Toy Car thumbnail 1
Toy Car thumbnail 2
Not on display

Toy Car

1950s (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This object was donated to the Museum from part of the Michael Buhler collection of tin toys. Tin toys cover a vast array of subject matters ranging from the space age to domestic objects. This car was made in England, possibly in the 1950s. Small friction drive cars are often produced in sets with different artworks. The most usual set, as shown here, is Police, Fire and Ambulance.

The first tin toys appeared in the United States in the middle of the 19th century. The tin toy industry soon spread to Europe, particularly Germany, where many tin toys were made around Nuremberg. The three main manufacturers of tin toys based in the UK were Wells Brimtoy, Chad Valley and Mettoy. Many tin toys produced in the UK were considered crude or naive by the standards of those produced in Germany or Japan. This particular tin toy was made by a company called Dibro, who today are a privately owned business, specialising in vacuum coated products, injection moulded plastic decorations for the bakery and greeting card industries. Dibro Ltd was initially set up by three brothers in Liverpool in 1933, printing stationery. However, after the war and due to the lack of materials available, the company decided to make a future in manufacturing. In 1953 the company became a limited company employing over 200 people in three factories.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Tin
Brief description
Toy police car, made in England by Dibro in the 1950s.
Physical description
A dark blue toy car with the words 'HIGHWAY PATROLLER' printed along the side in white. The underneath is silver and the car has four black wheels. It has a red siren painted on the top of the vehicle, as well as the headlights and bumper detailed on. The back of the car reads 'H. PATROL' and the number plate at the back reads 'HP-6' in red. The words 'POLICE' are printed on top of the car in red. The front and side windows are painted on in a grey colour and show people wearing policeman's uniforms inside.
Dimensions
  • Height: 3cm
  • Length: 11.2cm
  • Width: 4cm
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
'Highway Patroller'
Credit line
Given by Alexandra Buhler
Object history
This object was donated by Alexandra Buhler from the Michael Buhler collection. Buhler collected a vast array of tin toys and published a book on the subject called 'Tin Toys 1945-1975'. His collection covers a variety of subject matters ranging from space toys to more domestic objects. The collection contains tin toys from around the world including Japan, Europe, India and the USA.
Summary
This object was donated to the Museum from part of the Michael Buhler collection of tin toys. Tin toys cover a vast array of subject matters ranging from the space age to domestic objects. This car was made in England, possibly in the 1950s. Small friction drive cars are often produced in sets with different artworks. The most usual set, as shown here, is Police, Fire and Ambulance.

The first tin toys appeared in the United States in the middle of the 19th century. The tin toy industry soon spread to Europe, particularly Germany, where many tin toys were made around Nuremberg. The three main manufacturers of tin toys based in the UK were Wells Brimtoy, Chad Valley and Mettoy. Many tin toys produced in the UK were considered crude or naive by the standards of those produced in Germany or Japan. This particular tin toy was made by a company called Dibro, who today are a privately owned business, specialising in vacuum coated products, injection moulded plastic decorations for the bakery and greeting card industries. Dibro Ltd was initially set up by three brothers in Liverpool in 1933, printing stationery. However, after the war and due to the lack of materials available, the company decided to make a future in manufacturing. In 1953 the company became a limited company employing over 200 people in three factories.
Collection
Accession number
B.106-2010

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Record createdSeptember 21, 2010
Record URL
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