In 1912 Frank Hornby set up an office in Paris on Rue Ambroise Thomas to import Meccano toys into France. By 1921, the French market had proved so successful that production of Meccano began in Paris at the newly opened factory on Rue Rebeval, with another plant opening in 1929 at Bobigny where production of the Dinky Toys range would be based. In the early days production consisted mainly of model ships and aeroplanes, with vehicles gradually increasing in number.

By the 1950s the French Dinky Toys range had begun to diversify from that of the British parent company, concentrating on the products of the French motor manufacturers; Citroën, Renault, Peugeot and Simca, along with choices of American cars perhaps thought to be exotic to mainland Europe.

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