Shite in Miniature II

[Datsuncog]

I remember reading a section in that McGimpsey & Orr book, 'Collecting Matchbox Diecast Toys - The First Forty Years' about the way Lesney colour samples and even pre-production trials were often boxed up and sold just like any other model - I'll see if I can find it later.

They used the cream version of the No.62 Mercury Cougar as an example: for years there had been rumours of these colour variants existing and it later came out that a fairly large pre-production trial batch in this colour had been made in 1968, evaluated, and given the thumbs-down by management - but ultimately boxed up anyway and shipped out to Lesney's South African distributor along with regular stock.

I think the general gist was 'no-one really gave it much thought, they were only kiddy toys'.

[danthecapriman]

28 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

I remember reading a section in that McGimpsey & Orr book, 'Collecting Matchbox Diecast Toys - The First Forty Years' about the way Lesney colour samples and even pre-production trials were often boxed up and sold just like any other model - I'll see if I can find it later.

They used the cream version of the No.62 Mercury Cougar as an example: for years there had been rumours of these colour variants existing and it later came out that a fairly large pre-production trial batch in this colour had been made in 1968, evaluated, and given the thumbs-down by management - but ultimately boxed up anyway and shipped out to Lesney's South African distributor along with regular stock.

I think the general gist was 'no-one really gave it much thought, they were only kiddy toys'.

Sounds about right. I suppose it’s true that they’re only toys and there was actually nothing wrong with any of the colour samples/pre pro ones. They were just slightly different one way or another so why not just sell them with regular stock!?

It just seems quite interesting to me that they did so, instead of, as happens in this day and age, where such things don’t and end up destroyed or put in the company vault!

[MiniMinorMk3]

It is interesting to note that the original box for the Mercury Cougar had a yellowish car on the box.

But then changed to a green car when the box was updated.

Also the cream coloured cars has a cream interior.

and if you do find a battered one it is worth buying, as this heavily play worn example had an estimate of £100-£150 when auctioned in 2021

And to blow everyones' minds, here's a colour trial Superfast Cougar. This model originally came from the Peter Smith Collection. Smith was a Lesney designer and model maker.

[sierraman]

I have a swept wing Jet in a blue that was never released. Really would have been a nice little pension if you’d worked at a Lesney doing a few ‘commisions’ that fell in your bag at night. 

[flat4alfa]

Might explain the colour of the King Size Cougar

 

Do not google that.

[flat4alfa]

That US advert also has a cream Cortina MKII with a red roof rack

[flat4alfa]

They teased us with red(ish) King Size Cougar on the box

And in the wall poster

[MiniMinorMk3]

The shop window paper posterette had a red King Size car 

You beat me to it.

 

Oh well here's a pre-production silver one with bluish-grey seats

[flat4alfa]

Likewise teasing us with red Charger

[MiniMinorMk3]

Now we all know Vanguards are always trying to find ways of cashing in on appealing to collector's.

Well one of their most cynical attempts was their pre-production bare casting models.

MkIII Cortina

Triumph TR7

Hillman Avenger

[flat4alfa]

12 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Oh well here's a pre-production silver one with bluish-grey seats

So that went for £1,200 in February this year.  Same sale as the yellow Mercury Commuter

Both tagged with this again:

Quote

Consigned for sale direct from ex-Lesney employee

So who was it?  Gavin from Marketing?  Or was it Cyril from Payroll.  Nope, Pauline from the typing pool.

[sierraman]

Let’s be honest, we’d all be hoarding 50 of these each if it had made production.

[danthecapriman]

Seeing these is annoying!😁

It still makes me wonder why they didn’t do more releases in different colours! The Cougar, both scales looks great in beige, red, silver… the Charger looks great in red (and black!)… The actual release colours are good too, but it just seems a real missed opportunity for them to have occasionally got more use from a casting by simply running it with a different colour paint in the machine when they made them. Even if it was a colour change every year or something. 
Of course I’m half a century (and the rest in some cases!) too late saying this!

[sierraman]

30 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

Seeing these is annoying!😁

It still makes me wonder why they didn’t do more releases in different colours! The Cougar, both scales looks great in beige, red, silver… the Charger looks great in red (and black!)… The actual release colours are good too, but it just seems a real missed opportunity for them to have occasionally got more use from a casting by simply running it with a different colour paint in the machine when they made them. Even if it was a colour change every year or something. 
Of course I’m half a century (and the rest in some cases!) too late saying this!

A lot will be down to licensing, they’ll probably have to run any colour choices via the manufacturer. Ferrari and Rolls Royce are notoriously shitty about this. 

[danthecapriman]

Parcel today bringing a little trip down memory lane for me!

These are both toys I had as a kid, ones I really liked and they got played with to death. I think both finished their days out in the garden before disappearing for good somewhere or other.

These are both really nice condition though and definitely not going to be getting ruined!

