Not quite Corgis

 

At first glance this looks like the #264 Oldsmobile Toronado. Then you see the wheels - and they're not the #276 Golden Jacks variety either - and the shade of blue is unlike any that Corgi issued, despite there being quite a range from turquoise blue to rich, dark blue during its production. And what is that? Opening doors? Goodness me, where on Earth does this come from?

Alicante. Spain. These are extremely good copies of the Corgi casting by a company called Auto-Pilen and date from the early 1970s. Indeed, these are so similar that one has to assume that the company took a Corgi model apart and made a mould from that. For me these are like the Corgi 'variations' I so enjoy finding and Auto-Pilen have managed to add more features to many of them as well. The Oldsmobile above is their model reference #307.

You will find several editions of the same car. Here there is a lovely chrome-plated model (#308) and below a Policia version (#298).

In each case the control for the headlamps operates very smoothly - indeed, rather better than the Corgi models themselves! The jewels look exactly the same as the Corgi models too, as do the chrome fittings.

Here are some more Auto-Pilen Corgis that I have in stock at the time of writing, All the images will take you to the appropriate page in my store if anyone wants more images or to purchase one.

The #310 Chevrolet (Corvette) Stingray

models #300 (green and silver editions) and #299-1 for the chrome-plated model

The #347 Chevrolet Astro 1.6

(#315 and #316 for a chrome-plated version)

The #384 Adams Probe 1.6

(#505 and #506 for a chrome-plated version)

The #334 Mini Cooper

(#319 and #320 for a chrome-plated edition) 

There is also a #291 Mini-Cooper Rally listed which I would expect to be based on the same casting.

Auto-Pilen also made a beautiful version of the Corgi #284 Citroen SM. You will also find Dinky copies too but I am not sure if there are any more Corgis. There are a Porsche 917 and Carrera 6 in one list I have found as well as a Citroen DS 23 and GP Beach Buggy which I need to investigate if ever I find one. The list also features the BRM and Lotus F1 racing cars which may be further possibilities.

These models are now quite hard to find here in the UK, although may be common across whatever the Spanish equivalent to a boot sale is. The company produced models through to the 1990s but, to the best of my knowledge, these would be the sole models of interest to Corgi collectors.

They are very well-made, solid and the opening parts operate smoothly. The wheels look great but suspension is seldom very good, either firm or practically non-existent. One nice thing is that the bases are screwed on - so if a model does need repair, or a fresh coat of paint, then that is relatively simple to achieve without having to 'break' rivets. Now, this does, of course, men that one can never be absolutely certain that what you have is totally original but I can live with that.

Prices are similar to their Corgi equivalents from what I can gather so, being comparatively unusual, they seem to represent good value to me. Most that I have found and that you will come across will not have either the box or the plinth to which they seem to have been attached when issued, with a hole evident in the base where a screw would have fitted.

Corgi Kits

 

I was fortunate to find four #602 Corgi Kits last week. All are complete and probably had never been opened, with instructions, a membership form and unopened bag of pieces inside the original boxes. Whilst the contents are the same in each case, each box has some faults but nevertheless I would be happy to have any of them in my own collection and I'll keep whichever one remains.

The one above has creasing at one end.

This second one is the best and nearest to what we'd describe as 'excellent' with just very slight creasing at the bottom left.

The third box has one edge on which the glue has dried and a small piece of clear tape has been applied. There are creases on the two long sides and one crushed corner, with some marks on one side, maybe where a pen line has been rubbed off. 

The fourth box has one edge on which the glue has dried (but no repairs attempted) and there is a small crease where one corner has been slightly crushed.

Original instruction sheets can be hard to find now as they tend to get lost and I think I may make some copies. The paper may be hard to match but I will have a go and they may be useful to someone one day.

I can resist the temptation to keep one and make up the telephone boxes because I already have two excellent examples as part of my Garage Set. That reminds me - ever since I received the lovely layout mats for the Silverstone and Garage Sets I have not managed to find time to recreate the Garage Set display with all the pieces that I do have. Now that my wife is away in Ukraine and, even if she wanted to, couldn't get back very soon, it could be a good opportunity to do so without it being in anybody's way. So that will keep me occupied for a week or two - including finding the correct cars and building a couple of the garages - Model Club issues, of course, which are a perfectly acceptable substitute in my opinion.

