From the Corgi History book, here are a few of the prototype models that never made it off the drawing board, including Dr Who's 'Whomobile' (top centre) and an array of Daleks. Dan Dare's Gyro Car (below right) made it into the catalogue, but was never produced.
Yeah. Interesting that they prototyped a Battle of the Planets Phoenix - the Japanese TV film spacecraft in the second from last picture and got it upside down too. Shows how little they knew of the subject! We never did get any Battle of The Planets toys around that time (late 70s/early 80s) apart from imported Bandai /Popy ones from the 2nd Japanese series that was never shown in the UK and had totally different vehicles - which was very confusing at the time. In the 90s Dapol also planned a much larger plastic Whomobile toy too but that never got past the prototype stage either.
Yep - a shame they didn't go any further. I much prefer that Phoenix to the Popy Eagle version we got here. It must have been around the time that Corgi started to feel the economic pinch and started to change hands.
Pah! "A Japanese TV film spacecraft"
ReplyDeleteThey didn't identify it, but they could have at least have photographed it the right way up!
"Prepare to transform to the Fiery Phoenix! ....Transmute!"
Yeah. Interesting that they prototyped a Battle of the Planets Phoenix - the Japanese TV film spacecraft in the second from last picture and got it upside down too. Shows how little they knew of the subject! We never did get any Battle of The Planets toys around that time (late 70s/early 80s) apart from imported Bandai /Popy ones from the 2nd Japanese series that was never shown in the UK and had totally different vehicles - which was very confusing at the time. In the 90s Dapol also planned a much larger plastic Whomobile toy too but that never got past the prototype stage either.
ReplyDeleteYep - a shame they didn't go any further. I much prefer that Phoenix to the Popy Eagle version we got here. It must have been around the time that Corgi started to feel the economic pinch and started to change hands.
ReplyDelete