International Love & Peace

 With news of British troops being sent to the Polish border with Belarus today, the completion of the models shown here seems appropriate - especially as the artist comes from Ukraine, where Russia finds it necessary to insist that the accumulation of 45000 extra troops on that border does not mean it intends to invade.

This is a 434 Camper Van that had seen better days and now suits those of us who remember the 60s. (The red plastic interior has been misbehaving so some further work is necessary I now see!)

One of two similar models - and I need to make it quite clear that Corgi (as in Hornby) copied me, not the other way round! Their recent issues which look very similar are, however, much too 'precise' and 'well-painted' for the skills that even the most artistic girls and boys I knew could have managed with paint brushes and spray cans at the time!

Now here is the truck which is on its way to Eilum, near Kneitlingen in Germany where Herr Richter  may decide to send it further East and a little North where there is clearly an urgent need for both some love and peace. Or maybe Trump could make himself useful and knock up one of the walls there for Poland that he had planned for Mexico.

This is also one of two International Trucks of the 6x6 variety that are now in similar livery.

This earlier edition has a decorated canopy too and no sign of khaki on the wheels.

If anyone is interested in supporting a good cause (my rent, food, drink and funds to buy more old Corgis) then one of the Trucks (to be decided) and the two Camper vans will be available to buy shortly. Contact me to reserve one.

Corgi Toys @ 60: new models, revamped models and a launch ramp.

Here are the new items on the shelves at your local toy shop in October 1960. Quite a selection! I guess this might have been some sort of planning for Christmas too as no further models were apparently released that year.

The first is the launch module for the Corporal missile. It's a highly detailed and wonderfully well-engineered little thing, with stabilisers or feet which screw down individually to ensure correct positioning on uneven surfaces. The wheels can be removed and the support arms fit into grooves on the side of the missile. It has a tow bar and would usually be pulled along behind an International Army Truck with which it appears in Gift Sets. This item would in most instances have been obtained in one of the Gift Sets with the missile and maybe with the Missile Carrier vehicle too so it is unusual to find it in its own box these days. Very few were sold individually, one in a good box now being well worth getting hold of.

Another Corgi Major and the first Chipperfields Circus model arrives in the shape of the International Truck now with a re-worked rear section that carries a jib. Compared to the army models this is rather basic and crude engineering. The jib is bare metal and raised by hand in three steps on a simple ratchet device. There's a large and not very pretty handle to lift or drop the hook.

The six wheels are now painted Circus blue and the old truck gets an extension to its life. Indeed, it will even get suspension later, which the army version never does.

Amongst the commercials Corgi produced another Bedford CA Van with a single screen and revised front end, appropriately bearing Corgi Toys transfers. It gets a new catalogue number, 422, following on from 421 for the Evening Standard version. To the confusion of children then, but much to the delight of collectors now, Corgi seemed to be unable to make their mind up for some time as to where the blue should go and to what extent. So you will find this half-and-half model as well as one that is blue but with a yellow roof and another that is yellow with a blue roof.

The last combination is the one that is by far the most common, the other two being really quite expensive to acquire now. Indeed, I have had to steal a photo of the 50-50 edition from QDT as I have always been beaten in bidding to date and it has not turned up in any collections I've handled.

The wheels are usually smooth on these models and, from my research, exclusively so for the two less common types. The yellow model with a blue roof has shaped wheels on its later issues.

418 is the Austin Taxi. It appears here for the first time in an extremely long run as it will stay in the catalogue right through to the 1970s when a 1:36 scale version eventually replaces it. I think that makes it the longest-running model without a change to the body. Land Rovers and Minis have a good life too but they get quite a few adjustments made along the line. The Austin Taxi stays just as it was in October 1960, getting only different wheels, interior colour, screen tint and a couple of drivers at various points.

