Great review of Meccano's business history
Meccano Limited produced some of the iconic toys of the 20th century, including Dinky Toys (well known worldwide) and the flagship product "Meccano", the first of the metal construction sets of the type known in the USA as "Erector sets". They also produced Hornby Trains (O-gauge) and Hornby-Dublo Trains (OO-gauge), as well as Bayko building sets (pre-Lego) and many other things. This book is different to others written about Meccano, in that it looks in detail at the business practices, policies and environment of the company, and describes it's rise and eventual fall very well. For the hobbyists, the book includes color pictures of some rare items, and not so rare items, from major collectors of the products. Meccano Limited lasted from 1901 (under the name Elliott and Hornby, Meccano Ltd from 1907) until 1979, when the Liverpool factory shut down. The French subsidiary continues to this day, and, ironically, now owns the "Erector" brand name.
Not too many companies survive for over a century, and it's always interesting to see what made them succeed and then what weakened them or brought them down. There have been a number of books written about the products of Meccano Limited, including a multi-volume set dealing with each main product in turn, but these have never delved into the basic business of the company, and are aimed more at the collector of the products.
An excellent book, well researched and well footnoted, a good addition to the literature about this great company, which brought so much joy to children of all ages (myself included). The company was bought out by it's main rival in 1964 and some of the products discontinued, but Meccano and Dinky Toys survived, the former to this day, the latter until recently. The Hornby Trains name has also survived, but is not really related to the original product.