Writing this has also highlighted the fact that I have not listed the Corgi Kits in the Catalogue at all! That's very remiss of me. I know that it took me a long time to get them all, and I never did get built examples of the Timekeeper's Building or complete Pit Buildings. However, I did have nice examples of complete sets in original boxes and should be able to find the pictures. Adding a section to the Catalogue should be easy enough as there were not any variations to worry about, or, at least, none that I am aware of and I can't imagine much that could have changed anyway.

The kits are great and original complete examples are expensive. You'll find my prices in the shop or just get in touch.

These AA and RAC Telephone Box sets that I have for sale are not cheap but the proceeds will go towards the money I am trying to save up for the any Silverstone Set buildings which I need to find again now I have the layout mat to display them on. Sets do appear occasionally but made-up buildings seem very scarce and, of course, not every owner was careful with the construction. It is a bit of a dilemma as I would probably prefer to make one myself and have my artist wife add any paint or decoration required. That does mean, however, spoiling a valuable original set, which bothers me. Now, if the Model Club were to reproduce all the Kits then that would be a marvellous thing! When you think about it, they have tended to want to reproduce the less common model variations on the basis that people would be happy to have a copy for £30 or so when the real thing maybe several hundred. (Let us let lie the matter of their seldom actually getting the specification right for these variations.) Reproducing Corgi Kits follows the same logic but with the bonus that the parts would be dead simple to make, being mere cheap plastic and they only need to pay some children in China or Bangladesh to put the pieces in a plastic bag, not build, paint and decorate as they have to do with model vehicles. They did the Batley Leofric Garage brilliantly. I wonder how sales went?

These mats incidentally, were produced for me by a chap called Wolfgang who regularly contributes quite authoritatively on various Corgi online groups. They're heavy duty plastic rather than fabric but have the advantage of laying flat and without any creases. Having said that they have been rolled up for a few years so I may have to encourage them to lay flat again. If he happens to read this perhaps he could let me know whether he can still get these made and I will provide a link for anyone who might like one. I should have an email address somewhere and will get in touch with him, if he doesn't respond to this, once it comes to light.

Now I appear to have given myself quite a few tasks. More news on how I get on to follow. What we really need are illustrations of the completed models and the layouts which I'll try and dig out or prepare.

That figures?

 I have recently acquired lots of figures, animals and assorted bits and pieces that often go missing from Corgi sets or the models which they may have accompanied in a box when first issued. Most of them I have been able to identify or were very familiar with and I shall be adding them to associated items that I have for sale where I didn't have them already.

There are a few, however, that I am not sure where they belong and maybe someone can help? 

The first one looks like a race official from the #1501 set of Racing Drivers and Pit Mechanics but the one I have in my set, and which has appeared in all the sets I've seen, is all white and the information on the board is different.

Next is another character, who looks like he belongs at Silverstone.

Again, he is quite differently painted to a couple of #1503 Race Officials that I have. Like the chap above, it looks like the same person but very differently finished and with a different flag.

There is one chap in #1503 with the chequered flag . . .

 . . . but he has a full length coat, not a jacket. Everyone has a tie blowing in the wind, I see. I had not noticed that before!

The next chap is someone I really feel I should know and no doubt readers are shouting at their screens and I shall soon be feeling embarrassed. 

It's the wrench I don't remember. I think we have the same individual in blue overalls carrying a bottle of oil in the #1501 Garage Attendants group or maybe the Thames Wrecker where someone very similar, if not the same, is included together with a chap squatting down to change a wheel. But they're both blue. The orange overalls and lack of shirt or vest colour I cannot place, although that wrench I am sure I have seen somewhere.

