For many boys raised in the fifties and sixties, there was only one thing to spend your pocket money on — Dinky toys. The splendid range of vehicles captured the imagination of millions and made the Dinky toy a veritable British institution.It was in 1932 that Meccano Ltd introduced a small series of ‘modelled miniature’ vehicles, intended purely as accessories for the company’s blossoming Hornby train sets. There were six in total — a motor truck, delivery van, tractor, tank, sports car, and sports coupé. When these were snapped up by eager youths in short trousers, Meccano wasted no time in meeting public demand and in 1934 the Dinky line was born. Among other early vehicles were an ambulance (1934), Daimler (1935), Rolls-Royce (1935), Chrysler ‘Airflow’ Saloon (1935), Mercedes Benz (1936), and Austin 7 (1936). Through the 1930s, Dinky toys spread their wings to include ships of the British Navy, aircraft, and military vehicles in camouflage colours. Dinky also attempted to break into the girls’ toy market with Dolly Varden’s range of dolls’ houses and furniture, but this venture proved spectacularly unsuccessful.With sales boosted by Meccano Magazine, Dinky enjoyed a halcyon period during the 1950s and 1960s. When the Liverpool factory eventually closed in 1979, over 1000 different Dinky toys had rolled off the production line. Now manufactured in Spain, the name of Dinky still holds a universal appeal. In 1993, a mint condition two-tone Foden tanker, purchased in the 1950s, was sold to a Californian at a Guildford auction for a world record 4830 Pounds.
