More from the Corgi Model Club

 

Here is the latest list of models that the Corgi Model Club either have issued or plan to issue. Those who have kept up-to-date with issues will be receiving the Ford Thames Airborne Camper Van around now.

It is interesting to see how some existing castings are being re-used, with the Oldsmobile getting a conversion from Police Patrol to US Army Staff Car and the Chevrolet Taxi turning into the Fire Chief Car. All very sensible and much as Corgi themselves did originally. What this does, of course, is provide some intrigue as to what else might be coming. I see VW Breakdown Truck and think "Racing Trailer and Maserati" or possibly "Lotus Racing Team Set" and "Grand Prix Racing Set", especially with the 155, 330 already available and 318 on its way. Whether the Lotus Elan will also lead to an Avengers Set is intriguing, with possibly a source of correct replacement Steed characters being available at last, albeit that you'd need to buy everything else as well. But that would be a great improvement on the Jeeves-painted-grey that we see so often these days and perhaps not that much more costly than paying for the original.

The list above, however, takes us well into 2024 and Gift Sets are usually the sort of thing you expect to see coming out in time for Christmas so, perhaps, October 2024 may be when we see the first. 

The Golden Jacks Rover is a surprise and it will be interesting to see whether they go for the scarcer white finish (as well as how long the cover lasts on the spare wheel container!)

The Chrysler Imperial will need the two Americans and the golf trolley which, of course, means we'll see a Ford Consul Cortina Estate in due course with yet more figures. In the email to members the Club tease us with a query as to what colour the Chrysler will be. Now they're hardly likely to be talking about whether the interior will be chalky blue or chalky green which means they're going for the Kingfisher blue model that was supposed to be the replacement Bermuda Taxi but found its way into a few 246 boxes, despite having holes for a canopy strut! That would be a nice way to help collectors have something close to one of the rarer Corgi issues - as they did for the Ford Mustang Competition Model, although they messed up there by fitting the wrong wheels to a red sill version.

With the factory able to handle the Golden Jack system I now wonder whether Corgi in the shape of Hornby Hobbies, rather than the Model Club, might create the 'missing' models that were intended to have 'take-off' wheels but got the dreaded lurgy of Whizzwheels instead. I'm thinking Pontiac Firebird and Ferrari Dino but I guess that'll have to await the Model Club doing the work for one of these first and, as that would require them to create a re-issue of a Whizzwheels model, it may be a non-starter. Perhaps a red spot wheel edition could be pushed through the committee of whoever decides these things. We could forgive them red spots. But not pepperpots or four crown types and definitely not that awful six spoke wheel that followed before someone saw sense and produced a vaguely acceptable wheel that looked like a wheel.

Anyway, there you go. Plenty to look forward to! This list is, of course, subject to change, addition of something, deletion of something and a switch around if something is proving difficult to get out on time. I wish the Corgi Model Club people well and many thanks for staying in business and doing a fine job. Switch to a British manufacturer and you'll have an even greater degree of appreciation. Do give it some thought. I am confident that collectors would pay more. It would be good for Britain and cancel in one move all the whinges I read on forum posts about Made in China on the base.