Today, both Australian and New Zealand Micro Models from the 1950s are sought by collectors of miniature toy vehicles in many countries.
Micro Models are die-cast metal toys manufactured in Australia from 1952 by Goodwood (Aust.) Pty. Ltd. An exchange of dies (molds) with Lincoln Industries later enabled the models to be made in New Zealand.
While circa 1956 is generally accepted as the start of manufacture in New Zealand, some collectors believe the early Micro Models they bought were imports from Australia. They remember buying them during the first royal visit by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
In 1993, William J Prior, retired executive chairman of Lincoln Playcorp, said that no Micro Models were imported. No records from Lincoln Industries, his previous company, remained for verification. New Zealand's tax laws require that such documentation be kept for seven years only.
Assuming Prior’s memory is correct, 1953 is probably the year production began in New Zealand.
The first Micro Models listings in both the Australian and New Zealand catalogs were the Vauxhall Velox saloon, the Holden FX Coupe Utility (pick-up truck) and the Jaguar XK-120.
Not all the Micro Models produced in Australia appeared in Lincoln’s New Zealand catalog, and Lincoln-manufactured models were not available in Australia.
New Zealand-made Micro Models did not have the baked-enamel paint finish of the Australian models, which meant the paint could be more easily chipped. Other differences are the use of wheels with zinc plated hubcaps on the New Zealand models and, later, their fine-tread rubber tires.
Goodwood's Australian catalogue numbers appeared on the bases of most New Zealand-produced models and are identifiable either by the GB or G prefixes.
Lincoln's Micro Models came packaged in easily recognised grey and maroon cardboard boxes. The company's own catalog numbers and logo were added, but otherwise the boxes appeared much the same as the Australian.
The Micro cars were about four inches in length and advertised with a scale ratio of 1:36. They were often nearer 1/43, and sometimes 1/48. A 1/72 scale was given for the Bedford trucks, but the Ford O.H.V.V8 trucks came in 1/48 scale and the Commer trucks in about 1/45.
Holden was the first car produced entirely in Australia, and a clue to the Australian-origin of Micro Models is the number of Holden castings.
Models of the Holden FJ sedan and its taxi and police car versions were not included in the original New Zealand-made range. This surprises, as the FJ sedan was the first Holden assembled by General Motors in New Zealand. The earlier FX was seldom seen on the country’s roads.
Variations of the Holden FX were given unique catalog numbers by Lincoln in New Zealand: Police car (4309), Sedan (4311) and Taxi (4312), whereas Goodwood in Australia allocated all versions the same catalog number of G-9. Goodwood applied the one catalogue number policy to all finishes or liveries for each Micro model, while Lincoln always allocated a different one.
A Humber Super Snipe Traffic Car was a model made only in New Zealand. The mounting of the antenna indicates that a separate base casting was made for this model in New Zealand.
With two-tone paint and rivets punched into the radiator grille, the Ford Zephyr would later appear as the Ford Zephyr Zodiac in the New Zealand catalogue. Ford did not assemble or sell the Zodiac in Australia, which is why the model was not produced there.
A Commer Articulated Low Loader with removable rear ramps and a Commer Articulated Logging Truck were two more models manufactured only in New Zealand. One theory has two sets of dies existing for the Commer articulateds, citing differences in Lincoln's grille and headlights and in the riveting holding together the upper and lower sections of the toys.
Five Micro Models were manufactured as kit sets in New Zealand for collectors to assemble, press over the rivets, and paint. They included two Massey Harris tractors, one with a frontend loader. Both Masseys were New Zealand-only models.
The New Zealand version of the Garage Repair Hoist was made from different dies to the Australian and is the only model in the series to have the words “Micro Model” cast underneath.
A hoist was common to the three Presentation Packs Lincoln had earlier made in New Zealand but is omitted from the five gift sets available to Australian collectors for Christmas 1958.
A Vickers Viscount was the only Micro Models aircraft. It was cast in a scale of approx. 1/200 and carried the TAA (Trans-Australia Airlines) livery.
Lincoln made its last Micro Models in 1960, and Goodwood’s production ceased in 1961.
In 1962, New Zealander Kevin F. Meates bought the Micro Models dies from Goodwood. Meates’ family companies have used some of the dies in the New Zealand manufacture of Torro and Matai models during the 1970s and between 1994-98 for the reproduction collectors’ editions by Micro Models Ltd.
A few prices for unboxed original models seen while researching this article include a repainted Humber Super Saloon with one side of the rear bumper missing at U.S. $21; a repainted Petrol Pump set with no Mobilgas decals, U.S. $12; Jaguar X-120 with chipped paint, U.S. $45; and a rusting, play-worn Morris Fire Engine minus ladders, U.S. $20. The above toys were all New Zealand-made. Australian models seen included a slightly play-worn Garage Hoist at U.S. $50 and a Talbot-Lago Racing Car , U.S. $79.
Mint and boxed 1990s New Zealand-made models are fairly easily located. But in 2019, finding original Australian and New Zealand Micro Models in mint and boxed condition is a challenge for collectors.
Authors note: Two reproduction ranges were made in Australia during the 1980s. Neither are believed to have used the original Micro Models dies. From 1982-83, Micromodels, name spelt as one word, manufactured models of the Holden FJ van in plastic and 20 different white metal “Micro Reproductions” castings by Weico date ca. 1983.
Credits for images include A, Glen MacDonald; B-G, Ron Ford; H-K, Paul Nicholson; L, Christopher Moor.