Shite in Miniature II

[bunglebus]

The dreaded paper tags

[Hertz]

5 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Right, hopefully this'll post after all the earlier shenanigans… including, but not limited to, my laptop’s helpful* effort to insert every single image file on my hard drive into this post, rather than the one single picture of a Corgi Turbos Camaro that I was trying to upload… no idea how that’s even possible.

So! Friday tat… what came home in my bags??

Well, these two, for a start:

The Jaguar was inevitable, really – a mint, boxed Mettoy-era Corgi for a fiver? This week, I simply ran out of excuses not to.

I know they’ll never be valuable; I appreciate that finding a playworn one of these is several magnitudes of scale rarer than one that’s spent the last thirty-odd years in someone’s dining room cabinet. But it’s a neatly done casting, with plenty of detail such as the cabin cover, plus an opening bonnet and boot. The base is plastic, but there’s still a decent heft to this one.

I’m actively looking for the Mercedes 300SL in silver, from this “50’s Classics” range – one I had and trashed as a kid. Hopefully I’ll be able to track one down, but until then, there’s this.

It does beg the question though, if Mettoy hadn’t sunk so much capital into the doomed Dragon PC project which pushed them into receivership in late ’83, might they ultimately have developed their entire Corgi Classics range in 1/36 scale?

Hard to know whether the post-Mettoy 1/43 models (like that Chevrolet Bel Air I picked up a few weeks back) were always intended to be that size, or whether they were scaled down in an effort to trim costs? The big Corgi book is silent on the matter. But I can’t help look at my Vanguards display case and wonder what it might have looked like if 1/36 had become the dominant collector scale in the UK…

I took a whole load of pics of the Jag out of the box, but my phone managed to eat them – maybe I’ll try again later. It’s really very nice.

 

And, dropping a scale now, I also picked up the first colour release of the DY-6 Matchbox Dinky VW Beetle – I picked up a later version in black last year, and I also had a knackered one of these from a car boot sale many years ago (which I believe I passed on to the erstwhile @Hertz of this parish a while back).

As with the A40 van last week, I’m scooping these up as they’re still cheap and available – there’s a few I’m actively looking out for (like the Cadillac Eldorado, Tucker Torpedo and Mk1 Land Rover) but for five quid, I’m happy to hold on to this one for a while. The box is filthy but there's not much UV damage - unlike the one in the Smithfield model shop, where the blue plastic wheels have gone a nasty yellow from sun damage.

 

From Blokey’s tat box, then, I also picked up this regular-wheels King Size Scammell Mobile Crane (K-12):

Apart from the usual Lesney missing tyres due to hub shrinkage, and a hook that’s been chewed off, this is a rather nice example showing the fine detail that they were so capable of in the 1960s.

I really do love their take on the big Scammell, and – apart from the awkward lack of anywhere to place the jib other than directly onto the cab – this is a nice model , and one I’ve had my eye on for a while.

£3 was probably a fair price, and this’ll be joining my other King Size of the same era.

 

And I also picked this up from my second raid on the tat stall yesterday – since a load of old Corgi had magically appeared via an old fella with a plastic bag or diecast while I was getting all grabby-hands at the charity stall, apparently – a very early Corgi Morris Cowley, No. 202 in the original Corgi Toys launch range in 1956.

It’s a bit shabby, and I may have overpaid a smidge at a tenner, but the emotional connection is that my grandfather owned a Cowley just like this… so I felt a bit of a tug.

Ideally I would have swiped this and the big LaFrance aerial ladder (the childhood desire to own one hasn’t gone away) but I didn’t have the cash for both on me. So I came away with the Cowley, just.

It feels much lighter than later Corgi toys, owing to the tinplate base, and the glazing is a little murky – but it’s still rather charming. I may well gift this one to Cog Sr (he's the little one in the middle, in the above pic)…

 

Moving on then, to where the tat action’s happening: this week, it was all about the Charity Stall.

First up, scale-wise, is this: a Saico Mitsubishi Pajero Exceed, in 1/34 scale.

One one hand, it’s a cheapie Chinese pull-back toy – but it’s also pretty detailed, in fairness.

Some opening bits open, too.

