He was more than happy to share that he was given the Münsterland truck as a gift from his uncle around 1978. His uncle was Director of the Export Division at Deutsches Milchkontor GmbH (Hamburg), the head organization of the German co-op dairy industry. He thinks his uncle received the Münsterland truck from a business partner and then gave it as a gift when he visited.
Being born in 1967 he enjoyed playing with it (ever so gently judging by its appearance) and eventually it was put away, box and all. It had been lying in a moving box in his basement for decades and he found it when cleaning out the basement. He thought it would be a shame to just put it back in the moving box, so he decided to sell it to someone who would be happy to have it.
The Münsterland promotional shown above was made for the German Münsterland transport company around 1973. It’s an attractive model and very rare. If you’re a 917 collector like me, it’s the Holy Grail of 917 models. This version is even scarcer with the unique sticker on the right side of the insert. The Henry Johnson promotional was issued around 1974 for the UK/French conglomerate Henry Johnson and didn’t include a trailer. Note the white cab seats.
The other promotional model was the Henry Johnson version made for the over 200 year old UK/French transport company around 1975. Supposedly less than 500 were made. The Henry Johnson version is painted dark green and was unique because it lacked a trailer and was just the 917 truck by itself. This model was packaged in a plain white card box, while the Münsterland truck came in the usual 917 Dinky box as did the regular issues. My sans box example came from the estate of a UK accountant. His daughter who sold it on eBay UK found it in the loft along with some other toys carefully stored away when he passed in 2024. She told me her father may have done some bookkeeping work for an employee of Henry Johnson.
I’ve seen some Münsterland and Henry Johnson trucks over the years without decals so it’s possible these were leftovers in the build runs. This was common for Dinky promotional models and they were sold to the general public.
This 1973/74 German market Meccano dealer poster featured heavyweight models, including the early illustration of the 917. “Die Giganten der Landstrabe “translates to “The Giants of the Country Road”.
Christies sold this color trial 917 some years back. It would have made an attractive model in all yellow with the black chassis. Despite the poor photo quality, it’s worth showing. Image: Dinky Toys Encyclopedia
The 917 was a heavy model and required sturdy inner packaging. It consisted of three pieces of foam and a block of Styrofoam. The pair of narrow pieces rests on the tilts while the block is wedged between the truck and trailer. The greenish foam pieces were on my blue tilt 917 that I acquired as a child.
The 940
In 1977, Meccano dusted off and updated the casting for the 917 Mercedes-Benz truck sans trailer. These were difficult times at Meccano and funds allocated for new models were minimal, so this was a very good effort at recycling and economizing an old model to keep development costs low. The engineers had become good at this and kids like me back then were still able to get new Dinky Toys despite the writing on the wall that the end was nearing at Meccano.
The opening doors, opening roof vent, super detailed interior, unique suspension, door mirrors, cast wheels, silver grill details and jeweled headlights were all deleted. Despite these changes simplifying the model, Meccano still produced a handsome new old truck model, the 940.
Despite the 940 Mercedes-Benz truck being an economized version of the 917 sans trailer when it was released in 1977, it was still an attractive model with a white over red paint scheme. The 940 only came in hanging boxes and its wheels were initially red and later available in white.
The Dinky 940 came with a white cab with a red chassis, grey plastic tilt, functioning plastic tailgate and the typical of the era plastic disc type wheels that were on many of the big Dinky trucks at this time. There were no casting variants and the only differences were red or white wheels. It would be interesting to know if Dinky Toy dealers missed the 917, thus causing the 940 version to be introduced.
The 940 as it first appeared in the 1977 Dinky catalog.
The 917 was a good seller despite being one of Dinky’s more expensive models and it enjoyed a six year production run. The 940 was available right until the end of Dinky Toys in 1979. My red wheel version came from FAO Schwarz in Paramus, NJ in 1980 and the white wheel version was bought on eBay in 2024.
The 1978 Meccano trade catalog had an attractive motorway scene cover with the 940, and Meccano building kits that mimicked tall buildings.
Around 1977, “Fisons the Garden People”, a UK based garden supply company commissioned Meccano to make a small run of the 940 promotionals. Two small boxes of Fisons rich dark were included. Like the 917 promotionals, this model is also quite rare.
This head on view of both models shows the economizing differences between the 940 and 917. Note the poorly painted headlights on the 940.
Described as a protoype, Vectis sold this never issued 940 Landlink Europa truck in 2007 for GBP 580. It was certainly a colorful model and the canvas tilt appears to have been painted. Image: Vectis Auctions
Shown above is my collection of 917s. From left to right: the blue tilt version came from a Canadian seller in 1981, the first issue chrome wheel version came from Unique Collections in 1990, the blue roof vent/tailgate version was bought at a Lloyd Ralston Auction in 2025, the Münsterland promotional model was bought on eBay Germany in 2025 and the Henry Johnson promo was bought on eBay UK in 2024.
There was one fairly well known scarce promotional. and that is the Fisons version. Fisons was a UK based garden supply company and one of their products was rich dark peat. The promotional model was the standard red and white with grey tilt 940 model. It had decals that read “Fisons the Gardening People” on the tilt and came with two little boxes of Fisons rich dark peat.
There were some other promotionals based on the 940 and according to Jaques Dujardin’s Dinky Toys Encyclopedia they could be Code 3 models, as little is known about them. They are the Scandinavian Air Service and Warner and Swasey models. There was also a Landlink truck that was sold at Vectis auction in 2007.