Another commercial and another outing for the Karrier Bantam, now as 413, a Mobile Butcher's Shop. It's very similar to the 407 Mobile Shop, little changing over three years and this has the same style of metal with illustrations visible at the rear and paper stickers at the side and front. Early editions have smooth wheels, later ones have shaped wheels, all fixed.

Two cars are issued too this month - the TR2 gets a re-worked front end and becomes a TR3. It is always in a pale metallic olive-green with red seats. Early editions have smooth wheels and later ones shaped wheels but always fixed. Although production continued for some years I don't believe any got free spinning wheels.

The final items on the October agenda is the revised Jaguar 2.4 Litre, now as 208S and with an interior, suspension and a coat of pale yellow paint. Again, early editions have fixed smooth wheels and later ones fixed shaped wheels. This doesn't get free spinning wheels.

Corgi Toys @ 60: The Corporal Missile Set

Just one release in November 1959; the Corporal Missile, Launching Ramp, Erector Vehicle with an International Troop Carrier Truck packed together in Gift Set 9.

Sales were low, only 14,000. With so many complex mechanical components to go wrong, finding one that has these both in top condition and also working as they should is not easy at all.

The poor sales led to the missile, ramp and vehicle being withdrawn in 1962. The Launching Ramp was sold on its own in a box a year later as catalogue number 1124 and is possibly the item with the lowest sales of all at just 4000. 

International Peace & Love

An old 1118 Army Truck arrived looking a bit shabby so I couldn't resist a conversion - in more ways than one! 

Corgi Toys @ 60: On the farm and the big International Truck

May 1959 brought a farm tractor and trailer to the toy shop shelves. The Tractor was a Massey Ferguson 65 model and first issues had metal wheels. You'll find the model with silver, cream or a scarcer red seat but all the examples I've encountered have had the same Massey Ferguson red bonnet and a slightly pinkish cream chassis. A driver was not included at this point. He comes later in gift sets or other versions.

The trailer has no manufacturer's brand but has the same Massey Ferguson red chassis and a bright yellow load section which lifts on a 'hydraulic' arm and has a hinged rear panel. Early editions had metal wheels. The trailer was around for a very many years and remained unchanged throughout that time apart from plastic wheels being fitted at some point.

These were the first of a good few models of agricultural implements which would be added to the range.

The military range was still being developed and May saw the introduction of the big International 6 wheeled truck, initially launched as an International 6 x 6 Army Truck.

A search of this blog will show you more detailed articles about this truck which still causes confusion with the different versions that exist in its chassis style, British and Dutch insignia, a US Army version and variations in where silver paint may or may not have been applied! As if that were not enough, 1133 is issued some time later as a US Army Troop Transporter!

The British and Dutch versions had the appropriate insignia on the front and rear and no stars. The US version of 1118 had a star on the bonnet and also on the flat roof of the metal canopy. (If the canopy has an indent for the star it is from a later 1133, which also had text along the bonnet and on the tailgate).

The difference in the two types of chassis can be seen when viewed from the side, one showing clear daylight above the chassis in places.

I don't know which came first or whether the US or Dutch versions were available this early and I think it is likely that the first editions would have been solely the British one.

None of these trucks had suspension - even later in life (although the Circus version with a crane did get suspension later). You could make an interesting collection just on the varieties of these trucks which confused me a great deal at the start - and even now I struggle for remember which US version is which sometimes, especially as many may have had canopies replaced or swapped over the years!

This International truck is a very heavy, solid model with massive wheels (and a loose spare behind the cabin which often goes missing). Look out for the tin hook at the back too which should be present. These didn't sell in vast numbers but many have survived as they could withstand being sat or trodden on pretty well!

When Is An International 6 x 6 Truck A US Army Troop Transporter?

I have been discussing with my collector friend in Germany the International 6 x 6 Truck models that were released as 1118 and 1133. We thought that were simply four versions: 1118 being mainly for the UK market but with some made with US transfers and a few with Dutch transfers and then 1133 produced solely as a US Army Troop Transporter with the US Army transfers.