Sadly, it seems that someone’s eaten the arse off it – rear bumper and spare wheel are AWOL.

But if anyone takes a shine to it, 50p would secure it!

 

Staying large-scale, there’s also this tinplate oddity:

Although there’s a little bit of rust creeping under the red lacquer, this is still surprisingly complete for a cheap toy that must be knocking on 50 years old.

From the shape, I’d guess this is a loose approximation of a Datsun 240Z.

No maker’s name or any other identifying features are present – not even a country of origin. Possibly the rear ‘number plate’ of MF 037 is a code of some sort.

The friction drive motor still works perfectly, too.

50p shiter price? Gotta be a bit of a rarity. I think @flat4alfa had expressed some interest in learning more about this one?

 

Keeping the far-eastern theme going, here’s a  Mercedes recovery truck by Hongwell:

The diecast crew cab’s pretty well done here, with opening doors; the plastic rear (with inevitable missing towing dolly) is a bit less good.

 It’s also utterly filthy, having no doubt spent a lot of time in an ankle-biter's toybox. Probably originally part of a ‘Junior Explorer’ set, available at Tesco and the like in the early 2000s.

Again, if anyone can make use of it, 50p would set it aside for you.

 

You may recall I speculatively bought a Matchbox K-28 Bedford TM skip truck last year, and have been trying to offload it ever since without success.

So, obviously, I went and bought another one.

In my defence, this one is in much nicer condition - even though there’s still no skips to load on…

Unsure whether to sell or keep this one… if you fancy making the decision for me, then again - £0.50.

 

Staying with Matchbox, I nabbed these because I thought they went together:

… but it turns out they don’t fit; the Porsche is too wide.

The trailer is from the K-46 set, and originally would have carried a single-seat racer, pulled behind a Mercury Commuter…

…whereas the Porsche belongs to the much later K-102 set. While the same trailer chassis is apparently used, a wider loadbed must have been fitted to tow the Porker behind the Dodge race support van.

Until I saw this in the tat box, I’d forgotten that I still have some unspecified grievance against the K-101 Racing Porsche. I don’t know why; I seem to recall this was a commonly-found car at jumble sales and in other kids’ toy boxes, but I just never liked it.

Maybe it’s the lack of opening parts; maybe it’s the weirdly blocky body kit with the DTM-style front spoiler that obscures the 911’s lines; maybe it’s the apparent lack of doors. But I had to push that feeling of antipathy down, and it felt odd after so many years to have to subdue that fractious little voice of dissent.

If either appeal, then 50p each will add 'em to your personal tat box.

 

Lastly on the Superkings front, it’s another K-41 Bandolero similar to the one @bunglebus picked up earlier this week – although missing one of the engine air scoops, annoyingly.

A few years ago I might have huffily written this one off as ‘fantasy crap’, but I can now kinda see Lesney’s progression here from real-life concept cars such as the Chevrolet Astro, the Dodge Charger III and the Adams Probe into their own designers’ realms of imagination. And if the kids of the time responded enthusiastically to these futuristic ideals, with all their giant canopies and twin V8 engines, who can blame them? There were still accurate replicas of road cars in the range, to cover all tastes.

It’s still not my bag, but I can see the joy to be found in these now.

50p, to anyone who wants to relive that groovy retro-futurism vibe!

 

Also, you’ll have noticed alongside a rather more austere 1980s depiction of a sports car – a Corgi Turbos Chevrolet Camaro.

As with the Matchbox Porsche, I’ve still a bit of side-eye for the budget 1/43 Turbos range, which seemed to crop up more often than I might have liked on birthdays and Christmases – their lack of compatibility with the rest of my car collection annoyed me.

They were always destined to lie unused in the toybox; too big to participate in play with the Matchbox Superfast-sized cars on the Motorcity playtrack, but noticeably puny alongside the Superkings and ‘normal’ Corgi vehicles.

Whereas in the 1960s, Corgi had sought to delight and inspire their young target market with ever-more elaborate working features, this was the 1980s flipside – no features, no detailing, sparse interior and a deadly-dull and squinty tampo print on the same blue that Ford seemed to slap on Fiesta Populars. Using generic tiny wheels that gave no ground clearance just put the tin hat on it. Compared to the exquisitely detailed Sierra Ghia, this was a travesty.

