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Corgi CarsCorgi Cars Mettoy Playcraft LTD. the toy car company founded in 1936; launched Corgi in 1956 as a new range of model toy cars. These new toy cars were soon a huge hit because at the time they were the only toy cars on the market that included transparent plastic windows, they soon became known as the one’s with the windows!
Early Years
Although Corgi has had many model car competitors ranging from Dinky Toys to Lledo through out the years, it has fought hard to stay at the top of the market, it’s name well known to the day. In it’s first year of trading corgi sold an amazing 2.75 million cars, making it a clear leader of the British toy car industry. In 1966; Corgi won the Queen’s Award To Industry and the National Association Of Toy Retailers’ Highest Standards Award, two very prestigious awards. In March 1969; a years stock was destroyed in the Swansea factory by a fire- a major setback cutting profits tremendously. Despite this, Corgi continued to remain among top collectibles for many years.
Middle Years
Sales rocketed in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s after the James Bond Aston Martin DB5 and the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car was released, but sales were dramatically cut after the 1969 fire. Because of the fire, substantial ground was lost to it’s main rival Dinky, but by 1971, the Swansea factory was back to full production again after major repairs costing over £1.3 million. The Queen’s silver jubilee model edition released in 1977 was an instant best seller, along with other nostalgia model: Edward VII’s coronation state coach of 1901. After a rapid decline of sales, in 1983 economic analysts said that decline was inevitable; children and adults had moved on to more sophisticated pleasures, others however did not agree; they believed if it had not been for the fire there would have been no problem.
Later Years
Corgi reformed as Corgi Toys Ltd. in 1984, it turned it’s attention to regaining the British toy company’s confidence. But 3 years later corgi turned to export market for profits soon distributing in Australia, Europe and the US. Very soon after this point Corgi started the Collectors Club quickly gaining worldwide membership. In 1989 the company was taken over by Mattel, worldwide toy manufacturing giant (manufacturer of Barbie Dolls), production was moved to Leicester, the Mattel headquarters. Corgi then bought out it’s new range: Corgi Classics, selling nostalgia cars, vans and trucks from the 1930’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s; a huge success aimed at people who had been children at that time giving them the chance to return to their childhood memories, a brilliant innovation that is still running strong today. At around the same period in the US, Corgi released a new range of trucks, fire tenders and buses based on North American prototypes, but was not as successful as hoped. After renewed success, in 1995 Corgi regained its independence and moved to new premises, proving the legend of Corgi had not died out. Corgi now turned to British TV for model ideas, and soon released models such as Mr Bean’s mini, Inspector Morse’s Jaguar and later even models based on Enid Blyton’s Noddy tales! A variety of firms ranging from Cadbury’s chocolate to Guinness beer to Eddie Stobart haulage have had corgi scale models made of their road vehicles. In 1999 Corgi was taken over for the 2nd time, this time by Zindhart- a US collectors specialists. By 2000, as in the 1960’s Corgi was once again Britain’s top model maker. Corgi Classics as the company is now known; continues to this day to produce highly detailed, die-cast models of the world’s most popular vehicles, remaining still very popular amongst both children and adults.
The First Corgi Releases
These are models released in 1956; Corgi's first year of existance With model suffix.
Corgi ModelsHere is a list of a few of Corgi’s most famous models:
Also seeExternal Links
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