Season's Greetings!

With very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.

New arrivals in December

241 Ghia L6.4 deep metallic blue / cream + box  £60

252 Rover 2000 maroon £40

222 Renault Floride maroon / cream £40

1101 Car Transporter £42

302 MGA £55

208 Jaguar 2.4 £45

203 Vauxhall Velox £30

201 Austin Cambridge £30

200 Ford Consul £40

320 Ford Mustang + box £80

Another GS2 with 102A trailer! £140

227 Morris Mini-Cooper £80

322 Rover 2000 Monte Carlo £80

I must also share a photo of this marvellous Austin Seven in primrose which was briefly with me on its way my friend and collector, Andi in Germany. He doesn't realise that it is on its way and may even arrive any day now so this should be a pleasant Seasonal surprise. It is in super condition and, unlike nearly all the others I have had, both the paintwork and the suspension are fine!

I am also handling the sale of a large number of Corgis (plus a few Dinkys and Spot-On models) for a colleague of many years' standing. He is not seeking massive amounts for his and his brother's models which are all pretty well 'played with' but most have survive with intact windows and are all original. One or two of the better items are included above but a search of my on-line store for 'Colleague' should filter his collection from all the others. He just wants to raise some money for his son's World Scouting trip and activities and I shall pass on whatever I get, after unavoidable listing and postal costs, from these items.

The Renault Floride must be about the fifth or sixth I have had now. I am looking for one without holes in the rear wing 'vents' and keep buying models which really do look as though the vents are filled in or closed. However, when they arrive and I see them at a different angle the light is coming through every time! 

The Ghia L6.4 is a really rather splendid shade of metallic blue which looks tremendous with the cream interior. I have had to make a temporary repair to the front suspension, unfortunately, so it is unlikely to sell but, to be absolutely honest, I don't mind - it looks wonderful here as one of the models I leave out on a shelf with a couple of other examples of this model. I am quite happy for it to stay there. 

Finally, you will no doubt spot the black steering wheel in the Ford Mustang. Such a shame as the car is in lovely condition otherwise and even has a decent box. I am not sure how the original steering wheel has come off as I thought it was part of the dash moulding. Maybe not. One day I shall find a wrecked Mustang and replace my temporary substitute with a better version. That's another model I shall probably never sell but will be happy to hang on to as it is in that odd lilac shade that I had myself as a child and it is all so 1960s!

Corgi Toys @ 60: BRM Formula 1 Grand Prix Racing Car

The sole issue in December 1958 was the third racing car, a BRM in British Racing Green. I have seen examples with racing numbers 1, 3, 7 and 17 and I believe that is all that were issued. The RN 1 seems pretty scarce and the one I have seen may have had a replacement transfer added at some time - as I didn't get a close look at the actual model, I cannot be sure. QDT list one which may indicate there were some issued although that doesn't really mean it's any more genuine.

This is a very simple model and is correct without a driver. He doesn't appear until much later when the model gets a new coat of paint, suspension and the number 152S.

It should have larger tyres on the back and normal car or van size on the front. Most models have a brown-yellow interior but a variation with a silver interior can be seen.

The wheels will usually be the smooth, fixed type but a few very late editions are around with the cast, spoke effect, wheels that were also used on the Aston Martin. 

New arrivals in October and November

I haven't had a chance to update this for a while so lots to add and you'll see quite a few of the less common editions here, including two orange MGC GT models. One needs a rear screen and both are well worn, though! As are the scarce orange-red Austin Cambridge and the very bright shade of Hillman Imp.

The 309 box is probably worth as much as the model. The most scarce model in this period, though, is the Marcos 1800GT with blue stripes. This was the edition exported to Canada and this is only the second example I have seen.

Some items are likely to stay in my own collection rather than being sold.

309 Aston Martin Competition Model with box £170

345 MGC GT £90

448 BMC Police Minivan £60

416 RAc Land Rover with original box £160

251 Hillman Imp bright metallic blue £20

(From GS35) Austin Taxi with driver £60

422 Bedford CA 'Corgi Toys' Van £100

262 Lincoln Continental £100

322 Rover 2000 Monte Carlo edition £100

345 MGC GT £70

324 Marcos 1800GT Canada export edition £160

201M Austin Cambridge £80

230 Mercedes-Benz 220SE £55

300 Austin Healey £65

216M Austin A40 £75

468 London Routemaster Bus 'Corgi Classics' with box £80

226 Morris Mini Minor £60

203 Vauxhall Velox £50

151 Lotus Mark 11 Le Mans £75

1169 Ford Guiness Tanker with original box £75

203M Vauxhall Velox £60

321 BMC Mini Cooper Monte Carlo 1966 with box £80

Corgi Toys @ 60: Euclid Tractor and Gift Set 4

November 1958 brought the big and very heavy 1102 model Euclid Tractor / Bulldozer to the Corgi Toy shop shelves. At 17/6d (£0.87½) this would have been an expensive item for someone to buy and a heavy one to carry home too. It stayed in production until 1963 when it gets revised slightly with a lever to raise the shovel part and a driver and that model, catalogued as 1107, lasts until 1966.

If you carefully remove the shovel section you have the 1103 model which doesn't actually get issued until 1960 and that only lasts until 1965. All the Euclids had modest sales and are now quite difficult to find.

The 1102 can be found in two quite distinct colours - lime green and a greenish yellow. The black rubber tracks seem to last well but you would need to remove the shovel unit to fit replacements. The most common fault with models available is broken or damaged exhaust pipes. These are plastic and in a very vulnerable position, sticking up near the front of the bonnet. I haven't seen any replacements available so check these before buying.

The other November issue was also an expensive item, the fourth Gift Set. This puts all the Bloodhound Missile bits together. You get a missile, launcher and trolley together with an RAF Land Rover to pull the trolley along. The Missile was available with the launch ramp last month but this is the first appearance of the trolley. Later is is available with just the missile and, in December of the following year it is also available individually. Those individually boxed items had one of the lowest production figures of the Corgi range and so boxes are well worth seeking out.

The Land Rover does look a bit strange pulling the large trolley affair and one colleague prefers to display the Trolley being pulled by the Army International Truck! That would, of course, have to be a slightly later issue of the Trolley as the International Truck doesn't appear until 1959! At this time, therefore, the Land Rover must have seemed the best, if not only option.