Hornby strikes deal to buy Corgi

Model train firm Hornby today said it had struck a £7.5m (€9.5m) deal to buy Corgi, one of the world’s oldest makers of model trains, cars and buses.

The Corgi brand dates back to 1956. Its toys – such as James Bond’s iconic Aston Martin DB5 – sold millions at their peak, and have become prized collectors’ items.

Hornby said Leicester-based Corgi would sit alongside its existing hobbies business, which includes Scalextric slot car racing, Airfix models and Humbrol paints.