The small Thunderbird 1

Thunderbird 1 - Eidai/Grip, Japan, 1970's

The background of these boxes were always soo cool !

The button opens the wings...

The Charawheels Gerry Anderson collection - HotWheels

FAB 1, Mattel / Bandai, 2001, China

SPV, Mattel / Bandai, China, 2001

Stingray, Mattel / Bandai, China, 2001

These models were obviously made for the Japanese market only as seen by the packaging. But these are awesome ! Much better proportions than anything Matchbox did (their FAB one is much to short and square). It is a pitty they did not sell these in Europe, except for parrallel imports from specialized shops.

These vehicles came out with a number of other completely Japanese Super Hero vehicles under the Charawheels collection.

Read more about it here.

SPV (Spectrum Patrol Vehicle) out of package

The Matchbox Thunderbirds action figurines

Tyco, China, 1994

Tomy's drilling tank ?

I don't know to what extend this was a toy to replicate / compete with Bandai's Thunderbirds license, because this thing has the looks of the Mole, but tires instead of tracks...

TOMY tank, Japan, 1970's (?)

The propulsion on this toys is quite clever, since a track links both independent set of 4 wheels on the bottom of the vehicle, making it an 8x8 drive vehicle.

So, don't want to pay royalties ?

Space Rocket Solar X - Nomura, japan, 1968

Well, of course it's Thunderbird one... with a lucky seven... and another paintjob, and different ailerons.

Are we good ? 

Don't force it !

rubber thingy protecting the lightcone when boxed

box

The Dinky 6 wheeled pink Rolls Royce

 

Lady Penelope's FAB 1, Thunderbirds, Dinky, England

Read all about it here !

They forgot one !

Scott Tracy, Tyco, 
China, 1994

Gordon Tracy, Tyco,
China, 1994

Alan Tracy, Tyco,
China, 1994

Virgil Tracy, Tyco,
China, 1994

Thunderbirds to the rescue ! (of your plants...)

Thunderbird 1 watering can,
Maruka and Asahi Toy Co.
Japan, 1967

Thunderbird 4 watering can,
Maruka and Asahi Toy Co.
Japan 1967

As always, great artwork !

Japanese kids have always been pushed into the joys of gardening... so much so that they had an array of super-hero, robots and spaceships watering cans to chose for.

In previous posts I showed you the ones of Astroboy and UFO robot Grandizer, but here are the versions made from the ever popular Thunderbirds show.

Calling International Rescue...

Thunderbird 5, JR21, 1965 Hong Kong

It's light and sound when this
toy is on !

With docking station for 
Thunderbird 5

Looking for someone to 
rescue ?

detail...

Little Fish...

Thunderbird 4, model kit (ST), IMAI, Japan, 1980's

Thunderbird 4 Bubble Bath, Grosvenor, UK, 1992

IR to the resue !

Thunderbirds bagatelle, Louis Marx, United Kingdom, 1966

The new (old) FAB 1 by Tomica

This one was issued for the 50 years of Thunderbirds.

FAB 1, TOMY, 2016, Vietnam

Click here to see how this car evolved....

My favorite playset ?

The box is already a piece of art in itself, measuring a whopping 33 cm high on 60 cm wide... different sets were made, and were hand assembled with different spacecraft and figurines depending on the availability. Mine has 10 figurines and 3 spacecraft.

Figurines were stapled to the baseplate (thermovacuumed plastic) and spacecraft were held in place with rubber bands...long perished at this day and age.

Thunderbird 2 - silver version - is located in one of the craters...

Parker, Lady Penelope and Brains. The spying at the left, the engineering at the right.

...and of course you have the Hood, International Rescue's arch enemy that wants to steal the plans of the Thunderbirds craft and sell them to the highest bidder...

All figurines in my set were hand-painted,,, sometimes using the right colours of the TV show...

...and sometimes not !

The silver UFO is in fact a battery holder. (the old big chunky square ones...)

Here seen closed. The battery makes the translucid red star-shaped sattelite in the background blink. Groovy !

Thunderbird 4 got a two-tone paintjob ! 

El Alunizaje playset (Thunderbirds), Comansi, Spain, 1970's