Next is what looks like a young farm worker. Just as in the Country Farm Gift Set 4, where Corgi managed to make even Gerald from Clarkson's Farm seem normal, this is an odd-looking young chap, carrying a bucket or maybe a milk churn. Perhaps he is from an Agricultural Gift Set? I have never been able to examine one of these - and have always wanted one of the early Gift Set 22s with the 'farm green' #406S Land Rover and a yellow 101 trailer.

Now identified - with many thanks to John Bowyer who advises that this is the stable lad accompanying four horses in #1104 Newmarket Racing Stables Horse Transporter, the green and yellow slightly dumbed down version of the earlier 1130 Chipperfields model.

Next is a pair of penguins. I have searched high and low but do not see any sign of a penguin in any of Corgi's sets or issues. They may be intruders.

Here we have what looks like Elvis on traffic duty. I have no idea about this.

He is mounted on a strange base which might have been some way of attaching him to a scene on a display tray. His legs honestly don't look strong enough to me so perhaps he needed that extra support! This is a larger character so from something in the larger 1:36 scale.

Here we have a few sacks but in different sizes. Those shown above are significantly larger than those below. I think the smaller ones will be from one of the sets that included a conveyor. That could be Gift Set 64, the FC150 with Conveyor or Gift Set 47 Tractor and Conveyor. The larger ones may be from an Agricultural Set, although one would expect them to be the smaller size and I don't know a set that had bags in the later 1:36 scale.

I do know that this is from Gift Set 31, the Safari Land Rover set in 1:36 scale and not that easy to find now. It's often lost and no many sets were produced in the first place so this character could be quite scarce. I should have the set itself available in a while so do let me know if you would like this reserved.

Last of the mystery characters is this rather funny-looking sheep.

Once again, I am inclined to think this may have been included in an agricultural set. This sheep looks quite big but still not out of place with 1:43 scale models. I suppose, though, that if it was intended to be a lamb then it may belong in a 1:36 scale set. I can't think of one offhand, however.

It is possible that a couple of these items are from somewhere other than a Corgi model or set but my guess is that this is not the case and someone out there will recognise them all and explain the differences for the first few! No prizes - but handsome discounts may be negotiable if I have something in stock that you would like.

I have also added a few original boxes of tyres (and some loose ones) to the store and some other bits and pieces which you can see at this new section, called appropriately, Corgi bits and pieces.

Corgi Toys @ 60: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and a Lotus Racing Set

 

August 1966 brought two new items on to your local Corgi store shelves. The Lotus Racing Team Gift Set was quite expensive at 36/- (that's 36 shillings, or the equivalent of £1.80) but there was a lot you could do with what it contained.

In the box there are two Lotus Elans, each quite different from the #318 model issued a year earlier in July 1965. The green open top model with a yellow stripe has a red interior and a removable chassis. The hard-top version is in yellow with a green stripe and a white interior, also having a removable chassis. This model would appear in June 1967 as a separate model #319 in a box, although most will be red or blue with a white top.

A separate chassis is also included, mounted on a slightly larger trailer to that used for the Ferrari Gift Set 17 and now in red rather than yellow. That, in turn, is towed by another new model, the VW Breakdown Truck. This is finished in white and has 'Racing Club' stickers on the doors, a winch operated by a wheel at the back and you can open the red plastic lid in the rear section to find a nice array of chrome tools. There should also be be a couple of spare tyres in the space provided, one small and one normal. I'm not sure how they would cope should one of the Lotus F1 Racing Car tyres burst as there's not space for the three sizes they would really need for the cars included. The Lotus Racing Car is the same #155 model as appeared first in December 1964, with the same driver and same RN1 decals.

The VW Breakdown Truck will also be issued as #490 in December 1966 but only in beige initially and with different stickers.

A pack of bollards was included too and I believe this was the first time you could get these. They will appear in later sets and many, many years later with the VW Driving School Car.

Early sets had chassis elements with small size shaped wheels. Later these were replaced by the normal size cast wheels, which quite significantly changed the appearance and stance of the Lotus Elans. As a result of the later change, you may now find 1967 #319 models with shaped wheels, where someone has swapped the chassis with one from an old Gift Set 37.

