Maker record
DCMT
Die Casting Machine Tools Ltd (DCMT) was a British maker of die-casting machinery and toys, marketed under the Lone Star name. Its post-war ranges included cap-firing guns, Western-themed toys, die-cast cars and commercial vehicles, military toys, and model railway sets. DCMT first made toys for the Crescent Toy Company, then sold them directly under its own branding from 1950. The Impy cars, launched in 1966, featured opening bonnet, boot and doors, jewelled headlights, and steering front wheels; the later Flyers used low-friction wheels.
- Founded
- 1933
- Founders
- Bob Mills · Sidney Ambridge
The story of DCMT
Die Casting Machine Tools Ltd (DCMT) began in 1939 as a manufacturer of die-casting machines and was incorporated under that name in 1940. The firm was based at Palmers Green in London and produced the M55 die-casting machine. Its first toys appeared in 1946 and were marketed by the Crescent Toy Company, including a Jaguar saloon. From 1 January 1950, DCMT sold directly to wholesalers; it briefly used the Slikka Toy name, and the Lone Star name first appeared on a repeater cap pistol that year. The brand was soon applied across the company’s toy output. A new factory at Hatfield, Hertfordshire, opened in 1955.
Lone Star’s products included cap-firing guns and Western-themed toys, followed by several vehicle ranges. Road-Masters appeared in 1956, the Modern Army series in 1957, and larger Roadmaster lorries in 1962. DCMT also developed model railways: miniature Locos appeared in the late 1950s, followed by motorised Treble-O-Lectric sets in the 1960s. The Impy car range launched in 1966 with opening bonnet, boot and front doors, jewelled headlights, and steering front wheels. Lone Star later introduced Flyers with low-friction wheels and made commercial vehicles and other toy ranges. These products extended the company’s toy business beyond its post-war machinery and early cast-metal toys.