An Inquiry From Down Under (Australia)

Sunday, April 12, 2020
Cloudy with Sunny Periods
14 C   57 F

An Inquiry from Down Under

(Australia)

It's always exciting when you get an inquiry from a place you don't usually expect. And so it was with this inquiry - it was from Australia, or as they say there, "down under". The writer , who  happens to have a fine ebay store, also has an excellent reputation. He goes by the name of Australianmodelcars.

You can visit his excellent store on ebay by clicking here

    I would normally write about the superb merchandise that he has on his ebay store, but his question was one of the more interesting questions (and discovery) that I have not heard in a long time. He has a group of cars that were manufactured in Australia by the name of  Winna.

"Hi I Found your site browsing the Internet

Being a collector of Australian made toys for over 60 years I have been trying to find out if

the Australia Winna toys that made in the 1940s being almost identical to Tootsietoys.

Were they licensed or made by Tootsietoys with Winna  stamped on the base plate.

Or if they were copied by Winna. Also Bentoy did the same thing.

As Australia was so far away in the 1940s who knows what went on

Up to now not much is known’

I have examples of both Winna, Brentoys, and Tootsietoys.

Any information would be helpful in my research;

Keep safe in the current virus situation.

Thanks

"Australianmotorcars"

As you can see above, the red toy (Tootsietoy), and the 3 other toys (Winna) are quite similar.

The inside of the cars are marked with their respective identifications

of Tootsietoy and Winna.

Tootsietoys and Winna

Descriptions:

"he red toy  is a  Tootsietoy 1939 LaSalle sedan ( 83 mm / 3 1/4" long)

Solid rubber wheels, die cast , made in the USA, 1940's.

The other 3 toys were manufactured by Winna.

Closed sedan, made in 1940's,(83 mm / 3 1/4" long.

Die cast, made in Australia, 1940's.

With bakelite or plastic wheels.

Winna stamped under the inside of the roof, F.H.E. stamped under the bonnet (hood).

Came in various colours.

Type of packaging unknown, original price not known.

Place of manufacture not known, but possibly Melbourne, Victoria (Australia).

Manufacturer's name nt known; trading name not known.

Tootsie and Winna look to be the same casting with different wheels."

Below are 2 more different views of these very nice toys.

 

If anyone out there knows about the Australian toy brand Winna,

would you please write to me, so that I can forward the information to

Australianmotorcars.

As always, 

Thanks for dropping by.

Have a great time of the day or not

wherever you may be.

or as they say "down under in Australia"

G'day

And during these terrible times of the Corona Virus, please take care of yourself 

and your family.

All the best,

Stacey Bindman

blogwriter

You can always write to me at:

toysearcher@gmail.com