Hornby Hoverer

1964: Hornby Hoverer hovercraft [image info]

The Hornby Hoverer was a working toy hovercraft launched by Meccano Ltd. during the company's period before going into administration.

Background

During 1964, Meccano Ltd was starkly facing the possibility of bankruptcy, which probably brought into stark focus the problems that had led to the situation - the fact that Meccano Ltd's narrow focus on simply-constructed metal toys had led to them to miss out on a range of developments in the toy industry, mostly do to with plastics.

This was an oversight that the company tried to address in their final years, but too late. They started producing plastic rolling-stock for Hornby Dublo, and (right at the end) even some plastic-bodied railway engines and lineside buildings, but it was too little, too late. They also bought in Bayko and reengineered it for modern plastics, and then killed in off in favour of a Lego clone, Cliki).

Right at the very end (~1964), Meccano Ltd. started heavily advertising a small handful of new and radically "un-Meccano-like" products in an attempt to diversify, including roller skates and a plastic toy hovercaft powered by a Cox engine (Meccano had managed to miss out on the whole model aircraft scene, as aircraft couldn't easily be made out of metal), and they even acquired the UK distributorship for Play-Doh, and started advertising Play-Doh as a Meccano Ltd product.

The hovercraft was also unusual in that it was happy to boast about being powered by an engine made by a different company. The fact that the engine was a "Cox" would have been a selling point (as Cox engines, primarily designed for model aircraft, were widely available and well-regarded and well-supported), but prior to this, Meccano had had an historical aversion to mentioning any company in their advertising apart from themselves. As well as a way of potentially making money from a comparatively low investment, it's possible that the hovercraft (and the other new 1964 product lines) may have been Meccano's way of demonstrating to potential investors or buyers that they were now willing to change their ways, set aside business practices that had worked in the 1930s, and adapt to the new shape of toy market.

1964 advertising:

You can fly the fabulous new HORNBY HOVERER

Like to drive a Hover vehicle? You can with this exciting new model. It's just like the real thing. Glides over land and water on a cushion of air. Flies over pebbles. Steers. Travels at speed. Powered by the Cox Babe-Bee Glo-Plug engine. Fuel-proof, water-proof and strongly constructed from high density polystyrene. Own one of the world's most advanced forms of land and sea transport. One of the world's most exciting toys.

Order your Hornby Hoverer today.

— , Meccano Ltd., , Meccano Magazine, , September 1964