But, lest I sound like an ungrateful little bugger, it’s maybe worth bearing in mind that it made toys available across a range of prices, and I’m sure there were plenty of kids who were able to afford Turbos with their pocket money, when ‘full size’ Corgis were simply out of reach. Profits from basic mid-range Corgis like this probably enabled lower prices at the more detailed end of the catalogue…

50p, to anyone who likes the misery!

 

Staying at 1/43 scale, here’s another worthy contender from Bburago for the ‘who did it worse’ Mk1 Range Rover competition from a few weeks back:

Not that it’s awful; just perhaps a little bit wide, and a little bit flatter than it ought.

But the overall shape is good, and apart from some dried mud suggesting some exciting adventures in the flowerbed in this model’s past, it’s in pretty good shape.

50p on this one!

 

And now… well, I’ll let the pics speak for themselves.

Ok, so you may recall ‘Old Gluey’, the Oxford Anglia van that showed up on the Tat Stall last year with a few unusual enhancements (and is now set aside for a certain E.Ramrod of this parish, having found its way into the 50p box in January)...

...and also a Mini with similar, erm, additions…

…well, I’d be suspicious that this is the handiwork of the same, um, restorer.

The use of chunky diamante earrings and lashings and lashing of UHU to add massive spotlights seems a bit of a clue.

I’m just trying to work out what’s going on here… is it the work of a child? A disturbed adult? An art project of some description?

On one hand, it’s bizarrely cackhanded – the wheels are all wrong, the addition of paint and glitter-glue looks like it was done in the dark, while drunk – yet there’s certainly some sort of peculiar artistry at work.

The driver is an unexpected touch. It’s as if John Waters decided to forego filmmaking and launch a diecast collectables line.

It’s bizarre and faintly troubling.

It’s yours for free, if you can stand to look at it for more than a few minutes without feeling queasy. There's quite a decent 1/43 Chevrolet Caprice under all that goop.

 

And then, some more free-form customisation… I’d guess by the same genius.

Lost a wheel? Never mind, plenty more in the back.

This is also peculiar as it seemingly started out as quite a nice Altaya partwork model from their Michelin collection – but somehow, this horror has been visited on it.

I mean, at first you’d think it’d been painted with an icing bag – yet there’s some big ol’ hairy brush bristles right there on the bonnet.

What is even going on with the wheels? I can see why you might want to make a toy more realistic – but why make a decent model less realistic?

As the kids probably said about ten years ago, I can’t even.

HALP.

Take it away, for the love of God. Free.

 

Okay – sorry to leave you hanging, but I really have to go and do some errands this afternoon – so I’ll be back with Part 3 (or is it Part 4?) of the Friday Market Odyssey later. Yup, that's the smol stuff…

@Datsuncog Yep the Beetle is on our sideboard. It also has a Christmas tree attached to it at Christmas time and becomes part of an Autoshite nativity set.

[Dick Longbridge]

18 minutes ago, Floatylight said:

Found this fabulous shop in a garden centre just outside Uttoxeter today...

Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk
 

Rancho!

[Amishtat]

47 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

The dreaded paper tags

Yeah, I know.. But look.. A Husky Mk. X with an intact front bumper. How was I supposed to resist that? Fuck knows what the chrome effect is all about but never mind. 

[Tenmil Socket]

I found these earlier that I’d forgotten about.

 

[Tenmil Socket]

Corgi did the escort vans with opening rear doors and then sealed then also with the windows cut out. Note the late registration madness ?

[Tenmil Socket]

The rear bumper on the escort with the spoiler seems to have the rear bumper upside down from the factory as it’s not been opened.

[bunglebus]

16 minutes ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Still trying to find a standard Matchbox SD1

[flat4alfa]

7 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Lastly on the Superkings front, it’s another K-41 Bandolero similar to the one @bunglebus picked up earlier this week – although missing one of the engine air scoops, annoyingly.

50p, to anyone who wants to relive that groovy retro-futurism vibe!