Majorette Renault Master tipper. Hours of fun was had with my old one filling the back with rocks and dirt in my garden building site!😆

Majorette Range Rover. My old one was a different colour to this but this one’s is nicer. My old one was last seen off reading in the mud out in the garden. Pretty sure the axles ended up rusting through and snapping off in the end.

[Datsuncog]

19 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Resorted to eBay to get my Ultra Hots SP2

Yaay!

I'll stand down my expeditions to ever-more far-flung branches of B&M, in that case. Haven't seen any more Ultra Hots on the shelves for about two weeks now - I reckon they've all sold through.

Want me to get the rest of yours in the post?

There are rumblings imminent that the back bedroom is next on the redecoration list, so I fear the DC Secret Diecast Sanctuary is about to take a direct hit...

PS - that looked nasty, with the saw - hopefully they got it out ok?

[flat4alfa]

Do not google 'Ultra Hots'

You get photos like these

and subscription offers for bottles of supplements.

It's a minefield out there.

[MiniMinorMk3]

10 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Do not google 'Ultra Hots'

 

Have you tried "Ultra Hot Cougars"?

[egg]

I think I asked this a while back, but where's the best source of a Matchbox Ami pls?

[bunglebus]

2 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Parcel today bringing a little trip down memory lane for me!

These are both toys I had as a kid, ones I really liked and they got played with to death. I think both finished their days out in the garden before disappearing for good somewhere or other.

These are both really nice condition though and definitely not going to be getting ruined!

Majorette Renault Master tipper. Hours of fun was had with my old one filling the back with rocks and dirt in my garden building site!😆

Majorette Range Rover. My old one was a different colour to this but this one’s is nicer. My old one was last seen off reading in the mud out in the garden. Pretty sure the axles ended up rusting through and snapping off in the end.

I've had both of those - the tipper was a bit shabby

My Rangie is a turquoise green but doesn't photograph well

 

[bunglebus]

25 minutes ago, egg said:

I think I asked this a while back, but where's the best source of a Matchbox Ami pls?

I've seen them in my local Tesco recently

[bunglebus]

4 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

 

4 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Both got crap wheels like most of the ones I see. I wonder how they all got through QC like it

[MiniMinorMk3]

3 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

 

Both got crap wheels like most of the ones I see. I wonder how they all got through QC like it

They were probably OK when they left the factory.

Various old diecasts suffer the same problem of tyres reacting with plastic wheels.

[flat4alfa]

The Vectis auction mentions

Quote

 with usual reaction between hubs & tyres

 

[Datsuncog]

Yeah, I think it's an unfortunate chemical reaction between the hub and the tyre causing that grot round the rim - it wouldn't have been there when new, but 50+ years later...

Wasn't there one of the 70s Italian manufacturers whose wheels have all now basically melted because of a similar reaction - even shiny mint & boxed ones?

[flat4alfa]

On 6/20/2023 at 5:11 PM, flat4alfa said:

Never seen one of those, ever.  It was part of the 2021 range

Went Poundland in town centre.  Not one Matchbox in sight.  Wasted time.  However, store was luckily quite empty, so didn't catch fleas.

Just wanted a Matchbox 1979 Chevy Nova.  So got some Ibuprofen instead.

Found out reason why Poundland have it.  It's part of 2021 Mix 3 that like 2021 Mix 5, Tesco never got hold of.  But Poundland seem to have done so.

'09 International eStar
1957 Dodge Sweptside Pickup
1965 Land Rover Gen II
1971 MGB GT Coupe
1976 Honda CVCC
2011 MINI Countryman
2019 Ford Mustang Coupe
Ford F-550 Super Duty
Nissan NV Van
Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet
Road Stripe King
Skidster
Speed Trapper

[flat4alfa]

Dinky Mercedes-Benz W116 resin prototype

Sold at the Vectis 'Dinky Archive Collection Sale' December 2007 for £380

Sold again at the Vectis 'Specialist Diecast' November 2015 for £180

GR9 investment.

[flat4alfa]

Never knew about these either.  Matchbox Kingsize prototypes!

Not put my finger on what that was supposed to be.  I see elements of a few cars 

Oh I think that's supposed to be a Ferrari 365 GTC/4.  That's a bit of a lost opportunity.

Well I never.  So to make that work, the interconnected crankshafts must run to a differential at the front of the car?  I bet the torque steer is wonderful.

[bunglebus]

Can you imagine if they'd made that one? 50% more lost engine opportunities than a Gruesome Twosome!

Anyway I reckon it has a V drive taking power from the front crank under all the engines to the rear axle

[Jon]

Here's some more needless images of some diecasts from my cobbled together studio the other night;

I was getting a spy thriller/underworld vibe but am not sure that an Armstrong Siddley Sapphire quite fits!

P6 is made for the job, though. Transolite helps, too.

 

MGB driven by the vulnerable blonde with the smokey eyeliner.

 

That well known ne'er do well motor, the Austin 1800.

 

 

Token Yank action,  just because.

Apologies for the mostly small images, as many were uploading upside-down.