I was looking at Dinky space vehicles.
I noticed the white press button on this Moon Buggy.
I thought, hmm, I've seen it before.
Is it the same one Dinky used on the top of their iconic Gerry Anderson SPV?
Anyone know?
Here's another bit of Gerry-cycling.
Whilst in a junk shop in Sheffield I saw this
I recognised the red astronauts immediately as those in this Zygon War Chariot.
The red engine nacelles look familiar too. Space 199 Eagle Freighter?
Here's the white version of the astronauts on the Galactic War Chariot
and that missile launcher is straight off SHADO2!
and well known to collectors, the recycled silver turbines which first appeared on Joe's Flying car as photographed below by Scoop.
They re-appeared on the Lunar Bug! [I love that moonscape in the box. Is that polystyrene?]
There are probably sites that detail the exact chronology of these re-uses but this is just my basic take on it.
Can you think of any more Dinky Gerry Anderson/ space die-casts recycling?
The Meccano moon marauder engines aren't Eagle ones. They are meccano rocket engines. I used them on ky Space 1999 Ultraprobe model. They are bigger than the Eagle ones.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kev. I wasn't sure about them. So they came in Meccano sets?
DeleteProbably, I got mine as just a set of 4 engines.
DeleteThe SPV was one of my favourite toys. I don't remember the big white button - it was probably lost whilst fighting the Mysterons...
ReplyDeleteI think there were different versions of the SPV over time Maudlin Jack. Somewhere online there is a timetable of them. I've seen it but just need to find the link!
DeleteOnly the later issued spv's had the button, added for health and safety reasons!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kev. Health and Safety! I would have thought a small button was worse!
DeleteSpammed again
ReplyDeleteI think the white button on the SPV was only on the later models? Mine was just bare metal.
ReplyDeleteInteresting Yorkie. The history of the SPV is no doubt covered in detail somewhere on line. Just need to find a link for it.
DeleteI can confirm that my SPV had the white button up top. It also has the solid black bumper.
ReplyDeleteThe Meccano set's missles and launcher are also the same as the ones on the Zygon chariot.
The "engine" on both chariot versions just happens to be the turbines from the Joe 90 flying car.
Thanks Lance. I'm still fascinated that Cap Scarlet was popular in the States and the Dinky die-casts available in stateside shops. Just how big was it do you think?
DeleteIt is hard to say how popular it was. I don't have any memory of seeing Captain Scarlet up in Michigan as a kid but do recall XL5 vaguely, definitely saw Stingray and Thunderbirds followed by UFO and 1999. I don't recall ever seeing Joe 90 or Secret Service. The Dinky craze here hit while I was up in Michigan and continued when we moved to Texas. It seemed that just about every small toy store had a Dinky and Corgi display but the major stores ignored them. I bought many of them with my allowance and should have most of them off in storage. I do recall that every one of them was a blisterpack over a cardboard base, never saw any Dinkys in box only other than the Enterprise and Klingon ships. Then just about as sudden as they appeared, they vanished. I do so miss the old mom and pop style toy shops.
DeleteThanks for posting those rare Dinky & Corgi space toys - I had no idea there were so many knock-offs from the Supermarionation universe. Only the Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and Joe 90 Dinky vehicles made it over to the U.S. And man did we love them! I'm not sure how big Captain Scarlet was in the U.S. I know me and my pals were hooked on it, but I spoke to others who never heard of it or watched it. Weekday afternoons at 3pm during the 1970-1971 tv season in New York City. And when we went to the local toy store and saw the display for the SPV, MSV and SPC, we were out of our minds with joy!
ReplyDeleteReading yours and Lances comments Zigg it sounds like there was a fervent group of followers of all things Gerry Anderson in the States during the late Sixties-early Seventies including you two! I hope Gerry A himself was pleased with what sounds like a great result for his shows Stateside back then.
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