LEGO in Britain/Ireland/Australia (1960-92) - British LEGO Ltd.

[LEGO Historian]

When Godtfred Kirk Christiansen was on one of his famous North Sea/Baltic Sea ferry boat rides in the 1950s (where he got the idea for the now famous LEGO System of Play), he met an executive from British textile/chemical manufacturer Courtauld's Co.

It was via this chance encounter that TLG started the first LEGO sales in Britain and Ireland in 1960 via a license to the Courtauld's Co. (similar to the Samsonite Corp. getting the USA/Canada license).

Courtauld's had exclusive license to produce LEGO for Britain and Ireland starting that year... under the name British LEGO Ltd., and until they had their Wrexham Wales Courtauld's plant set up (by 1962)... all LEGO sold in Britain and Ireland was imported from Denmark. In fact the set and parts pack boxes would have "Made in Denmark" printed in small letters on the early boxes.

In 1962 the Wrexham plant was up and running, and that year was also when the first LEGO sales in Australia started. The sets for Australia were all imported from Britain.

The Courtauld's group kept the LEGO license until TLG bought it back from Courtauld's in 1992-93. By then TLG was a major toymaker, and easily able to handle the additional strains of production for Britain, Ireland and Australia. Whether or not this "buy back" was friendly or not, is unknown. The USA buyback of the LEGO license from Samsonite was unfriendly, and required a court challenge (1970-72), while the Canada Samsonite license buyback (1985) was friendly (well as friendly as possible since a Wall Street brokerage firm had bought the parent company).

Anyway... British LEGO Ltd. had made some very interesting and unique LEGO sets and parts during the 23 years they had the LEGO license.

Here is an example... British LEGO produced their own version of LEGO road signs from 1962-72...

Image (from my German LEGO collector friend Lothar)... in my LEGO DVD/download.

There is an additional (20th) road sign not shown here... the left pointing blue arrow sign. of the other 19 signs, 4 are unique to British LEGO... the "30" speed limit sign (only produced in a later Weetabix set as a stickered sign), the "T" sign, the roundabout sign, and the "M1 Motorway" sign.

Gary Istok

Edited October 7, 2013 by LEGO Historian

[LEGO Historian]

From 1960-62 Britain/Ireland probably did not sell LEGO road signs. The 1960 and 1961 UK LEGO catalogs show them, but says "Coming Shortly". Here is an image of the 1961 UK catalog showing that...

Then in 1962 when the Wrexham Wales plant went online, and Australia started sales.... they produced the first British LEGO type road signs, along with this box below.

There are 2 things wrong with this box image below... the road signs are not the new UK type... but the old continental European type. Also... they show black stripes. No LEGO road signs (continental European or UK) ever had black stripes. So this was another error. Well for whatever reason... this box was with the 232 number was what the UK road signs came in from 1962-65.

Finally from 1966-72 the correct road signs were shown in the 432 UK style box seen in the first post.

Edited October 8, 2013 by LEGO Historian

[LEGO Historian]

The other early LEGO parts that were produced by British LEGO Ltd. were many of these parts...

In 1966 TLG switched LEGO flag production from smooth base to tapered base, as seen in this wavy flag of Australia (image upper left). This was the first year that Australia had its' own flag. The flags with tapered base were different for continental Europe that they were for Britain/Ireland/Australia. Those produced by British LEGO stating in 1966 had a smooth top, while those produced elsewhere continued to have a rounded top (comparison, image lower middle).

Starting in 1973 (until 1980) the 939 Accessories pack with 6 straight flags 2 sticker sheets with 6 flags, LEGO trees, and the new tall road signs. In Britain, Ireland and Australia this 939 pack contained a 3rd smaller sticker sheet that contained the flags of Ireland and Australia. This 3rd sheet (image middle right) was not found elsewhere.

Also British LEGO created their own design for the Esso Station pumps and standing sign. From 1960-62 British LEGO sold the Denmark made continental European version with the 2 red poles on either end of the pumps, and the cross shaped sign. Starting in 1962 British LEGO made a different set of gas pumps with a central white light, and 3 outer gas pums. The new to 1962 British LEGO Esso sign had a curved top pole. These were made from 1962-65. From 1965 to 1967 British LEGO switched back to the continental type of Esso sign/pumps. The reason for this has not been fully explained. However since Esso was being retired in continental Europe at the end of 1965 (in favor of the newe Shell Station), TLG may have shipped British LEGO a large part of their remaining inventory of Esso parts, thus rendering no further need to produce the British version. By 1967 the Esso Station was retired in Britain as well (last found in the UK 810 Town Plan Set).

Also starting back in 1962 was new UK style street lights. Those of continental Europe, USA and Canada were of the silver girder style. Those of Britain, Ireland and Australia were of a UK style that also had a silver painted finish. Starting in 1966 these street lights were no longer painted, but came in a gray unpainted plastic instead (image lower right).

And finally the Esso Service Station was discontinued as a standalone 310 set in 1966, and in the Town Plan 810 set in 1967. But by 1965 (for whatever reason)... British LEGO started producing the curved right and left 4x8 plates (by this time they were circle bottom) with a double "notched" base (similar to macaroni bricks). These unique notched 4x8 curved plates were only produced by British LEGO, and were finally discontinued by 1967 (as they were elsewhere when the Esso Service set was discontinued). This image (lower left) shows this rare British LEGO version.

All of these parts and their story are covered in my LEGO DVD chapters on LEGO Gas Station & Garage parts, and Town Plan parts and accessories.

Edited October 8, 2013 by LEGO Historian

[LEGO Historian]

One of the most beautiful basic sets ever produced was the Britain/Ireland/Australia ONLY 600/1 Basic Set of 1962-65. Back in the 1960s the predominant LEGO colors were red and white. So what to do with all of those blue and yellow bricks being churned out by British LEGO Ltd. in Wrexham Wales? Well one answer was this 600/1 set. All the basic sets in the first half of the 1960s had a box with blue accent colors (and red/white bricks)... so British LEGO Ltd., created a somewhat different set to highlight the different part colors...

[LEGO Historian]

Here in the 1962 Australia LEGO catalog we see for the first time the new UK style Town Plan Set 810, as well as a 700K wooden box set with the same box top design....

Here is the UK/Ireland/Australia 810 Town Plan set (right) as compared to the set sold in continental Europe and Japan (left)...

[LEGO Historian]

One of the rarest LEGO sets was this set of Britain/Ireland/Australia... the 380 Village Set...

This 380 Village Set consists of LEGO Town sets 344, 346 and 347, and vehicle set 603.

But even rarer than this set is the 1979 Kelloggs promotional Village set... which consists of a 380 Village set... plus 2 additional house sets (326 and 345), as well as 6 additional vehicle sets, and a parts pack of UK style street lights.... only 2502 sets were ever produced of this rarity. This set consists of a big brown shipping box with the individual sets packed inside.

This Kellogg's set is just one of over 100 promotional LEGO sets from my LEGO DVD/download chapter on promotional LEGO sets.

Edited October 13, 2013 by LEGO Historian

[LEGO Historian]

The 1960-65 700K wooden box set. This set came out in 1960 in a plain wooden box (top image)... and in 1961 (middle image) it had a continental Town Plan top, both of which were imported to Britainl from TLG. Then in 1962 (bottom image) it finally came out in a UK style box, since it was produced there....

[AndrewH7]

I remember from somewhere, not sure if Lego, road signs pre 1968, & others after 1968 (& wondering what signs were in 1968? guess some of each) 'if only I'd seen the signs' ;) was there Lego halt signs? We now have stop signs.