Rocket Age Models in individual boxes top the 'Likely to be least common' Table

I was lucky to win a couple of items at an auction in a sleepy village a few days ago. No-one seemed very interested in anything being sold and I had no competition for the two Rocket Age Models I liked the look of.

These are very rare models in boxes, close to the top of the table for Corgi's published sales when that is sorted to put the smallest at the top and Batmobile at the bottom. Just 8000 each. To put that in perspective, the purple 281 Rover 2000TC with Whizzwheels sold 48000 and the equally hard to find Fiat Ghia 600 Jolly 49000. So there are not many around in their original boxes. Sure, there are more of the individual Loading Trolley and Launcher that were sold but these were in sets or with the Bloodhound Missile included. There probably wasn't much demand for a spare Launcher or Trolley as these would have been included with whatever Rocket Age set we got for Christmas 1959. I cannot imagine the parent or uncle that would have purchased just the 1115 Bloodhound Missile in a box which, incidentally but quite understandably, also had the same poor level of sales! And it would have been Christmas 1959 as they were withdrawn from production in 1961 and unlikely to have been on the shelves at Christmas 1960.

The boxes arrived this morning and are pleasantly fresh-looking boxes of the early solid type lid that sits on a yellow thick card bottom. The lower packing pieces are present but the top pieces have gone. Each has instructions for operation printed on the side of the box and they seem to work as they should with the delightfully intricate and detailed mechanisms which Corgi did so well in those times.

These will both be available in my store soon but won't be cheap - and I hope the table helps to explain why.

This table shows the complete set of data available from Marcel van Cleemput's Great Book of Corgi and related papers. There are significant omissions, though, most notably many of the short-lived Whizzwheels models from 1972-73, the 349 Mini 'Mostest' and others for which data appears to have been lost. Some, like the 412 Bedford Ambulance in MkII form, don't even get a mention. It still makes interesting reading.

"By Special Request" Pt 2 Figures

The second request was for all the models that had had a figure or animal included in the box.

Here goes:

