#99 CORGI – FERRARI DAYTONA (1973)

This car is made in a pretty unusual scale: 1:36 is between the classic 1:43 and the slot cars scale 1:24, but is not compatible with either one or the other. In this article I’d like to say that corgi built in more scales than the classics 1:64 and 1:43.

The first cars released in this scale were the 1972 formula ones “Surtees TS 9” and “Yardley McLaren M19A” (in several versions each). This is probably so, because to build an F1 they do not need so much material (F1s are much smaller than normal cars), and due to their form, they would be maybe too small to the boxes they used for the 1:43 cars, and maybe wouldn’t sell that well in comparison to heavier autos. This is maybe how the first cars in this scale were launched. Rare enough, not many cars were released at this scale other than formula ones… it took a few years to include some models apart from these, in 1975, 1976 and so on more models were released. Cars of this scale came to be nearly the 100% of the available products from 1978 to 1983.

This means that they were successful, they were bigger than those from the competitors, and since it included many plastic parts, they might be cheaper than other smaller models. And when it comes to size, it does matter in toys. Adults tend to buy the bigger toy between two or more with the same price, so the 1:36 scale somehow expanded the lifespan of the company a few years. In 1983 the company went into liquidation.

The story of Corgi Toys does not end here. It was sold to a management board and it was reborn in 1984 as Corgi Toys Limited. This brand would exist until 1994, although it had one more owner during this period of 10 years: In 1989 it was acquired by Mattel.

The toy giant sold the company in 1995, and the new management decided to change the name to Corgi Classics Limited. This company was finally sold to Hornby in 2008, to whom it currently belongs.

Versions of this car exist in other colours:

• Yellow: released with the number 324 (73-75) and had JCB/Corgi decoration with RN 33.
  
• Green: with RN 5 and Shell stickers (# 300)
  
• Black: (# 490)
  
• Blue: came in the Gift Set #29 (GS29) including a trailer towing a formula 1. It has "Duckhams Racing Team" stickers.

This entry is very likely to be updated soon, because I think I have the blue Ferrari somewhere and I'll post a picture of it when I find it.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: FERRARI DAYTONA 365 GTB4 (Nr. 323)
• Scale: 1:36
• Year: 1973 to 1978
• Company: Corgi Toys (G. Britain)
• Size: approx. 12 cm