Produced by British toymaker Palitoy between 1972 and 1980, Pippa was much shorter than normal fashion dolls at only 6.5 inches (16.5cm) tall, which meant production costs were low.
Employing subtle variations, Palitoy produced over 30 different ‘Pippa and Friends’ variants by using only three head moulds and different hairstyles.
They also produced numerous fashions for the dolls, along with an apartment, a pony, a car, and even her own hair salon.
Pippa’s first three friends launched in 1972 were Marie, Tammie and Britt. To reflect Britain’s increasingly diverse ethnic population, Pippa later had an Asian friend named Jasmine and a black friend named Mandy.
More friends like Gail, Emma, Rosemary and Penny and a boyfriend, Pete, were also added to the line.
Although originally marketed as “the pocket money fashion doll”, Pippa dolls have sold for as much as £1,400 in recent years.
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