Category:1960s Dinky Toys

1961 advert for No.197 Morris Mini-Traveller and No.199 Austin Seven Countryman [image info]

1962: Singer Vogue [image info]

1963 ad for Dinky Toys 137: Plymouth Fury Convertible [image info]

By the 1960s, Dinky Toys were really under pressure - Corgi Toys had made them look bad by launching "The Ones with Windows", and Tri-ang had further claimed the upper ground with their "all to scale" Spot-On range.

Dinky were forced to innovate and keep innovating, and the new Dinkies didn't just have windows and opening bonnets with engines underneath - if you could make a bonnet that opened, why not have opening doors, too? By the late 1960s, it seemed that every door or hatch on a new car model that could open, did open, and Dinky catalogues showed pictures of cars fully splayed, with line diagrams below showing the same opened doors and bonnets with helpful arrows, just in case the reader hadn't gotten the point.

Franchise models

Another blow for Dinky, though, was Mettoy-Playcraft's successful bidding for a number of plum franchises with international appeal, including the rights for Corgi to make models of James Bond's gadget-laden Aston Martin and the Batmobile.

Dinky managed to land the franchise for making toys based on Gerry Anderson's UK TV creations and produced Thunderbirds toys (which they put at the very front of their catalogue), along with cars and vehicles based on Captain Scarlet and Joe 90.

1963 range:

transcribed from the 196311th ed 2nd impression pricelist, 13/763/400

DUBLO DINKY TOYS

050 – Railway Staff (Set)
052 – Railway Passengers (Set)
054 – Railway Station Personnel (Set)
067 – Austin Taxi
068 – Royal Mail Van
069 – Massey-Harris-Ferguson Tractor
070 – A.E.C. Mercury Tanker SHELL B.P.
071 – Volkswagen Delivery Van HORNBY-DUBLO
072 – Bedford Articulated Flat Truck
073 – Land-Rover and Horse Trailer (with Horse)
076 – Lansing Bagnall Tractor and Trailer
078 – Lansing Bagnali Trailer only

