Clifford-vs-Hoover?
I have 2 of these and both do not have red pinstriping, both do not have beacon or antlers, and the bottom reads 312 MADE IN HONG KONG
I have reference picture from various sources/auctions in which the same car has the red pinstriping and does not have the beacon nor antlers and the markings underneath say HOOVER 312 MADE IN HONG KONG (the Hoover name has a large “V” with wings flanking the uprights)
Do you own your pictured car, I ask because I have that exact photo stored dated 2006, if so what are the marking underneath.
Looking for any other info on these cars.
I am assuming the Hoover version has the red pinstripes and the Clifford does not, however I could be wrong, with variations possible on each.

I am 70 years old now and long retired, but I am the individual who was responsible for the Financing, Design,Development and Production of the “Clifford” Batmobile. Therefore you might find the story of this best selling toy of interest..

My firm Herbert Kees Ltd of Hong Kong was a long established traditional British owned China Coast Trading Company (just like the “Struan’s” that James Clavell describes in his novels”Taipan” and “Noble House, but smaller so the boss was deemed a “Loban” and not “the Taipan’ of who there was only one in the colony.) We traded things like Tea and Citronella oil and in the early days, probably dabbled in Opium. After the war we started a textile division and became among other things,the largest exporters of Rainwear from Hong Kong to the UK

In.1959, we were approached by a certain Richard Levy, who had just succeeded his father Clifford Levy (hence the trade name) in the running of the family firm, Messrs F. Levy & Co Ltd, who had wholesaled toys in a modest way in the London area since the turn of the century. Like all young men, he searched for ways to grow his business and decided to start importing product from the nascent Hong Kong Plastic Flower and Toy industry. My firm was eager to help and so a toy division was started.

Business proceeded with Levy’s at an acceptable pace, interesting but nothing to get too excited about. Richard would come to buy from Hong Kong twice a year, but the product he found was badly developed and dull. Marbles, rubber balls, yo- yos, dolls and guns there were a plenty, but as every Tom Dick and Harry could buy them, competition forced down profit margins in London.

Then one day a factory owner showed us a very poor copy of a red London Bus which was hardly saleable but of interest because of the Hong Kong made friction motor which powered it. It seemed to be a copy of a German design. Richard was a car buff and he began to send us brochures of every new car that appeared in Britain.We used Chinese craftsmen to make 1/25 plaster models of these and the best were chosen for further development. My firm accepted that they would have to finance the whole operation, so they agreed to develop and pay for the moulds and design and pay for the packaging. So once we had received a commitment to go with an item, we supervised the mould making and when complete gave the production to the most competitive factory. In many cases we also had to finance and pay up front for the raw materials. We also had to give Clifford six months to pay for the goods!

But business boomed and we both made money’for we had filled a gap in the market. at the right price.AT the price point (17/11d retail)that Dinky and Corgi were offering their standard 41/2 inch die cast car, we found we could retail an eight inch friction car with clear plastic windows opening front doors boot and bonnet, vacuum plated dummy engine and bumpers. We even threw in a driver and dummy luggage.which we packed in a poly bag and put in the boot. The extra play value to the was child overwhelming.

We had appeared at exactly the right time. Dinky were fast asleep and trading on their past. Corgi were trying and were soon offering more features. Match box serviced a different price point.

Then came the Thunderbirds and James Bond. and the die-casters found a way to cover their higher costs through character merchandising, as they could ask a higher price.The 007 Aston and the Pink Thunderbird Rolls Royce killed our sales overnight.

Therefore, we had no option but to follow the market and so the ” Clifford Batmobile” came to be. In order to pay for the exclusive character licence. the size of the car was was reduced from our standard 8 inches to 7 inches and no opening parts were deemed necessary. Vacuum plating was all but abolished and painted decoration was used instead. However we used a top artist in London. ( I forget the name) for the box, instead of the usual Hong kong.product. I think the Artwork is superb and stiil looks good today.

The car came out just as the TV programme came on line. The cartoon “Pows” and “Kerbooms” which were superimposed over the fights caused the progamme to become a hit. Our sales boomed and we were quite unable to meet demand..So we employed other factories to help out. However, we only had one set of moulds so the plastic parts were moulded by Hoover, who were a larger more financially sound factory. It is they who added their logo without our permission to the base mould. We farmed out the assembly to extra factories. Hence the different specs you find between the product. For such was our hurry to stay on the band wagon we sometimes had to down grade the product spec to hold the retail price if a sub contractor was unable to accommodate our production price. Such was the popularity of the car, no one noticed.the difference..

And then it was over.We had made a bundle!!

However greed then caused us to make a disastrous decision, And fate added its coup de grace.

We had noted the success of the 007 Aston, so in our hurry to settle the deal, we bid too much for the licence to market the “Q’ modified Toyota sports that 007 drove in the film “You only live twice.”

The car never took off. and sales were dismal. And then Harold Wilson devalued the pound. All our products were affected and we had to face a 20% price hike. We lost a fortune and a lot of the Batmobile profit. Although Clifford battled on, they never again reached the heady heights of the Bat mobile period. We suffered as well. But our luck was better and prosperity returned when later we began manufacturing in China for Polistil of Mlan, whom everyone Knew were the Rolls Royce of the-diecasters .

