Lesney was founded on January 19, 1947 as an industrial die-casting company by Leslie Smith (March 6, 1918 - May 26, 2005) and Rodney Smith (August 26, 1917 - July 20, 2013).
Lesney originally started operations in a derelict pub in north London (The Rifleman), but later, as finances allowed, changed location several times before finally moving to a factory in Hackney which became synonymous with the company.