The transformation of Star Trek from a failed 1960s television series to a cult classic during its broadcast syndication runs in the 1970s led to a movie and television franchise, as well as a slew of toys and collectibles that tied into the show’s sci-fi roots.
While companies like Mego, Remco, and Hasbro provided consumers with a plethora of options, the USS Enterprise from Dinky Toys ranks as one of my favorite toys from the period.
Originally released in 1976, Dinky’s incarnation of the show’s flagship space vehicle integrates a removable orange shuttlecraft and rapid-fire “torpedo” defense system into a die-cast metal body. The result of this model/play mix, according to print ads at the time, was “the most exciting die-cast toy ever!”
The history of the Dinky Toys brand dates to 1934, when British company Meccano first began producing lines of small-scale, die-cast automobile and truck models. Competition from Mattel’s Hot Wheels line in the late 1960s forced the company to diversify its offerings. Before Dinky Toys went into bankruptcy in 1979, it released 24 die-cast vehicles that were licensed from television series such as Thunderbirds, Space: 1999, and Star Trek.
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