Meccano was first on the scene with its die-cast Dinky Toys of 1933. Lesney's Matchbox series arrived twenty years later, at genuine pocket-money prices. And then in 1956 Mettoy's Corgi Toys appeared, packed full of astounding gimmicks.

From incredibly humble beginnings - Lesney started life in a derelict north London pub - the British toy car industry grew into a lucrative world-beater, with fierce rivalry developing between the three main brands: Dinky, Matchbox and Corgi.

For the first time, Giles Chapman reveals the fascinating story behind the battle to dominate Britain's toy car industry, and the decline that drove it into history. Jam-packed with nostalgic photographs, Britain's Toy Car Wars opens a particularly vibrant and cherished chapter in British cultural memory.