TWO unusual Meccano tin plate cars recently came under the hammer at the Cotswold Auction Company's regular toys, dolls and models sale.

A local women, whose husband had been an avid collector for many years, put the items up for auction at The Bingham Hall, Cirencester.

The blue and cream open tourer was a rare car, being a non-constructor car.

There was a lot of excitement in the room as it came up and it eventually sold for £580. The less rare red example, a No 2 constructor, sold for £400.

Staying with clockwork cars, a rather nice Lyons Brothers tin plate clockwork car called the Standard Swallow, with red painted wings, captured the imagination of several buyers and raced away at £150.

There is never a shortage of buyers for the more unusual and older clockwork toys.

Staying with clockwork but moving to a different kind of transport; a Bassett-Lowke Midland 4-4-0 compound locomotive and LNS tender, together with its kit, carriage and booklet, fetched £180 in the room.

Hornby is always present in the Cotswold Auction Company's sales with the Dublo locomotives and tender well sought after, as it captures the imagination of big and small children alike with some never quite finishing their perfect set and looking for that one piece of elusive rolling stock.

A Hornby Dublo 4-6-2 locomotive, Duchess of Atholl, boxed together with two tank locomotives, a crane and various rolling stock, all sold for £160.

A large collection of diecast model aircraft, which included a Dinky Singapore flying boat with plastic roller, Dinky Mayo composite flying boat with plastic roller, Dinky Clipper 3 flying boat with plastic roller, gold colour Atlanta Airliner and a Dinky bomber totalling 23 items in the lot, flew away in the room to sell at £420.