Everything seemed fairly nice and simple - you could easily tell the 1118s apart as long as they still had their transfers and 1133s had a different canopy, with a circular indent on top where the white star transfer would go. OK, so people might swap canopies over the years but we could live with that and it needn't really complicate matters.

Then Anders sends me a link to a forum where they are sharing photos of two completely different chassis design. One has gaps above the rear wheels and another appears solid from the side view. There is a difference in ground clearance too. That forum maintains that all 1118s had one type and all 1133s had the other.

Then, as if he hadn't already caused me enough sleepless nights, Anders sends me a link to a long, long French article on Corgi's military models. After struggling with my little Collins Gem French Dictionary for best part of a morning I learn that this chap lists two quite distinct colours which he seems to call Olive Drab and English Green or something similar. The English Green could be exclusively for the 1118s with UK markings but I'm not so sure that would actually be the case. Nevertheless, there are now two shades to take into account and, conceivably, they could be across the range of different chassis types for both 1118 and 1133 models.

I was going to update my catalogue lists at the start of this but now have descended into a sort of depression and may start drinking again.

In an attempt to figure out exactly what versions may or may not exist I decided to imagine how conversations between a worker and supervisor might have gone in the factory, starting some time in 1959...

Here come the trucks in bare metal.
Let's paint them 'military green'
OK
These are for the UK. Add the British transfers.
But leave six in that box which can go to Holland. Add the Dutch transfers. No I don't know the difference between The Netherlands and Holland or why they're called Dutch. Just get on with the job.
Oh, some chaps in the US want some too. Damn. Er.. take the next ones and add some white stars to them and some US numbers.
The paint's running out...
Get some more.
It's a bit lighter...more khaki...
Never mind. No-one will notice. Well, not until some French bloke starts writing about them.
Most of them can be UK transfers but you'd better make a few for the Americans just in case.
Someone just called from Army HQ to say that there's something wrong with the truck.
Eh?
Yeah. He says it's too low and shouldn't be blocked in at the back.
Bugger. Tell Production to change the cast.
OK.
[Later}
Here come the new ones.
Good. Carry on where you left off then.
The paint's run out again.
Oh for Heaven's sake. Just get some more. Don't worry about the colour. Just make sure it's sort of greeny brown all over.
Sales Dept are on the phone.
What do they want now?
They say they need lots more for America.
OK, so just do lots more for America with those star things on. What's the problem with that?
They say that the stars are not always in the centre.
Jesus H Christ! This is a ruddy American Truck not an art exhibit!! But, OK, tell Production to make a different lid for the back. Put a dent in it where the star has to go. Then the idiots in the transfer area should be able to see where it goes. And stop putting them on the bonnet.
I don't think they always put them on the bonnet anyway.
Don't confuse matters any more, kid...
Sorry. Sales Dept are on the phone again.
What do they want now?
They say that the Americans want it to be called a Troop Transporter.
I don't care what they want to call it. They can call it a Big Green Cucumber for all I care.
Yes but it will have to have that name on the box.
Don't be stupid. We can't have 1118 International 6 x 6 Truck Troop Transporter...
And they want it to be called US Army Troop....
You mean they want 1118 International 6 x 6 US Army Truck Troop Transporter written on the bloody box? There isn't room unless we write in tiny letters.
No. They want a different number and just US Army Troop Transporter.
Oh boy. I suppose we need their money...
Yes. Sales say that they haven't sold many to the Brits and need to flog a few to the Americans to make it worthwhile making.
What's the next number?
1119.
Call it 1133 then.
Er... OK.
[Later that decade]
Production just called.
And...
They say that with all this Peace and Love stuff no-one wants great big Army trucks any more. Especially American trucks. Seeing as how they're losing the war...
Don't let them hear you say that...
Anyway, they have stopped making 1133. 
But what do we do with all the stock? We have thousands of those 1118s left over too that have been lying around since they stopped that in 64.
They said they're thinking of a Flower Power edition....
[Expletives deleted]