Dinky Toys

[brigo]

The alloy was always called MAZAC, I suppose it might have changed. Its chief problem is "tin plague" which is a crystalline change that causes the alloy to crumble especially notable on old Hornby O gauge wheels but sometimes seen on very old Dinkies.

 

Edward

 

The name Mazac is only used in the UK, elsewhere it is Zamac or Zamak.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zamak

 

Brian

[Robin Brasher]

DeAgostini have just relaunched their Classic Dinky Toys Collection with a blue Triumph TR2 and a magazine for £2.99. Although it says it is 1/43 scale it is about 1/45 scale but it fits in well with coarse scale 0 gauge as Dinky Toys and Hornby were made in the same factory.

 

Dinky Toys were made in various scales but the photographs show my collection of 1/45 scale vehicles. The Dinky Toys boxes are replicas so are valueless but they enhance the appearance of the collection.

[Robin Brasher]

DeAgostini's replica of a Dinky Toys Volkswagen on its box compared with a 1960s Dinky Toys Volkswagen.

 

By the 1960s Dinky Toys had made considerable improvements to their model which was now 1/42 scale which is close to 1/43 0 gauge. It had windows, seats, suspension and opening boot, bonnet and doors.

 

When Dinky Toys first produced it in February 1956 it cost 2s 6d but the DeAgostini model cost £11.99 including a booklet. By 1956 one million Volkswagens had already been sold.

[Robin Brasher]

Volkswagen with the Jaguar XK120 coupe in issue 5. A friend suggested that I should subscribe but I do not want every car they produce.

 

The Volkswagen and Jaguar do not look out of place passing under Corfe Viaduct in the Purbeck Model Railway Club's 0 gauge layout.

[divibandit]

Hi,

Just browsing through this reminded me I have a Ford Consul Mk2 made by a firm called OGDI. 

It's to a similar scale as the Corgi Zephyr estates of the '60s but the box is decidedly based upon Dinky.

It has no windows or interior, and is bright blue.

I'll dig it out of the loft, meanwhile, has anyone else come across it?

 

Steve

[Kiwi]

1 hour ago, divibandit said:

Hi,

Just browsing through this reminded me I have a Ford Consul Mk2 made by a firm called OGDI. 

It's to a similar scale as the Corgi Zephyr estates of the '60s but the box is decidedly based upon Dinky.

It has no windows or interior, and is bright blue.

I'll dig it out of the loft, meanwhile, has anyone else come across it?

 

Steve

 

Not seen that particular one, but OGDI occasionally crop up for sale. Here’s an example:

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/odgi-toys-yesterday-845-jowett-1777706399

 

[Prometheus]

A rather nice Jowett there. I can never remember seeing a die-cast one as a child.

 

Tony

[fodenway]

There was quite a range of Dinky-style models from Odgi, all of which command high prices today. There was a particularly nice Austin A70 Hampshire, a Jaguar XK150, and a Jowett Bradford van. This latter has recently been "copied" by Ruby Toys, another range of Dinky-style commercial vehicles. Perhaps there is some connection between the proprietors of both ranges?

[fodenway]

There was quite a range of Dinky-style models from Odgi, all of which command high prices today. There was a particularly nice Austin A70 Hampshire, a Jaguar XK150, and a Jowett Bradford van. This latter has recently been "copied" by Ruby Toys, another range of Dinky-style commercial vehicles. Perhaps there is some connection between the proprietors of both ranges?

 

Currently on Ebay are over twenty Odgi Toys, all from the same seller, at prices between £64.99 and £139.99, including two of the Austins. No way I can justify spending that much on one though, no matter how much I'd  like one.

[Robin Brasher]

I have just bought a replica of  a Dinky Toys Foden Tanker.  The catalogue illustration shows that it was originally in the Dinky Supertoys range for 9s 6d and was made from 1955 to 1957.  I  bought the catalogue for 2d from A. C. Beaney (sub post office) 135 High Street, Farnborough, Kent in 1955. I always liked the Regent tanker but never bought it before because it had less play value than the bulldozer and the car transporter.

[JCB 3C no.2]

Nice , just decided to buy one myself , seems very reasonable prices on Ebay  compared to an original ! 

