Corporal Guided Missile on Erector Vehicle
Model Vehicle
1959 (manufactured)
1959 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This boxed Corgi toy was purchased specifically for the War Games exhibition (2013). For the exhibition, the museum has sought to build up a strong collection of military toy vehicles, figures and weapons from key manufacturers and also toys which have mirrored significant aspects of warfare over time.
The real corporal missile was designed as a tactical nuclear missile for use in the event of Cold War hostilities in Eastern Europe. First developed in the USA, the technology was quickly sold to the British. The Corgi Corporal was marketed to children as 'the rocket you can launch'. It was timed to coincide with the British test firing in 1959 and its production as a toy shows a continued public fascination and appetite for nuclear technology. It has been selected to be shown in the ‘On the Battlefield’ section of the exhibition which takes a chronological view of how real warfare, both in technology and strategic aims, has been reflected in the war toys that were made at that time.
Corgi toys, a trade name of the Mettoy toy company, were hugely popular in the late 1950s and 1960s, producing scale models of high profile vehicles, both real and from films. This example was selected for acquisition because it is in good boxed condition with its nose cone (which could be fitted with caps to explode on contact with the ground) and its operational leaflets.
The real corporal missile was designed as a tactical nuclear missile for use in the event of Cold War hostilities in Eastern Europe. First developed in the USA, the technology was quickly sold to the British. The Corgi Corporal was marketed to children as 'the rocket you can launch'. It was timed to coincide with the British test firing in 1959 and its production as a toy shows a continued public fascination and appetite for nuclear technology. It has been selected to be shown in the ‘On the Battlefield’ section of the exhibition which takes a chronological view of how real warfare, both in technology and strategic aims, has been reflected in the war toys that were made at that time.
Corgi toys, a trade name of the Mettoy toy company, were hugely popular in the late 1950s and 1960s, producing scale models of high profile vehicles, both real and from films. This example was selected for acquisition because it is in good boxed condition with its nose cone (which could be fitted with caps to explode on contact with the ground) and its operational leaflets.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 8 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
|
| Title | Corporal Guided Missile on Erector Vehicle (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Boxed Corgi corporal guided missile vehicle, made in England, 1959 |
| Physical description | A die-cast truck, in an army green colour. The truck has a cab at the front and four wheels, the front wheels being on an axal. There is a spare tyre that sits on top of the truck in the centre under the missile. The truck has an articulated arm that holds the missile. The missile can be erected into an upright position using the articulated arm. The missile is red and white, caps can be inserted into the nose to allow realistic explosions. The box is made of printed card. The lid is printed with the companies trade name and illustration of the vehicle. The base of the box is of yellow card. There is an insert and three leaflets inside. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Mass produced |
| Summary | This boxed Corgi toy was purchased specifically for the War Games exhibition (2013). For the exhibition, the museum has sought to build up a strong collection of military toy vehicles, figures and weapons from key manufacturers and also toys which have mirrored significant aspects of warfare over time. The real corporal missile was designed as a tactical nuclear missile for use in the event of Cold War hostilities in Eastern Europe. First developed in the USA, the technology was quickly sold to the British. The Corgi Corporal was marketed to children as 'the rocket you can launch'. It was timed to coincide with the British test firing in 1959 and its production as a toy shows a continued public fascination and appetite for nuclear technology. It has been selected to be shown in the ‘On the Battlefield’ section of the exhibition which takes a chronological view of how real warfare, both in technology and strategic aims, has been reflected in the war toys that were made at that time. Corgi toys, a trade name of the Mettoy toy company, were hugely popular in the late 1950s and 1960s, producing scale models of high profile vehicles, both real and from films. This example was selected for acquisition because it is in good boxed condition with its nose cone (which could be fitted with caps to explode on contact with the ground) and its operational leaflets. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.361: 1 to 8- 2012 |
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| Record created | June 7, 2013 |
| Record URL |
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