The French Dinky Surtees TS5

From John Morris:
During my childhood and teenage years, I lived in London's suburbs on the Surrey-Kent county boundary, unknown to me that a hero, John Surtees, had been born in the nearby village of Tatsfield, in Surrey. The village stands on the crest of the North Downs, overlooking Westerham, in Kent (the location of Chartwell, Sir Winston Churchill's home) and beyond towards Edenbridge, where Surtees built his motor racing base.

John Surtees was the son of a south London motorcycle dealer. Between 1952 and 1960, he achieved 38 motorcycling championship wins, including 24 podium places in the 500cc World Motorcycling Championship. He was overall champion in 1956, 1958, 1959 and 1960. In 1960, he turned to Formula 1 motor racing and, in 1964, became world champion. He remains the only person to win world championships on both two and four wheels. His Surtees Racing Organisation spent nine seasons involved in Formula 1, from 1970-78. In 1968, the late James Garner, the actor, entered Formula 5000 with his AIR team. John Surtees struck a deal to manufacture the car. The American version used an AMC engine, while in Britain a Ford Cosworth V8 provided the power. Built at the Poole factory of designer Len Terry, later versions of the car were built at the Surtees works in Slough and subsequently, at Edenbridge. The car was rechristened the TS5, standing for Terry-Surtees 5000. In America, the car was called the Garner TS5.

During 1971, the year of John Surtees's retirement from racing, French Dinky introduced model 1433, the Surtees TS5 Formula 1 racing car. The 95mm long model retailed at 15,50 Fr. (new Francs), about £1, 11/-. In red and white, the works colours, the highly detailed model had race number decals, number 14.Cost 15.50 Fr available in red finish. French Dinky in detail...