Spot-On Toys were introduced in the UK in 1959. When Lines Bros. took over the failing Meccano Ltd. business, it acquired the Dinky Toy brand and it is generally accepted by collectors that this was the reason the Spot-On brand was discontinued — having two competing brands in the diecast toy market being considered poor business practice.
According to Carville Stewart, in his book "Toys of Road Vehicles Made in New Zealand" [ISBN 978-0-473-51477-8], 6 die-casting machines were sent from Northern Ireland to New Zealand in 1968, in the hope that some useful life could be obtained from the Spot-On dies. The Triang (NZ) catalogue of 1968 lists 10 models, but by 1970 this had increased to 20 models. However of the 23 different models listed in the catalogues, only 16 appear to have been released. Triang Pedigree (NZ), as it was then known, announced in 1971 that the Spot-On range had been withdrawn from production.
The New Zealand produced Spot-On items were catalogued using a different item identifier to those used in the UK. Catalogues produced for the New Zealand market identified the following models:
| NZ No. | Vehicle | Release Dates | Probable Die Used |
|---|---|---|---|
| N101 | Morris Minor 1000 | Not known to have actually been issued | Ex-UK 289 die |
| N102 | Austin Healey Sports | Issued 1968-71(?) without driver figure | Ex-UK 219 die |
| N103 | MG Midget Sports | Issued 1968-71(?) without driver figure | Ex-UK 281 die |
| N104 | Morris Mini Van | Issued 1968-71(?) | Ex-UK 404 die |
| N105 | MG 1100 | Issued 1968-71(?) | Ex-UK 267 die |
| N106 | Morris 1100 | Issued 1968-71(?) | Ex-UK 262 die |
| N107 | Hillman Minx | Issued 1968-71(?) without roof rack | Ex-UK 287 die |
| N108 | Vauxhall Cresta | Issued 1968-71(?) | Ex-UK 280 die |
| N109 | Jaguar S Type | Issued 1968-71(?) | Ex-UK 276 die |
| N110 | Austin 1800 | Issued 1968-71(?) without boat or driver figure | Ex-UK 286 die |
| N111 | Ford Zodiac | Issued 1968-71(?) | Ex-UK 270 die |
| N112 | Land Rover | Issued 1968-71(?) without trailer | Ex-UK 308 die |
| N113 | Rolls Royce | Not known to have actually been issued | Ex-UK 103, 260, or 502 die(?) |
| N114 | Mercedes 230SL | Not known to have actually been issued | Ex-UK 278 die |
| N115 | Volkswagen Variant | Issued 1969-71(?) without roof rack | Ex-UK 401 die |
| N116 | MG PB Midget | Issued 1969-71(?) | Ex-UK 279 die |
| N117 | Tonibell Ice Cream Van | Issued 1969-71(?) | Ex-UK 265 die |
| N118 | Crash Service Land Rover | Issued 1969-71(?) | Ex-UK 402 die |
| N119 | Fire Department Land Rover | Issued 1969-71(?) without Firemen | Ex-UK 316 die |
| N120 | RAF Land Rover | Not known to have actually been issued | Ex-UK 415 die |
| N121 | Commer Window Cleaner's Van | Not known to have actually been issued | Ex-UK 315 die |
| N122 | Commer Security Express Van (Money Bank style?) | Not known to have actually been issued | Ex-UK 273 die(?) |
All New Zealand issues were released in the same size box. Boxes were of a lighter weight card and the cellophane used was very thin and rarely survives intact.
The bases were usually left unpainted and attempts were made to remove the UK number and "Made in Northern Ireland" text by filling over the area. However as this fill wore away, a ghost image of the text could be seen on some castings. It is believed that no attempt was ever made to add "Made in New Zealand" to the bases, however it did appear as "Made in New Zealand by Lines Bros. (N.Z.) Ltd." on the boxes.