Collecting Old Diecast Corgi Cars – A Blast From The Past

Posted by admin on October 21st, 2009 filed in Auburn Diecast

Picking up die-cast automobiles from the past is a past-time that isn’t just fun, its an entire window to the not so long but in today’s new world a very distant past.

To most red-blooded die-cast collectors just the mention of the words dinky or corgi makes their eyes, kind of glaze over and a wry, just about kid like smile, wafts round his lower facial area.

These names and others were to reign supreme over the metal cast toy automobile market for many years and were played with by many a child since the 1930s.

The history of corgi is an interesting one that starts in 1934, Mettoy Limited produced the first models but these were not die-cast yet, they were made of  tin-plate. In the 2nd world war mettoy were engaged in war production and due to this increased war production demand the company had to head to bigger premises in Swansea.

In 1950 the 1st forerunners of Corgi autos were introduced and appeared in the company’s illustrated catalog as’Entirely New tiny Numbers’ Then in 1954 the 1st drawings for the new Corgi range were produced with the first auto being that of an Austin Cambridge, but it took just about 2 years of trial and blunder to get the casting strategy right and in 1956 the launch date for the corgi range of cars was declared for the 9th of July that same year.

Corgi knew that manufacturing die-cast cars just like dinky would not guarantee them market success so they planned a new marketing strategy .. Their toy vehicles unlike dinky would have glazed windows in them.

The’Queens Award to Industry’ and the national association of Toy shops’Highest Standards Award’. 1968 saw the release of a model from the flick of the same name -’Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’.  From its hay day in the 60s the corporation’s fortunes started to modify, beginning with a fire in the Swansea factory that led to a total loss of at least a year’s stock.

Corgi lasted until 1983 With the company in significant financial difficulties the receivers were called in, but a management buy-out meant the the company was re-formed as Corgi Toys Limited in early 1984. But 1989 the once great toy manufacturer was taken over by the American based toy giant, Mattel.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roger_Cantrell