The Corgi Dick Dastardly car recently came up, so I thought it was time for a quick look. It was part of a series devoted to film and TV related models, some of which had Corgi Comics on the boxes.
A few were original models, such as The Beatles Yellow Submarine; while others were based on an existing Corgi toy, with a few changes, and the addition of a plastic character figure. This allowed a 'new' model to be produced very cheaply, using a retired die-cast, as the only new items needed were some plastic figures.
This is usually described as a Wacky Races model, but I am not so sure. Wacky Races originally aired in the US 1968-69, while the spin-off show Dastardly & Muttley in Their Flying Machines was on 1969-71.
Both Dick Dastardly and his sidekick Muttley the Dog are wearing WW1 style leather flying helmets and goggles, so I think they are actually from the latter show. But driving a racing car.
The Corgi Comics 809 Dick Dastardly Racing Car was released in July 1973, and was available 1973-74. According to The Great Book of Corgi, 117,000 were sold.
Now we come to something odd. The Great Book of Corgi says 'This car was originally designed for the Qualitoy's range which had long been discontinued'.
The Qualitoys line was introduced in 1969, as a range of simple, sturdy models aimed at younger children. The models were all trucks, and shared a large number of components, which kept costs down.
There were no cars in the range, and I can not find any other Corgi models that look anything like the Dick Dastardly car. So was the Racing Car intended to be part of an expanded Qualitoys range, that was never actually produced ?
I have no idea, but looking at the Dick Dastardly car, it seems to be a dragster or dirt track racer which has been modified to turn it in to a Character Car. Everything which follows is pure speculation on my part, with no evidence at all to support it.
Having the rear-mounted engine enclosed within a cage seems very unusual – was this originally intended for the driver ? The large, plastic Dick Dastardly figure then going where the engine might have originally gone ?
Muttley the Dog is clinging to the top of the vehicle, and looking very unhappy (I would be too). This figure often seems to be missing from models being offered on-line.
The underside of the model says Corgi Comics, Dick Dastardly Racer (although the box says Dick Dastardly Racing Car), and Made in Gt. Britain.
The model came in the usual 1970s Corgi window box.
Four photographs from Worthpoint
Paul Adams from New Zealand
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