I’ve got the Police Bandolero already, that was renamed to ‘Fuzz Buggy’. Notice that it’s RHD, whereas ‘Shovel Nose’ is LHD

At 50p I can’t say no to the civilian version too

[flat4alfa]

49 minutes ago, Tenmil Socket said:

I found these earlier that I’d forgotten about.

Oh look, an original Big Banger, and one that hasn’t lost its massive engine 

[Datsuncog]

3 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Guy I do a bit of work for mentioned he has various cars he's had for years, got him to dig them out today. There were some interesting things buried under a load of MOY stuff. Apparently he has boxes of Scalextrix, no idea what he's doing with any of it

"Nah m8, that Matchbox stuff's worthless innit - no demand for stuff like that, see? You can still buy 'em new in Tesco for a quid, can't you? Who's gonna want a second hand one? But since I'm a softie, I'll give you two quid for the Ford. See those Days Gone and Yesteryears though - you hang onto them, m8, they'll be worth a packet someday*!!"

 

*said day being 14th October, 3239.

** I'm sure you offered a much more impartial view!

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

I’ve got the Police Bandolero already, that was renamed to ‘Fuzz Buggy’. Notice that it’s RHD, whereas ‘Shovel Nose’ is LHD

At 50p I can’t say no to the civilian version too

Sold! To the chap with previous form in such fantasy acquisitions!

Always wondered why 'Shovel Nose' was called 'Clipper' in its smaller Rolamatics version...

[Richard_FM]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

"Nah m8, that Matchbox stuff's worthless innit - no demand for stuff like that, see? You can still buy 'em new in Tesco for a quid, can't you? Who's gonna want a second hand one? But since I'm a softie, I'll give you two quid for the Ford. See those Days Gone and Yesteryears though - you hang onto them, m8, they'll be worth a packet someday*!!"

 

*said day being 14th October, 3239.

** I'm sure you offered a much more impartial view!

Sold! To the chap with previous form in such fantasy acquisitions!

Always wondered why 'Shovel Nose' was called 'Clipper' in its smaller Rolamatics version...

I remember having a Clipper in maroon.  Some of those designs were quite weird, like the cars from a forgotten Gerry Anderson show. 

Interestingly I believe Dinky made some models based on a Gerry Anderson show called The Investigator which was scrapped after a test reel didn't get any backers interested.  I assume they had already purchased the rights to make some models, assuming it was going to be a full series.

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, Richard_FM said:

Interestingly I believe Dinky made some models based on a Gerry Anderson show called The Investigator which was scrapped after a test reel didn't get any backers interested.  I assume they had already purchased the rights to make some models, assuming it was going to be a full series.

Anyone have an ‘Armoured Command Car’ sitting about?

https://dinkytvspace.com/2018/09/23/investigator-car-and-boat/

I’d like to paint one red

[Spottedlaurel]

This shot summarises most of what I was up to yesterday on the S.I.M. front:

1:24 Aoshima Toyota Ipsum kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Took a brave pill, masked-up the Ipsum and painted it 2-tone, also finished off lots of interior painting on it, and lowered the suspension. Doors, boot and bonnet fitted to Maserati. Little bit of engine painting on Corvette, but the major thing on that was its bodywork getting its final coat of paint.

1:24 Aoshima Toyota Ipsum kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

With suspension dropped by at least 50mm in scale, would be difficult to get much lower and keep the original set-up.

1:24 Aoshima Toyota Ipsum kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

With champagne gold lower half. Difficult to describe the relief I felt when I pulled the tape back and a) it didn't take the original green paint with it, and b) the edges are clean with no bleeding. There is a decent, well-defined recess to work to at least.

1:25 Monogram Maserat 3500 GT kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Maserati starting to look like a real car, at last. Panel fit surprisingly good for what I believe is an old, ex-Aurora kit, but hinging a bit tight on the doors so they may need modification. Worst job to do now is fit the front/rear glass - it has minimal overlap for glue, might have to add some tabs.

1:24 Monongram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Monongram 1965 Corvette kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Straight out of the can, already quite shiny. As I have come to realise since I started work on this one, C2 Corvettes have a rather complicated shape with a lot of risk of polishing through the paint on all those high points.......

[warch]

6 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

Anyone have an ‘Armoured Command Car’ sitting about?

