Philipp Ullmann was born in 1883 in Nürnberg, Germany, to Isaak and Emilie Ullmann.

Arthur Katz was born in 1908 in Johannesburg, South Africa, to Hermann and Regine Katz (née Ullmann). Regine was Philipp’s cousin.

Both Philipp and Arthur had considerable experience in toy manufacturing. In 1912, Philipp founded Tipp & Company, a mechanical pressed tin toys manufacturer, in Nürnberg; Arthur joined Tipp & Co. when he left school.

Philipp and Arthur were both Jewish and in 1933, they left Germany due to the rise of Hitler and increasing Nazi persecution. The Nazis later seized Tipp and Co. under a process known as ‘Aryanisation’.

In 1934, they set up a new toy manufacturing company, Mettoy, in Northampton, England, and started manufacturing toys to raise funds for other Jewish refugees. The company marketed a range of attractive tinplate toy vehicles designed to compete with Dinky Toys, produced by the British company Meccano Ltd.

The Second World War brought a temporary stop to toy manufacturing. To assist with Britain’s’ war effort, Mettoy produced munitions and military equipment at their Northampton premises and at a 28,000-square-foot factory acquired for that purpose in Fforestfach.

The company returned to manufacturing toys after the Second World War.

In 1948, Mettoy began to build a new 115,000-square-foot modern factory at Fforestfach. The location was attractive due to the ready availability of raw materials and because it was located in an area of high unemployment. The factory was opened in April 1949 by King George VI. The space was large enough to accommodate the Mettoy’s production and commercial sections. By 1952, it had become the company’s headquarters.

Mettoy continued to grow in the post-war period, expanding its range of products.

 

Two posters from 1953 advertising Mettoy products: Junior Typewriter and Racing Car.

Image: Grace's Guide to British Industrial History.

In 1956, the company launched the Corgi Toy range. The Welsh dog breed name was chosen because it was short and catchy, because the models were produced in Wales, and because of its association with the Royal Family.

Three posters from 1953, 1964, and 1968 advertising Corgi Toys.

Image: Grace's Guide to British Industrial History.

 

The range of products expanded into toy domestic appliances such as washing machines, carpet sweepers, and dolls’ houses and furniture.

During this period, the company was at the height of its popularity. In 1966, the James Bond Aston Martin DB5 model was voted the Toy of the Year. By 1969, over four million had been sold. The model showed the company’s innovation and love of gadgets. It featured an opening roof and working spring-loaded ejector seat, retractable machine guns, telescopic bumper over-riders, and a pop-up bulletproof metal screen. It became the most famous Corgi Toy ever produced.

James Bond Aston Martin.

Image: JHASW/CHIDC, 2023.

The company contributed in many ways to the social and economic life in Swansea. It is suggested that the production and trading activities of companies such as Mettoy and Louis Marx (which we will meet next on this trail) contributed to the Swansea Industrial Estate being the ‘hub of an increasing world-wide export trade.’  In 1968, the company’s factories and warehouses combined were 385,000 square feet and accommodated a workforce of 3,500 people. The company survived a disastrous fire at the Fforestfach Queensway warehouse in 1969.

Mettoy Factory in Fforestfach, 1972.

Image: People’s Collection Wales.

Created by Aerofilms Ltd.

Mettoy provided work for a lot of women, which was considered significant at that time. Cynthia Rix recalls that during her time working at the factory ‘there weren’t many men there, and they were mainly the bosses.’ Also, It has been suggested that Mettoy was known for employing many people in the deaf community throughout Swansea. The assembly line was so noisy that workers had to lip read or pass notes down the assembly line. Cynthia said, ‘There was fairness there, there was togetherness there. We were all a team.... You enjoyed going to work.’ 

Other workers may have been less enthusiastic, but Mettoy was considered a better employer than some other Jewish firms on the estate, like Llamas who made knickers ‘for old ladies’, football jerseys, scarves, but mainly garments for men” and Windsmoor who made mainly women’s garments such as coats and skirts.       

In 1981, the company recorded record losses. It continued to decline during the early 1980s due to the rise in popularity of electronic toys and games. In 1982 Mettoy launched the Dragon computer, but shortly after sold this off. There was a management buy-out of The Corgi Toy Company, including the Swansea factory, in 1984. Mattel purchased the factory in 1989 and the Swansea factory and office closed in 1991 when Mattel moved to Leicester.

In 2008, the Corgi brand was acquired by Hornby, who also owned Scalextric and Airfix.