Chips with everything

It didn't really matter which Renault 16TS you had, the paint was almost certain to chip if it even saw a skirting board or you dropped a soft toy nearby. #260 was a very late model of the French car in the pre-Whizzwheels era and, whilst not the most desirable car in the world at that time, Corgi made a good job of the model with some excellent labelling and chrome work. Inside the front seats could be put up and down by twiddling a knob underneath. That usually works loose on these 45+ year old models and photos may often show cars that appear to have lost one or other of the front seats!

This was also available in white - so you could have the Tricoleur (I must do that when I get the third). That was a Tour De France cycle racing edition and came with a ridiculous construction on top, totally spoiling the car and some weird extending ramp with a camera and cameraman. In the box too were cyclists and goodness knows what else. I'll be happy just to find a decent version of the car. That edition, incidentally, preceded the red one here.

Then along come les Whizzwheels and this is one of the few examples where nothing else changed except the colour. the blue is lovely but, as I said, so prone to damage.

I am very lucky to have found examples that can't have been played with much. the boxes have long gone but the cars look fabulous and are virtually unmarked. They're not worth a fortune - no Whizzwheels are yet - I am convinced that as there are so few around in good condition and these were available only for quite a short period the prices will move pretty rapidly up soon.

The blue Renault got allocated #202 for some reason best known to the Corgi Number Allocation Department. The Saint got #201.

I need a rear screen for the Whizzwheels Renault before I can sell it but that is a simple task to do, just takes a while for the bits to arrive. Strangely, the other car that arrived at the same time also needs a rear screen - the MGC GT. I shall be closing my daughter's rear hatch very carefully for a while.