Ironically Dinky, Corgi and Matchbox at this time were faced with the onslaught from Mattel’s Hot Wheels and all faded soon thereafter.

I am 70 years old now and long retired, but I am the individual who was responsible for the Financing, Design,Development and Production of the “Clifford” Batmobile. Therefore you might find the story of this best selling toy of interest..
My firm Herbert Kees Ltd of Hong Kong was a long established traditional British owned China Coast Trading Company (just like the “Struan’s” that James Clavell describes in his novels”Taipan” and “Noble House, but smaller so the boss was deemed a “Loban” and not “the Taipan’ of who there was only one in the colony.) We traded things like Tea and Citronella oil and in the early days, probably dabbled in Opium. After the war we started a textile division and became among other things,the largest exporters of Rainwear from Hong Kong to the UK
In.1959, we were approached by a certain Richard Levy, who had just succeeded his father Clifford Levy (hence the trade name) in the running of the family firm, Messrs F. Levy & Co Ltd, who had wholesaled toys in a modest way in the London area since the turn of the century. Like all young men, he searched for ways to grow his business and decided to start importing product from the nascent Hong Kong Plastic Flower and Toy industry. My firm was eager to help and so a toy division was started.
Business proceeded with Levy’s at an acceptable pace, interesting but nothing to get too excited about. Richard would come to buy from Hong Kong twice a year, but the product he found was badly developed and dull. Marbles, rubber balls, yo- yos, dolls and guns there were a plenty, but as every Tom Dick and Harry could buy them, competition forced down profit margins in London.
Then one day a factory owner showed us a very poor copy of a red London Bus which was hardly saleable but of interest because of the Hong Kong made friction motor which powered it. It seemed to be a copy of a German design. Richard was a car buff and he began to send us brochures of every new car that appeared in Britain.We used Chinese craftsmen to make 1/25 plaster models of these and the best were chosen for further development. My firm accepted that they would have to finance the whole operation, so they agreed to develop and pay for the moulds and design and pay for the packaging. So once we had received a commitment to go with an item, we supervised the mould making and when complete gave the production to the most competitive factory. In many cases we also had to finance and pay up front for the raw materials. We also had to give Clifford six months to pay for the goods!
But business boomed and we both made money’for we had filled a gap in the market. at the right price.AT the price point (7/11d retail)that Dinky and Corgi were offering their standard 41/2 inch die cast car, we found we could retail an eight inch friction car with clear plastic windows opening front doors boot and bonnet, vacuum plated dummy engine and bumpers. We even threw in a driver and dummy luggage.which we packed in a poly bag and put in the boot. The extra play value to the was child overwhelming.
We had appeared at exactly the right time. Dinky were fast asleep and trading on their past. Corgi were trying and were soon offering more features. Match box serviced a different price point.
Then came the Thunderbirds and James Bond. and the die-casters found a way to cover their higher costs through character merchandising, as they could ask a higher price.The 007 Aston and the Pink Thunderbird Rolls Royce killed our sales overnight.
Therefore, we had no option but to follow the market and so the ” Clifford Batmobile” came to be. In order to pay for the exclusive character licence. the size of the car was was reduced from our standard 8 inches to 7 inches and no opening parts were deemed necessary. Vacuum plating was all but abolished and painted decoration was used instead. However we used a top artist in London. ( I forget the name) for the box, instead of the usual Hong kong.product. I think the Artwork is superb and stiil looks good today.
The car came out just as the TV programme came on line. The cartoon “Pows” and “Kerbooms” which were superimposed over the fights caused the progamme to become a hit. Our sales boomed and we were quite unable to meet demand..So we employed other factories to help out. However, we only had one set of moulds so the plastic parts were moulded by Hoover, who were a larger more financially sound factory. It is they who added their logo without our permission to the base mould. We farmed out the assembly to extra factories. Hence the different specs you find between the product. For such was our hurry to stay on the band wagon we sometimes had to down grade the product spec to hold the retail price if a sub contractor was unable to accommodate our production price. Such was the popularity of the car, no one noticed.the difference..
And then it was over.We had made a bundle!!
However greed then caused us to make a disastrous decision, And fate added its coup de grace.
We had noted the success of the 007 Aston, so in our hurry to settle the deal, we bid too much for the licence to market the “Q’ modified Toyota sports that 007 drove in the film “You only live twice.”
The car never took off. and sales were dismal. And then Harold Wilson devalued the pound. All our products were affected and we had to face a 20% price hike. We lost a fortune and a lot of the Batmobile profit. Although Clifford battled on, they never again reached the heady heights of the Bat mobile period. We suffered as well. But our luck was better and prosperity returned when later we began manufacturing in China for Polistil of Mlan, whom everyone Knew were the Rolls Royce of the-diecasters .
Ironically Dinky, Corgi and Matchbox at this time were faced with the onslaught from Mattel’s Hot Wheels and all faded soon thereafter.