THE DINKY TOYS 173 NASH RAMBLER

The May 1958 issue of the Meccano Magazine proudly announced the arrival of two new models, the 183 Fiat 600 and the 173 Nash Rambler, the first in a series of eight well-known American cars to be issued over the next 10 months.

 Mr Toyman had this to say:

“A glance at the Dinky Toys model, which is shown below, will reveal its distinctive shape and outline, in moulding which every care has been taken to follow the actual car as closely as possible.” This fine new Dinky Toy is listed as Dinky Toys No. 173 and is the second to have fully glazed plastic windows and windscreen.  It is truly a beautiful model, available in two different colour finishes”

The 173 Nash Rambler was always one of my favourite Dinky Toys so on seeing a copy of the Meccano Drawing 14853 for the 173 base plate I had to have a close look at it. The drawing is dated 12 February 1957 by which time the real vehicle had been on sale in the United States for approximately two months

On reviewing the Drawing the small areas of white where changes had taken place could be seen, but then I noticed something unusual with the title of the drawing. The lettering of the words NASH RAMBLER as there appeared to have been a different name instead of “NASH”. This can be easily seen when comparing the letter A in both words, NASH and RAMBLER indicating two different draughtsman.

This was confirmed by reading the changes to the drawing, when I saw the description of change for Issue 4 that stated ARTICLE WAS “BASE FOR AMERICAN RAMBLER” with the change taking place on 5 February 1958 almost 12 months since the original drawing was made and barely two months before the model was released. A month earlier on 23 January 1958, a change was made with the Sales Number from 178 to 173 the former number subsequently assigned to the Plymouth Plaza.

However back to the base plate – interesting that the Dinky Toys 173 Nash Rambler was originally designed as Dinky Toys 178 AMERICAN RAMBLER, a designation the real car never had at that time. The change from Sales Number 178 to 173 took place 13 days previously.

So what brought about the change in name and so close to its release?  The merger of Nash and Hudson in 1954 created American Motors Corporation, or AMC, though vehicles were sold as Ramblers in the ensuring decade. The 1956 Ramblers were the first AMC products that featured 'unit' architecture including a hardtop-style station wagon with these being sold in 1956 as Nash Ramblers and Hudson Ramblers through their individual sales networks.  Both the Hudson and Nash brands were only distinguished by different emblems on the hubcaps, bonnet/hood emblem and other minor details, Meccano must have thought it was going down the middle of the road, until someone must have decided to check with AMC the owners of the Nash and Hudson brands to ensure their toy was a faithful reproduction in both name and the actual vehicle. The result was the model being renamed NASH RAMBLER, as the model had been designed with the grille of the 1956 Nash Rambler, whereas the 1957 model had a small centre garnish below the upper chrome surround as can be seen with the image below which almost has the same colour scheme selected by Meccano with the exception of the roof and side flash. Although what is unknown is why Meccano proceeded with naming their model a NASH in February 1958 when they should have been aware that the NASH brand had disappeared the year before and I am sure that AMC would have advised Meccano of this.

The Hudson brand finally became history with the last Hudson Hornet rolling off the assembly line in Detroit on 25 June 1957. Meccano of course continued the Hudson name in August 1958 when it released its excellent rendition of the Hudson Hornet, but more of that model at a later date

With Meccano having decided on the model year of 1957 and no doubt with all the drawings being based on that year’s model the absence of a small detail in the grille, a centre garnish below the upper surround is  inconsequential, as the general outline, side flash, the slope of the roof and the distinctive side lamps are included.

A factory publicity photograph of the real 1957 Rambler Cross Country.

 Meccano's outstanding reproduction in miniature

This is the result of Meccano’s draughtsmen and engineers being a very faithful rendition of the 1957 Rambler Cross Country Station Wagon with the only thing absent being the roof rack, but Meccano was to later make amends with this omission when three years later the 193 Rambler Cross Country Station Wagon rolled off the assembly lines in Liverpool complete with a black soft plastic rear roof rack. Of course, Meccano shortened the title of their model to simply Nash Rambler, which by the time the toy reached the shops was already outdated, as the real 1957 car was only sold as a Rambler, “Nash” and “Hudson” having been removed with 1957 being the last year the well-known Hudson brand finally became history with the last Hudson Hornet rolling off the assembly line in Detroit on 25 June 1957. Meccano of course continued the Hudson name in August 1958 when it released its excellent rendition of the Hudson Hornet, but more of that model at a later date.

