NEW YORK — Cars have always been the heart and soul of Corgi, Britain’s best-known producer of die-cast toys. Initially released as a brand by Mettoy Playcraft in 1956 and manufactured in Swansea, a coastal city in Wales, Corgi became an independent company in 1984. While it has dabbled in aviation toys, Corgi is best known for its vehicle lines, from its iconic VW bus to a replica of James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5. Toy vehicles have long been a staple of the collectibles market and there are Corgi vehicles to suit all tastes and interests, from replicas of real everyday vehicles to fictional ones that only exist on TV or in movies.