Hello,

Referring to Distribution’s enquiry and remarks of the 2nd of January about the no. 153a Military Jeep, I’d like to make some personal notes about the fine tread early postwar tyres mentioned. It’s always tricky to make clear definitions, in time and period, regarding tyres, as they are easily replaced and old stocks can have been used on a much later date than produced.
Still, I like this kind of tyres and, like Distribution, I’m trying to date them every now and then.
Perhaps the most demonstrative way is just to show some examples and try to make some remarks, and perhaps pose some ideas about their dating.

The oldest examples I know are not early post-war, but late pre-war, like the examples above. On top the no. 151b Transport Wagon, the pre-war on the left, the post-1946 on the right. The pre-war example showing the treaded tyres, the post-war with smooth ones. In addition a (late pre-war) no. 22s Searchlight Lorry, as far as I know virtually always with treaded tyres.

The other way round is possible too, showing a post-1946 no. 161b AA Gun on Trailer on the left with treaded tyres and a 1939 example with (incidentally flat) smooth tyres.

Indeed, the no. 152b Reconnaissance Car can have smooth tyres, but also treaded tyres, both black and white. The one on the right is of ca. 1937, having smooth tyres, the one top left is early post-war (1945-1946) with treaded WHITE tyres. I have seen more early post-war Dinky’s with these tyres, like a no. 34b Royal Mail Van and some no. 30 cars – if I’m not mistaken. I guess these white treaded tyres are restricted to this very early post-war period only. Lower left there is a post 1946 Reconnaissance Car, often with the fine treaded tyres, but also often seen with the ‘regular’ smooth black tyres.

Have a better look at the white tyred one. The front wheel on the left has one smooth white tyre!

And the three of them from below, mind the gloss green early postwar base plate in the centre!

As a rare surprise the South African military versions of civil vehicles, no. 25b Covered Wagon and no. 280 Delivery Van, both fitted with treaded tyres.

Two post-1946 versions of the no. 36g Taxi. Treaded and smooth. Both occur with smooth and treaded white tyres too, post- war.

The no. 38c Lagonda, treaded tyres on the post 1946 example on the left, smooth ones on the post-1950 export version on the right. I believe that no post-1950 export versions (usually with coloured hubs) have treaded tyres any more. Early post-war Lagonda’s are scarcely seen with white treaded tyres.

As a final and latest example a no. 40a Riley Saloon with treaded tyres (the earliest version of 40b Triumph on the right). I know no other examples of the 40series saloons than this earliest 1947 black hubs version of this car that have treaded tyres. So, in my opinion this model is the latest Dinky Toy that could normally have been fitted with treaded tyres.
Both the 1946 Lagonda and this 1947 Riley demonstate that the treaded tyres are not restricted to post-war re-issues of pre-war models (and in the military case this goes for the 1946 Jeep too).
In conclusion, the original occurrence of treaded tyres may be dated about 1939-1947, the white versions possibly closely around the war. The occurrence of the treaded ones is too confusing to think that they may have been used exclusively at one time. It seems that they were always used parallel to the ‘regular’ smooth tyres. The post 1950 models do not show the treaded tyres anymore in my opinion.

Finally this picture comparing three treaded tyre types. It demonstrates the – in my opinion – horrible heavy duty appearance (especially on cars, like the no. 162 Ford Zephyr Saloon in the centre) of the 1957 introduced treaded tyres. This in contrast with the very friendly and realistic early post-war treaded tyres on the Lagonda (left), and also to the rather nice 1960s treaded tyres, like adopted on the no. 142 Jaguar Mark X etc.

This was just an attempt to ‘catch’ the post-war fine treaded tyres. I look forward to some comment and additions in order to define their appearance more precisely!

Kind regards, Jan Werner