'CORGI TOYS' copies etc.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

This is my second thread on known copies of our favourite models, the first being "MATCHBOX" copies and has proven to be very popular, so, like the Matchbox article, I will show pictures of the many copies of Corgi vehicles, that I know of with some historical content, but I hope you are are keen enough to post your own pictures as well.

Just like the Matchbox thread, I will try and answer any questions about the models shown or maybe give guidence on models that you are not sure, if they are copies, thank's.

I'll start with a 'classic' Corgi Toy model, the Bentley 'S' series, 2 door 'Continental'. This was introduced onto the U.K. market in April 1961, but it was not long before a couple of plastic copies appeared, naturally from Hong Kong, but the blue model shown in the picture below, is actually from Austria and is virtually the same size as the Corgi next to it. It was made by 'RO-CO' a company more well known as makers of Railway models. This Bentley was sold as a seperate model in a clear plastic container, or as part of a four car set, blister carded.

I have also shown a larger version in red and this comes from 'NFIC' of Hong Kong, but was also marketed by 'CLIFFORD', not that surprising, because several models can be found in both ranges as they came from the same manufacturer.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

'NS' Copy and Corgi original..jpg (13.67 KiB) Viewed 16859 times

Here is a copy by 'NS' of Hong Kong, of the Corgi Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow 2 door saloon. This car and horse box set, dates from 1978. The car was available seperately, in a "Matchbox" style window box and another version was marketed by 'SCARLET'.

'NS' marketed several Corgi and Dinky copies, quite often mixing copies together. The models only displayed Made in Hong Kong on the baseplate, no makers name or logo.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[SMS88]

'NS' Copy and Corgi original..jpg

Here is a copy by 'NS' of Hong Kong, of the Corgi Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow 2 door saloon. This car and horse box set, dates from 1978. The car was available seperately, in a "Matchbox" style window box and another version was marketed by 'SCARLET'.

'NS' marketed several Corgi and Dinky copies, quite often mixing copies together. The models only displayed Made in Hong Kong on the baseplate, no makers name or logo.

GHOSTHUNTER.

Very interesting to see this HK product that I have never seen or heard of before. Surely its no coincidence that the HK car is painted the same pink-purple shade as the Corgi Bentley version of this casting which possibly provided the HK maker with their master model to create the tooling used for their own example! Nice take on the Lesney horsebox too by same maker......

[GHOSTHUNTER]

'NS' Set, No.4517c..JPG (90.19 KiB) Viewed 16852 times

Yes SMS88, the horse box came with the car, shown here in the above picture. I did not put the Corgi Bentley in the picture, simply because the plastic model does have the Rolls-Royce grille and not a Bentley grille, I suppose I could have put both in the picture, Ah well!

GHOSTHUNTER.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

'NS' LOGO.jpg (21.45 KiB) Viewed 16851 times

Here is the 'NS' logo. It is a Submarine made up of the two letters of 'NS'. It does not appear on the actual models, just the packaging.

Another set consists of what I believe is the Dinky Toys Ford Transit van, but with side windows, a camera man standing on a platform fitted to the front of the vehicle and a couple of plastic animals. I will be putting this in the 'Dinky Toys' copies thread, so you can see it there.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[MOKOSEX]

lucky toy bedford

[ChFalkensteiner]

I'll start with a 'classic' Corgi Toy model, the Bentley 'S' series, 2 door 'Continental'. This was introduced onto the U.K. market in April 1961, but it was not long before a couple of plastic copies appeared, naturally from Hong Kong, but the blue model shown in the picture below, is actually from Austria and is virtually the same size as the Corgi next to it. It was made by 'RO-CO' a company more well known as makers of Railway models. This Bentley was sold as a seperate model in a clear plastic container, or as part of a four car set, blister carded.

Being Austrian, I have to add a few bits to this: the other three cars made by Roco in that series were a Jaguar Mk I, BMW 507 and Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. The Jaguar was also a Corgi copy, while the BMW and Mercedes-Benz were inspired by the Märklin models of the same cars.

Those models were used as giveaways in packs of coffee by various different Austrian brands. Because of this they are more often than not found with a coffee brand name cast on the trunk; examples are Linde, Korona and Reindorf.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

'RO-CO' 4 Car carded set..jpg (32.77 KiB) Viewed 16808 times

Here are the other models mentioned by chfalkensteiner, blister card mounted.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

GHIA L.6.4 and BUICK RIVIERA by 'SK'.jpg (44.13 KiB) Viewed 16769 times

Here are two plastic copies of Corgi Toys models from the mid 60's. A GHIA L.6.4 and a BUICK RIVIERA, both marketed by a company using the initials...'SK', but I know nothing of them and have only seen these two offerings. They are powered by batteries, not the usual friction motor, used by many of the Hong Kong toys.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

In the sixties I had some plastic cars from Hong Kong that seemed to be copied from some of my Corgi and Dinky Toys, they were a Mk1 Ford Cortina, Rover P6, and a Vauxhall Victor 101. I converted the Victor into a sort of 'Pimped Rolls-Royce', but the Ford and Rover were left in their natural state, a creamy colour. I still have the Vauxhall somewhere and I believe I still have at least the Rover.

It was never clear where these came from to be in my possession, and they were a little crude compaired to some of the better plastic toys from Hong Kong, but I liked them. In later years I obtained a Jaguar in grey which was certainly from the same range as these models, they had a steel plate fitted inside the baseplate and suspension and because I had the Corgi and Dinky models, I could see they were copied from them, but when I got the plastic Jaguar, I did not have a Corgi or Dinky version to see which one it was copied from.

When I started to be a trader at toy fairs, I sold the Jaguar and that was that!

Jump forward several years and with my wider collecting interests, I wanted those plastic cars back in my collection and I wanted to know who made them. The Jaguar is definately a copy of the Corgi model, as I picked one up at a recent toy fair and it was in the same grey colour (that was a bonus!), and a few years earlier I got hold of the Corgi model so a comparison could be made.

Trying to find out who made these plastic models was a little harder, in fact very hard, because they seem not to have been originally boxed as seperate models, (until someone else was marketing them in window boxes later on), being distributed in quantity in flat trays and there is no real clue on the baseplates, only MADE IN HONG KONG.

I have spoken to a Jaguar enthusiast (Michael Driver), and he says the Jaguar was made by 'BLUE BOX' and I tended to agree with him.

Included with this posting are two pictures of my recently re-aquired plastic Jaguar and despite what it is, it is now one of my most treasured models not part of my Rolls-Royce models collection.

GHOSTHUNTER.