Lone Star Toys

Lone Star Products Ltd. was the brand name used by the British company Die Cast Machine Tools Ltd (DCMT) for its toy products. DCMT was based in Welham Green, Hertfordshire, north of London.

Starting as early as 1939, DCMT manufactured die cast toys for children. The 'Lone Star' name was chosen because of a demand at the time for toy guns and rifles popular in the Western films in cinemas all over Britain (Johnson 1998, 117-118). Eventually, the company also made tie-in toy guns licensed from the James Bond films and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. TV series.

Production may have begun as early as 1939, continuing to 1947 in 'The Bridge Garage', Green Lanes, Palmers Green, London, N.13. Reportedly, from 1941 - 1942 temporary additional premises were opened on Pembroke Road, Muswell Hill, London, N.10. From 1947 - 1956 the 'River Works', 152 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, London, N.13, were in operation. In 1956, a milestone occurred with the move to a purpose-built factory of 37,000 sq. ft. at 168 Great North Road, Hatfield, Hertfordshire. In 1958, another factory was acquired at Ambridge, Gower & Mills, Holloways Lane, Welham Green, Hatfield, Hertfordshire. This became the main manufacturing facility through the 1960s.

Early products included many hand painted hollowcast metal toy soldier figures. These were mostly military, with some cowboy and Native American examples. From 1955 to 1976 figures were made in plastic and included British Guards, Royal Marines and Red Beret Paratroopers, American Civil War, Robin Hood, and safari. World War II soldiers included German and British as well as ANZAC figures which were also painted as the King's African Rifles. The sets were often accompanied by die cast military vehicles. Figures were licensed from other children's TV and film series and included Noddy, Popeye and Zorro as well as James Bond 007 Thunderball frogmen with CIA figures in orange and SPECTRE in black with plastic underwater vehicles.

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