I wish! I don't think there is anything I don't love about that design, especially the radar dish purloined off the roof of a frigate. Isn't the driver a bit undernourished though?

[Bren]

17 minutes ago, warch said:

I wish! I don't think there is anything I don't love about that design, especially the radar dish purloined off the roof of a frigate. Isn't the driver a bit undernourished though?

Fooking awful. Uglier than a fight at a traveller wedding.

[Jon]

Few more scenes, still working on the technique:

I envisaged this being over the other side of the road to the building - which would be correct if they drove on the left in the US!

 

That's better. I imagine an R17 is a little smaller than a Chevy Nova, despite both being 'compacts'.

 

Technically this is supposed to be a Bedford CF but I don't see it at all, tbh. Far more US van in this casting, even if the CF2 was heavily US van influenced in styling.

 

 

Ooft! Colour's a bit glib on this one. Maybe there's a forest fire close by or something.

 

Love the colour of this Play Art 244, even if those wheels are awful. Were it not for the stop sign and fire hydrant, I reckon this could have passed for an Aussie or NZ background, as the painted signs and architecture were popular there at the time.

 

Anyway, I'm beginning to run out of castings sold as US models, so will have to start recycling some subjects for other backdrops, if y'all approve?

 

 

 

[bunglebus]

Corgi Merc secured - this is the same seller Amishtat buys from at the Wednesday boot sale. He's not going next week but has all these 1:64 at £4/3 for £10. Many of them are in really good condition, although I did see a crushed MB RS2000 that I'd rejected in a 50p box elsewhere among them

[Tenmil Socket]

16 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Still trying to find a standard Matchbox SD1

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Matchbox-Corgi-Rover-SD1-3500-Wizzwheels-Superfast/114300606583?hash=item1a9cd8d877:g:n3EAAOSwygVfCyPm

[Sudsprint]

23 hours ago, warch said:

I've returned to the automotive fold with this rather nice 1/43 model of an Opel Kadett C, by ART. It's nicely detailed apart from the lack of wing mirrors and I'm really pleased with it. I don't actually like toy/model cars to have too much detail especially delicate parts that can easily break off or be damaged and this fits the bill perfectly. I considered the Solido version in the same scale which also looks nice. 

The real car is one of my favourite looking cars ever, but they must be pretty rare these days. I was considering buying one but I'm unsure of parts availability and also they almost never come up for sale. 

 

Completely with you on how pretty these were. Family opposite when I grew up had two white ones on the drive when they were new.

[bunglebus]

Here's the Merc I was asked to buy, it's lovely

 

20200719_122320 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122325 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122329 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122338 by RS, on Flickr

 

I also got these at £5 each if anyone wants them?

 

20200719_122407 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122419 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122419 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122401 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122424 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122457 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122435 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122506 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122513 by RS, on Flickr

 

I believe the white residue is just polish

[flat4alfa]

Just got back from big car boot

Didn’t even break into a note

I’M CURED !!
 

 

[bunglebus]

Here's the stuff I got for myself, a few from the trader and some out of 30-50p boxes

 

I have a few of these Mercurys, but these are likely better than my existing ones

 

20200719_122611 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122525 by RS, on Flickr

 

30p Sand Cat because the cat's head usually goes AWOL

 

20200719_122655 by RS, on Flickr

 

Rockets off the trader's stall

 

20200719_122713 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122743 by RS, on Flickr

 

Along with a nice Tincorner

 

20200719_122851 by RS, on Flickr

 

Shabby RS2000 was probably not the best choice from his stall, but I had this one, with the trailer and glider as a nipper

 

20200719_122913 by RS, on Flickr

 

Yellow Golf seems to be less common than the other colours - surfboards AWOL as usual

 

20200719_122925 by RS, on Flickr

 

Regular wheels Stude was too nice to leave behind

 

20200719_122952 by RS, on Flickr

 

Back to the cheap stuff, FAB 1 is utterly ridiculous but can accompany my Tomica one

 

20200719_123027 by RS, on Flickr

 

These poxy trucks seem to follow me home, but I do need this one to fix the red #6 Ford Pickup that is currently grille-less

 

20200719_123059 by RS, on Flickr

 

Found a good body for my Majorette Sterckeman caravan that goes with the K70 I bought recently. This one has a broken hitch

 

20200719_123122 by RS, on Flickr

 

Ooh, metal base Husky MK10 Jag for 30p! That must mean the bumpers are intact...

