Update on Corgi Model Club issue plans

 Here are the next few months' models, as proposed by the Club:

492		VW 1200 European Police Car (Dutch edition)
107		Batboat + Trailer
334		BMC Mini Magnifique (green)
430		Bermuda Taxi
348		Ford Mustang Flower Power
1126		Ecurie Ecosse Racing Car Transporter
270		James Bond's Aston Martin (silver grille)
270		James Bond's Aston Martin (gold grille)
233		Heinkel Economy Car
248		Chevrolet Impala

and here are two further issues to be added to the list:

268 The Green Hornet's 'Black Beauty'

416 RAC Radio Rescue Land Rover

The earliest dates that anyone will have received the #406 Land Rover in yellow with a black roof will have been mid-June so add a month for each row and that'll give you an idea of the when you should see these first appear.

So there may be some lucky people getting an Ecurie Ecosse Racing Car Transporter for Christmas!

With the Batboat will be the device issued originally to connect to the first issue of the Batmobile, fitting over the flame-thrower at the back. These devices are very hard to find as originals as you can imagine how easily they can get lost so expect sales for this little boat to soar. It will, of course, also attach as normal to the second issue which is also available from the Corgi Store.

The two silver Aston Martins are expected to be issued at the same time in January, members getting the one with a silver grille and the other version being available for anyone to buy from the Club Store. As for the matt black Batmobile, expect to see several appear at high prices for the member editions as they will be in comparatively short supply, certainly at first. The matt black Batmobile still sells quite easily at £100.

The Mini will be a green edition of the blue one issued in November 2023. I rather suspect that it will be no more than a fresh coat of paint at the factory with the sliding roof remaining with narrow bars and not the wider variety, so you'll still have to search for an original of that one!

The Dutch edition of the VW Police Car is all white and a good-looking model that is hard to find and usually expensive if you do. It's a model I have never had myself so I won't be able to do a side by side comparison. It will, no doubt, be just the May 2023 issue with different paint and decals.

The Bermuda Taxi will be the November 2021 issue with some fresh paint, a change of driver and a funny roof. That could be a useful addition as many collectors will have lost the driver and roof from the original or may even need the roof for a Ghia Jolly. There appear to be two different drivers for the Thunderbird in its Bermuda Taxi guise so it will be interesting to see which survives through to 2025.

The little 'Bubble' car was issued in a few colours: red, shades of mostly pale lilac, metallic blue and orange with either fixed smooth wheels or free spinning cast wheels. I have only seen the orange edition with both types, the other colours having only the fixed smooth type. I wonder what the model club will provide us with? 

I am a big fan of the coffee and cream Impala so look forward to that one. The Club are certainly making the most out of the split casting but one can hardly blame them. I just hope the price reflects the fact that they have had a lot less work to pay for in its production (although I would be delighted if they changed the wheels for some cast ones). In contrast, however, the Ecurie Ecosse Transporter, their first Corgi Major, will have cost a veritable fortune, even in Chinese yuan. So that's not going to be cheap but perhaps by charging the 'normal' £30 or so for the Impala and some other relatively cheap variations the price of the Transporter will be reasonable. Needless to say, I see it being extremely popular and is typical of a model which many of my generation will have had on their Christmas lists for a few years but not received.

There are many variations of that model too but these are early days. There will be some previews in a while but my money is on the raker shade of metallic blue with yellow lettering and a lemon interior. As for the extent of silver paint around the front, I have no idea and can hardly recall the different editions as I write! My guess is that the precise silver paintwork will be like none of the originals at all.

Update 5 July:

I have just noticed two more proposed issues that I have now added to the text above.

Black Beauty is probably one I shall not be too concerned with although I can see it will be poplar amongst the Film and TV-related model collectors, especially if the grille stays closed!

The Land Rover casting gets another outing with what appears to be the early edition of the RAC Radio Rescue Truck. Now, will it have a headboard? Smooth wheels or will be finally get to see some fixed shaped wheels? A clean and well-shaped tin canopy will be useful to replace a worn one, or more often missing) on an original!

Corgi Toys @ 60: Lotus Elan and a boat

 

It's July 1965 and the sun is shing. Let's fold back the roof and take a drive in a lovely Lotus Elan S2. And to remind us how scarce diesels were in those days, there's a 'I've got a tiger in my tank' sticker across the boot lid, promoting Esso petrol. I still have my tiger's tail, something you could get from Esso but I can't for the life of me remember how. I don't think I had to pay for it. The stickers were free but were somewhat smaller than the Corgi design! They were meant for bumpers when bumpers were chrome and just a few inches high.

Corgi's model was an attractive addition to the range and had side windows which slid up and down and seats that tilted forward. I never quite understood why because there was absolutely no room for anything, never mind anyone behind them! The bonnet also opened to reveal a nice silver engine (and everything else under there). It came with a blue helmeted racing driver and some numbers on black circular stickers which could be attached.

I preferred the car without the driver and without the stickers but at least we all had a choice.

The predominant colour for this model was metallic blue but there are also examples in white. The Elan in white, without the sticker or driver, would be included in The Avengers Gift Set 40 later.

There are also scarce variations of both the metallic blue and white models with cast wheels from very late in the production period of the blue model in 1967. Although the Gift Set was available through to 1969, white editions with cast wheels are just as scarce.

A common problem with these models is failure of the suspension. That is provided by a thin piece of plastic in an X shape with each end covering an axle. This plastic gets brittle and simply breaks.

There are two types of casting, one with a small hole at the front end, barely visible in the photo below.

There also seem to be shades of 'white' from very pure, almost blue-white through to a thick, creamy finish. Many of the cream may turn out to be from homes of smokers, of course! 

If the weather were fine then you could take the other July issue out on the river, lake or sea. This was one of precious few things that you could tow with a Corgi, not that there were many cars with tow hooks either.

This is #104 Dolphin 20 Cruiser on a Wincheon trailer with tiny wheels. The Skipper comes with the box. There is a stripe on the roof. The boat is all plastic and I guess it actually does float although I've never tried. At the back is a quite detailed outboard motor that can be pulled up out of the 'water'. The little propeller turns too. There's no suspension on the trailer but you will find later models have a tiny cast wheel in place of the original free-spinning smooth type.

This is, of course, the same model as first appeared in December 1964 in the Riviera Gift Set 31.

At this time there was a very limited choice as to what you could attach it to. In fact the only motor car at this time would have been the Buick again. For variety you'd need to use a Land Rover or Jeep FC-150 or one of the old lorries. Even after a few years the only additions would be a Renault 16TS, Rambler Marlin or the later issue of the Oldsmobile Toronado with Golden Jack wheels. (The first issue was only fitted with a tow hook in Gift Set 36 with the Glastron speedboat.)

As I said, there wasn't much to tow anyway, apart from some farm equipment, a Workmen's trailer, a couple of other trailers and a horsebox or two.