Shelf · TV series · 4 items
Dinky Toys (1966–1979)
Meccano’s die-cast FAB 1 and Thunderbird 2 — the original 1960s Thunderbirds toys, made at Binns Road, Liverpool, into the late 1970s.
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Specimens
On this shelf
- Dinky Toys No. 100 Lady Penelope’s FAB 1 Lady Penelope’s FAB 1, complete with figures of Parker and her ladyship — one of Dinky’s best-selling toys of the era. Vintage
- Dinky Toys No. 101 Thunderbird 2 (green) The original Dinky Thunderbird 2, with spring-loaded landing legs and a detachable pod carrying a little Thunderbird 4. Vintage
- Dinky Toys No. 101 Thunderbird 2 (1973 green-blue reissue) The 1973 reissue of the 101 in a darker green-blue — the first of Dinky’s “blue” Thunderbird 2s. Vintage
- Dinky Toys No. 106 Thunderbird 2 (1974, larger) An entirely new, larger Thunderbird 2 in powder blue with different packaging, sold until the late 1970s. Vintage
Dinky Toys (1966–1979)
Collector’s notes
Dinky Toys made two Thunderbirds craft: Lady Penelope’s FAB 1 (No. 100) and Thunderbird 2 with Thunderbird 4 in its pod (No. 101). Thunderbird 2 was later reissued in a darker green-blue (1973) and then completely redesigned at a larger scale as No. 106 (1974).
Sources disagree on FAB 1’s first year: the official Gerry Anderson blog gives 1966, while the Collectors Club of Great Britain gives 1967. Both agree it was made for about a decade.
Before you buy
- Check that the small parts are present — FAB 1’s missiles and figures, Thunderbird 2’s pod and Thunderbird 4. The Science Museum’s own 1973 FAB 1 is catalogued “Weaponry wanting”.
- Don’t rely on the number alone: No. 106 was also used for Dinky’s Mini Moke from The Prisoner.
- Read our guides to condition grading and spotting reproductions.
Sources
Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds