I’m the only (up to now) Italian DTCA member and I’m a bit in
confusion: how happens that Austin and Bedford are so similar?
Do Dinky 410 represent an Austin or a Bedford O Series?

Here comes an U23 Citroen. Does it say anything to you?

Is there anyone who can tell me something else about the real life
Opperman Motocart?

Do you know if Trojan has ever built the Heinkel Kabine bubble car?

I have found this picture too...

Sorry, it was too big. Let me try again: I have got this picture of the Laeyland Martian. Can you help me to gather news about it
(I mean the real thing)...

I have found this picture, which I think can match Dinky 250
fire pumper. The problem is that it is not a Merryweather, but a Leyland PE BHH1 from 1938.

This could be the real life thing of Dinky 253 Daimler ambulance.
Is it a Lomas?

Help! This is the proof that the real thing existed, but who can tell me something asbout it, beside the fact that is definetely an AEC?

Help! This picture is an evidence that the real thing existed, but who is able to tell me something about it, beside the fact that it was an AEC?

It is an AEC armoured command vehicle , 151 were manufactured and only 1 exists, discovered in the old Pounds scrap yard in Portsmouth. Based on the chassis of the 6x6 AEC airfield refueller truck. A book is available depicting all the military products they manufactured during WW2. Try and get hold of a copy. Hope this is of interest.

Haven't seen this one displayed before, so here goes...the Dinky Sunbeam Alpine. I never thought that this model was particularly pretty, and had not seen a real one until a few weeks ago (I live in S. California). I attended a concourse in La Jolla, CA (in San Diego), and low and hehold, there was a pristine Sunbeam Alpine right before me. It was very recognizable, but seemed to look much better than our little Dinky model. I think it is all the subtle details that Dinky could not capture, such as the gentle crease lines in the fenders, the brightwork trim, and the edges on the real car are just softer. On the Dinky, those bonnet louvers also really stand out...they are too pronounced. And this color that Dinky used is maybe not the best for this model...not very rich looking.

Terry

catellag wrote:
"I’m the only (up to now) Italian DTCA member and I’m a bit in
confusion: how happens that Austin and Bedford are so similar?
Do Dinky 410 represent an Austin or a Bedford O Series? "

Hi There.
There was no connection between the Bedford and Austin companies, though they do look very much alike. So much so that the Austin was jokingly called "The Birmingham Bedford". As far as I know the Bedford came out first.

The Dinky 25m / 410 is the Bedford, the Dinky 30j / 412 is the Austin.
A simple grille change could have given us a convincing large scale Austin had Dinky wanted to!

Chris Warr.

catellag wrote:
"I have found this picture, which I think can match Dinky 250
fire pumper. The problem is that it is not a Merryweather, but a Leyland PE BHH1 from 1938. "

Not a problem at all as the Dinky is a Leyland too!

Chris Warr.

Thank you Chris, for the precious information. Do you know anything about the real Austin which has been reproduced by Dinky? I post here an imagine of the asticulated Bedford, which I assume is an O-Type. Or not?

Hi Gianni,
Nice photo, yes it is a Bedfiord O series lorry. The Austin is a K series, either a K2 or K3 made from 1939 - 54.
Here's a real K2.......

Cheers,
Chris Warr.

... and this is my favourite photo of the real Sunbeam Alpine:

By the way, I did not know of these tiny split wind screens, like the SS Jaguar. Remarkable!

Kind regards, Jan

Thank you guys for your warm welcome and kind words.
There are still plenty of real size Dinkies in the wild in New Zealand!
This TK belongs to our neighbours' vineyard: www.lawsonsdryhills.co.nz

Wilfried

Good shot, Wilfried! Here in Italy it is much more difficult to find Dinky prototypes.
Perhaps you can give me some information about the real Bedford TK, like engine capacity, years of production, etc? Thanks a lot for your kindness, Gianni

Wilfried---What a wonderful picture....very well done!!
Terry

I have searched and never before seen or found an image of the prototype Studebaker Tanker truck, the model of which Dinky made from 1950 through about 1961.  I recently  found and purchased a Studebaker Heavy Truck brochure from 1949, the first year of the revised truck line, and inside was a small photo of a representative tanker.  This photo differs slightly from the Dinky  model, but is nonetheless, very close, and again shows that Meccano was pretty much right on the mark with the detailing.

          Regards,  Terry

I recently obtained another interesting truck catalog....this time for the French Ford trucks, that were made in Poissy, France, sometime after WWII.  Someone has written on the back side of this brochure the date 1948, but have no way of knowing if that is accurate.  It does have several nice depictions of the French Ford 5-ton trucks, that the French Dinky factory introduced as the 25 series in 1949, and in production until around 1955.  The brochure does not show photos of all the variations, but does show pretty good line drawings of most of them, so here they are.

       Regards,  Terry

Thanks Dave....I have also been searching on Google, it would seem there should be either a survivor or at least some old photos, but nothing ever came up.  Actually, Jose Haraud found this brochure for me for sale.  The key was looking under heavy Studebaker trucks, as those are separate from the pickup trucks and their brochures.............but glad I finally found one!

       Regards,  Terry

Dave---What a wonderful photo.....I have never seen that one before, and it does show that Dinky made a very faithful reproduction of it.....thanks for posting that! Now if we could just find the Mobilgas version.....
Regards, Terry

Dave----I agree.....collecting or acquiring "collateral" info on our Dinky's is both interesting and also fun, so old brochures and photos are great. The catalog I am putting together on my Dinky collection has a space for a photo of the real thing, and so far, I am not missing too many.
Regards, Terry