Mercury (toy manufacturer) Marklin, the company was started in 1932, by Attilio Clemente and Antonio Cravero, but its first toy was a gun produced about 1939 (Batazzi et al 1974; Force 1992, 5; History of Mercury 2013; Ralston 2009, 62). The company first began making toy cars just after World War II, so is one of the earliest diecast model makers preceding Corgi and many others and it was the earliest producer in Italy (Richardson 1999, 134). In Italy there was little competition for Mercury through most of the 1950s (Force 1992, 5). Early cars were more Tootsietoy-like with simple cast bodies, wheels
Aston Martin Atom Aston Martin Atom The Aston Martin Atom is a prototype car, constructed in 1939. The Atom is one of the first fully functional concept cars. Designed by Claude Hill, the body was aluminium over a tubular steel frame, and a marked change in design from previous cars. It was originally powered by a model 15/98 engine, but subsequently upgraded after the war with a 2-litre engine in 1944. Apparently, after driving the Atom in 1947, David Brown decided to buy the Aston Martin company. The car is currently owned by Aston Martin enthusiast and collector Tom Rollason, who has owned