The recent Sandown Park toy fair secured another one of these soft plastic models for me.
- 'IRWIN' PLASTIC, 4.5 INCH LONG.jpg (21 KiB) Viewed 1464 times
This is not the actual example, I have had to borrow this picture from my files until I can create a studio area for my own pictures.
This is from America, about 4 inches long and generally assigned to 'IRWIN'.
Irwin was a very large toy and games developer and distributor based in Toronto Canada, sourcing items from many companies. The Rolls-Royce comes from a range of models (toys), made in the same style as Tudor Rose toys, a simple one piece brightly coloured body with a simple wheel/axle combination clipped into the body.
Models I know of include Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Austin Healey, MG, Triumph, Porsche, VW Beetle and Aston Martin.
The Rolls-Royce has been moulded accurately enough to tell which car it is based on, a Freestone & Webb touring body on design number 3171A, mounted on a Silver Wraith chassis.
The range of models seem to have been issued as Two distinct issues from Irwin. The first models are in a stiffer plastic with IRWIN MADE IN THE U.S. moulded inside the bodies. The Austin Healey was the first subject and dates back to 1969, shown as an artist's rendering on the front cover of the catalogue, as shown below.
- 1969 catalogue cover with Auto transporter+3 Austin Healey models..JPG (38.87 KiB) Viewed 1464 times
The second issues are in a much softer plastic with the Irwin name blanked out showing just the remains of...U.S.
These seem to be from the 1970's but I have not found any catalogues from this period to confirm this, anyone know this for sure!
I have Two examples of the Rolls-Royce and a Mercedes-Benz 190SL, made in the softer plastic without the IRWIN name and a Triumph TR3 in the harder plastic with the IRWIN name.
Ghosthunter.