Expensive glasses

 

You may remember that I have this promotional completed US sample of the lovely Motel Chalet. It was missing the Motel sign and also had just one glass on the table.

I have always felt that there should be a bottle and two glasses on the table but you can appreciate just how fiendishly difficult it could be to find such minute items now. The Motel sign is a little bigger but still may look just like any old piece of white plastic. So the only way I could complete this kit was to buy another that was complete but, of course, these don't come along very often and, even if they do, they can have parts missing.

So I have just paid an absolute fortune to be able to describe my sample as 'complete' at last. But there is a bonus - the kit I've acquired has two bottles and four glasses!! That means I can add a bottle and glass to my sample and still feel happy selling the kit with sufficient components to display as I would expect it to. (I suppose that, if all the kits have two bottles and four glasses then this one will, technically, not be complete but I think it'll have sufficient to satisfy whoever decides to display it).

Looking at the illustration on the box I can only see one bottle and maybe only one glass but, with two chairs, two glasses seems right. We don't get a plate in the kit, either.

Looking at the illustration in the Corgi Toys Catalogue of 1965 (or 1966) the Jaguar's number plate reads COR 64. On the 611 Kit box I have it is COR 62!

This is a lovely kit and, whilst it doesn't have the original plastic bag containing all the pieces, I have counted everything and they're all there, as well as the instruction sheet and transfers.

It's all contained in an immaculate box.

Another difference is that none of the illustrations, or my made-up sample have the Motel sign attached, although there are places for this to be affixed.

I have often remarked that it's the little things that make collecting Corgi Toys so fascinating and enjoyable. In all respects, here's another example, indeed!

As I think I reported a while ago, someone in Japan did buy the sample last year but one piece of the very delicate railing at the top and the parasol pole were damaged en route and I took it back. My brilliant artist wife repaired these pieces and I cannot see where she has done so which means I have put that up for sale again and if it goes then I may be seriously tempted to make this set up for my own satisfaction. She can paint it very professionally in the correct colours and I'll be more than happy to keep it for displays. Maybe someone will like the box so I can get some return on all the expense.

Corgi Toys @ 60: A Ferrari, A Mini-Cooper and a Trailer with Raves

 

February 1965 is when the Ferrari 250 Berlinetta Le Mans arrived on the shelves at your local toy shop. Only the third model to get nice wire wheels from the start and always finished in red with RN4 decals.

This can be found in two editions, the difference being on the base, later models having angled ends to the raised lines. A pretty inexplicable change! This was a long-running model, staying on the production list until 1972.

I was lucky to acquire this gold-plated edition from Percy Wilford's grandson several years ago.

I have read that Ferrari were not particularly happy with the representation of their car by Corgi. The front end does look quite different but often Corgi worked from very early design releases by manufacturers so who knows what they were provided with.

Another appearance in February 1965 was the wonderful Mini-Cooper, this time the 1965 Monte Carlo winner.

This photo of the real car comes from Mini.com and I hope they don't mind my reproducing it here as it shows how well Corgi interpreted the model this time, even creating a revised casting to include two lamps above the grille and some other differences, quite different to the 1964 Monte Carlo issue and, indeed, all the subsequent rally issues. Replaced in 1966 by another Monte Carlo Mini-Cooper, this one is now quite sought after.

This would also be the first of three 1965 Monte Carlo entries which would be combined in Gift Set 38 as you'll read about here next month!

The last release for February 1965 is a new trailer for the farming collection. #62 is a Tipping Trailer with Raves (the pieces that can be added at the front and back to help retain a higher load). This will also be available in Gift Set 32 and later editions of the Agricultural Gift Sets 22 and GS5 (1967 issue).