The Die-cast Mystery (UPDATE: from India?)

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We prefer our cars to be life-size, but very small can be interesting too. Like these mystery toys for instance. They have that 1930s / Art Deco look about them, just like the early Tootsie Toys or Dinky Toys. They are about the same size, except that these are quite crude. The wheels are metal, rough and solid. Axles are thin metal with spacers. The cars are quite heavy so it appears they were made from a lead based metal. The interiors are dull and the paint could be enamel. There’s no sign of fatigue, just poor casting damage. What might help in identifying these toy cars is that all six of them have a different number on the back. It could be a registration number or maybe even a makers mark as some have an "&" in them. And last but not least, there’s a raised saltire cross (or Saint Andrew's Cross) on the radiator of each car. It must be there for a reason. Do you know what make these toys are or who made them? Then tell us your ideas!

Update by Karl Bhote who can shed some light on the numbers painted behind the 2 cars: "J&K 2757 would be an early Jammu & Kashmir registration in India, and P.B.R. 7xxx? would be an early Punjab registration in India. Perhaps they are the numbers of the family cars painted on by the young boy?"

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