Husky Toys - Husky

Husky

The Husky line, introduced in 1964, was designed to compete in size with the "1-75 series" Matchbox, then the market leaders in small-scale vehicles. Husky cars and trucks were inexpensive and originally sold only at Woolworth's stores at a price which undercut their rival. The first models featured dark grey one-piece plastic wheels and chromed plastic bases. These cheaper bases made the models lighter and less durable than the equivalent Matchbox cars (Rixon 2005, pp. 32-33). Still, their construction did allow for a simple suspension system to be installed by means of the axle being positioned to be sandwiched between the main base and a section of the plastic base which was cut away on three of sides to form a plastic tongue, which acted as a crude springing mechanism.

The Husky line numbered about 75 vehicles at its peak, the same number as Matchbox, although unlike the Lesney product Huskys were sold in blister packs allowing the model to be clearly seen when on display. The original style of these blister cards featured a simplistic red and white design on the front with the range's logo - the head of a Husky dog featuring prominently, and a list of the models in the range printed as a tick-list on the rear. The design changed with the upgrading of the range in 1969 to a yellow, red and white colour scheme with the name "Husky" now featuring more prominently. Like Matchbox, they also offered accessory items for children, such as carrying/storage cases for the cars, and even catalogues in the late 1960s.

Husky's original choices for vehicles were quite creative and included many models not seen before or since in miniature. British, French, German and American cars were all represented: a Citroen DS estate with rowboat on the roof, a Reliant 3 wheel pickup, a 1959 Buick Electra, a rather rare Land Rover utility vehicle, a Reliant Scimitar, a Sunbeam Alpine, a 1966 Oldsmobile Starfire, and an NSU RO-80 are some examples (Force 1984, pp. 122-136).

Some car brands, like the Studebaker Lark Wagonaire, were also produced by Matchbox at about the same time. Though different castings, one wonders at the story behind two separate British companies coming up with such similar choices - that couldn't have occurred by chance. Both versions had the sliding rear roof panel, though the Husky's was clear plastic while the Matchbox's was metal. The tailgate of the Husky was plastic and came down. The Matchbox version came with a white plastic hunter aiming his rifle with pointer dog, but Husky arguably had the more creative choices, using that sliding roof panel to promotional advantage. One version was an ambulance with a plastic stretcher and another had a TV camera placed in that back section (Ragan 2000, p. 74). Husky also produced their version in five different colors, whereas Matchbox only had two variations of one (a lighter turquoise and a darker one).

In 1969 Mettoy re-designed and improved the quality of the models. Die cast metal bases, better suspension and two-piece separate hub and tyre wheels were fitted to upgrade existing models along with a variety of new models that were added to the range.