New Avengers Triumph TR7 (Dinky Toys 112)
| Exhibit |
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New Avengers Triumph TR7 (Dinky Toys 112) |
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| location: |
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Arch Two , Area 21 Classic Dinky Toys (John Durrant Collection) |
| Shelf 2
1978 - 1980 |
"Purdey's TR7" - a yellow, wedge-shaped Dinky Toys Triumph TR7 sports car (Dinky Toys 112) with custom silver striping and a silver "P" (for Purdey) on the bonnet, sold as a merchandising tiein for the 1970's The New Avengers TV series .
The model was made in England by Dinky between 1978 and 1980, and is displayed alongside its original promotional "window" box.
"New Avengers" TV series
The "New Avengers" TV series (1976-1977) was a revamping of the classicc The Avengers TV series, which had originally starred Honor Blackman and then Diana Rigg (both of whom had gone off to make James Bond films), and Patrick McNee.
The new series on ITV starred Joanna Lumley as "Purdey", Gareth Hunt as "Mike Gambit", and had 'Patrick McNee reprising his earlier role as as "John Steed". The new series was very much a 1970s-styled show, and the decision to change the name was probably appropriate.
The cars
As with many 1970's TV action shows (such as "The Professionals"), the series involved the main characters spending a lot of time getting in and out of cars and getting involved in car chases, and the New Avengers' production company struck a deal with British Leyland to supply the cars for the show. As a result, the main characters all drove contemporary BL cars - Steed now drove a Range Rover, Gambit drove a Jaguar XJS, and Purdey had a bright yellow Triumph TR7, and other British car manufacturers' products were pretty much excluded from the show, at least for the higher-profile "slots".
Dinky originally planned to produce at least two "New Avengers" model cars, the second being John Steed's Range Rover, but although prototypes were shown of the "Steed" car, the second model never went into production, leaving the Dinky "Purdey" TR7 a slightly lonely product.
