Copycat Models

The name Copycat Models was the brainchild of Jim Varney. During the 1970s Jim was best known for his range of public transport bus kits, covering all periods from horse drawn to diesel, from London to Paris. Known as Transport Replicas, they were accurate and well researched models. Jim was a natural entrepreneur and deserved to do well in business, but fate was not often in his favour.

Jim had an interest in all forms of transport and when Colin Penn first met him in the early 1970s he had an excellent stock of good quality used Dinky Toys. One of the harder models to find was the pre war Fordson Tractor. Although this was mainly made in lead, the front wheels were mazak and were subject to decay as the two metals do not mix well. Jim decided to make a copy of the model to fill gaps in customers’ collections. Jim’s model was not just a straightforward copy, but an improved model; with the addition of a very accurate Fordson radiator grill that was sadly lacking in the original Dinky model.

Subject ID: 45262

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The name Copycat Models was the brainchild of Jim Varney. During the 1970s Jim was best known for his range of public transport bus kits, covering all periods from horse drawn to diesel, from London to Paris. Known as Transport Replicas, they were accurate and well researched models. Jim was a natural entrepreneur and deserved to do well in business, but fate was not often in his favour.

Jim had an interest in all forms of transport and when Colin Penn first met him in the early 1970s he had an excellent stock of good quality used Dinky Toys. One of the harder models to find was the pre war Fordson Tractor. Although this was mainly made in lead, the front wheels were mazak and were subject to decay as the two metals do not mix well. Jim decided to make a copy of the model to fill gaps in customers’ collections. Jim’s model was not just a straightforward copy, but an improved model; with the addition of a very accurate Fordson radiator grill that was sadly lacking in the original Dinky model.

And so the first Copycat Model was born, and remained alone for many years. However, Jim’s model bus kit business went into decline when ready to run, accurate and detailed models were more easily obtained from the likes of Corgi, EFE and other manufacturers. Eventually he sold the model bus kit business, as did Pirate Models, which were in a similar situation. The model bus kit business was shelved and the kits disappeared.

Colin Penn then came on the scene. He, along with another trader, Martin Jewell attended many steam rallies throughout the summer months from the first Enfield Pageant in the spring of 1979 through to the Beaulieu Auto jumbles in the autumn. Tractors always sold well at these rallies with demand far outstripping supply and Martin felt that it was unfortunate that Jim was no longer making the Fordson Tractor. Colin approached Jim, enquiring if he had retained the tractor or if it had been sold with the bus kits. As luck would have it, Jim had retained both the tractor mould and masters. Colin asked if he would be prepared to let him and Martin sell them on his behalf. A deal was struck and they soon received their first batch of Fordson Tractors. It did not take long for Colin and Martin to sell them and request a second, larger, batch.

Several batches later Jim could not believe the change in his fortune and suggested that he might add further models to the range, with Colin being his sole retailer. And so were added the model Ice Cream Vendor, and Tandem & Sidecar. These two models have always been attributed to Morestone, but were in fact made by Agasee and Brooks. Both replicas sold very well.

Jim next selected Crescent racing cars to produce copies of, beginning with the Ferrari and Connaught. Again sales were quite brisk.

Colin is uncertain why Jim chose the Dinky Triumph Herald next, as both Dinky and Corgi had made a version, and neither was difficult to obtain in reasonable original condition. He surmises that it was one of Jim’s favourites.

It was inevitable, with the market identified, that soon there would be a copy of the Dinky Toys Field Marshall tractor and this proved to be one of the most difficult models to produce, with the first two masters being failures. The model had to be cut in half horizontally and then rejoined during the building process. A small number of models were produced from the first mould, but these were both very weak at the front axle and had a bad moulding line near the bottom of each side, which was difficult to remove without spoiling the detail. However, this copy has been produced in thousands, finished in the usual orange, wartime green and grey, mainly with rubber tyres.

The Crescent range also delivered the Jaguar D-type, hard to find in good condition. This was paired with the Jaguar XK140 which was an improved Micro Models including racing driver with dashboard, steering wheel and seating. Both models proved very popular both as racing cars and tourers.

Further copies of the Crescent range followed, being the Gordini, Maserati, B.R.M. and Cooper Bristol, and a much improved Charbens Ferguson TE20 Tractor, of which a quantity was supplied for the 2007 Spalding Tractor Show.

During the mid 1980s Jim was supplying Colin with raw castings, leaving him to decide on the chosen livery. For a copy of the Dinky Morris J van, Colin made three basic versions, Capstan and Royal Mail as done by Dinky, and a GPO Telephones version to pair up with a later model. In addition, by special request, customers could have the model in the livery of their choice.

