VW - What’s Bugging Me Now?

It’s funny sometimes, how things mesh together with a weird synchronicity. I was clambering round the loft the other day looking for my catalogue archive and came upon a box with the die cast section in it, as opposed to the kits, which I was after. Later on, during the weekly big shop, I did my usual trawl in the Hot Wheels section while at the cashout and spotted a lovely model of a Volkswagen Pickup. I’ve always loved VW as a brand and am particularly smitten with the latest electric camper van models. So naturally, the pickup went in the basket and came home. On the way, I thought of the other earlier VW models I had and ventured back into the attic to find them.

This new Hot Wheels model is a lovely thing and a far cry from my usual choice of exotics and dragsters, but does seem to have some nice refinements, such as what could be a solar panel array on the rear bed.

It’s small scale instantly brought to mind the early sixties Mettoy Husky range of cars, a derivative of the larger Corgi range, but with a line of simpler toys, to compete with Lesley’s Matchbox share of the market.

Husky toys were a diecast body, but mostly plastic parts, so very light. There were three main VW models, a pickup, a luggage elevator and an elevator truck.

Each uses the same basic body, with some modifications and a plastic accessory. The earliest being the pickup.

The Luggage Handler appeared about 1966 and had a rubber belt on the back, which when wound could load small items.

The Elevator Truck has a telescopic basket arrangement to allow a workman to repair overhead lights etc.

Husky catalogues are few and far between, as Husky toys were mainly marketed in Woolworths stores and provision of catalogues in store - stack it high, sell it cheap - was limited. I have a 1966 and 1968 copy, neither of which show the pickup version, which must date from 1965 or earlier.

The range was very limited at the outset, focussing on utility and passenger vehicles.

After the launch of the Batmobile, the Crimebusters range appeared, with Batboat, James Bond Aston Martin and Man from Uncle Pirahna car.

The 1968 catalogues drops the VW Elevator truck in favour of a Ford chassis.

VW Campers were massively popular in the sixties, so most toy manufacturers made their own version. Naturally Matchbox were ahead of the curve, with a standard VW camper in the 1963 catalogues. My dad ensured I had a good collection of Matchbox cars, buying them religiously on release, except for the early sixties range, which included military models. Although I was enthusiastically encouraged to play with army toys as I grew up, while he was curating the collection for me, he never added the army vehicles, which was a shame. Early catalogues also show gaps in the collection, notably the green VW. The one I have was clearly second hand and probably picked up at a jumble sale and hastily repainted! The 1963 catalogue also shows the Aston Martin racing car, that was only recently added to my collection, many decades later.

The 1968 catalogue also has a VW camper, but with the elevated roof, for extra headroom. I was 6 in 1968 and as a result, was lucky enough to be receiving Matchbox cars on a regular basis, so the range here is much more complete.

Note the green Landrover model, which may have been the basis of the early plastic one which came with some Thunderbird 2 toys, in lieu of a Mole.

The 1968 catalogue also has some unusual models such as the cool Sno-Cat Polar Tractor and six wheel Alvin’s Stalwart.

Again, the Formula racing cars make an appearance, showing the Lotus, BRM and Ferrari. The now dated Aston and Maserati with more upright seats, have been removed.

The 1969 Mattel Hot Wheels catalogue also shows Redlines first foray into Bug territory with the iconic Beach Bomb, with removable surf boards.