Budgie Toys

Morestone, which later changed its name to the more well-known Budgie Toys, was an English diecast toy distributor and then manufacturer based in London. The company first specialised in horse-drawn carriages and coaches. It later made a wide variety of miniature cars and trucks. Vehicles were about Matchbox size, though a bit smaller and a bit cruder. Some models marketed as Morestone were made by a separate company called Modern Products.

Morestone got its name as a contraction of "Morris" and "Stone" who started distributing the toys in the 1940s. Vehicles were somewhat similar to Dinky Toys in concept, but other toys were also marketed, like a "dulcimer" xylophone and a toy drum (Johnson 1998: pp. 178–179). Some vehicles, like the mechanical road sweeper were equipped with clockwork motors. Often Morestone vehicles were made by the company Modern Products, thus "A Modern Product" or simply "Modern" would be stated on the boxes, and some models were marketed as 'A Modern Product' without any reference to Morestone. Some boxes say, "Modern" within a diamond-shaped logo (Nigel 2013). Models later in the 1950s were apparently made by Morestone as the Modern Product label was dropped, usually replaced by "Morestone Series". Morestone Series vehicles were varied, but commonly featured AA and RAC Land Rovers and motorcycles with sidecars. Later, reissues of Morestone Series vehicles were made in white metal by 'Zebra Toys'. Another company, Autocraft / DGM acquired many of the dies for early Morestone Series models and reintroduced various motorcycles.

Earlier models said "Morris & Stone" on the boxes, but the name was late. contracted Models were also marketed as promotionals for ESSO (First Gear, no date). The Budgie name, was introduced in 1959 and was more like other British toys named after dogs and other animals (Husky and Corgi, etc.).

The company was acquired by S. Guiterman in 1961, but went out of business in 1966 (Nigel 2013). After this, Modern Products kept making some of the Budgie models until 1969 (First Gear, no date; Ragan 2000, p. 27). Also after 1966, the H. Seener Ltd. company continued to produce slightly altered Budgie models which appeared under the "Seerol" name until the late 1990s (First Gear, no date). Modern Products, H. Seener, and Seerol produced models through the 1990s mainly for the London tourist market (First Gear, no date). Another company that took over dies from Modern Products was Starcourt, so it took a while for Budgie Model production to truly cease.

Early Morestone Modern Product toys were a variety of agricultural, truck and automotive vehicles. Often horse-drawn vehicles were common - in particular a couple of stagecoaches. One of these was a more European squarish style "Ye Olde Coach & Four", the four being four horses (usually two brown and two gray) with driver and trunk. Also in a more European style was the more ornate single horse "Gypsy Caravan". One variation had a yellow body with red details and a green roof. Diecast metal wheels were often painted gold. Another American style "Stage Coach" came with either two or four horses. The coach, rigging, chest, horses and driver were all made of zamac. This more-rounded coach came in "Wild West", "Wells Fargo", or "Kansas to Texas" (return from the cattle drive?) styles. With four horses these coaches were about 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm) long.

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