Here is another factory publicity photograph of the 1957 Rambler Cross Country with its period white-walled tyres!!

During 1957, the Rambler was established as a separate marque or brand within the AMC stable and these models became the foundation for the new company's best sales performance through the late 1950's and into the 60's with sales increasing to 82,000 units per year.

The new Rambler Cross Country was "typical of the stylish, yet highly practical wagons built by AMC in the 1950s" and was offered in solid colors or two- or three-tone paint schemes. Meccano did not follow the unique tri-colour paint scheme as can be seen by these factory photographs, the body in one colour, a side flash of a different but contrasting colour and a lighter coloured roof, mostly either white or pale cream. Instead it opted for the simpler and less costly two-tone scheme with just the side flash being a contrasting colour. With AMC’s product, only a few station wagons "were available in 1957 with the very vogue hardtop configuration", and Rambler's Cross Country station wagon in Custom trim carried a relatively low price of $2,715. Options included seat belts, padded dash, and child proof door locks. An innovation for station wagons was Rambler's roll-down tailgate window; the Rambler’s competitors' models opting for the upward-hinged windows.

Meccano’s 173 Nash Rambler continued in production until being retired in 1962, its place having already been taken by the more refined shape of the 193 Rambler Cross Country. Although the model was not included in any catalogue or price list in 1962, neither the May 1962 UK edition and the later June 62 for Australia, it made it final appearance in the February, March and April 1962 Dinky Toys Order Form.

As the 173 was not included in the July, August and September 1962 and subsequent Order Forms indicates it had already been deleted by then. However, again referring to Drawing 14853 as a prelude to the 173 being retired, the sales number 173 was deleted from the base plate on 7 July 1959, thus allowing the base plate to continue serving the 173 for a further three years and when .its body shape was disguised as the 257 Fire Chief’s Car in late 1959 maintained the model’s visibility for a further 7 years.

The model is a very faithful rendition of the 1957 Rambler Cross Country and on receiving mine in 1958 soon became one of my favourite Dinky Toys, and it went with me everywhere. I can recall playing with it in the back seat of our family car while Mum and Dad went for a walk up a hill to take some photographs!  The photograph below (very much out of focus) shows my Nash together with another fairly new arrival, my yellow and grey 157 Jaguar XK120, in the foreground that has been cropped from a larger photograph.  Obviously the foreground was the location for my new arrivals but certainly not where I should have focused Dad’s old Kodak “pocket” bellows camera!

And here it is again as it is today, a little the worse for wear.  Although it is no longer mint the wear is attributed to longtime play. Yes, it was one of my favourite models!

And here is the real car in a similar turquoise main colour scheme but without the red side flash.

Followed by a series of photographs of the Dinky Toys 173 Nash Rambler (173 Rambler Cross Country) commencing with a model that was manufactured in July 1958

The base plate for the above early issue Nash Rambler.

An early issue salmon pink Nash Rambler – stone ridged hubs and a price relevant to when the model was released in 1958.

An unusual colour scheme when the paint mix for salmon pink was not exactly correct when comparing it with the model above it.. As this colour can be seen on a number of models, it is perhaps an indication of the entire batch having been mixed incorrectly. The Inspection Stamp is dated July 1959, and with the base plate having the 173 sales number, the model was in the last batch before the numberless base plates came in at the same time.

And finally the base plate for the above model in turquoise – the only model in my collection that was manufactured post July 1959 with no sales number on the base plate. If the price on the box can be relied upon, the model dates from January to April 1961: (3/6 was also the price when the model was released in May 1958 until July 1958 which can be disregarded with the model having spun hubs.

Well, there it is, one of my early favourite Dinky Toys, and one that has many memories for me. For others no doubt, it is just another Dinky Toy!

Hopefully others will be able to add to this Topic especially if any variation in the casting exist.

Kind regards to you all

Bruce   (150)

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