Excalibur Auctions is offering designs never before seen from General Mills‘ Airfix and Palitoy.
General Mills is now best known for its food brands, as it divested its toy division in the 1980s. The company was once a prominent presence in the UK’s toy industry as the owner of both toy companies Palitoy and Airfix. New designs, production drawings, internal documents, photos, and more have been unearthed, and will be ready for auction starting this Saturday.
Lot 241 features an unproduced Lamborghini Espada model kit. | Source: Excalibur Auctions
Lot 242 includes plans for McDonnell Douglas aircraft. | Source: Excalibur Auctions
Lot 244 has an uncut sheet of 30 decal sets. | Source: Excalibur Auctions
Lot 395 includes photographs and paperwork for a diesel locomotive. | Source: Excalibur Auctions
The archive includes a number of designs and production drawings not previously seen. The documents were brought to Excalibur Auctions by a seller who found a box in a house clearance sale, not aware of their historical significance. Highlights include documents referencing the unproduced Airfix Lamborghini Espada model, plans for Palitoy’s railway models, a number of plans for Airfix model ships, and research into model kits based on actual planes.
The collection also offers insight into company decision-making, with correspondence related to canceled products, plans, and more.
The Excalibur Auctions Diecast & Vintage Toys & Model Railways Collectors Sale will begin this Sept. 30. The full catalog for the sale is available now, with the archive covering lots 223-244 and 392-400. For registration and bidding details, as well as a full look at the collection, visit the Excalibur Auctions website.
