THE TOYS FROM DAKTARI BY PAUL ADAMS

Hi Woodsy

Here is a report on Corgi Daktari models.

There are a few other items I found too but I hope it will all be of interest. I enjoyed this series when it screened in NZ.

The television series Daktari was actually based on a film, Clarence the Cross-eyed Lion, from 1965. 

I think I might have seen this many years ago on TV, but can not be sure. Several members of the movie cast also appeared in the TV series, which was made by the same company, Ivan Tors Productions.

The Daktari (Swahili for Doctor) TV series ran from 1966 to 1969, and comprised 89 episodes across four seasons. All were shot in colour. 

American veterinarian Doctor Marsh Tracy runs the Wameru Study Center for Animal Behaviour, in East Africa. Helping him are his daughter Paula, and two assistants.

Clarence the Cross-eyed Lion is joined by his pal Judy the Chimpanzee. A gimmick of the show was that the world was sometimes seen as a double image, as the cross-eyed Clarence would see it. District Officer Hedley was a slightly comical British colonial official.

There were various vehicles in the series, including Land Rovers, and a truck. Some of these were painted white, with black zebra stripes. This is where Corgi obviously got the inspiration for their models.

Daktari was a popular series, and there were spin-off books, a comic from Dell in the US. There were a series of Annuals published in Britain by World, 1967-71and  a View Master set ..

Also a large and impressive playset by Louis Marx which includes a Jeep, 

and two Gift Sets by Corgi in Britain.

Corgi Gift Set 7, 1967-76, 

over one million sets sold. 

That certainly explains why there are so many of the Land Rovers listed on Ebay and elsewhere. Most Corgi Gift Sets contained at least two vehicles, but this one contained only one vehicle, but several human and animal figures. 

There was a 109 inch wheelbase Land Rover. This had a hard topped cab, but an open back. It was painted light green, with black stripes - an odd choice. There was a Wameru Sub-District sticker below the windscreen. 

The figures were Dr Marsh Tracy, with a separate stethoscope; his daughter Paula, who was riding Clarence - he had a pair of glasses; Judy the Chimp; and a tiger draped across the bonnet of the Land Rover. I am not sure where the tiger fits in, but he did appear in the opening credits of the show, on a couple of the Annuals, and also on the cover of the View Master set.

Corgi did another zebra-stripped Land Rover, this time in white with black stripes, but this was part of the Lions of Longleat set from 1968, and was not a Daktari model.

Corgi Gift Set 14, 1969-73, 

over 100,000 sold.

This large set was a combination of the smaller GS7, and two existing items repainted as Daktari models. The 503 Giraffe Transporter from the Chipperfields Circus set from 1964, based on the Bedford TK truck - fawn cab, giraffe camouflage, two giraffe models. 

The 484 Dodge Livestock Transporter from 1967 had its original load of pigs replaced with a mother and baby elephant - blue cab, giraffe camouflaged rear. 

This large set would have been expensive when it was available, and not many seem to show up on Ebay etc, and they are expensive when they do.

Corgi Classics 07104 was a much later re-issue of the Daktari Land Rover, but now with only Clarence and Judy included. The zebra stripes are much thicker than before, and the Wameru Sub-District markings are now applied to the sides.

Most of the photos are borrowed from either Ebay or Pininterest, with the boxed GS14 set from Vectis Auctions, and the Marx playset from Heritage Auctions. The book photos are from this site.

daktaritvshow.wordpress.com daktari books | Daktari TV Show

This one has many more detailed photos of the various models, including wheel variations and the like.

Corgi Toys (free.fr

Paul Adams from New Zealand

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More popular die-cast reports to follow!