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Since the debut
of their iconic Aston Martin DB5 in October 1965, CORGI Toys have
been tied-in to the James Bond film series with the release of
highly detailed die-cast scale models of vehicles seen in those
films starring Sean Connery, George Lazenby and Roger Moore as
007. These much-loved toys have since become collectors’ items and
command high prices at auction if accompanied by their original
packaging. Even CORGI's annual catalogue detailing their
forthcoming releases became a treasured item in every schoolboy’s
satchel. Endlessly pored over in the school playground; these
colourful marketing brochures featured stylish artwork, and later
photographs, displaying the toys in dynamic situations. The
catalogues showcased CORGI's full range of products and new
releases, many of which made their way onto a child's Christmas
wish-list.
Launched in the UK in 1956,
CORGI Toys (a trademark of Mettoy Playcraft Ltd) were later pioneers in the production of
some of the most detailed scale models of iconic TV and film
vehicles, including Roger Moore's Volvo P1800 from The Saint,
John Steed's vintage Bentley and Emma Peel's Lotus Elan from
The Avengers,
the Batmobile, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, in
addition to their James Bond range. Most of the highly-detailed
die-cast models were devised by French toy designer Marcel van
Cleemput (1926-2013) whose clever innovations made CORGI's models
stand out from their competitors. His award-winning designs kept
the company profitable for three decades, until the eventual
demise of Mettoy in 1983. |
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A management buy-out
re-formed the company as CORGI Toys Limited in March 1984, who in 1989 sold the
CORGI brand
to American Toy manufacturer Mattel. The company was
re-launched as CORGI Classics Limited in 1995 and has produced new
versions of its iconic James Bond models, adding further to the range with
replicas of most of the cars seen in the entire 007 series. These models
were now aimed squarely at the collectors’ market, rather than toys to be
played with by children. 2006 saw CORGI release a new version of the classic Aston
Martin DB5 as seen in Casino Royale, alongside a new model DBS. In
May 2008, CORGI Classics was bought by the international models and
collectibles group Hornby, who continued to release new models to tie-in
with the popular series of James Bond films starring Daniel Craig. The
legacy continues with the 25th James Bond film No Time To Die (2021) which sees the return
of the Aston Martin DB5 and V8 Vantage models, allowing CORGI to once
again issue new editions of their classic die-cast collectibles. |
