Impy super cars / flyers / commercials

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Lone Star’s previous range of 1/50 scale Roadmaster cars had been relatively successful and were certainly as good as rival offerings from Corgi and Dinky Toys. However, things were moving fast in the world of toy cars particularly at Corgi where the introduction of operating features added realism and play value to its latest models. By the mid-60s the Roadmaster cars were getting left behind and starting to look dated. Lone Star needed an improved range if they were to again take on the big three manufacturers.

Lone Star’s answer was its ‘Impy Super Cars’ which would not only attempt to take on the established rivals but try and out-do them! The ‘Impy Super Cars’ were first announced to the trade in 1965 and appeared around March the following year. Initially the line-up consisted of 8 different cars with a programme to add a new model every month. 

Lone Star had managed to pack its new ‘Impy Super Cars’ with a truly mind-boggling list of special features. Fitted as standard to most models were: opening doors, bonnet and boot, glazing, jewelled headlights, working suspension, working ‘axial’ steering, non-scratch tyres on separate hubs, a detailed engine bay and a plastic interior complete with a separate steering wheel! How about that for added play value!

The Impys were to a smaller scale (around 3 inches long) that the previous Roadmasters which placed them mid-way between Matchbox and Corgi Toys in terms of scale and pricing. Numbering started with the Jaguar Mk.X as No.10 and in 1967 the first commercials were added to the range.

By the end of 1968 the Impy range had grown to 24 models comprising 16 cars and 8 commercials (if we dubiously class the VW Microbus and Ambulance as ‘cars’ – Even Lone Star were confused by this – see ‘No.15 Volkswagen Microbus’ page for more details. Of the 16 ‘cars’ 13 were different prototypes, the other 3 models making use of existing castings to give a police car, fire chief and ambulance.

As well as the toy vehicles a small range of accessories were produced such as petrol pumps and a lock-up garage. Several gift sets were issued including an impressive set containing 12 different Impy models. Several attractive displays and stands were produced for retailers to promote the range. Details on all these items can be found at the links below. 

In mid-1968, just as Lone Star’s ‘Impy Super Cars’ range was gaining momentum, the toy car market was turned on its head when Mattel introduced its revolutionary ‘Hot Wheels’. These were marketed as ‘High-velocity scale models’ with ‘low friction bearing mag wheels’ finished in ‘dazzling Spectraflame’ paint finishes. Their introduction literally left the competition standing. Lone Star, to give due credit, were quick to respond by adapting the existing Impy cars to take new low-friction wheels launching them as hi-speed Flyers. Stan Perrin, DCMT's Managing Director at the time wrote: 

'We were all the time trying to establish a niche in the market between Matchbox, Corgi and Dinky... Only once did we get ahead of them, and that was when we introduced Flyers, and this only because we were allowed into the Mattel stand at the New York Toy Fair, saw the first demonstration of their Hot Wheels and decided this was the way to go’. (Quote from Geoffrey Ambridge's Lone Star book).

The new Flyers cars were announced to the trade in December 1968 and launched in April 1969. This was ahead of Matchbox with its first Superfast models not appearing until later in the year. The Flyers were finished in ‘sleek deep lustre paint finishes’ usually with contrasting racing stripes. The defunct ‘Impy’ name was blanked off the baseplates which were now screwed in place to allow for ‘servicing’ such as removal of carpet fluff. Early promotional give-aways with Quaker Cereals (in the UK) and a gas station chain (in the USA) helped boost awareness and sales. To accompany the Flyers cars new ‘Flyway’ racetrack was introduced with several different sets available including a loop-the loop.

The Flyers range initially consisted of the 16 former Impy cars with 7 new models added to the range over the following years. The most renowned being the Firenza which was produced in conjunction with Vauxhall and launched on the same day as the real car. Some of the later issues, such as the Toyota 2000GT and Corvette Stingray are now hard to find. 

By the mid-1970s sales were likely in decline, not helped by the cheaper imports now arriving from the Far-East from the likes of Playart, Yatming and Zylmex. Consequently in 1975 the Flyers range received a cost-driven make over. A number of the cars had either bonnets or boots (trunks) cast shut but some did receive plastic roof racks to compensate. In 1978 the range was replaced by the low-cost ‘Impy Super Models’ cars. These were the Flyers castings but with all opening features cast shut, plus blacked out windows and plastic bases.

With Lone Star focusing its attention on the successful new Flyers cars the commercials from the Impy range were left unchanged and now listed separately in trade catalogues as, rather confusingly, ‘Impy Super Car Commercials’. It wasn’t until late-1971 that Lone Star finally turned its attention to the commercials, rebranding them as, rather uninspiringly, ‘Commercials’. The trio of Foden trucks, fire engine and Transit breakdown truck all received hi-speed wheels. Two new lorry cabs were also added to the range at this time together with a new flatbed body.

By the mid-70s, like the Flyers cars, the Commercials were struggling against cheaper imports so also received some cost-cutting modifications. A new 6-wheel chassis replaced the 8-wheel version and plastic bases were introduced on some models. These changes proved not to be enough and the range was replaced the following year by a simplified low-cost series of generic lorries branded as ‘Impy Super Models’.

The earliest accessory for the ‘Impy Super Cars’ range debuted along with the Impys in Lone Star’s 1966 trade catalogue. This was an attractive ‘Garage And Filling Station’ which measured an impressive 16” x 16.” It was made from vacuum formed plastic and was described as coming complete with ‘metal petrol pumps’. The trade catalogue lists the garage as item No. R16/1 and despite stating ‘Ideal for use with the new Lone Star Roadmaster Series of Impy Super Cars’ it wasn’t shown with the Impys but with other vacuum formed sets at the rear of the catalogue. The ‘metal petrol pumps’ shown in the image are actually from rivals Matchbox!

This garage did not appear in any further trade catalogues although it was displayed at the 1966 British Toy Fair and an example was on display in Lone Star’s showroom. Knowing physical examples were produced gives some hope that this garage did make it into production albeit for a short period. 

Lone Star’s 1967 trade catalogue lists three new accessories which were; 401 Car Ramp, 402 Lock-up Garage and 403 Service Station. 403 might have been the above garage although given it states it was ‘to follow’ then it’s more likely to have been what would appear in the following years catalogue as 405.

The 1968 trade catalogue now illustrated the car ramp and lock-up garage along with 2 new items; 404 Petrol Pump Set and 405, an impressive two-tier garage with forecourt although this is not thought to have made it into production.

In the 1969 trade catalogue Lone Star again had a go at allocating ref No. 403 this time to a primitive Fire Station. From the illustration this looks to be the 402 lock-up garage with a fire station facia grafted on to the front. This fire station also appeared in the following years trade catalogue along with a new item, '414 Fire Station Set.' This set included the fire station 'building' plus Impy Fire Engine and Ford Corsair Fire Chief's car. Unsurprisingly this set and the rather unconvincing 'fire station' never made it into production.

More accessories might have been planned but by now Lone Star was focused on converting its Impy cars into hi-speed Flyers. To accompany the Flyers new ‘Flyway’ track was produced. In the rush to launch the new cars and track the 1969 trade catalogue shows 4 proposed Flyway sets with a footnote stating they will be available later in the year. In reality these were little more than ideas with only the loop-the-loop set ever materialising.

By the early 1970’s 4 different Flyers track sets were available along with a small range of race track accessories. The plastic track is usually orange but along with the accessories it can be found in red, yellow or blue. Lone Star’s plastic Dune Buggies and Bob Sleighs also made use of the Flyway track which was finished in white ‘snow’ for the Bob Sleighs! 1972 was the last year the any of the accessories appeared in a trade catalogue.