Shite in Miniature II

[MiniMinorMk3]

Just going back to the old television cars thing, whilst watching an episode of Deparment S this Mini turned up on screen.

Whilst watching I thought I recognise the number plate from somewhere. It was not until we had the discussion the other day about cars used in certain programmes that the penny dropped. It was used quite a lot in Randell and Hopkirk, so I guess that's why it only appeared in Deparment S on one occassion.

[Tenmil Socket]

15 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Realtoy, copy of the Hot Wheels Good Humor (sic) truck

 

Didn't I post a pic of one done as a Fire Engine a few pages back? 

[MiniMinorMk3]

Next out of my auction delivery was the lot of boxed Dinky Toys.

We'll look at the vans and fire truck first.

"Convoy" Fire Truck. £1.50 from Streets Prams and Toys.

More for you to collect.

No idea what it is based on.

and built to a low budget.

It is almost mint though.

Rivetted plastic base.

A trio of Bedford CF vans.

These two are promotional ones in Royal Mail Van boxes.

They all advertise the Coles Crane on the back.

Out of the boxes for possibly the first time.

This is what it would have looked like when you took it out of teh boxed in 1978, all bright and shiney.

All three CF vans have a cast number plate, AM 27K. It looks like the silver was sprayed

MJ are still going under the name M & J Hire Centres.

Another bright shiney van.

All three have rivet black tin bases.

There is a slight difference in the casting, the MJ van has a small raised square in the centre of the roof. This is where the sign is placed on the AA van.

[MiniMinorMk3]

Now for the four Dinky cars.

In number order we look at the Volvo 265 DL Estate first.

More exciting toys for you to collect. £1.49 price in feint pencil in left hand bottom corner.

Released from it's box. The colour look much brighter when unleased.

Lots of room for a chesterfield sofa in the back.

The screen has a mark on the inside.

Black plastic rivetted base.

Next is the 123 Princess.

Again more excitement on the back of the box.

£1.49 sticker on one end.

The same shade of what looks like Leyland Reynard Metallic as used on the Mini Clubman.

Sprayed on textured finish on rear pillars.

I've never seen a Dinky Clubman with a shine like this Princess. It has an excellent finish on it.

Another riveted black plastic base.

180 Rover next.

This one has a Leyland theme on the rear of the box.

A bit pricey the Rover at £1.85.

This would so much better in any other colour than freeze white.

They got excited with the detailing with orangecators on the front and red rear lamps. Also number plates that match the model number.

Opening doors...

and opening hatch. 

Even the wheels are an attempt at mimicking the Rover wheel trims.

It even has a tow hook screwed to the base. Now we know were the extra 36p has gone.

Finally we have 206 Customised Stingray. This is a modernisation (cheapening) of the 221 Corvette.

On the back there are more Customised Dinkys to collect.

I've always thought that the Dinky Corvette was a bad casting, and it still is.

At least this example is very clean.

The only feature to remain after the rejigging are the opening doors. We have lost the opening bonnet and pop-up lights.

Also the metal base has been replace with a gold vacuum plated plastic one.

 

[bunglebus]

Those boxed Dinkys are lovely, the code two vans particularly are a good find. The number plate annoys me though!

Not noticed the casting difference before. My AA has a shiny bottom

RM is plain black

Edit to say, the cars are superb too!

[bunglebus]

More parcels at the door. I thought this bus was a similar size to the Corgi Vanguards ones, but it's actually one of the tiny model railway models. Very well detailed considering its size 

Also fairly tiny is this white metal Ford Thames that's been painted really nicely, looks remarkably similar to the old Lesney casting to me

From the small the the large - strangely elongated T2 ambulance courtesy of @155V6

Turning it over reveals not only a pull-back motor, but a battery compartment - it does stuff!

(I'll spare you the awful squarks of the various siren noises it emits)

Also in that package is a Lesney Giftware Sand Cat ashtray, as I definitely don't have three of those in the loft

This Hot Wheels was in with the Thames and T1, base is marked Warner so this will be a film tie-in that I'm missing the reference of

Last box contains a box

This is bit of a strange mix as it seems to contain two different types of casting, some are just no name shonk like these, some of which exhibit damage despite clearly not having been played with

Lovely bit of plastic flash forming a chin spoiler!

Motorbike name decals on cars

They're all identifiable at least, such as XJS and Volvo 

The rest are the familiar ex Kees/Polistil ones 

Escort literally fell to bits as I touched it, the metal is just thin junk

Golf was my main target, and is at least complete

Evil bits of metal flash inside to catch on tiny fingers

5 turbo isn't one I've found before

[danthecapriman]

6 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

More parcels at the door. I thought this bus was a similar size to the Corgi Vanguards ones, but it's actually one of the tiny model railway models. Very well detailed considering its size 

Also fairly tiny is this white metal Ford Thames that's been painted really nicely, looks remarkably similar to the old Lesney casting to me

From the small the the large - strangely elongated T2 ambulance courtesy of @155V6

Turning it over reveals not only a pull-back motor, but a battery compartment - it does stuff!