 

20200719_123200 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_123208 by RS, on Flickr

 

...bugger.

 

No-Name Chinese E30

 

20200719_123255 by RS, on Flickr

 

Not come across this Zylmex before, Pug 405 rally slag

 

20200719_123415 by RS, on Flickr

[Bren]

I had the corgi mercedes as a taxi. Looking at that and the scammell it reminds me of 70's christmas.

[bunglebus]

6 minutes ago, Bren said:

I had the corgi Mercedes as a taxi. Looking at that and the Scammell it reminds me of 70's Christmas.

I can't remember who wanted it, too many posts on this thread to find it!

[AndyW201]

6 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

I can't remember who wanted it, too many posts on this thread to find it!

Twas me!

[Datsuncog]

Alright then, so where were we? How to make a simple jaunt to the market last all weekend… but hopefully worth the wait, kids!

Ok, so dropping down a scale further in the pruck scooped from the Charity Stall, there's this bunch of  Lesney-related delights:

A Chinese-made Super GT reworking of the old Superfast No.3 Monteverdi Hai from 1973, with the exciting name of ‘BR 15/16’. ‘

BR’ stood for ‘Budget Range’, while this was the fifteenth out of sixteen different castings produced in the range, all in a wide variety of colours and contrasting tampo prints.

Although Matchbox International ‘s 1980s reworkings of these pensioned-off Superfast castings dropped features like interiors, opening doors, cast bases and clear glazing, the ‘Monteverdi’ lettering is still clearly shown on the rear panel.

The wheels are standard 1980s ‘dot-dash’ items, which look a bit small in the arches… the original Superfast Hai had slightly larger and wider 5-spoke wheels, for that supercar stance.

This one’s not quite mint, but it is in reasonable shape – for what it is. 20p, to whoever wants it?

 

Next up, it’s a No.29 Racing Mini – another strong contender for the title of ‘getting a Mini totally the wrong shape’, which toymakers have been strenuously vying for since 1959.

Actually, the Matchbox effort isn’t all that bad – given the size, the only real error is that the rear end is a bit too flat and upright. If it were angled a bit more, it’d be pretty good. For comparison, take a look at Corgi Juniors’ crack at the same idea, with their on-the-wonk Vita-Mini version…

Other than damaged glazing and a dropped-down dashboard, this one’s actually in reasonable shape, with no casting damage that I can see and even the axles are running true.

50p on this? Think @flat4alfa was interested in this one also...

 

And then, a bit of a basket case – a No.64 MG 1100, suffering the same sort of underside woes and suspension problems that you might expect to find on its full-size counterpart:

Yup, it seems that someone’s broken off part of the rear base casting, and so the entire rear is now free-floating.

Add to that the glazing maladies, and the missing headlight, and you’re in for a whole world of misery.

On the flipside, the body casting is undamaged and both driver and doggo in the back seat still look happy enough, despite the parlous state of their vehicle.

Say 20p, as spares or repairs?

 

Now, on to some of the Matchbox’s competition – a trio of Huskys:

The Buick Electra police car was the first thing I spotted in the rummage box that tipped me off that there may be Things Worth Digging For within… even though it’s in poor shape, I ended up scooping it anyway.

Front end kinda looks like it’s been prepped for the Stan Woods Memorial banger event:

Glazing cracks to the back window and a missing A-post (the other being cracked) also are less than ideal.

However, having learned a lot more about Huskys in recent months, it’s still a nice model to handle. This would have been No.9 in the range, dating from 1964 – a variant of the plain red sedan version, No.7. If only they’d used metal bases on these early cars (though as @bunglebus observed on his latest MkX purchase, it's not guaranteed...)

20p takes this 'un!

 

Also from the initial Husky range launch is the No.3 Mercedes 220, in similarly ‘pre-loved’ condition…

Again, some damage to the grille, and the rear bumpers have the ends knocked off – plus glazing bust front and back, with some pressure damage to the front of the roof.

On the plus side, the bootlid’s still attached.

