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This one is sure to raise controversy.
Dinky collectors will hold their nose and look the other way.
Sometime in the early 1980s, the Universal Group acquired the rights to the Dinky trade name and trade dress (and shortly after acquired Matchbox as well). In an attempt to capitalize on the Dinky name, Universal released first a short run of former Kidco models on Dinky cardbacks, then another short run with Matchbox models...these in addition to the larger scale Matchbox models that appeared during this period with Dinky trade dress as well.
While few I know would count these as actual Dinkys, they do make for some hard to find Matchbox and Kidco models.
This model in particular doesn't seem to have been issued Stateside in Matchbox mainline blisters, it was usually in ROW Matchbox assortments (and in blue paint), so this one is a favorite of mine for the rarity and peculiarity.
Yes, I recall a number of articles/letters in Charlie Mack's Matchbox USA and other newsletters of the day with pro and con comments on the use of the Dinky name to keep it alive. I know I had some of these, including this Citroen, but also pretty sure they were among those that went elsewhere over the years. I think all of the Matchbox that had the Dinky cards/base markings were ROW releases which surprisingly in the days before internet were usually not that hard to obtain as there were European collectors in the club and I can recall at least one or two mail order dealers who stocked the ROW models.
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