DINKY TOYS

007 – Petrol Pump Attendants (pair)
008 – Fire Station Personnel (Set)
009 – Service Station Personnel (Set)
010 – Road Maintenance Personnel (Set)
036 – Battery 1½v (For 276 and 277)
037 – Lamp 1½v, Red (For 277)
038 – Lamp 1½v, Orange (For 276)
112 – Austin Healey Sprite Mk. II
113 – M.G.B. Sports Car
114 – Triumph Spitfire (with lady driver and safety belt)
117 – 4-Berth Caravan with Transparent Roof
120 – Jaguar E Type (with interchangeable folded hood and hardtop)
134 – Triumph Vitesse
137 – Plymouth Fury Convertible
138 – Hillman Imp
139 – Ford Cortina
140 – Morris 1100 Saloon
141 – Vauxhall Victor Estate Car
142 – Jaguar Mark X
143 – Ford Capri
144 – Volkswagen 1500
145 – Singer Vogue Saloon
146 – 2½ litre V8 Daimler
147 – Cadillac 62
148 – Ford Fairlane
150 – Rolls Royce Silver Wraith
155 – Ford Anglia
167 – A.C. Aceca Coupé
168 – Singer Gazelle
169 – Studebaker Golden Hawk
174 – Hudson Hornet
176 – Austin A105 Saloon
177 – Opel Kapitan
178 – Plymouth Plaza
179 – Studebaker President Saloon
180 – Packard Clipper Saloon
181 – Volkswagen
182 – Porsche 356A Coupé
184 – Volvo 122S
185 – Alfa Romeo l900 Super Sprint
186 – Mercedes-Benz 22OSE
187 – Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Coupé
188 – Four Berth Caravan (with interior fittings)
189 – Triumph Herald Saloon
190 – Caravan
191 – Dodge Royal Sedan
192 – De Soto Fireflite
193 – Rambler Cross Country Station Wagon
194 – Bentley Series S Coupé
195 – Jaguar 3.4 litre Mk. II
196 – Holden Special Sedan
197 – Morris Mini-Traveller
198 – Rolls Royce Phantom V
199 – Austin 7 Countryman
230 – Talbot-Lago Racing Car
231 – Maserati Racing Car
232 – Alfa Romeo Racing Car
233 – Cooper Bristol Racing Car
234 – Ferrari Racing Car
237 – Mercedes-Benz Racing Car
233 – Jaguar Type D Racing Car
239 – Vanwall Racing Car
240 – Cooper Racing Car
241 – Lotus Racing Car
242 – Ferrari Racing Car
249 – World Famous Racing Cars set of 6 on Showcard
251 – Aveling-Barford Diesel Roller
252 – Refuse Wagon, Bedford chassis
253 – Daimler Ambulance
256 – Police Car with driver and passenger
257 – Fire Chief's Car (Canadian type)
258 – U.S.A. Police Car
259 – Fire Engine
263 – Superior Criterion Ambulance
264 – R.C.M.P. Patrol Car
265 – Plymouth U.S.A. Taxi
268 – Renault Dauphine Minicab
269 – Motorway Police Car
270 – A.A. Motor Cycle Patrol
276 – Airport Fire Tender with Flashing Light
271 – Superior Criterion Ambulance with Flashing Light
290 – Double Deck Bus, DUNLOP
291 – London Bus, EXIDE
292 – Atlantean Bus
295 – Atlas Bus (Standard Atlas Kenebrake)
300 – Massey-Harris Tractor
301 – Field-Marshall Tractor
310 – Farm Tractor and Hayrake
319 – Weeks Tipping Farm Trailer
320 – Halesowen Harvest Trailer
321 – Massey-Harris Manure Spreader
322 – Disc Harrow
324 – Hayrake
340 – Land-Rover
341 – Land-Rover Trailer I
343 – Farm Produce Wagon
401 – Coventry Climax Fork Lift Truck
405 – Universal Jeep
408 – Big Bedford Truck
409 – Bedford Articulated Lorry
410 – Bedford End Tipper
414 – Rear Tipping Wagon
424 – Commer Convertible Articulated Truck
428 – Trailer, Large
430 – Breakdown Lorry, Commer chassis
434 – Bedford TK Crash Truck
436 – Atlas Copco Compressor Lorry
437 – Muir-Hill 2-WL Loader (with driver)
448 – Chevrolet El Camino Pick-up and Trailers
449 – Chevrolet El Camino Pick-up Truck
518 – Renault
535 – 2 C.V. Citroën
550 – Chrysler Saratoga
553 – Peugeot
555 – Ford Thunderbird
561 – Citroën Delivery Van
563 – Renault Pick-up
603 – Army Personnel - Private, seated
621 – 3-ton Army Wagon
622 – 10-ton Army Truck
626 – Military Ambulance
651 – Centurion Tank
660 – Tank Transporter
661 – Recovery Tractor
665 – Honest John Missile Launching Vehicle
666 – Missile Erector Vehicle, complete with Corporal Missile and Launching Platform
667 – Missile Servicing Platform Vehide
670 – Armoured Car
674 – Austin Champ Army Vehicle
686 – 25-pounder Field Gun
687 – Trailer for 25-pounder Field Gun
688 – Field Artillery Tractor
689 – Medium Artillery Tractor
693 – 72 inch Howitzer
695 – Howitzer and Tractor
697 – 25-pounder Field Gun Set
698 – Gift Set, Tank Transporter with Tank
708 – Vickers Viscount 800 Airliner B.E.A.
735 – Gloster Javelin Delta Wing Fighter
736 – Hawker Hunter Fighter
737 – P.1B Lightning Fighter
738 – DH110 Sea Vixen Fighter
753 – Police Controlled Crossing
755 – Lamp Standard, single arm
756 – Lamp Standard, double arm
763 – Miniature Posters (for Road Hoarding) (per packet)
764 – Miniature Posters (for Road Hoarding) (per packet)
765 – Road Hoarding
772 – British Road Signs (Set of 24)
773 – Traffic Signal (4 face)
777 – Beacon
778 – Road Repair Warning Boards (Set)
781 – Petrol Pump Station ESSO
782 – Petrol Pump Station SHELL
783 – Petrol Pump Station B.P.
785 – Service Station
786 – Tyre Rack, with Tyres
787 – Lighting Kit for Dinky Toys Buildings
788 – Marrel Bucket for No. 966
792 – Packing Cases (3)
794 – Loading Ramp for No. 982
796 – Healey Sports Boat on Trailer
797 – Healey Sports Boat
815 – Panhard Armoured Car
817 – A.M.X. 13-ton Tank
894 – Car Transporter
905 – Foden Flat Truck with chains
908 – Mighty Antar with Transformer
930 – Bedford Pallet-Jekta Van DINKY TOYS
934 – Leyland Octopus Wagon
943 – Leyland Octopus Tanker ESSO
944 – Shell B.P. Fuel Tanker
948 – Tractor Trailer McLEAN
949 – Wayne School Bus
952 – Vega Major Luxury Touring Coach
953 – Continental Touring Coach
954 – Fire Station
955 – Fire Engine with Extending Ladder
956 – Turntable Fire Escape
957 – Fire Service Set
958 – Snow Plough
959 – Foden Dump-Truck with Bulldozer Blade
960 – Albion Lorry-mounted Concrete Mixer
961 – Blaw Knox Bulldozer
962 – Muir-Hill Dumper Truck
964 – Elevator Loader
965 – Euclid Rear Dump Truck
966 – Marrel Multi-Bucket Unit
967 – B.B.C. TV Mobile Control Room
968 – B.B.C. TV Roving Eye Vehicle
969 – B.B.C. TV Extending Mast Vehicle
971 – Coles Mobile Crane
972 – Coles 20-ton Lorry-mounted Crane
975 – Ruston-Bucyrus Excavator
917 – Servicing Platform Vehicle (Commercial)
979 – Racehorse Transport (with hinged ramps and two horses)
982 – Pullmore Car Transporter
983 – Car Carrier and Trailer
984 – Car Carrier
935 – Trailer for Car Carrier
986 – Mighty Antar Low Loaderwith Propeller
987 – A.B.C. TV Control Room
988 – A.B.C. TV Transmitter Van
997 – Caravelle SE210 Airliner
998 – Bristol Britannia Airliner
999 – D.H. Comet Airliner