Interest from classic owners’ clubs resulted in No 17, based on the Sunbeam Talbot by Chad Valley, slightly improved by the addition of a crude interior in place of the clockwork motor. Colin produced many of these models in various metallic colours for the Sunbeam Talbot Owners Club.

Still providing many of the ideas, Jim proposed a gully gulper, which utilises the cab from the Dinky ‘fish fryer’ more commonly known as the dustcart, and the body from the River Series, with a skilfully made joining platform. These proved difficult to produce involving a lot of work, and Colin was never able to recover the true cost within the pricing range. Anyone who has one of these in their collection is lucky as he produced less than 50. Colin made one special variation of this model as a tar sprayer, leaving off the gully boom, and with four spray pipes on the rear. Finished in all over black, it was sold at the Stockwell toy fair, and he never got around to making another.

An unusual choice was the Lion Car DAF Variomatic, and Colin was unable to glean why Jim chose to copy this model. It was not very popular and as a result Colin made only one batch, most of which went to Holland.

An Austin Healey was a Dinky copy and the MGA tourer a copy from Micro Models, and these were Jim’s last input to the range. By 1988 he was growing tired of the business, needing cash input, he offered to sell it to Colin, who therefore acquired all moulds, masters, and unmade, unsold models, as well as the business name and rights to produce the models.

Colin continued to use a variety of sources for his patterns, including items by Crescent, Morestone, Dinky Toys and Tootsietoys. The latter heralded the use of a different caster, who could not produce the quality of the usual supplier, so few were made.

A popular choice was the Austin A30/35 saloon, produced in significant numbers until it was introduced by Vanguard, despite an assurance from them that they would not run this model. It was made with cast hubs and rubber tyres and an improvement on the Dinky original.

Colin acquired a Royal Mail licence to produce Royal Mail models in 1989, which all had to be approved by their Intellectual Integrity Department. As a result, copies of the Dinky pre war Airmail Car and the Dinky Z van were produced, the latter as G.P.O. Telephones with a ladder, or as Royal Mail without. The Dinky pre and post war Morris Royal Mail two ton van followed with smoothed sides so that other liveries could be added. A small range of accessories such as mail boxes and telephone boxes, policemen, standing saluting AA and RAC men, and figures directing traffic. The company that maintained all the BT telephone boxes, Unicorn, commissioned a large supply of phone boxes as a give away, and Colin was asked to produce a special run in black with a figure of a Beefeater for supply to the Tower of London.

Such was, and still is the camaraderie between traders in this field, that as ideas came along for new copies, other producers filled in or took over subjects. The original master of Colin’s pre war Dinky RAF refueller exploded in the moulding process, and he managed to get just a few castings made. They were so poor and required so much work that Colin made just one example and scrapped the rest. PP Copy Models had produced this too, so Colin left it to Ian Law and decided not do any more.

Fellow trader Martin Jewell selected a Lanz Bulldog tractor, originally made by Marklin. It was a heavy bulky casting produced at Martin’s request and sold with his permission. It had a limited run, but Martin also produced it himself in some numbers.

Soon, Colin found he had to employ a full time painter, though he still did most of the assembly himself. He was also offering the models as kits in plain boxes, resulting in varying standards of finished models.

Some unusual subjects at this point included two originals produced by Agasee, the Butcher’s Boy on his bike, and a Penny Farthing tricycle, with clown figure. In the course of searching for variety, Colin acquired the masters for three more Dinky style racers, but these have not been produced, along with many masters for the Buccaneer Models range which he acquired. Again, he has never produced them, but still has them stored away. They included the Dinky 39 series for the British and USA issue models that have now been produced by PP Copy Models.

During the early 1990s Colin produced a range of over 100 Minic Style 1:1200 ships accessories, many of which were used on a scale model of New York harbour that was built at the Child Beale Wildlife Park near Reading. We believe it is still in their museum.

By the mid 1990s the popularity of the copies had waned, due to the superior quality of models coming from China marketed by Corgi and Vanguard at a fraction of the price. Colin felt he could not compete, as the charm of a crude hand built model could not match that of mass produced scale models of better detail and definition.

He therefore decided to shelve the business, and concentrate on the retail side of ready to run models, although there was always a demand for the three tractors in the range, as until recently there were few in 1:43 scale.

The last additions to the range were to have been a Fordson Super Major Tractor and Massey Ferguson Tractor, which were derived from the two Matchbox King Size models. Whilst a few have been recently produced they were never given a number. Similarly, a small number of four wheel log trailers to go behind these tractors were also made.

In 2002 Colin decided to start a slow unwind towards retirement and passed Copycat Models onto Bob Pitkin, another trader, who now only retails the 5 tractors that were within the range, although he recently sourced a four wheel timber trailer in 1:43 scale, which has also been produced in small numbers to accompany the tractors.

Subject ID: 45262

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