A brave restoration – for 20p?

 

Lastly in our Husky haul, a No.7B Willys Jeep from 1968/69, part of the second wave of Husky releases now featuring cast wheels, metal bases and a larger scale.

A few days back, I think someone was asking on here why Corgi had released the Jaguar MkX in two different scales. The simple answer is that when being devised in 1963, the Husky range was scaled to be 00 gauge railway compatible, similar to Matchbox toys - but that quickly went out of fashion.

Partly in response to the threat posed by Husky, Lesney scaled their new model releases upwards in the mid-60s (e.g. the MG 1100) to make them appear bigger, and thus better value for money than Husky. Corgi accordingly made their small range bigger, from 1967 onwards.

Although it might seem strange to scale up an existing model rather than just create a new one, it was quicker and cheaper to use existing blueprints to produce a new set of larger casting moulds, rather than create an entire new model from scratch. (Corgi pulled this stunt again with the Rolls Royce Corniche in the mid-70s too, when moving from 1/43 to 1/36 scale.) But after all, Matchbox were the first to do exactly the same thing in the late 1950s, scaling up most of their range to make them appear more substantial.

Corgi had quickly realised that the Husky range – produced exclusively for Woolworths stores – was potentially more of a money-spinner than they’d anticipated, and they were desperate to release themselves from the Woolworths contract. So it’s also possible they were walking a tightrope of trying to keep sales afloat, while running down the clock on the contract – and saving their best designs for the point at which they’d be able to generate the profits for themselves.

The smaller version of the MkX ran from 1964 to 1967, while the larger one only lasted from 1967 to 1969 – when Woolworths agreed to release Corgi from the Husky contract (partly to gain access to the much-touted, but ill-fated, Corgi Rockets range).

While we're on the subject...

19 hours ago, Amishtat said:

Fuck knows what the chrome effect is all about but never mind. 

The chrome-plated version of the MkX mentioned yesterday was listed as a separate model in the range (No.18) to the normal painted version (No.1), and was available in small and larger sizes between 1964 and 1969 – so it must have sold well enough.

While it maybe looks a bit naff now, Corgi had been very proud of their vacuum-plating process, first shown off on the Bentley Continental’s brightwork in 1961. They also produced a few mainline Corgi Toys, such as the Mercedes 300SL, in a gold-chrome reflective finish, more as a novelty than anything else, as well as some special one-off presentation models for board directors and the like.

The process would later be enhanced by Mattel for their Hot Wheels ‘Spectraflame’ paint design, which consisted of a vacuum-plated casting sprayed with tinted clear lacquer. Corgi, in turn, would use this process on their Rockets range, termed their ‘Solarbrite’ finish.

Yeah, anyway… the Willys Jeep!

This is quite a nice model, even if maybe a touch wide – with a set of tyres and a non-headless driver, this could be quite a nice little thing… think I might hold onto it, for now.

 

And then, moving into the post-Husky years: this lot.

Well, what have we?

A Whizzwheels Ferrari 512S (No.50) and Marcos XP (No.71), both dating from 1971.

Both are nicely chunky models with a diecast base. The Marcos had very briefly appeared the year before in the Rockets range (as No.911) in gold Solarbrite, but this was the first outing for the Ferrari.

I’ve never seen either of these before, and while they’re not so much in my realm of interest, someone might like ‘em for 50p each? Though I may give them a bit of a scrub first, as they’re minging.

 

And then there’s this… another Whizzwheels, but quite a rarity. When I saw it in the bottom of the tub, I did let out a little gasp.

Yup, it’s the 1012 James Bond S.P.E.C.T.R.E  Bobsleigh, part of the non-mainline ‘Corgi Extras’ range from 1970 to ‘72. The ‘1000’ range consisted of film and TV tie-in models, such as Bond, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Batman, and were initially separate from the Juniors range.

This model depicts a henchman from the James Bond film, ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ piloting a fairly loose approximation of a bobsleigh – with wheels. A yellow 007-stickered bobsleigh was also produced, with the idea no doubt that the pair of them could be raced side by side on the Rockets track.

But no more Rockets track after its sudden lawsuit-induced halt in 1971, meant limited sales of the bobsleighs.