One oddity for me was the lack of suspension on the chassis pieces. Disregarding some utility items, these Lotus Elans would be the first issues without suspension since late 1960 when the Triumph TR3 was first issued and that appears to have been the last non-suspension car. (I am not counting the Bluebird or revised Lotus XI models).

August was not to be the only month when Corgi abandoned suspension in a new issue, however, as the other new arrival also suffered the same shortcoming!

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. - United Network Command for Law Enforcement - was a popular TV series but you very seldom actually saw much of the car the stars drove. It was, in fact, a modified Piranha Coupé, based on a Chevrolet Corvair. Now Corgi did have a Chevrolet Corvair but, for some reason best know to them, they decided to use an Oldsmobile Super 88 instead! Even that would have originally have had suspension, though.

Early editions had shaped wheels but these were fairly quickly changed to cast wheels. There are two colours - a cream edition, which is quite hard to find these days, significantly scarcer than the metallic deep blue edition. The cream model is also a quite different casting, the most obvious difference being on the bonnet, with lines defining the area for the U.N.C.L.E. motif. You will find many people respraying blue models and trying sell them as scarce cream (or even white!) variations but, naturally, they always use the wrong casting.

In the box there is a ring which has an image of both Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin - it changes depending on the angle at which it is viewed. The original rings often get lost or filed away by mothers in a box of assorted animals, characters and bits and pieces when tidying up so are quite valuable now. Reproductions are, however, readily available and actually very good, although different sizes in most cases. So, without an original to compare, buyers need to be wary.

From what I read, early editions had cast metal search lights mounted on the wings, replaced at some point by chrome plated plastic. However, on the early editions that I have had with shaped wheels these lights have been plastic not cast metal. So I am uncertain about some of what is published in this respect and I wonder whether, in fact, the plastic ones came first, later replaced by the metal, possibly due to the delicate plastic breaking when being fitted.

The roof element that needs to be pushed down to move the pair in and out of the windows and make a gunshot noise is plastic.

Even without suspension, this model sold very well and stays on the order sheets through to 1969.

I appreciate that some room might have been needed for the mechanism but Corgi managed to get suspension on the James Bond Aston Martin and other models with steering occupying much of the interior below the seat like the Austin A60, VW 1200 for example. The Oldsmobile would have had the reliable old wires and I am surprised they were not retained. Indeed, I may well have to get a cheap 497 - and there are lots around for a few pounds - and see if I can install some suspension and make the model much more pleasant. I have always liked the Oldsmobile and, whilst a bit dated by then, it deserved better treatment.

Corgi Model Club: MGC GT (cheaper than the sum of its parts)

 The Model Club's latest issue has finally arrived, delayed through no fault of the Club, and, having read many stories about it, I am pleased to have had the opportunity to see it up close for myself.

Firstly, it arrives in what must be the most deprived packaging so far in the series. This time it has the merest slip of bubble-wrap floating around and the box free to cavort around the interior of the usual brown corrugated card affair. Luckily the car is unlikely to move much inside its box, being wrapped in some tissue. No chunks of foam with this issue (which I hear may lead to damaged suspension where the foam is inserted such that it wedges too firmly the car beneath in other instances).

One's immediate impression has to be good, an instantly recognisable colour and great chrome. I like wire wheels on Corgis a lot but I don't remember any of my originals ever having such shiny axle ends. These spoil the appearance a bit but perhaps mine became dull quickly and I never noticed at the time.

You will then have the now familiar disappointment with the 'jewelled' headlamps which aren't. How much extra would it really cost to fit little glass items? I am sure Steve Flowers would give the Club as super discount for quantity should they have trouble sourcing them in China.

As I am sure you will have read elsewhere by now, the funs starts at the back end. The transfer reads MGB GT! I guess that in China the team producing this are unfamiliar with British cars and reckoned that the model which looks pretty much the same as the MGB GT they had produced a while ago might well have the same few letters on the tailgate.  A bit like nearly all Fords have the same Ford badge. Quite how that escaped the attention of some sort of quality control over in the East I don't know, then a later sample gets through the Club's approval process and the old MGB transfer gets applied to every model and shipped here when, finally, someone at the Club realises.