(I'll spare you the awful squarks of the various siren noises it emits)

Also in that package is a Lesney Giftware Sand Cat ashtray, as I definitely don't have three of those in the loft

This Hot Wheels was in with the Thames and T1, base is marked Warner so this will be a film tie-in that I'm missing the reference of

Last box contains a box

This is bit of a strange mix as it seems to contain two different types of casting, some are just no name shonk like these, some of which exhibit damage despite clearly not having been played with

Lovely bit of plastic flash forming a chin spoiler!

Motorbike name decals on cars

They're all identifiable at least, such as XJS and Volvo 

The rest are the familiar ex Kees/Polistil ones 

Escort literally fell to bits as I touched it, the metal is just thin junk

Golf was my main target, and is at least complete

Evil bits of metal flash inside to catch on tiny fingers

5 turbo isn't one I've found before

Jeez, those no namers are absolutely shocking!😆

[bunglebus]

Seems the Action News is just something they used on this 5 pack in 1996. So why the Warner name on the base?

Aha, it's the casting, not the livery

The Hot Wheels version debuted as part of the Demolition Man Movie set of 9 cars, which were each sold individually packaged with a Park 'n Plates box.

[ambassador84]

2 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Jeez, those no namers are absolutely shocking!😆

Now I know who outbid me on that Kees set! 😅😅😅

[danthecapriman]

2 minutes ago, ambassador84 said:

Now I know who outbid me on that Kees set! 😅😅😅

I remember as a kid going into our local pharmacy (of all places!) who had a small toys and odds & sods aisle, but they often stocked oddball stuff the usual shops didn’t. They periodically got stocks of those cheap no namers in, usually sold in a very cheap and thin vac formed plastic tray of about 10 or 20 random cars/vans. They cost bugger all compared to Matchbox and Corgi so I used to go in and buy a tray now and again with pocket money. 
Some vehicles were absolutely horrendous castings that you really did struggle to see what they were meant to be. Others though were reasonably good. 
That black Chevy Nomad @bunglebus posted earlier was one I got in one of those packs. Mine had chrome effect bumpers though. I had a couple of first gen Ford Thunderbird’s, one yellow one orange. Ford and GMC/Chevy pickup trucks, Volvo 760… all sorts. 
I never did find out who actually made them.

[ambassador84]

10 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

I remember as a kid going into our local pharmacy (of all places!) who had a small toys and odds & sods aisle, but they often stocked oddball stuff the usual shops didn’t. They periodically got stocks of those cheap no namers in, usually sold in a very cheap and thin vac formed plastic tray of about 10 or 20 random cars/vans. They cost bugger all compared to Matchbox and Corgi so I used to go in and buy a tray now and again with pocket money. 
Some vehicles were absolutely horrendous castings that you really did struggle to see what they were meant to be. Others though were reasonably good. 
That black Chevy Nomad @bunglebus posted earlier was one I got in one of those packs. Mine had chrome effect bumpers though. I had a couple of first gen Ford Thunderbird’s, one yellow one orange. Ford and GMC/Chevy pickup trucks, Volvo 760… all sorts. 
I never did find out who actually made them.

Sounds like they were made by Summer who were probably the most prolific of the Hong Kong produced cheapo diecasts of my childhood. 

My geeky fascination with the diecast underdogs began when I was rather too young back in the 1980s, all of which I've kept in their original packaging making identification on many brands much easier 😀😀

[danthecapriman]

15 minutes ago, ambassador84 said:

Sounds like they were made by Summer who were probably the most prolific of the Hong Kong produced cheapo diecasts of my childhood. 

My geeky fascination with the diecast underdogs began when I was rather too young back in the 1980s, all of which I've kept in their original packaging making identification on many brands much easier 😀😀

I think all mine were opened and played with. Some of the better ones survived as I kept them with my favourite toys from my childhood. The last of them I think I sold on here in one of my clear outs. 
The ones I didn’t keep either got destroyed when I was a kid or passed to my cousins kids.

You must be a similar age to me then at a guess? (I’m 40).

[ambassador84]

7 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

I think all mine were opened and played with. Some of the better ones survived as I kept them with my favourite toys from my childhood. The last of them I think I sold on here in one of my clear outs. 
The ones I didn’t keep either got destroyed when I was a kid or passed to my cousins kids.

You must be a similar age to me then at a guess? (I’m 40).

I'm just about on the right side of 50

These cheapo diecasts were designed to be virtually disposable so any survivors are ironically probably a lot more rare than the Matchbox and Corgi equivalents we all know and love.  Some brands such as Yatming , Zylmex and Playart are now considered very collectible with boxed values increasing. 

[flat4alfa]

On 28/05/2025 at 16:03, sheffcortinacentre said:

No details probably fake

If it was scrapped prior to 1998 there wouldn’t be a record

[bunglebus]

OMG there are MOAR

Looks like AliExpress etc sell them

[flat4alfa]

3 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Seems the Action News is just something they used on this 5 pack in 1996. So why the Warner name on the base?

Aha, it's the casting, not the livery

The Hot Wheels version debuted as part of the Demolition Man Movie set of 9 cars, which were each sold individually packaged with a Park 'n Plates box.

