NERVOUS SURGEONS

Childhood Hot Rodding

 

 

Being born right at the end of the 50’s as I was, ensured at least for me that I would be a child through the 60’s and throughout this decade I was lucky enough to be given several toys which were to influence me in very different ways. Psychologists agree, that the adult we become is more often than not heavily influenced by the childhood we had and I would say I am a classic product of that theory.

 

Toys played a big part of my life as I sure they did for many of us, in 1964 I received a Simon Snorkel fire engine, and  played with it for hours and hours, the following year I was given American Aerial Rescue truck, (big turntable fire engine) so it should come as no surprise that when I grew up, I became a Fireman.

 

 In 1966 the whole country were celebrating the most significant day at Wembley as we won the World Cup, I on the other hand was celebrating 2 significant gifts, the first being the Batmobile and the second my Man from U.N.C.L.E. car complete with the free ‘Waverly’ ring!  The Batmobile was unlike any car I had ever seen, long sleek, Twin Bubble top, and flames that motioned in and out of the exhaust exit at the back as you pushed it along. I began to become fascinated by the unusual and I loved the unique look of the car, this was taken to an even greater height when I was given the Monkees Monkeemobile in 1968. The Monkeemobile had a padded roof, no visible doors and an open engine, covered in chrome, I was hooked.

 

As the end of 1969 fast approached so did Christmas and my birthday. That particular Christmas was so memorable for one very small toy, which turned out to finally crystallize a life long path for me, as the wrapping paper was swiftly dispatched, I held in my hand a creation like I had never seen before. It was a Hot Wheels T bucket, with many features that I didn’t even know what they were at the time, like, white diamond pleat upholstery, chopped screen, chrome engine and supercharger red band tyres, headers and the deepest metallic red paint job.

 

Holding this small toy in my hand I was transfixed, I had no idea what it was but it was reminiscent of the other toys I had received and enjoyed so much, as it too was not an ordinary car, it screamed out to me, and little did I know it then but my life long obsession had just finally fired into action.

 

I was lucky enough to go on to have many other Hot Wheels cars, and even had the Hot Wheels Super fast track, but none ever touched me in the same way as that little red T bucket.

 

 

As the 70’s got underway my fascination with these unusual cars grew ever stronger, it seems also at the same time toy manufacturers were also catching onto the potential, as both Corgi and Dinky began to develop their product ranges around Hot Rods and the up and coming sport of Drag Racing.

 

With Santa Pod located quite close to the Corgi factory, it was no surprise to find Corgi designers attending to check out these new phenomena. Corgi saw the potential in recreating these cartoon like cars, with their large rear tyres, heightened by the minuscule fronts, large engines sitting a matter of inches from the drivers face, which itself was covered by a mask more likely to be seen on a science fiction programme, and the ever wild paint schemes, combine that with a young a furtive mind, with access to pocket money and it was a win, win situation.

 

Over a short period, various cars were selected and considered for production. The first one to make it off the line was the Quartermaster Dragster, this was front engined and when I saw it in the shops, I knew it belonged at my house. Unfortunately, the slight problem with the pocket money kicked in as I didn’t get any, so it remained out of my reach.

 

 Check out the hefty price tag when new!

 

 

 

As I tried to save up for it, (by collecting newspapers and selling them to the local chip shop) another Dragster arrived on the shelves, this time it was the Commuter Dragster, now I was torn, which one to buy, I shouldn’t have worried, I didn’t actually manage to buy either but some others were obviously luckier as the were amongst the best sellers of the year for Corgi with sales of over 300,000.

 

 

My cajoling of my parents, neighbours and grand parents and the miniscule amount of money the chip shop owner gave me, finally paid off, when I was informed that I could have one as a present, we went to the local toy shop, but I didn’t realise that a new and even more tantalising car awaited my arrival.

 

Dinky had come up trumps as far as I was concerned as not only could I get my hands on a dragster, but I could also race it!

Not only could I race it but it also came with Speedwheels, awesome!

 

The car was a slingshot with a red & white striped paint job, (well sticker actually) named the ‘Inch pincher’ with motorcycle style front wheels and real soft rubber slicks on the rear. The car had an additional blue box, which you pushed the car onto and as you did this it compressed a spring, which was released when you pushed the button on top of the blue box. This released the spring mechanism which launched the car forward.

 

I remember the anticipation of using it on the carpet for the first time, and it went all of 6 inches, I used it on the lino on the kitchen floor, and it zoomed across the floor not in a straight line but in an arch to the right where it finally hit the cooker. I was ecstatic and to the detriment of all other toys I now only played with this dragster.

 

Corgi were keen to win me back and during 1971 Corgi released possibly their most ambitious drag car, as they sought to replicate the Gloworm, which at the time was a flip  bodied funny car, based on a Ford Capri.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The flip mechanism was cumbersome but most saw past this as it sold a very impressive 605,000.