Consequently these are pretty rare, even though this one has more than a few chips and is missing its grey plastic bumper (like the one fitted to the Reliant Ant, to keep it on the Rockets track).

How rare?

Go on, have a look on eBay, or another online auction site of your choice.

Yup. That rare.

I think I’ll be holding on to this one for now, as well… while I don’t often go in for flogging stuff on Fleabay, this could boost my available diecast slush-fund levels and allow me to get a coupla things I really want...

 

And on the topic of rarity…

Yes, there was a Corgi Rockets Jensen Interceptor (No.906) lurking in there too.

You can see why I was so thankful to have toddled over that way, can’t you?

Now, I picked one of these up last year, and my spreadsheets indicate that because I am EXCELLUNT BISNISSMAN I managed to pick it up for £1, and then sell it to @sierraman for 50p.

I’ve actually found myself suffering a few pangs of regret ever since on that one, so I might hang on to this one too –at least, until such time as I can find an earlier Husky version with more faithfully-sized wheels as a replacement… not mint, but not bad, all things considered.

NFS, for now (though dibs can be placed now for any future offloading)

 

Also on the topic of regret, I sold not just one, but THREE Ford D types a few years back – a white, rubber-wheeled Husky version and two yellow Whizzwheels, like this one.

Not long after, I started to wish I’d kept one, preferably the Husky one as it was nearly mint. But this will do for now – and will pair well with a Juniors articulated trailer I turned up a few months back.

So  - also NFS. Until I get another white one, that is.

 

Lastly, in my personal haul, this modern Majorette Renault Kangoo just appealed to me, I don’t know why.

There’s no opening parts, unusually, but it’s in nice shape and I do kinda like the Kangoo. So this may find itself joining the ever-expanding and eclectic DC tat collection too.

 

Finally (finally!), some of the weirdos and misfits of the diecast world:

For those of you who are livin’ the vanner life in miniature, any interest in this Welly Ford (?) van? Bit dirty, but in reasonable overall condition and boasting custom twin sunroofs and rear windows. Base advises No.91112 as its manufacturing code.

Also, a no-name Jeep CJ-5 with rubbish wheels and hilariously narrow track, but quite a nicely executed body casting. A bumper corner is missing, but otherwise it’s not bad. It has No.98510 on the underside… also a Welly, perhaps?

Lastly, a no-name (but maybe also Welly) Chevrolet sedan (?), with code No.98372…

In its custard yellow, I might have expected this to be wearing taxi decals, but either way it’s not a bad rendering. Seems familiar, somehow… I may have had a police version of this, once upon a time…

20p each on any of these three!

So, there y’go…apologies for assorted digressions, and the length of time taken to get this typed up – maybe next week will be quieter, hey?

Til then, tat-fans!!

[Datsuncog]

14 hours ago, Richard_FM said:

Interestingly I believe Dinky made some models based on a Gerry Anderson show called The Investigator which was scrapped after a test reel didn't get any backers interested.  I assume they had already purchased the rights to make some models, assuming it was going to be a full series.

Ah, interesting! I'd always wondered about that peculiar item in the '76 catalogue - and what Anderson's possible involvement could have been.

Yup, seems that prototype toys had been made but the show didn't get beyond a pilot. A few years on, presumably a cash-strapped Dinky found the blueprints and thought they could get a few sales out of it.

The sparking bit at the front looks interesting!

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Here's the Merc I was asked to buy, it's lovely

 

20200719_122320 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122325 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122329 by RS, on Flickr

20200719_122338 by RS, on Flickr

Cor, that Merc's lush!

I was just too slow to put my hand up last week - one of those is on my wantlist, for sure.

[bunglebus]

2 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Cor, that Merc's lush!

I was just too slow to put my hand up last week - one of those is on my wantlist, for sure.

Look into my eyes, not around the eyes - you want the two Scammels!

[Richard_FM]

6 hours ago, warch said:

I wish! I don't think there is anything I don't love about that design, especially the radar dish purloined off the roof of a frigate. Isn't the driver a bit undernourished though?

It looks like something Panhard would produce if they let the designer of the Dyna cars transfer to the military vehicle section while enjoying the other excesses of the late 1960s.