50	Massey Ferguson 65 Tractor (later issues)
50	Massey Ferguson 50B Tractor (most yellow and red models)
53	Massey Ferguson Tractor with Shovel (later issues)
57	Massey Ferguson 65 Tractor with Fork (later issues)
58	Beast Carrier
60	Fordson Power Major Tractor (later issues)
64	Working Conveyor on Forward Control Jeep
66	Massey Ferguson 165 Tractor (late issues)
67	Ford 5000 Super Major Tractor (late issues)
102	Rice's Pony Trailer
72	Ford 5000 with trenching bucket
73	Massey Ferguson 185 Tractor with Saw Attachment
74	Ford 5000 Tractor with Hydraulic Scoop
112	Rice's Double Horse Box
150S	Vanwall Formula 1
151A	Lotus Mk.11 Le Mans Racing Car
152S	BRM F1 Racing Car
153	Proteus Campbell Bluebird
153A	Proteus Campbell Bluebird
154	Ferrari F1 Grand Prix
155	Lotus Climax F1 Racing Car
156	Cooper Maserati F1
158	Lotus Climax F1
159	Cooper Maserati F1
161	Santa Pod Commuter Dragster
162	Quartermaster Dragster
163	Santa Pod Glowworm Dragster
164	Wild Honey Dragster
165	Adams 4 Engine Drag Star
166	Ford Mustang Organ Grinder dragster
167	US Racing Buggy
169	Silver Streak Swedish Jet Car
170	John Woolfe Radio Luxembourg Dragster
201	Volvo P1800 The Saint's Car
215S	Ford Thunderbird Open Sports
221	Chevrolet New York Taxi
223	Chevrolet State Patrol
236	Austin A60 Driving School
237	Oldsmobile "Sheriff" Car
240	Ghia Fiat Jolly
242	Ghia Fiat 600 Jolly
246	Chrysler Imperial
255	Austin A60 Motor School
258	The Saint's Car (1st type)
261	James Bond Aston Martin
266	Chitty Bang Bang
267	Batmobile (1st type)
268	Green Hornet's Black Beauty
270	James Bond Aston Martin
277	Monkeemobile
303S	Mercedes 300 SL ( Open Roadster )
312	Jaguar E Type Competition Model
313	Ford Cortina GXL 'Graham Hill'
324	Marcos 1800 GT
330	Porsche Carrera 6 (early issues)
336	James Bond Toyota 2000 GT
347	Chevrolet Astro 1
354	Commer Military Ambulance
355	Commer US Army Military Police Van
356	VW Army Personnel Carrier
358	Oldsmobile Super 88 "HQ Staff" Car
359	Army Field Kitchen
373	VW1200 Police / Politzei (early issues)
428	Karrier Ice Cream Canteen "Mister Softee"
430	Bermuda Taxi
436	Citroën Safari ID 19
437	Superior Ambulance
439	Chevrolet Impala "Fire Chief" Car
440	Ford Cortina Estate (Golfing Set)
447	Ford Thames "Walls Ice Cream" Van
448	BMC Mini Police Dog Van
461	Range Rover Police Vehicle
468	London Routemaster Bus "Corgi Classics"
469	London Routemaster Bus "The Design Centre"
471	Smiths Karrier Mobile Canteen "Joe's Diner"
472	Land Rover Public Address Vehicle
475	Citroën Safari 'Corgi Ski Club'
475	Citroën Safari 'Winter Olympics'
478	Forward Control Jeep FC150 & hydraulic tower
480	Chevrolet Impala "Taxi" Cab
481	Chevrolet Police Car
482	Chevrolet Fire Chief
482	Range Rover Ambulance
484	Dodge Kew Fargo Livestock Transporter
485	Surfing Mini Countryman
486	Kennel Service Wagon
487	Circus Land Rover Parade Vehicle
492	VW European Police Car
497	The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
499	Citroën Safari "Grenoble 1968 Winter Olympics"
503	Chipperfield's Circus Giraffe Transporter
506	Police Panda Imp (most, but not all)
510	Citroën DS19 Tour de France
511	Chipperfield Poodles
513	Citroën Safari "Alpine Rescue"
602	AA and RAC Telephone boxes
607	Chipperfields Circus Elephant Cage and elephant kit
610	Public Telephone and Police telephone boxes
801	Noddy's Car (Golly)
801	Noddy's Car (Tubby Bear)
802	Popeye's Paddlewagon
803	"The Beatles" Yellow Submarine
804	Noddy's Car
805	The Hardy Boys 1912 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost
807	Dougal's Magic Roundabout Car
808	Basil Brush Renault
809	Dick Dastardly Wacky Races Car
811	James Bond’s Moon Buggy
1104	Bedford TK Racehorse Transporter
1105	Berliet Racehorse Transporter
1107	Euclid TC12 Bulldozer
1111	Massey Ferguson '780' Combine Harvester (later issues)
1123	Chipperfield's Circus Animal Cage
1127	Dennis Simon Snorkel fire Engine
1127	Bedford Simon Snorkel Fire Engine
1128	Priestman Cub Shovel
1130	Chipperfield's Circus Horse Transporter
1135	Bedford TK Heavy Equipment Transporter
1139	Chipperfields Circus Scammell Handyman Menagerie
1142	Ford Holmes Wrecker
1143	American La France Aerial Rescue Truck
1164	Berliet Truck with Dolphinarium
1501	Pit Mechanics and Drivers
1502	Spectators
1503	Race Track Officials
1504	Race Track Press Officials
1505	Garage Attendant Figures
9001	1927 Bentley 3 litre Le Mans with hood
9002	1927 Bentley 3 litre with hood
9004	1927 Bentley 3 litre World of Wooster open
9011	1915 Model T Ford open
9012	1915 Model T Ford open
9013	1915 Model T Ford with hood
9021	1910 Daimler 38 open
GS1	Ford 5000 67 with Beast carrier and animals
GS2	Land Rover w Rice's Pony Trailer & Pony
GS3	Batmobile and Batboat
GS5	Agricultural Gift Set
GS5S	British Racing Cars 150S, 151A, 152S
GS6	Volkswagen Truck with Trailer and Cooper-Maserati
GS7	Daktari Set
GS8	Lions of Longleat
GS10	Marlin Rambler & Kayak, Trailer
GS10	Military Gift Set Mack Low Loader & Centurion Tank
GS11	London Set: Black taxi, Mini and Routemaster Bus
GS12	Circus Crane Truck and Cage Wagon
GS12	Grand Prix Set: VW Tow Truck, 3 Racing Cars and bollards, bales etc.
GS13	Fordson Farm Tractor 67 and Plough
GS13	Renault 16TS Tour De France Set
GS14	Hydraulic Tower Wagon with lamp Standard
GS14	Giant Daktari Set
GS15	Silverstone Racing Layout, buildings and cars
GS15	Land Rover with Horse Box (revised side opening)
GS16	Ecurie Ecosse Transporter & 3 Racing Cars
GS17	Land Rover and Ferrari racing car on Trailer
GS18	SOS Set, Cortina, Range Rover and Helocopter + parts
GS19	Circus Land Rover and Elephant Trailer
GS19	Corgi Flying Club Land Rover, Glider, trailer
GS21	Circus Crane and Menagerie Trailer
GS22	Farming Models
GS23	Circus Models
GS24	Commer Construction Set
GS25	Garage Layout
GS26	Beach Buggy and Sailing Boat on trailer (early issues)
GS27	Machinery Carrier with Priestman Cub Shovel
GS29	Massey Ferguson 65 Tractor, tipping trailer 51
GS31	The Riviera Set - Buick + Boat + Trailer etc
GS33	Fordson 55 Tractor with Beast Carrier 58 and animals
GS33	Fordson 60 Tractor with Beast Carrier 58 and animals
GS35	London Passenger Transport Set Black Taxi, Routemaster Bus
GS36	Oldsmobile Toronado & Glastron Sportsman Speedboat
GS37	Lotus Racing Team
GS40	The Avengers - Steed's Bentley + Peel's Lotus
GS47	Ford 5000 Tractor and Conveyor
GS64	Forward Control Jeep & Conveyor

That's a noticeably longer list, mainly due to the many farm entries, with tractors not having a driver at the start but getting one later or, in some cases, only getting one in a gift set.

Some models really do seem to have been issued both with and without a driver - the 330 Porsche being a case in point, as well as the 506 Police Panda and 373 VW Police / Politzei Car. 

I've included the Gift Sets as, often, they had them when the normal items in the gift set didn't and, of course, they contained many unique items too. The big Silverstone and Garage Layouts, however, don't have any characters that weren't in the 1500 series of boxed figures but I've included them anyway. Wolfgang does nice mats for these sets.