American. 1990s. Pressed steel, aluminum. Fred Thompson was a long-time collector of Smith-Miller toys. In 1979, over 20 years after Smith-Miller ceased toy production, Thompson purchased the company and revived the brand by producing limited edition toys using original dies and specifications. Thompson meticulously captured all of the traits of the original Smith-Miller company models. He also recognized the historical nature of the toy molds which he now owned, and did not destroy the molds once a toy was created. Instead, he retained them for future limited productions. This meant that once production of this truck reached 175 units, this exact model would be discontinued and never produced again with this specific configuration. This is a rare variation as the standard run for this toy was 350 units. The rarity stems from the fact that Thompson used the Mack B-Series for the larger run of 350 and the Mack L-Series for the smaller run. He was known for making different cabs (Kenworth, Mack B, and Mack L) in various colours, and would assemble them based on specific customer requests, which led to smaller runs for certain toys. The original factory release of this limited edition set always included six period-correct friction cars. Trailer embossed, "AT169 175", on underside. All cars embossed, "50's Fifties Made in Japan", on underside. From the Yvan Lalonde Collection.

Size
8" x 6.25" x 38".

Condition
Excellent condition. Complete. Paint retains strong colour and gloss. Retains all four original loading ramps. Includes 5 "period-correct" model tin friction cars (2 Buicks, 2 Cadillacs, and 1 Corvette). Requires one period-correct car.

Medium
Pressed steel, aluminum.

Signature
Trailer embossed, "AT169 175", on underside. All cars embossed, "50's Fifties Made in Japan", on underside.

Provenance
From the Yvan Lalonde Collection.