| Bring yourself back to post war Britain to the years | | | | producing a line of cheaper economy die cast models |
| just following World War II. It was a very bleak time | | | | that could be sold much cheaper than the dinky's. |
| indeed and many parts of Britain were still just piles of | | | | First off the production line were a cement mixer, a |
| rubble, a tragic consequence of bombing and V | | | | road roller, a caterpillar tractor and a caterpillar |
| weapons. | | | | bulldozer. The Aveling Barford diesel road roller, being |
| Into this bleak post war time period, thousands of | | | | the first in the line, was sold without a box and was |
| British army men were being "demobbed" and were | | | | sold to shops in trays by the dozen. They were sold |
| returning home after a hard and bloody war that cost | | | | to local shops including Woolworth's. |
| many people their lives. | | | | As Dinky's marketing system limited its wares to |
| It was against this back drop that two friends named | | | | exclusive retail outlets, shopkeepers who had not been |
| Leslie Smith and Rodney Smith who had just been | | | | permitted to carry stocks of dinky toys were now |
| demobilised from the Royal Navy decided to start a | | | | only too happy to have something comparable to |
| company together. | | | | dinky toys to sell. |
| The two men - Leslie in sales and Rodney in die | | | | In 1948 a new player was brought into the Lesney |
| casting, formed Lesney Products in January 1947. The | | | | family, a company run by two men called Emil |
| name of the company combining the first syllable of | | | | Kohnstam and his son Richard who owned the |
| Leslie and the last syllable of Rodney. | | | | German toy firm "Moko" and this relationship ended up |
| The two men needed a premises for their new | | | | with the Kohnstam's having the rights to most of the |
| company so one was found in Edmonton in north | | | | Lesney marketing in the UK. |
| London in a rundown pub called The Rifleman. Leslie | | | | In 1949 the company was moved from The Rifleman |
| would run the sales side of things and Rodney would | | | | pub premises to the east end of London. |
| make products on their first die cast machine. | | | | At this time the Smiths and Odell wanted to bring out |
| At this time Lesney Products were struggling to keep | | | | bigger die cast toys which would go on to be known |
| afloat when along came John William Odell, otherwise | | | | as Matchbox King Size, the first of which was a horse |
| known as Jack. Jack had just left the army and | | | | drawn milk cart, then a horse drawn rag and bone cart |
| wanted to strike out on his own but was having | | | | and a soapbox racer. |
| problems setting himself up in business. Then he | | | | The milk cart is significant as it was the first die cast |
| remembered that the Smith brothers had set up in a | | | | Matchbox to be sold in its own box, the other models |
| old pub that had some room, so a deal was made | | | | the rag and bone cart and the soapbox racer did not |
| where Odell would rent a space in the Smith brothers | | | | sell well and only about 1400 were made and anyone |
| pub for his own enterprises. | | | | who has one of these babys today is sitting on a gold |
| As the three men worked under the same roof the | | | | mine. |
| skill of Odell was recognized by the Smith brothers | | | | Next came the prime mover, trailer and bulldozer were |
| and soon Odell was making dies for Lesney Products | | | | issued in 1950 and was the largest model from Lesney |
| and soon after this jack was made a full partner in | | | | to date. It also bore the "Moko" name along with |
| Lesney Products. | | | | Lesney and in the same year Jumbo the elephant was |
| The turnaround for the struggling company came | | | | created for "Moko" based on their prewar model of a |
| when they were asked to produce a part for a cap | | | | wind up elephant. Outside contractors were found to |
| gun. Then as the story goes, some of the company | | | | make the parts for the elephant with the exception of |
| workers asked could they make toys for their own | | | | the legs which Lesney made themselves. |
| children in the slow periods. The partners started to | | | | In the next part we look at the fortunes of Lesney |
| study Dinky toys and came up with the idea of | | | | from the start of the 50's on. |