Husky was a brand name for a line of business die-cast toy scale model vehicles manufactured by Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. of Swansea, Wales, which also made the larger Corgi Toys. Husky Models was re-branded "Corgi Junior" in 1970, and a further range called "Corgi Rockets" was developed to race on track sets.
Husky
The Husky line, introduced in 1964, was designed to compete in size with the "1-75 series" Matchbox, which were the market leaders in small-scale toy vehicles at the time. Husky cars and trucks were inexpensive and originally sold only at Woolworth's stores at a price which undercut their rival.
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 Citroën DS estate with a rowing boat on the roof, a Reliant 3 wheeler pickup, a 1959 Buick Electra, a rather odd Land Rover utility vehicle, a Reliant Scimitar, a Sunbeam Alpine, a 1966 Oldsmobile Starfire, and an NSU Ro-80 are some examples of the variety.
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 competing British companies coming up with such similar choices - surely it wasn't 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. Husky also produced their version in five different colours, whereas Matchbox only had two variations of one (a lighter turquoise and a darker one).
"Husky Majors" was a line of trucks mimicking the "Matchbox Major Packs" of virtually the same name. One offering in this line was Husky 2002, a Ford car carrier (transporter) truck with a Hoynor Mk. II trailer. Chocks on the trailer could be adjusted for different sized cars, and the rear gate could be lowered and the whole upper section of the trailer dropped to deposit cars to the tarmac. A separate gift pack offered this truck with five cars. Another truck in the series was a Husky moving van with "Husky" molded and brightly lettered in red on the sides.
The first models featured dark grey one-piece plastic wheels and chromed plastic bases. These cheaper bases made the models lighter and perhaps less durable than Matchbox cars. 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. 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.
Corgi Juniors
By 1970 the exclusive marketing contract with Woolworth had come to an end and realising that the Husky range could now be sold alongside Matchbox in a variety of outlets the series was re-launched as Corgi Juniors to integrate it into the Corgi Toys family, and the existing Husky models now carried the new name. This was the first time the range had been branded as a Corgi product. Low friction all plastic Whizzwheels were also added to most of the models in 1970 to compete with Mattel's Hot Wheels and Lesney's Matchbox Superfast ranges, and they could be raced on the Corgi Rockets track systems.
