These little HO/OO scale diecast vehicles date back to the 1954, when the first models appeared. As a range, it was somewhat limited in scope since only 50 models were made over an 11 year span. This is an advantage for collectors today, since they can actually hope to achieve a full or near full set, unlike with some of the other diecast manufacturers, where paint variations and different wheel types simply add to the confusion.

The first releases, which incidentally came out just after Matchbox got going, harked back to a simpler time: the Horse Drawn Cart with Raves (and farmer figure) and the Horse Drawn Log Cart (also with a standing figure) certainly belonged to a different era. Benbros came a little more up to date with its third model, though, that of an AA man with motorcycle and sidecar combination. But the thread was seemingly lost soon after, when for reasons best known to themselves, the manufacturers opted for the Wild West and an underscale stage coach and four horse team.

A delightful fact about the early production (the first 14 models, in fact) was that they were packaged in little boxes that resembled an early television set: on the screen was an image of the model within the box. During this period they were dubbed the TV Series for reasons that have never been fully explained.

Thereafter, the nomenclature changed to the rather more assertive Mighty Midget range and the models made use of bright red and yellow boxes.

In terms of quality, Benbros didn't win any awards; in fact, it is possibly their crudeness that attracts the collector today. They were cheaper than the likes of Matchbox and Husky and never really moved with the developments in small diecast model technology, which included the addition of glazed windows, suspension, and so on. In time, the metal wheels would, in fact, give way to plastic, but the models were never particularly well finished and the disparity in scale (the lorries and loaders were often the same size as the cars!) meant that the discerning buyer looked elsewhere.

Today, they're relatively inexpensive - but rather hard to track down…