I was still too engrossed in my slingshot, so they decided to bring out even more drag orientated cars over the next few months and years, but still they couldn’t divert my attention.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

In October 1971 they decided to use an existing body in production, to create a drag car which only existed in their minds. They reused the Ford Mustang body with the addition of a bright yellow colour scheme, twin parachute packs on the back, huge supercharged engine up front with a plexi glass engine cover, with huge exhaust headers reminiscent of a Church organ with the driver sitting centrally just as in the Glowworm, but this time the car was called Organ Grinder..

 

 

 

 

 

Possibly as part of the Christmas push, the plexi glass theme was continued, on this occasion in the shape of the infamous Ison Brothers Austin ‘Wild Honey’. Again resplendent in the same yellow as the Organ Grinder, but with the little Austin having a roof insert from green plexi glass with matching side and front screen.

Wild Honey, was already a popular race car and this was somewhat reflected in its sales which topped 270,000.

 

 

 

By 1972 Corgi were trying a new tactic, they tried to entice me with a motorbike, with what they called a Stunt Motor Cycle, which in reality was a drag bike, but how do you play with a 2 wheeled toy as if you release it, it falls over.

Corgi boffins decide to add a clip on trolley, made out of red plastic, with the hope that it still remained upright and therefore worthy of playing with, it did not work. Their ploy to win me back was to end in failure on several levels, in the play arena for children which in turn was reflected so badly in the sales department. They say every cloud has a silver lining and in this case it is the rarest of all drag orientated Corgi toys, with only 19,000 being sold.

 

Amazingly they next reasoned, if they couldn’t entice me back with one engine, how about 4!

The Adams 4 engined dragster was born, crazy in conception, mad in production, it still sold well, clearing a very respectable 340,000 units.

 

The Big Guns were rolled out now, with none other than Dennis Priddle being summonsed for the task.

 

 

The Corgi boffins dressed up the old Quartermaster in new clothes and rolled it out as the Radio Luxembourg Dragster. With Dennis at the wheel he powered it to sales figures of over 280,000, but it was now the end of 1972 and with the arrival of 1973 the final throw of the dice was about to take place.

 

 

The Jet Powered Dragster was the finale, utilising the failed land speed record attempt car of Swede Arnold Sundquist, Corgi produced the ultimate Jet car with 370,000 of them flying out of the display cases, but not one of them coming my way.

 

Corgi finally admitted defeat and left the dragster stage for others to perform on, but the story doesn’t quite end their and it certainly wasn’t a failure for Corgi. For as my interest moved away from toys to the real thing, it was about 15 years later that they moved back to toys. This time I was intrigued by the dragsters that I didn’t get during my childhood, and discovered that you could still obtain them at various toy collector fairs.

 

I not only began attending them, but also began collecting the Corgi & Dinky Drag influenced cars.

I originally wasn’t an anorak, and purchased good condition loose cars, however I soon realised that on some occasions, mint & boxed examples would surface and also noted that Corgi repackaged several of the cars in new and somewhat blander packaging sometime during the mid 70’s.

When the earlier 71-72 boxed examples turned up for sale, I suddenly realised, the 2 things that most children had done when they were given one of these toys, firstly in an effort to get to the contents of the box, probably torn it open and even more likely, then thrown it away and secondly played with the toy until it was scratched, bent, repainted or discarded, just like my slingshot.

 

 

 

Looking at some of the boxes that the drag cars were packaged in, confirmed at least for me that the boxes were just as important as the cars inside, with fantastic art work which only added to the urge to own the toy. These were produced in a time when packaging was part of the sales pitch, and hard plastic vacuum wrapping was un heard of let alone used.

 

 

 

So began a hunt for not only these cars mint & boxed, but also the Holy Grail, the Stunt Motor Cycle. With such low production numbers, every dealer I went to didn’t have one and most confirmed they had never seen one. This was all prior to the Internet explosion so I just had to keep on looking, all to no avail, until visiting the local junk market, I spotted in a box of various mutilated toys, the number 8,poking up between some of the toys, I realised that the stunt bike had worn this number on its front cowl, and was delighted as I moved the other toys to one side to see not only the rest of the bike but also still sitting on the bike, the rider. It was in pretty good condition, I quickly looked through the box to see if my luck was really in, but unfortunately the plastic trolley it originally sat on was not to be found.

 

 

In a scene reminiscent of the Toy Story yard sale, I knew what was in my hand but I didn’t believe the stall holder did. ‘How much mate’? I nonchalantly enquired, the stall holder looked at the bike and said, ‘give us quid’, so I did.

 

Over the next couple of years I managed to collect all of the cars and most are boxed but not all are mint, with the average price being £70, but I have seen a loose bike in poor condition reach £125 on the old e-bay. However I never set out to buy them to sell them on, I just enjoy having them and I hope you have enjoyed sharing them too. You may even have your own set, if not why not, they are not only a time capsule on a bygone era, but also look great in display cabinet, so get collecting, you don’t need an anorak!