THE CENTURY 21 FOUR WHEEL DRIVE TOY RANGE

COVERED ON THE DECEMBER 2012 RADIO SWORDCAST

When the blog first kicked off in 2008 a reader called Amy sent me an intriguing Regent Toys advert from an old Joe 90 comic. It featured, amongst others, 3 'powerful four wheel drive toys'. From the word go I was determined to track the three vehicles down. The ad is pictured above.

 

 

I had at first assumed that the three were the Marx 'Hill Climbing' toys pictured below: the Wrecker Truck, the Dump Truck and the Jeep [there is also a Marx Hill Climbing Cement Mixer - not pictured].

However, the Jeep in the advert is called a 'Hurdler', which was nowhere to be seen on the Marx Jeep box. I began to suspect that another toy company had a 'four wheel drive' range and I was right.

The first real evidence came in the form of the Hurdler, which I found tucked behind some die-cast at Pudsey Toy Fair around 2009. Amazingly the box featured the Century 21 logo! I was thrilled and began to look for the other two, which I felt sure would also be Century 21.

It would take another three years. Next, the beautiful Century 21 Dump Truck came my way in 2011 from a chance find on Ebay.

And finally, after five years, I completed the Century 21 trio with the Wrecking Truck this Christmas. And what a beauty it is! It feels great to have completed the set. No doubt someone will now tell me that there is indeed a C21 Cement Mixer! Short of this 2013 will find me searching for more C21 toys like the elusive Bridge Building Tank and the Huff 'n' Puff Train Set!

 

For more conversation about this set listen to Bill and me warbling on our new Celtica Radio monthly SWORDCAST recorded by superscouse Bill Bulloch in Lancashire and produced by the ever-supportive and multi-talented  Bill Everatt in Wales.