Noddy has created plenty of controversy over the years and this toy shows the happy little fellow before his playmates were switched to satisfy contemporary attitudes.
Originally produced from 1949-1963, the hugely popular series of Noddy books have been criticised for their racial, class and gender stereotypes and many of them, together with their spin-off merchandise, have been altered as a result.
This 'Noddy's Car' toy, a die-cast model produced by Mettoy Playcraft Ltd, was first released in 1969. Later models of the toy replaced the golliwog figure in the back seat with a teddy bear as the racist implications of golliwogs fell from favour.
Traditionalists have lampooned moves to clean up Noddy's image but none of this appears to have affected his popularity. He continues to star on television, in books and he even boasts his own official website.
This battered toy was a favourite of the Clow family of New Plymouth before it was donated to Puke Ariki.
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