Maker record
Mercury
Mercury was an Italian toy maker based in Turin, best known for its die-cast model cars. Founded as a supplier of metal components for the automobile industry, it turned to toy production after the Second World War. Its models included cars in several scales, from larger miniatures to small vehicles suited to model railway layouts. Mercury also made other toys during its early years, and some of its miniature vehicles were used on model railway transport wagons.
- Founded
- 1932
- Final year
- 1970
- Countries
- Italy
- Locations
- Turin, Italy
- Founders
- Attilio Clemente · Antonio Cravero
The story of Mercury
Mercury was founded in Turin by Attilio Clemente and Antonio Cravero as a maker of metal components for the automobile industry. In 1945 the company shifted to toys, particularly model cars, while continuing for a time to produce other playthings, including dollhouse furniture and spring-loaded toy guns and cannons. Its first miniature car, the Aero, appeared in 1946; an initial batch was made as a promotional gift for the radio company SAFAR. Early car models used varying scales, and Mercury also introduced small vehicles that found a market among model railway makers as wagon loads.
Mercury's range included cars in scales such as 1:40 and 1:48, as well as miniature vehicles in approximately 1:86 scale. In 1962 it adopted the more widely used 1:43 scale for its Italian production, including the Fiat 2300 S coupé. The Fiat 500 Club Italia account says the company's decline began in 1970, after the founders died, and that it was placed in liquidation in 1978. The moulds were later acquired by Scottoy, which reproduced some Mercury models, including the Fiat 500.