On the collectability front, both the 917 and 940 are still easy to find on eBay and in auction houses. I follow sales of these models often and the 917 has actually become more popular and expensive than it was more than ten years ago, which is a positive as many collectors sadly shun this final era of big scale Dinky toys. Promotional versions of the 917 remain quite scarce and are very expensive, especially the Münsterland truck. The 940 Fisons promotional is also an expensive model and hard to find. Regular issue 940 models are very inexpensive, almost always under USD 85.
As nice as these trucks are, due to their large size scale and numerous operating features, most Dinky collectors shun them, as they do many — if not all — late 1960s and 1970s Dinky toys. This is lamentable as Meccano deserves credit since they were the only one of the Big 3 (Corgi, Dinky Matchbox) UK toymakers at the time to offer a large scale version of the LP 1920 trucks.
This article was a special one for me that details my favorite truck as a child. It features the Dinky 917 that was purchased for me by my mom when I was eleven. Some of the sales literature and related items shown here came directly from the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart over 35 years ago, through a contact I made. My uncle, who was a salesman at Prestige Motors in Paramus, NJ, a large Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover dealer, got me a summer job at Prestige in the service department in 1989 during my college years. When the Mercedes Benz factory reps and engineers visited the dealer, I would often wash and fuel their company vehicles. I asked one of the engineers, a German fellow about older Mercedes-Benz truck sales literature and he put me in touch with his factory contact in Germany. To my surprise a heavy package filled with obsolete material arrived a month later. The Mercedes-Benz factory reps were often Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts themselves and were very proud of their work, so he was more than happy to assist a young fan.
Writing an article like this is never a one person endeavor. Special thanks go to Kathrin at Mercedes-Benz Trucks Classic whose motto is “We Love Trucks”. Thanks also to Jonathan Angel, Ravi Bhavnani, Jacques Dujardin and his Dinky Toy Encyclopedia, Vic Mumby and Mark Redman.
The early 1950s were a busy time for Meccano Limited, with both their English and French Dinky Toys factories busy introducing desperately needed new models. Both companies came out with several models of typical American cars during this period, one of which is the subject of this article, the Dinky 24V/538 Buick Roadmaster sedan which was introduced by the French Dinky Toys company in 1954.
This lovely model is based on the 1952 Buick Roadmaster, which seems a bit odd since the Dinky model wasn’t released until 1954. Unfortunately, there’s no written history to peruse and determine why a later model wasn’t chosen or why the Dinky model wasn’t released earlier.
The 1952 Buick was largely a continuation of the 1951 model with some exterior changes, as well as an improved Fireball 8 cylinder engine, with more power. The new V‑8 wouldn’t appear until 1953. Buick had always been an upscale car, and the Roadmaster represented the best that Buick had to offer. Quoting from the sales brochure:
Here is the most lordly, most spacious of Buick’s six-passenger sedans. Regal in size and distinguished bearing, this four-door traveler is magnificently powered, masterful of ride and superbly light to handle.
During 1952, about 32,000 Roadmasters were produced, and they sold for the then princely sum of USD 3,200 each.
Many of the other American cars produced by Dinky Toys during this era were decent enough models, but some of them weren’t very accurate representations of the originals. In particular, the English produced Cadillac Eldorado and Packard Convertible were both relatively poor models and not very true to scale. The Cadillac was too narrow and the Packard was too wide, and this was obvious to me even as a young boy.
However, the Buick Roadmaster appears to be nearly a masterpiece of diecasting for 1954. It’s a very accurate rendition of the real car, with all the proportions being very close to the full size vehicle. This is impressive, especially because the model’s dies were produced without the help of modern computer imaging techniques. The level of detail in the model is equally impressive, especially the famous Buick teeth front grill, a design that was used for several years. It’s quite intricate and has been modelled almost perfectly, along with the front bumper and over riders. Each side of the car also has the famous Buick “sweepspear” running the length of the model from front to back, along with the iconic Buick port holes. And to cap things off, the rear deck or trunk includes a nicely represented emblem and handle.
With such a wonderful diecast model to work with, the French Meccano factory was then challenged to finish it with a paint job to do it justice — and they did. When it was introduced in 1954, it was available in two color schemes: light blue with a dark blue roof, and butter yellow with a dark green roof.
Later, a light blue model with cream roof was added to the range, and finally in the last two years of production, black on salmon and metallic blue on ivory models were introduced.
But perhaps the nicest finishing touch was the superb application of silver trim on the model’s details. Painting the very slim sweepspear on the side had to be difficult, as well as carefully masking the front grill area. Even the tiny trunk handle has been very carefully detailed in silver, and I’m sure the rear red tail lights were hand painted.
There were few changes during the Dinky Buick Roadmaster’s six year run. The very first models came with plain Zamac wheels, which appear to be of a dull grey color, but this was changed to the familiar shiny wheels that normally graced French Dinky models. The early models also featured a smooth interior roof, which later became checkered. The early boxes featured the model with a shadow beneath it and the word “Miniatures” printed on the side. Later boxed omitted this.
The number 538 was assigned to the model in 1959, the last year of its production. All in all, the Buick Roadmaster was a lovely mid-century model and to me, at least, was one of the best that Dinky produced in that era.
