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.