1986-7: Twinkle Eye Ponies

SPEEDY

Salmon pinkish unicorn pony with blue, white, yellow and lavender mane and tail, white and aqua rollerskates symbol. JEWELLED EYES.

Speedy is a complex character. Cast as the energetic, fun-loving, adrenalin junkie that loved to skate her way around ponyland, it isn't just her fellow ponies that she wound up giving a headache! Though Speedy was released in every country that Twinkle Eyes were sold in, she seems to have multiple editions. Firstly, we know for sure that in North America she was first sold as part of the three new characters in the early 1986 set. Then she was pulled over to be a sixth wheel in the 1987 set with five new characters. In the UK, she was sold as part of a set including Sky Rocket, Tic Tac Toe, Locket, Fizzy and Sweetie. And in Europe she seems to have been sold in two colours - the more common salmon and the paler colour, as shown below.

I have no clue what the story is behind the paler Speedy, except that she has shown up mostly on the continent. Speedy in the UK is generally the version shown above (indeed that Speedy photographed was bought here in the UK, just to prove my point). I believe that the continent possibly had both versions of Speedy - but I am badly in need of more information on this subject!

As part of the UK set, Speedy was one of the last year of ponies to be sold with a round puffy sticker. I have a distinct recollection, however, of ponies getting stickers mixed up and sometimes Speedy ended up with Fizzy's sticker!


PALE SPEEDY
(Thanks to Amanda for this picture)