Oxford Diecast 1/76 76CA004 Bedford CA Ice Cream Tonibell

The story of Tonibell ice cream goes back to 1937 when Italian born Tony Pignatelli and his Scottish wife founded an ice cream manufacturing business known as Toni’s in a high street shop in the Home Counties. They purchased their first mobile vehicle in 1951 – a bicycle with an ice cream container on the front. A year later they purchased a small van converted to sell ice cream complete with chimes! Business expanded and changed hands many times over the years, including the name which became Tonibell. At its peak, Tonibell ran 500 vans and 15 ice cream parlours. Of course, the 1960s was also a peak time for the ubiquitous split windscreen CA Van, so this popular little vehicle was a prime choice as an ice cream van. Here we see it in the bright pink colour scheme with side window hatch decorated with all the frozen delights on offer. The Tonibell cow, complete with cowbell, features all over the van, with the strap line ‘Tonibell dairy ice cream.’ Irresistible!