Corgi

Corgi was launched way back in 1956, it had a new range of diecast toy replica cars by Mettoy Playcraft. Mettoy Playcroft were a toy company founded in 1936. Due to the main fact that these happened to be the only toy cars on the market that had a transparent window at that time they became a huge hit.

Corgi – The Early Years

Corgi has made many model cars over the years, from Dinky Toys to Lledo. It has had to fend off much competition over them years and even still today its name is relatively well known. In its first year, Corgi sold over two and a half million toy model cars. In 1966 it was awarded the Queens Award To Industry and National Association of the Toy Retailers Highest Standards Award.

Corgi - The Most Recent Years

By the end of the ‘80s Corgi Toys ltd turned its attention to export. Soon they were distributing there model replica cars to Europe, Australia and the USA .

In 1989 Corgi Toys was taken over by mattel who are also manufacturers of Barbie and hotwheels. Corgi then bought outs its new range, corgi classics, selling models cars of a nostalgic nature. The ideas was to aim for the adults who were brought up with these cars in their childhood, and bring back the car model memories they had as a child.

It was only a matter of time before Corgi turned to British TV for ideas of model replica cars. Soon they released models in conjunction with Mr Beans Mini, Inspector Morse's Jaguar to Cadburys chocolate and Eddie Stobart Haulage scale models of their vehicles.

In 1999 Corgi was taken over for the second time by Zindhart. Zindhart is a collectors specialist in the states. By 2000 Corgi was once again Britain 's top replica/model maker. Corgi then bought the rights to the lledo name, in turn they took over the Days Gone by Series. In 2004 the lledo name was eventually dropped and Models of the Days Gone by officially became part of the Corgi Classics line