Initially, models were issued both in free-rolling form, and (except the larger commercial vehicles and sports cars with low-slung bodies) with friction drive motors.

The first American car, the Studebaker Golden Hawk (211/211M), was released in February 1958 and by the early 1960s the Corgi range was being exported widely, finding particular popularity in Europe, Australia, Canada, the United States of America and areas of southeast Asia such as Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, and gradually more foreign vehicles were included to appeal to these new markets.

A large earth mover which was being widely used in the construction of the M1, the UK's first motorway, the Euclid factory was only two miles from Corgi headquarters which allowed easy access to all the data required to produce a very accurate model.

It was based on a large International truck fitted with a metal crane, hook and pulley, and painted in the traditional Chipperfield's Circus livery of red and blue, as were all the models in the range.

The Chipperfield's Circus Horse Transporter (1130) was released in October 1962 featuring the new Bedford TK tractor unit and an articulated trailer with models of circus horses, and in June 1964 the Bedford TK tractor unit was adapted with a large high-sided open top 'wooden' box as the Giraffe Transporter (503) complete with models of a mother and baby giraffe.

The Chipperfield's Circus Menagerie Transporter (1139) which was released in October 1968 featured a new Scammell Handyman cab and a flatbed articulated trailer which carried a load of three clear plastic boxes designed to represent cages, each containing models of lions, bears and tigers.

This large set included models of the new 1/36 scale Land Rover Estate and Chevrolet Van which had been updated to become a parade vehicle and mobile booking office respectively.

Scottish multiple World Champion Jackie Stewart's Elf Tyrrell F1 car (158) was also released along with the STP Patrick Eagle (159) driven to victory in the 1973 Indianapolis 500 by Gordon Johncock.

The Corgi design team were given extensive access to the real car in order to produce their scale model, even receiving paint samples to enable them to create an exact colour match.

Three years later, in July 1969, Corgi issued the winning Hillman Hunter from the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon (302), complete with Take-Off Wheels, roof mounted tool box and a plastic kangaroo guard across the front of the car.

In the early 1970s Corgi Toys issued a range of dragsters in response not only to the increased interest in this form of motorsport in the UK, focused on the Santa Pod Raceway in Northamptonshire, but also the attention brought to these vehicles by Mattel's Hot Wheels.

The "Thrushbuster" (497) was an update of an existing Oldsmobile Super 88 casting dating back to 1961, but now with models of the stars of the television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin, firing guns out of the windows.

The crime fighting car Black Beauty (268) - a George Barris customised 1965 Imperial Crown sedan, included an operational satellite launcher inside the boot and a rocket fired from behind the grill, and was featured in the American television series The Green Hornet.

This gift set featured a Renault 16 car with the tailgate removed and a platform extension fixed at the rear to accommodate the Panavision film camera model and cameraman.

In June 1970, the 1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost from the Corgi Classics range was reissued, but updated with psychedelic paintwork and featuring figures of the group from the animated series The Hardy Boys, another American television show which was unknown in Britain.

As the decade progressed some of the film and television related models became less authentic due to the lack of expensive licensing deals, and more a product of the imagination of the Corgi design team.

A 'Batbike' was released in 1978 featuring a figure of 'Batman' sitting astride a modified motorbike which fired two rockets, along with a series of vehicles that were issued as the result of obtaining the Marvel Comics license.

These included a 'Spidervan' (436); a suitably decorated Chevrolet van, which had also been issued the previous year as a tie-in with the American television series Charlie's Angels (434), a "Daily Planet" JetRanger helicopter (929), a "Spiderbuggy" (261); a Jeep CJ-5 with a model of 'Spider-Man's' archenemy "The Green Goblin" trapped in a web styled plastic bag dangling from a crane fitted at the back of the vehicle, a "Spidercopter" (928) and a "Spiderbike" (266).

It featured steerable front wheels operated by the blue metal 'light' on the roof and two policemen sitting inside the vehicle, not to mention opening boot and rear engine cover.

There appears, however, to have been a lack of fire fighting machinery released in this time, although the American LaFrance ladder truck and Simon Snorkel were still available along with the modern Chubb Pathfinder airport crash tender.

Riot Police Truck (422) released in September 1977 was a squat armoured military vehicle painted white and red with twin water cannons fitted to the rear, and perhaps reflected the turbulent times in Britain towards the end of the 1970s, and the Jaguar XJ12 Coupe which was released in December 1975 finished in the white and pale blue livery of the Coastguard (414), complete with die-cast light and twin foghorns on the roof.

This was a smaller vehicle based on the Thames 5 cwt van, a commercial version of the Ford Anglia, and the bodywork featured a pointed roof design and a sliding side window.

The Fordson Power Major Tractor was issued with a new Beast Carrier Trailer, carrying a load of four plastic calves, as GS33 in March 1965 and the Working Conveyor on F.C.Jeep (64) was released in June 1965.

This was an update of the Forward Control Jeep first issued in 1959 with a new casting of a working conveyor belt assembly fitted to the flat bed and accompanied by plastic model grain sacks and farmer.

In January 1965, in response to a request from the company's American agent, a range of vehicles was produced in the matt green with white star livery of the US Army.

Sales of Corgi Toys began to fall away and matters were not helped by a disastrous fire at the Swansea factory in March 1969 which destroyed a warehouse full of models awaiting delivery.

The previously mentioned 1968 London to Sydney Marathon winning Hillman Hunter rally car (302) was issued in July 1969 and was finished in the blue and white of the original.

The first incarnation (known to collectors as 'Red Spots') featured rubber tyres and brass hubs with low friction red nylon centres, which though attractive and effective, were expensive to produce and were soon replaced by plastic wheels.

Also released in December 1969 as part of the range was 'Popeye's Paddlewagon' (802) a half car – half boat featuring 'Popeye', 'Olive Oyl' and 'Swee'pea' from the 'Popeye' cartoon series, and 'Basil Brush's car (808) featuring a model of the glove puppet fox from the popular British children's television series The Basil Brush Show driving a colourful version of the 1911 Renault from the Corgi Classics range.

During the early 1960s Corgi Toys issued a series of clip-together plastic kits of buildings and street furniture to complement and add further play value to their range of scale vehicles.