Dinky Toys were, in the 1950s and 1960s, a dominant force in the toy car market. In fact, they were so dominant that, to this day, a lot of people use the term “dinky cars” to refer to (mostly 1/64) toy cars in general! However, no one company is infallible, and even in their heyday, the mighty Dinky division of Meccano had one massive screw-up that forever changed the collecting landscape. That unfortunate debacle dealt with an attempt to create a toy using a completely different material than was traditionally used. It was to be a great achievement, and it was hoped that high sales would make the gamble well worthwhile.
Sadly, things didn’t work; the toy in question, the Dinky Supertoys Avro Vulcan, ended up as the most troublesome-to-produce Dinky of all time. It was so troublesome that the dies committed suicide after only 500-odd toys were made. Rather than a flood of Vulcans on toy shelves, all that was produced was a drop in a bucket, and these were quietly shipped to Canada to erase the shame of their failure at home in the UK. Today, the Dinky Vulcan is one of the most sought-after Dinkys of all, and with less than the original 500-ish still left, it is a rare bird indeed.
However, the Lagoon does pride itself on providing looks at the rare and weird, when they’re chanced upon, and thanks to my brother, we can now all enjoy a good look at the Dinky Supertoys Avro Vulcan. Check it out on the Military Dinky Toys page!
The Sprue Lagoon 
Interesting story. Completely unrelated, but I was reminded of the Pontiac CAN-AM since I look at your blog for the model car stuff. CAn Am was 1977 only and very limited. The mold to make the fiberglass rear spoiler broke during production and was the ONLY mold they had. Further production scrapped. The CanAm was taking sales away from other models anyway. My former boss has one when he was younger and told me about it originally. It was a HOT loser. And no kit version ever that I know of.
Thanks for the articles
Randy
Hey Randy!
Wow, yeah! I had forgotten about the Can-Am, but that is EXACTLY the same thing, you’re right! The only real Can-Am replica I know of (I think it’s a Can-Am, at least) was a Johnny Lightning some years ago now. I’ve never liked those weird, beaky Ponchos in the Colonade style, but recently I have changed my mind. Like all ’70s and ’80s cars they have a unique charm, and at least they’re Ponchos! As you know, if it’s Pontiac, I like it. Yes, that includes awesomeness like J2000, T1000 and 6000! If only there were kits of those!
Glad you liked the articles, and check back, because I have a tonne more weirdness to talk about. From Trabants to Granadas and all points in between (even the odd good car)!
Granada’s? Love them. That’s what my mom had when I turned 16. 78 with 302. It would actually bury the 85 mph Speedo.
Your email went to my”social” box. I just happened to look in there.
Always look forward to talking with you.
Randy
My friend’s brother had a Granada when we were growing up. It was pretty clapped out by the mid ’80s, and he’d “customized it” into the “Deathmobile”, complete with Ransom-letter writing on the trunk!
That’s pretty good for a smog-choked 302!
Oh yeah the Pontiacs. World love to see those too. My mother in law had a6000. Interesting car to be so… Lame?
And I had an uncle that had a colonnade Grand something. Might been GTO package as well.
Randy
My buddy in university had a 6000. I remember it running out of gas at the top of a hill and us coasting down to the gas station, through a light (all legit) at a major intersection. I also remember having one as a loaner when my car was in the garage. The throttle stuck and that Iron Duke sure gave ‘er all it had! 🙂
Oh, man… that would be a cool thing to have a kit of; those mid-late ’70s non-T/A “performance” Ponchos tried, they just couldn’t…