Maker record
Spot-On
Spot-On was a British toy range made by Tri-ang, the toy business of Lines Bros., at its Belfast factory. Launched in 1959, it is best known for diecast model cars and commercial vehicles in 1:42 scale. The range also included road and traffic accessories, buildings, and related products designed for use with the vehicles. Contemporary coverage described cars with glazed windows, seats, steering wheels and detailed cast chassis, alongside articulated and heavy commercial vehicles. Spot-On was discontinued in 1967 after Lines Bros. acquired Meccano Ltd., which made the competing Dinky Toys range.
- Founded
- 1959
- Final year
- 1967
- Locations
- Belfast, Northern Ireland
The story of Spot-On
Lines Bros. introduced Tri-ang Spot-On miniatures in 1959. The range was made at a self-contained factory in Belfast and launched with 1:42-scale cars, commercial vehicles and items for a model roadway. By February 1960, the cars included British and continental marques, among them the Ford Zodiac, M.G. A, Jaguar XKSS, BMW Isetta, Fiat Multipla and Bristol 406. Commercial models included the Austin Prime Mover, Ford Thames Trader and A.E.C. Mammoth Major. Cars had glazed windows, interior seats and steering wheels, number plates, and cast chassis with underside detail; the range also offered signs, petrol pumps and other roadway accessories. Buildings made by a subsidiary were scaled for use with the roadway.
Lines Bros. acquired Meccano Ltd. in 1964, bringing the Dinky Toys brand under the same ownership as Spot-On. The Brighton Toy and Model Museum records that the company discontinued Spot-On in 1967 and concentrated on Dinky. Some unreleased Spot-On designs subsequently appeared in the Dinky range. Spot-On was therefore a Tri-ang product range that ended in 1967, rather than a brand that ceased with the later demise of Lines Bros.