DINKY 107 STRIPEY THE MAGIC MINI (1967-1969):
The model was issued in 1967, deleted in 1969, and was not a good seller. Because of its rarity it’s one of the most expensive Dinkys to purchase today.
The Magic Mini was based on the 183 Morris Mini Minor (automatic) first produced in 1966. The model featured an opening bonnet, two opening doors and seats that could fold forward, to let the rear passengers in.
On the right hand side of the bottom plate the ‘183’ number was blanked but not replaced with ‘107’.
The Magic Mini came with the Bearandas and Candy and Andy figures
It was weird, very weird….
There was one variant which had spun wheels. The 106 Prisoner Mini Moke, produced at the same time also had these two different wheel types.
CANDY AND ANDY COMIC AND BOOKS:
In 1966 between the end of ‘Thunderbirds’ and the start of the ‘Captain Scarlet’ TV series, Gerry Anderson came up with a bold concept for a new project. He had already designed the Candy and Andy puppets to feature in a real life style comic strip. They were then photographed by Doug Luke, which could then lead to a new TV series.
However, the new idea was given a unanimous thumbs down by television executives, but undeterred, Anderson turned his idea into a print franchise, spawning 154 issues of a comic and several books. The whole sorry episode lasted less than three years but it was long enough to screw-up a generation of under 5s. Welcome to the world of “Candy and Andy”:
Candy and Andy were just like any other children, except that they are plastic and live with two panda bears called Mr. and Mrs. Bearanda. Why? No one knows. They all drive around in a Mini called Stripey, which was a very trendy car in the 60’s and suitably painted in the fashion style of the time.
PROP v ACTUAL:
The 107 Mini was a pretty good replica of the car used in the comic series. Note: Lots of kids in the car and no seat belts, ah the heady free days of the sixties.
BOX:
This is one of the best Dinky boxes made. It’s bright and colourful and displays both the model and the supplied figures extremely well.
And for those who had no idea who Candy and Andy, or even the Bearandas were, the box provided a helpful explanation. Possibly leaving more questions than answers.
Low cloud over the toy shop.
CATALOGUES:
The Magic Mini only appeared in the 1968 catalogue.
ADVERTS:
Dinky Toys: TV Shows, Space and Specials 
Query. I was looking at item 264437230006 on Ebay uk. This has solid hubs (not drilled through like the ones on here). The hubs also look suspiciously like the spun hubs on the 104 spv.
Is the item above a (later) variant? Are the hubs on all of these the same as one of the sizes on the spv? The hubs on the standard dinky mini are different to the 107.( And no I am not tempted to descend into insanity and buy one)
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Thanks for sharing this, its very helpful. I have not seen this variation before but it’s certainly possible as the Prisoner 106 Mini Moke had a spun hub version the same as this variant (see this site!). I think the 104 SPV spun wheel has a slightly larger centre cone though. Cheers Kevin
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Seen through the eyes of people today, this was oddly creepy. Candy and Andy would go out into the countryside with some real children, and help friendly grown ups doing things… I had this comic book as a child, before ‘TV21’, and I loved it. Saw one recently, in a charity shop, and it felt oddly distasteful. I think even the great Jamie Anderson is a bit puzzled by the whole concept. Anyway, the ‘Stripey’ set was elusive from the get go. I remember spending a lot of a holiday with my parents searching for one in most of the toyshops in the west country, but to no avail. (I never got one – but, to put it into context, several years later, I got two ‘Gabriels’ for my birthday, from different relatives – and I had no idea what it was, as ‘The Secret Service’ wasn’t shown in my part of the country. Typical). No wonder it’s so expensive nowadays.
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Always thought the paintwork was based on Dazzle Camoflague used on World War 1 battleships. This article explains? everything. Got mine in a terrible state, now fixed. This is very much a sixties thing and to modern minds must be totally well weird. Although glad to save it, makes you shiver at thoughts and ideas that simply would be not allowed today! 🤔
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I agree a very strange series but the comic did very well so there was a market for the concept!
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Thanks for that! Hope being autistic haven’t offended anyone! My Mini book touches on the special painted versions in the sixties, this must be one of them!
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After some thinking, was this based on an altered Goldilocks? Think about it 🤔, image if Goldilocks ended up living with the bears instead of eating the porridge and leaving instead staying with the bears. As for the plastic children nowadays they would be like the children seen in Humans TV Series. Why the bears? Again if we can have a talking cat in a shop, Bagpuss, along with the rest, it would make kind of sense?! Remember too Sooty had a talking panda Soo for a girlfriend or girlbear? In a really weird way it makes kind of sense. These are my rambling thoughts on the matter. Stripey The Magic Mini is now fully restored with a replacement Corgi sixties steering wheel from a sixties Corgi Land Rover and fitted with almost Dinky Toys pattern tyres from a Corgi Mini now scrapped. Despite his rather odd history are happy it’s in full working order!
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