| Collecting die-cast cars from the past is
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| | this up with tv advertising and released
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| a hobby that is not just fun, its a whole
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| | their first gift set and in the first
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| window to the not so long but in today's
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| | year they sold over 2 million units.
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| new world a very distant past.
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| | Through the 1960s the company released
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| To most red-blooded die-cast collectors
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| | many of the iconic classics that we now
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| just the mention of the words dinky or
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| | compulsively collect today, and these
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| corgi makes their eyes, sort of glaze
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| | models can change hands for thousands in
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| over and a wry, almost child like smile,
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| | today's money.
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| wafts around his lower facial area.
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| | In the 60s some of the more memorable
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| These names and others were to dominate
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| | cars that were produced were the 1965
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| the metal cast toy car market for many
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| | James bond Aston martin db5, the next
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| years and were played with by many a
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| | year, awards were given to Corgi ... the
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| child since the 1930s.
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| | "Queens Award to Industry" and the
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| The history of corgi is an interesting
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| | National Association of Toy Retailers
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| one that starts in 1934, Mettoy Limited
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| | "Highest Standards Award". . 1968 saw the
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| produced the first models but these were
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| | release of a model from the movie of the
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| not die-cast yet, they were made of
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| | same name - "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang".
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| tin-plate. During the second world war
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| | and the one toy car every one remembers
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| mettoy were engaged in war production and
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| | from the hugely iconic 60s american
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| due to this increased war production
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| | Batman TV series .. The Batmobile.
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| demand the company had to move to bigger
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| | From its hay day in the 60s the company's
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| premises in Swansea.
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| | fortunes started to change, starting with
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| In 1950 the first forerunners of Corgi
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| | a fire in the Swansea factory that
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| cars were introduced and appeared in the
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| | resulted in a total loss of at least a
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| company's illustrated catalogue as
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| | year's stock. in 1971 the Northampton
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| "Entirely New Miniature Numbers" Then in
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| | factory closed with a loss of over 900
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| 1954 the first drawings for the new Corgi
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| | jobs.
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| range were produced with the first car
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| | Corgi lasted till 1983 With the company
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| being that of an Austin Cambridge, but it
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| | in serious financial difficulties the
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| took nearly two years of trial and error
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| | receivers were called in, but a
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| to get the casting technique right and in
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| | management buy-out meant that the the
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| 1956 the launch date for the corgi range
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| | company was re-formed as Corgi Toys
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| of vehicles was announced for the 9th of
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| | Limited in early 1984.
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| July that same year. A sister company
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| | This new company's achievements were
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| "playcraft" launched the name of corgi to
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| | recognised in January 1987 when it was
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| the market, the name being taken from the
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| | voted British Toy Company of the Year by
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| breed of dog of the same name.
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| | the National Association of Toy
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| Corgi knew that producing die-cast cars
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| | Retailers. But 1989 the once great toy
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| just like dinky would not guarantee them
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| | manufacturer was taken over by the
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| market success so they planned a new
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| | American based toy giant, Mattel. then
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| marketing strategy .. their toy cars
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| | 1990 saw the first corgis to be made in
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| unlike dinky would have glazed windows in
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| | china....
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| them. The next year (1957) corgi produced
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| | The age of great British made diecast
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| their first catalogue and also backed
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| | model car was gone.
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