American. 1953-1954. Pressed steel, die-cast, aluminum. This is a rare toy produced by the Miller-Ironson Corp. ("MIC"), a company that was formed by Matt Miller when he left Smith-Miller in 1952. The new company was a late-stage spin-off competitor to the Smith-Miller line of toys. Despite the new name, toys made by MIC were actually produced in the Smith-Miller plant and continue, to date, to be known as Smith-Miller MIC toys. Their presence in the market was brief (1952-1955), with the production for this toy being even shorter (1953-1954), making production runs small and meaning that fewer of these toys entered the market. This particular Lincoln Capri with house trailer is officially known to collectors as the "Honeymoon Trailer Set", the reference being to the movie The Long, Long Trailer starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The movie was about a newlywed couple who bought a massive travel trailer to use for their honeymoon road trip across the United States, leading to numerous misadventures. The movie became a cultural favourite, and Smith-Miller created a similar, fully furnished trailer inspired by the movie. The movie was released in 1954, with pre-production of the toy starting in 1953 during the early planning and filming stages of the movie. It was common for movie-related merchandise to be manufactured and sometimes released slightly ahead of a film's premiere. In the hobby, this toy is considered to be exceedingly rare due to its limited production run and its direct association with a movie classic. From the Yvan Lalonde Collection.

Size
Car: 5" x 5" x 14". Trailer: 7.5" x 6.5" x 25".

Condition
Excellent condition. Complete with original paint and accessories. Pinpoint paint nicks. Minor scuffs and scratches to hood of trailer. Staining and oxidation interior floor of trailer.

Medium
Pressed steel, die-cast, aluminum.

Provenance
From the Yvan Lalonde Collection.