TYRES

66277 – Tyre ¹¹⁄₁₆" diam. (per dozen)
10253 – Tyre ¹³⁄₁₆" diam. black or grey (O99) (per dozen)
13978 – Tyre 1¹⁄₁₆" diam. (093) (per dozen)
14094 – Tyre ¹⁹⁄₃₂" diam. black (092) (per dozen)
14095 – Tyre ¹⁹⁄₃₂" diam. white (O92) (per dozen)
60036 – Tyre ¹⁄₂" diam. (091) (per dozen)
60687 – Tyre 1²⁵⁄₆₄" black (087) (per dozen)
60689 – Tyre ⁴⁹⁄₆₄" black (089) (per dozen)
60790 – Tyre ⁹⁄₁₆" black (090) (per dozen)
60791 – Tyre ⁹⁄₁₆" white (090) (per dozen)

GIFT SETS

121 – Goodwood Sports Cars Gift Set
122 – Touring Gift Set
123 – Mayfair Gift Set
298 – Emergency Services Gift Set
393 – Farm Vehicles Gift Set
900 – Site Building Gift Set

Gallery

~1965: The end of Meccano Ltd.

The imending failure of Meccano Limited and its takeover by Lines Brothers in ~1965 triggered a certain amount of reevaluation of the Dinky range, with the slightly confusing distinction between Dinky Toys and Dinky Supertoys being deleted, and the Supertoy range rebadged as just Dinky Toys. The range continued by made at Binns Road, Liverpool, and the French offshoot company continued making French Dinkies at Bobigny (until around ~1970).

With Lines Brothers now owning both the Dinky range, and their own Spot-On diecast ranage that was designed to compete with it, Lines Brothers decided to rationalise their diecast production by shutting down Spot-On production, and a small number of Spot-On car designs that were not yet in production ended up being released as Dinkies. An additional consequence was that the standard nominal Dinky scale of 1:43 seems to have been changed to match the fractionally larger Spot-On scale of 1:42.

Oddly, the appearance of Mattel's Hotwheels in 1968, and the popularity of Matchbox toys, which triggered other diecast manufacturars to bring out their own competing ranges of cheaper smaller-scale toy cars with low-friction wheels (like Corgi Juniors) didn't seem to prompt a response from Dinky ... perhaps with the closure of Meccano Ltd. and the growing problems at Lines Brothers it might have been considered the wrong moment to try to launch a new product range, or perhaps those behind Dinky considered that they had already tried the "smaller-scale" idea with the limited Dublo Dinky range, and found that it didn't work.