( I know originally they were a magazine promotion)

Edited February 17, 2020 by JCB 3C no.2

[fodenway]

I was given one of these Regent Fodens for either my second birthday or Christmas (1955), and I still have it. It's one of my most treasured possessions, even though it's covered a massive amount of play miles over the years, and been restored ages ago. It was responsible for my love of lorries (particularly those with Foden badges) and my passion for collecting and modelling road vehicles. Thanks, Grandad !

[Robin Brasher]

I have recently bought the following reproduction Dinky Toys which fit in well with a Hornby 0 gauge layout. The containers fit quite well on the flat bed lorries.

588 Flat brewery truck

159 Two Morris Oxfords

935 Leyland Octopus Flat Truck with chains

512 Guy Flat Truck

432 Guy Warrior Flat Truck

514 Guy Van Slumberland

514 Guy Van Lyons

920 Guy Van Heinz

[37114]

I wonder if they will release the Coles Crane, I have bought a dinky one in played with condition to super detail for my layout. 

[fodenway]

My understanding is that the Atlas/DeAgostini copies series has finished, and there will be no more castings. Another copy range, DanToys, may still be continuing, but only as re-colours of existing castings. Since all these ranges are produced in China, chances are they might show up again under different "unauthorised" brand names at some point in the future.

[Robin Brasher]

Thank you for your comments about Dinky Toys.  My replica Dinky Toys Regent Tanker, in the Atlas range, together with other Dinky Toys, blended in well with the 0 gauge layout we exhibited at the Allendale Centre at Wimborne.  This was the Wessex Group of the Hornby Collectors Association layout at the Central Southern 0 gauge exhibition on Sunday 24 October 2021 where we had about 350 visitors.

[Nearholmer]

I rather like Dinky toys, but have steered clear of most because they are so obviously distant from 1:43 scale - have a yard crane and a mobile crane, which if not precisely 0 are pretty close, a milk float that is forever waiting a repaint, and three electric platform trolleys (I was given one, then two more!).

 

So, any recommendations for others that are very close to 0, or to a reliable on-line scale chart?

 

The bulldozer and dump-truck look like possible candidates, plus the load elevator, but everything else that looks right by eye is a bit late in period for my purposes.

[Robin Brasher]

There is a scale chart updated to 12 February 1961on page 293 of Dinky Toys and Modelled Miniatures by Mike and Sue Richardson. 

The Bulldozer is to 1/34 scale and the BEV Truck is to 1/38 scale.

 

Most of the cars, vans and lorries are either 1/48 or 1/45 scale which seem close to 1/43 scale unless you put them against 1/43 scale models. In the 1960s most of the Dinky Toys cars were made to 1/43 scale which is the same as the 0 gauge trains.

 

I think it is a pity that Dinky Toys did not make all their models to model railway scales.

[Nearholmer]

Interesting scales for the bulldozer and battery truck, because the driver figures that come with them seem, if anything, to be a bit under 0 scale, possibly c1:48. I thought the driver looked to small in the bulldozer, a bit like a boy.

 

I might yet succumb to the police accident set, which was about the last Dinky Christmas present I had, and which I kept for years in immaculate condition, before jettisoning. It’s out of period, but in-scale and in-nostalgia!

[sagaguy]

On 19/03/2020 at 16:48, fodenway said:

My understanding is that the Atlas/DeAgostini copies series has finished, and there will be no more castings. Another copy range, DanToys, may still be continuing, but only as re-colours of existing castings. Since all these ranges are produced in China, chances are they might show up again under different "unauthorised" brand names at some point in the future.

Looking at Atlas on ebay just now out of interest,it appears that a lot of the buy it now models are coming from China so someone has bought the tools.

 

                               Ray.

 

[sandsmodels]

38 minutes ago, sagaguy said:

Looking at Atlas on ebay just now out of interest,it appears that a lot of the buy it now models are coming from China so someone has bought the tools.

 

                               Ray.

 

i think what normaly happens is when the original production run has ended the factory then churn out a load them selves in new paint schemes and even as kits, this has happened a lot in the 72 military vehicle field, a lot of models suddenly appear and then disappear when bought up.