Corgi Model Club: The Toronado arrives

 In a busy week for both Corgi and my postman, the Oldsmobile Toronado now arrives in Golden Jacks style as the Model Club's re-issue of #276. They chose the scarcer amber-yellow colour and it looks lovely. The Oldsmobile Toronado first appeared in a delightful shade of metallic blue with the very nice pale cream interior and with normal shaped wheels and without a tow bar. I missed this model when I was collecting Corgis as a child and was most impressed with it when I started to rebuild my collection. That was one of the first 'new' models that I bought.

It gets cast wheels shortly after being released and then a red and this amber-yellow editions come out with the Golden Jacks wheels.

Once again I have to take the Model Club to task on the text they write in the accompanying Certificate of Authenticity!! They say that this model with a tow bar appeared with the Glastron speedboat in Gift Set 36. No, only a version of #264 was issued in Gift Set 36, not the #276. The boxed edition of #264 did not have a towbar. All the Golden Jacks #276 models did have a towbar but they did not pull the trailer with a Glastron speedboat although, I suppose, there was no reason why collectors would swap them over.

Quite what the model was supposed to tow I am not sure and I have written before about Corgis with hooks and towbars and the comparatively limited things Corgi issued which they could attach.

However, that's another story. Maybe this Certificate will get replaced like I have suggested the Batmobile one may too, in which case those getting these early issues may have something a little scarce. We shall see.

So here is the new issue in all its glory:

I don't remember having the header card with any of mine. It isn't as pretty as Corgi's usual header cards but If that's what they did then OK, never mind, and it's nice that the Club decided to include this.

I have to smile at the reverse of the box where the artist must have only had on old #264 with cast wheels available when doing the illustration!

You'll see that the model itself is, as is now customary for the Model Club issues, very accurate. I cannot fault the bodywork, chrome, interior or wheels at all. Really well done.

Even the tow hook is accurate (and usefully a bit stronger too!). But then you turn up the lights . . .

Oh dear. They don't look right. Neat as they may be in comparison to the originals, they're just the same old plastic things which the Club are using whenever jewels were fitted originally. This is simply not good enough. The price of the small jewels can surely not be prohibitive in relation to the overall cost and we know that they're available in bulk from the same places that Model Supplies get all theirs.

I id not choose the best edition of the originals that I have in stock for this photo so the old jewels don't look that great either but, for me, it does have to be the glass, not plastic.

As the photos of the two side by side show, the colour is pretty much spot-on and the whole model is a very accurate reproduction indeed.

Here's the certificate with its error.

This is another model that is worth a little more than the normal re-issues in that the wheels are far better than those available from companies supplying spares. So if you need any, it might well be worth buying this just to get these excellent copies, especially as they come with the right type of tyres too.

At last, a silver 261 James Bond Aston Martin!

 Now here is something that appears quite familiar but is actually quite unique. Corgi (as in Hornby Corgi) have decided to recoup some of their outlay in funding the Corgi Model Club's re-tooling costs for the #261 re-issue by making their own edition - but this time in silver.

Strangely, they have numbered this #261 and used a box that is almost identical to the Club re-issue. This is really going to confuse people in future.

Corgi-Hornby did produce a '261' model a couple of years ago but, whilst it was gold, it had tyre slashers and revolving number plates as they'd used a #270-type casting. That, however, was numbered #26101 on the box label side and the box itself was actually larger than this one which is identical in dimensions to the Club re-issue. (See image further down).

Inside, there is the same tray design, with the same leaflets and baddie (but no spare) tucked in the bottom of the tray.

It is a lovely model, although, I would like to have seen some distinction of the chrome elements which have simply been sprayed with the same paint as the body.

It's nice to have a roof that sits exactly in line as it should and never has done with the early issues!

Note the catalogue number #26101S. But this is a totally different casting and box to #26101!

Here I compare #26101 and #26101S.

The 2021 issue is bigger in all dimensions.

So now there is quite a range of these James Bond Aston Martins to consider.

• 1995 96655 270 re-issue in silver
• 1995 96656 270 in gold-plated finish, red tyre slashers
• 1997 4201 270 in gold painted finish, red tyre slashers
• 2000 4202 270 in gold-plated finish, black tyre slashers
• 2014 4203/4S/G 270  in silver / gold 
• 2011? 4205S/G 270 in silver/gold-painted no tyre slashers
• 2012? 4206S/G 270 in silver/gold-painted, no tyre slashers
• 2021 26101 '261' but 270 re-issue in gold-painted with tyre slashers
• 2022 261 Club re-issue (as original) in matt gold-painted finish
• 2022 261 Club re-issue (as original) in shinier gold-painted finish
• 2024 26101S 261 (as original) re-issue in silver

I have not included the larger scale 1:36 issues which generally I have found to be of poor quality and just not at all appealing.

I would appreciate some advice about the dates when the 4203-6 models were first available. They all had similar packaging of the left and right sliding box type with the model encased with an open roof in a firm plastic container. I believe some had text to celebrate Thunderbirds Anniversary and one or two had a 14+ rating on the box too. I am also fairly sure but need confirmation that each of 4203 -6 had S and G variants so appeared in silver and gold. From what I can tell the models inside were all identical to 4201.

Corgi Model Club: Batmobile #1

 I have titled this #1 as there will be two more to follow. This is the first of the Corgi Batmobile re-issues and this one comes from the Corgi Model Club. It's the gloss black edition of the first issue without a tow-hook at the rear.

This comes in the first edition style of box - you'll have to wait for the 'with tow-hook' version from Corgi themselves for the window-style box - and a tray with wings, pretty much as the original will have appeared. (Original shown here with the model).

The Club provide some extra protection in the shape of some clear perspex retaining both ends and preventing movement in transit.

Inside the tray is the 'Instructions' packet and, separately a plastic bag with missiles. The 'Instructions' packet has the illustrated guide on one side and a list of features and contents on the other side in something approaching the 'typewriter' style of text which the original had. Here the computer font is a little too regular in comparison but otherwise is pretty much the same.

The model itself looks superb and should please all Corgi Batmobile fans, many of whom may never have seen such an immaculate-looking example before! The originals were very prone to chips on the wings, even chunks missing from the wings, as well as broken aerials and chips at the very least to the perspex windscreen and cabin elements.

I am not an expert on the Batmobile but the wheels look unfamiliar, with the gold rim and icon outline. as you'll see from the comparisons below, though, this may just be because all my models have been a little worn.

original issue

original issue

original issue

original issue

Update 6 October:

Once again the Corgi Model Club people don't edit their Certificates of Authenticity text very well. This time they have Dick Grayson as the actor when it should be Burt Ward playing Dick Grayson (Robin's real name). If they decide to correct this then these first issue ones could be valuable! Don't sell your just yet.

So that's it and expect to be hearing a lot more about this as it is bound to be a much talked-about issue. This particular model is what anyone who has not signed up for monthly issues from the Club will receive and is available to buy now from their store. I hope to have the matt black version before long as well as the Hornby-Corgi issue but first I may well receive the Oldsmobile Toronado which is still awaited!