Barclay Renault Tank

Many American Dimestore companies produced toy versions of tanks, but none compared to the variety produced by Barclay. Barclay manufactured six versions of tanks. All of their designs generally resemble real-life tanks, but only their pre-WWII version of the Renault F.T.-17  tank comes close to being an accurate model of a real tank.

The Renault F.T.-17 weighed seven tons, traveled at 6 mpg, carried a two-man crew and one machine gun. It was the first tank to be fitted with a revolving turret.  From 1917 Renault tanks saw action in just about every war and even served in the Finnish-Russian War, and were used by some nations during the early part of WWII.

Barclay’s Renault tank was a highly detailed model of its real-life counterpart. It measured 4″ long x 1 1/4″ wide x 1 3/4″ tall, in Dimestore Khaki color. Sometimes found with yellow, silver or khaki painted turret. It’s found in two distinct casting variations, one unmarked (early version), and one marked “Barclay #47.”

Today,  American Dimestore tanks can still be found, although not as frequently as soldiers. Dimestore tanks as well as other dimestore vehicles often turn up at very reasonable prices. But because of their great play value, they are often found in poor shape, usually missing wheels or broken guns.

The above Barclay Renault tank  was manufactured by us (VintageCastings)  using the original Barclay factory production mold that we own.  It has Barclay’s original embossed mark:  ‘Barclay #47’ on it’s right rear.

posted by Bill
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