Dinky Toys photography specials

Another test, especially for light conditions, of my new photography stand (in development):

Jan Very nice lighting......bright colors, but no harshness.....looks lovely to my untrained eye! Terry

Just for fun, here are two French 'first cousins'.....the Willeme Log Truck along with the Unic Saharien Pipe Truck. Their common bond being the trailer, and both of these are the earlier version with the perforated beam and ridged front wheels. Both lovely trucks, that the French Meccano team got right! Terry

I've been away from the computer for the last three weeks as I have been on holiday in an internet free country so I have not been able to contribute. These two are lovely, I have the Unic but not the Willeme, I need to enlarge my small collection of French Dinky. Dave

Dave--Welcome back from your holiday! Hopefully you had a wonderful time and are all rested up and ready to dive back into Dinky land. I hadn't seen you post for some time, so was a little concerned......good to have you back...lots of posts since you have been away. The recent increased participation is sure welcome! Terry

Thanks Terry, Julie and I have been in China, hence no internet. I spent two or three hours yesterday coming up to speed - the activity is wonderful. Dave

Just spent some time today, re-taking some photos of my Dinky Studebaker Tankers....a most lovely little collection that proved very popular over the years. Here is my little bevy of Studebaker Tankers.....a colorful lot! Terry

Hi Terry, I must have published it somewhere else already, but this is my favourite photo of my Studebaker tankers. I used it as the cover for my calendar for the year 2013. As you can imagine I am still looking out for the Esso version with the darker lettering. For the rest I am satisfied with this wonderful set ... Kind regards, Jan

Jan--Very nice lineup of your Studebaker Tankers! To me, these were one of my early favorites, and they were produced for a very long time. It is interesting that Meccano chose to make so many Studebaker models, both in France and England. In the U.S., they were well known and respected makes, but far from being a best seller. Makes one wonder what the special attraction was to include so many, although I am not complaining....I happen to like the old Studebaker's. Terry

Here is the front cover of an original Studebaker leaflet from 1949 which is the original vehicle Dinky based their tanker on. In the 1950s when the tanker was introduced Dinky never called it a Studebaker and I was never aware it was one until many years after. I just loved it as a nice little tanker. There is a dedicated Studebaker museum in America and I contacted them some years ago to ask whether or not the Studebaker R2R had ever been made as a tanker in real life and they could not confirm this. They did say that it was a very popular vehicle in its day and could well have actually been made in this form. I am a little surprised that Dinky chose this vehicle as Studebaker trucks were not exactly seen every day on Britain's roads. I wonder if this was made to encourage American sales and the then drive for exports? Dave

Hi Dave, although not used in publicity, below the evidence that the factory internally did make reference to the Studebaker, in this case on the large design drawing, as reproduced in DT&MM page 160. Regards, Jan

The problem with that Jan is that in the 1950s no-one outside of Meccano had access to that information. I wonder why they never put it in any promotional material?? Dave