VBD2 is closed. Please go to https://vbd3.co.uk instead.

Don't know Where to put this does anyone know what this is, it's the same size as a 55 fairlane and made from tin plate only mark I can see is the word foreign on the base, looks like it was dark green before being painted red, underside is suffering from surface rust

Hello Fixer, your little tinplate toy car could have been made by so many novelty toy companies for the price of a penny. Some of them were even called 'Pocketoy'
and originate from Germany. Japan also, 'got in on the act' and a lot of the now well known brand name companies started out in the manufacture of such novelty toys. Having 'Foreign' stamped on the base does tell us it is destined for countries outside it's home country, but to pin it down to a specific country and manufacture, it would have to be seen with others in the same range in a packing box.

There is every chance it was made by the vary large 'ICHIMURA SHOTEN' company in Japan, 'SHOTEN' added to company names to establish the fact they were making toys for the many stores and shops (as pocket money toys), and they were supplied in flat trays to the store and sold out of these trays, when empty, it was just thrown away, so packing boxes for toys like these is pretty hard to come by.

When the bigger toy firms were marketing toys under their own selected brand names, then they were often packed in seperate boxes, but these little 'pocket money' toys, very rarely came in a seperate box.

Here is another similar toy car to yours.

GHOSTHUNTER.

Thank you Ghosty an interesting answer as always

No Health and Safety in those days, check out those axle ends.....they could take a small childs eye out!!!

Just Like #10 pipe truck and the #58 Daf girder, l can remember my dad breaking off the spikes after being trod on one time too many

fixer wrote:Just Like #10 pipe truck and the #58 Daf girder, l can remember my dad breaking off the spikes after being trod on one time too many

Ah, the memories Reg, the memories!!!!