If my memory serves me correctly, I started collecting Dinky Toys in the summer of 1954 when I had just turned 9. I remember that they cost $.75 a copy for the cars. My weekly allowance was $.50. This is one of my early acquisitions. Miraculously it survived the ravages of my childhood and was never lost. For years, apparently, my mother kept in in her desk after she found in my room when I had gone off to college. Later it found its way back to my collection and has remained in very good condition. Even the tires have not cracked. It is a survivor. It shines up well, has few paint blemishes, and the wheels, lubricated with model train lubricant spin freely offering a great ride for a car of its vintage. Not bad for a 67 year old toy!
The Austin Devon was manufactured and sold from 1947-52. Many were imported to America in the early ‘50’s but sales plummeted when Volkswagen sales took over the market. It is believed that this actual ‘51 Austin Devon is one of few survivors.
Incredible shape David for a childhood possession. Your mother made a great save. I still have a blue issue from my youth but it is quite chipped.
I only have a dozen or so Dinky Toys from my childhood despite having hundreds. As a young married, I returned home for a visit and saw a little girl leaving my parent's home with a Dinky in each hand. My father had been handing them out to neighbourhood kids. I took the few remaining survivors home with me. That likely spurred a lifetime of collecting. The #152 (40D in original numbers) Austin Devon is a great little model.
Great save and very accurate rendering for the time it was manufactured.
My mother gave away, in my teens with my semi-voluntary approval, all my plastic aircraft models. To be fair they were build unpainted and strait out of the box, and we were living in very tiny apartment. I was able to keep my Matchbox collection, but they were from the 70's and nothing is really valuable today.
Great story about your Dinky Toy collection, David. If only we knew back then! And I wonder how many of us who spend hundreds for a 1:43 scale model started by collecting Dinky Toys at $.75 each?
Thanks for the Dinky Austin and its 1:1 counterpart, David. The 1:1 is the first foreign car I remember seeing, and it was being driven by a visiting administrator to our school in the mountains of North Carolina. We marveled at its small size and some of the big guys tried to pick it up and move it. They did, too! (But only a few feet.) I don't remember any Dinkys, but I really liked the Revell Highway Pioneers of the early and mid-50's.
That one is in nice shape David!. Coincidentally, I have been updating the photos of my Dinky collection and just made shots of my 40D/152 Austin this past week. Mine is blue but seems to be in worse shape than yours. The Dinky was made in 1949-1956.
@chav This sadly is what happened to virtually all the rare Dorsets that made it to the USA. They were the two door version of the Devon and only made for a few years. Here is a shot of three of this era Austins. (and BTW, I also have the Dinky version of the Devon)
That one is in nice shape David!. Coincidentally, I have been updating the photos of my Dinky collection and just made shots of my 40D/152 Austin this past week. Mine is blue but seems to be in worse shape than yours. The Dinky was made in 1949-1956.
I always loved the Dinky Austins as a kid and have a bunch of them bought in recent years. The wild 2-tone Devons were odd but are sure collectable now (blue/yellow, pink/green....JK's personal favorite as a kid no doubt...lol.)
