Road-masters (1957-59)

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In 1957 DCMT introduced their first range of ‘Lone Star’ branded model cars. Previous toys had been marketed and branded by a separate company, Crescent although only a limited number of basic toy vehicles were part of this arrangement.

These early toy cars were branded as ‘Lone Star Road-master’ on the boxes although the cars were marked “DCMT Roadmaster” on the base. The range included 3 sports cars and 4 veteran cars. Plastic was widely used in their construction making the veteran cars in particular very fragile. The cars were sold separately or in attractive twin sets featuring either the 2 Fords (Thunderbird and Model T) or the 2 Daimlers (Conquest and Windsor).

Perhaps Lone Star had been inspired by Lesney’s Models Of Yesteryear series which launched the year before. The Road-masters range was soon discontinued, probably partly due to issues regarding their fragility. Surprisingly many survive today and they’re not particularly hard to find.

The Roadmaster name was again used from around 1960 for a series of 1:50 scale cars. Four cars were initially produced on behalf of American toy manufacturer Tootsietoy. The cars were all based on American prototypes from 1960 and had ‘Tootsietoy Classic Series’ cast on the baseplate. The four cars were; Ford Sunliner, Cadillac 62 Sedan, Rambler Station Wagon and a Chevrolet Corvair. It’s likely Tootsietoy approached Lone Star as they lacked the ability to produce models to this level of quality. This arrangement appears to have only lasted around a year. Lone Star had designed the car baseplates so they could be fitted with an alternative die-insert featuring Lone Star wording. In 1961 the 4 cars were available in the UK exclusively at Woolworths.

During 1961 Lone Star added two new models were to the Roadmaster range, again based on American prototypes. These were an attractive El Camino pick up and Dodge Dart Pheonix. The final new model was this time based on a British prototype, the attractive Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II. Strangely the Roadmasters range did not feature in any of Lone Star’s trade catalogues until 1969, and then only the once. The models were issued in grey boxes with red end flaps and featured an attractive drawing of the model contained inside. The Rolls Royce was issued in a more colourful red and yellow box presumably to avoid a drab box design with the two-tone grey Rolls-Royce pictured against a grey background.

Around the time the arrangement with Tootsietoys ended the Nash Rambler was issued in 3 different emergency services liveries exclusively for the German market. These models were based on the standard Rambler casting but with the addition of a plastic aerial and roof beacon. The 3 models were a white Ambulance with a large red cross on the roof, a red fire chef car with ‘Feuerwhr’ printed on the bonnet, and a ‘Polizei’ version in white (and possibly also dark blue). As yet I am unsure how these were packaged, can anyone help?

 A fascinating and previously overlooked chapter in the Roadmasters story relates to 6 of the cars which were produced in New Zealand.

In the 1960s the New Zealand government had in place strict restrictions on imported finished goods as it attempted to protect its domestic manufacturing industry. For toys this meant any imports were subject to high duties which pretty much priced them out of the market. 

Lone Star demonstrated their proactive approach by pairing up with New Zealand wholesalers Sargoods Ewan & Sons which arranged for a number of Lone Star items to be produced locally in New Zealand. Lone Star’s Roadmaster cars would have been a popular choice being superior to any of the locally produced toy cars which tended to be primitive hollow castings.

I believe the Roadmaster cars were supplied as bare metal parts to be painted, assembled and packaged in New Zealand, thus avoiding the import tariffs. Interestingly this is similar to what often happens with full size cars as automotive manufacturers circumvented import tariffs, taxes and restrictions by supplying vehicles as knocked-down kits. Of the 7 Roadmaster cars 6 were produced in New Zealand with the smaller less impressive looking Corsair excluded.

The most noticeable evidence that the New Zealand Roadmasters were painted (and therefore assembled) locally are the unique dark brown coloured baseplates. I have not seen this shade used on any other Lone Star vehicles. The standard ‘Made In England’ Roadmaster cars have either black or grey bases. The bases of the New Zealand models are still marked ‘Made In England’ which is now only partly true. Excitingly the main body colours of the New Zealand cars also vary from their English counterparts. Although generally the same colour was used the shade of paint is often quite different. There are also a couple of rare colours scheme which appear to be unique to New Zealand. 

The New Zealand models were issued in 6 packs with outer card sleaves which lists the contents and features the Sargoods logo. The cars themselves came in attractive red and yellow boxes featuring a drawing of the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud. The model name was printed on the end flaps.

These red and yellow boxes are made in New Zealand and copied from Lone Star’s box for the Rolls Royce (hence why they all feature this drawing despite the model inside). A small ‘United Empire’ logo on the box end flap refers to New Zealand based ‘United Empire Box Company’. Additionally, the boxes don’t carrier the usual ‘Made and printed in England’ script and the model names printed on the flaps are in a style not used by Lone Star. The boxes are slightly larger than the UK version and all the font and spacing although similar is completely different.

It appears the arrangement to produce Roadmaster cars in New Zealand was limited to the above six models and took place in the early 1960s. Back in the UK production continued with the Roadmasters range expanding to 13 models. At the same time as the new models were introduced the whole range was updated with grey plastic trim, new plastic wheels and the addition of moulded plastic interiors. 

Unfortunately, the new wheels were usually an unrealistic white colour, presumably trying to imitate the ‘white wall’ tyres of the era. Five of the ‘new’ models made use of existing castings to give; a police car (Dodge), fire chief car and army staff car (Corvair), and civilian and military ambulances (Ramber). Additionally, ‘Feuerwhr’ and ‘Polizei’ versions were once again issued for the German market. The final new Roadmaster was an attractive model (ignoring the unrealistic white wheels) of the stylish and futuristic Citroen DS.

The updated Roadmasters now came in new yellow window boxes although clear plastic cartons (copied from those used by Norev) and carded packaging were also available for a time. The range disappeared in the late 1960s with Lone Star focusing its toy car production on the new Impy Super Cars followed by the hi-speed Flyers.