Budgie Toys

Morestone Series vehicles were varied, but commonly featured AA and RAC Land Rovers and motorcycles with sidecars.

Another company, Autocraft / DGM acquired many of the dies for early Morestone Series models and reintroduced various motorcycles.

A 1990s London Taxi box says, "Made for H. Seener; Packaged and distributed by Alan Wenden Agencies, Langland, Swansea".

One of these was a more European squarish style "Ye Olde Coach & Four", the four being four horses (usually two brown and two gray) with driver and trunk.

This more-rounded coach came in "Wild West", "Wells Fargo", or "Kansas to Texas" (return from the cattle drive?)

A similar vehicle also was the four-horse, American-style covered wagon, available with material canopy and side water barrels.

1960s Budgie cars and trucks were reminiscent of Matchbox, though slightly smaller, with less detail, and simpler with plain paint and no windows.

[9] It seems the detail increasingly required to satisfy Matchbox and Hot Wheels' toy-hungry children was something Budgie had problems keeping up with.

[11] In trucks and construction, notable were the Morris "Budgie Service" breakdown lorry, the ERF low loader with electrical cable spools on the trailer, the strangely shaped ERF-articulated, mobile traffic "Jumbo" control unit, the Leyland tanker truck labeled with the phrase "You'll feel a lot better if you drink milk", or the R.E.A.

[13] Another would be the early-1960s GMC delivery van with Hertz markings or the Bedford tipper truck with "Ham River Grit" written on the sides.

[15] Before and after the Budgie name was introduced, the company also offered a line of Enid Blyton's 'Noddy' character figurines and vehicles.

This included metal characters with wagons and bicycles of the wooden boy Noddy and his brownie friend, Big Ears.

Later, yellow and red boxes with white trim seem to have been "Modern" Products offerings only without any reference to Morestone or Budgie (which name was introduced in 1959).

The goal may have been to make vehicles generically labeled for easier marketing under several different names: "Modern", "Morestone" or "ESSO".

As mentioned, ESSO petrol was a main sponsor and its distinctive oval sign appears on many Morestone models.

Morestone's ESSO packaging is reminiscent of other companies that attempted to claim a market niche with unique box styles.

The Toy House line of Budgie blister pack models were sold exclusively at 7-Eleven convenience store throughout the U.S. up until the early 1970s.

This arrangement was similar to the Husky diecast line that sold exclusively in U.S. based Woolworth department stores.

Hansom Cab box. It was the second model released under the Morestone brand, becoming an immediate success
Morestone/Budgie Austin Westminster Countryman estate
Morestone Mercedes-Benz W196 Grand Prix Car
Budgie Packard convertible