The film Demolition Man was released by Warner in 1993.  The film was first set in 1996 when the main characters (prisoners) were cryogenically frozen and released 2032

There must be a scene early on when ‘Action News KHWW’ TV station turn up. Can’t remember I’ve slept since then

[Split_Pin]

I had that yellow R5 with a bunch of Polistil copies so I presume it's got the same provenance* I dint know what happened to it as I still have all the others.

I think I've posted up my boxed set of 'Golden Wheel' cars, some of which are 1970s Superfast rip offs.

My granny used to bring me them, I always quite liked the identifiable ones.

[bunglebus]

16 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

The film Demolition Man was released by Warner in 1993.  The film was first set in 1996 when the main characters (prisoners) were cryogenically frozen and released 2032

I saw it at the cinema with my daughter's mum. Well I saw some of it at least 🤣

[flat4alfa]

On 28/05/2025 at 23:51, bunglebus said:

1976 saw the launch of a significant hatchback

 

Remember Snoopy? He liked his Solido

 

The bonnet got scratched up though when he was out dogging with a lass from Canvey

[danthecapriman]

14 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

I had that yellow R5 with a bunch of Polistil copies so I presume it's got the same provenance* I dint know what happened to it as I still have all the others.

I think I've posted up my boxed set of 'Golden Wheel' cars, some of which are 1970s Superfast rip offs.

My granny used to bring me them, I always quite liked the identifiable ones.

The identifiable ones were pretty alluring!😄 They were usually castings of stuff you didn’t get from the big brands. Pretty sure a Civic CRX was another one.

[flat4alfa]

Quote

Interesting. A 512 Boxer is one I don’t have.  What scale is that? Does it have any marking underneath 

[Split_Pin]

20 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

The identifiable ones were pretty alluring!😄 They were usually castings of stuff you didn’t get from the big brands. Pretty sure a Civic CRX was another one.

Yeah I had a Fuego and an Audi 100 to name a few!

[ETCHY]

9 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

I remember as a kid going into our local pharmacy (of all places!) who had a small toys and odds & sods aisle, but they often stocked oddball stuff the usual shops didn’t. They periodically got stocks of those cheap no namers in, usually sold in a very cheap and thin vac formed plastic tray of about 10 or 20 random cars/vans. They cost bugger all compared to Matchbox and Corgi so I used to go in and buy a tray now and again with pocket money. 
Some vehicles were absolutely horrendous castings that you really did struggle to see what they were meant to be. Others though were reasonably good. 
That black Chevy Nomad @bunglebus posted earlier was one I got in one of those packs. Mine had chrome effect bumpers though. I had a couple of first gen Ford Thunderbird’s, one yellow one orange. Ford and GMC/Chevy pickup trucks, Volvo 760… all sorts. 
I never did find out who actually made them.

Yeah I remember the Chemist's when I was a kid selling toy cars. It was the only place that stocked Majorrette so any I did have ,( not many) came from there.

[sierraman]

Morrisons used to sell them I’m sure. 

[ambassador84]

8 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

I had that yellow R5 with a bunch of Polistil copies so I presume it's got the same provenance* I dint know what happened to it as I still have all the others.

I think I've posted up my boxed set of 'Golden Wheel' cars, some of which are 1970s Superfast rip offs.

My granny used to bring me them, I always quite liked the identifiable ones.

The jury is still out whether these Kees castings were Polistil copies or whether Kees made them on behalf of Polistil as a sub contractor. When the contract ended they were free to sell them as they wished? I don't possess any original Polistil RN castings to compare to Kees to get a definitive answer. Anyone on here have both?

[Split_Pin]

Just now, ambassador84 said:

Anyone on here have both

@bunglebus almost certainly will!

[bunglebus]

10 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

Interesting. A 512 Boxer is one I don’t have.  What scale is that? Does it have any marking underneath 

Fairly big, 1:28. In the force hail pile anyway 

[bunglebus]

2 hours ago, ambassador84 said:

The jury is still out whether these Kees castings were Polistil copies or whether Kees made them on behalf of Polistil as a sub contractor. When the contract ended they were free to sell them as they wished? I don't possess any original Polistil RN castings to compare to Kees to get a definitive answer. Anyone on here have both?

Sort of. I have some with the name removed from the base, those seem better quality than the latest arrivals

[danthecapriman]

2 hours ago, sierraman said:

Morrisons used to sell them I’m sure. 

Back in the day* we didn’t have Morrisons stores down south. They were a northern thing. 
We had Safeway instead which were eventually bought out by Morrisons which then gave the south parts of the country the Morrisons brand. 
I don’t remember going in Safeway stores much, despite one being local to my old house, so no idea what diecast etc they stocked? Morrisons were one I did go to when visiting family in Yorkshire though.

[ambassador84]

35 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Sort of. I have some with the name removed from the base, those seem better quality than the latest arrivals

Have you got any Polistil branded examples to compare? To confuse matters I know a company called Timmy Toys made some cheapened copies afterwards but your set I'd wager was made by Kees.