Personally, I find these mistakes quite fun. Yes, I know they make whoever missed this at the Club look a bit stupid but I can imagine that they may have been working with a poor original which had either no transfer or a damaged one. We have read before how they don't always seem to get hold of good examples of whatever they're planning to recreate and I'm not convinced that whoever does check most models is as well-versed in Corgis from this era as one might have expected.

Anyway, once this batch has been sold the transfer will be corrected and some of us will just have to buy the second issue. I think they have about 10-15,000 in each batch so it may be a while before the second comes and I suspect they will eventually be equally distributed and so, whilst this first one will have some value in future, it is unlikely to be significant with so many around.

The black case is a delightful copy and opens and closes just like the original. That little item itself is almost enough to warrant buying the model, with originals regularly selling for £10-£15 + post on Ebay.

The Club need to have a word with whoever packs the cars in the boxes as they are just stuffing the bag with the numbers into the box and that is resulting in many people reporting creased stickers which may not look great either loose or applied. Just adding a small piece of card in a slightly smaller bag would solve the problem.

As I said at the start, this is generally an excellent reproduction in many respects and the colour very close. I detect just a touch more lime in my original but that's all.

The tyres on an original would have been the 'branded' type with clear tread running around the tyre. This would surely be something quite easy for the Chinese to create but they have just left us with slicks!

The box has the usual annoying font error in the small text and numerals and has that shine which I wish they would try and avoid as the card itself is pretty much exact. I would also stop adding those little slits in the tabs which must account for no end of slightly damaged boxes and frustrated collectors, who knew they should have been more careful but took a chance and just tugged.

Looking back at my comment regarding the cost of cases, I have now looked up the cost of all the parts if you were to purchase reproduction items from Model-Supplies:

2 doors                     £2.00

2 seat backs                £2.90

tailgate                    £1.00

tailgate window             £1.75

window unit                 £3.00

chrome chassis / bumpers    £7.00

chrome grille               £1.75

2 jewels                    £0.80

tailgate transfer           £1.55

suitcase                    £1.20

4 Racing numbers            £1.55

postage UK                  £5.50

Total                      £30.00

Remember that the body items would be bare metal too, requiring paint. So the £28.98 that I think I paid wasn't such bad value! Now, does anyone need any spares!!

Corgi Catalogues 1957 - 80

 

I am pleased to say that I have now added many more Corgi catalogues to the Corgi.Toys website. You can get to these from this link or just click on the image above.

I must redesign the table of links sometime because I call my own lists and descriptions of models a 'catalogue' as well as including that link to Corgi Catalogues in my catalogue. It can get confusing but, for now, please have a look anyway as there are so many interesting pages in those old booklets and leaflets.

I reviewed the 1960 booklet a few days ago and will be publishing what I find of interest from the 1961 Catalogue soon.

In my own listings I have also now added a number of items to the TV & Film-related section, including all The Magic Roundabout items and some odd cartoon characters that I had tried to avoid including but have finally felt obliged to add for the purpose of completeness and there may well be collectors out there who are still fans of Basil Brush and Dick Darstardly. For me, far more amusing than those particular characters ever were is the fact that these pretty dreadful items are actually worth quite a bit now. The Basil Brush car, a sad final outing for the Classics Renault, came with a Soundbox which, if you were lucky and could figure out the instructions, produced something approaching the once famous Basil Brush 'Boom Boom'.

Dick Dastradly's car is another item that you would probably not even bother to pick up in a grubby boot sale for 10p but it was only available for a few months in late 1973 / early 1974 so a decent, boxed example might be worth hanging on to after all. Not so sure about the grubby model on its own, though. It looks like it has re-used the Bond Moon Buggy's chassis, although I may be mistaken.

Remember also to look at what I have in stock and available to purchase in my own store. Prices there are better than on Ebay where I also have to pay pretty heavy fees on every sale so it is so much better for me if you buy from my own store. If you want to make an offer for anything or need to combine postage for a few items, or just would like me to search for a particular model for you, just get in touch. You can either use the Contact form on my website or just write to me: andrew@corgi.toys.