The odd Chipperfields Parade Vehicle

 

You may remember that a collector wrote to me some time ago about this Chipperfields Circus Parade Vehicle with its odd olive green rear section. I hadn't seen one before and, as this appeared to be an all original model, I wondered whether it might have been an early sample.

Then the one shown below appeared for sale on Ebay last week.

The seller did mention that it was different to the usual models but he was referring to it being a blue Land Rover and not red! The blue was some really bad painting that someone had done. As the base was still intact I decided to try and see if I could get the blue paint off and, with some scraping, I've managed to get most of it off, although some splodges remain on the rear section. I shall attempt to mask everything like the windows, wheels and that rear piece and restore what should be red and add a sticker to the bonnet. I can't do much about the missing speakers, of course, and it's never going to look that great but it's worth keeping. I may even install a clown if I find one that's complete and inexpensive in a wrecked normal model somewhere.

So it may be the case that a batch of these were made with that olive plastic rear section. I can only imagine that this would have been an initial issue (assuming it isn't a factory sample) and that there will be a few around, although, from my experience over the last 10 years or more, they're by no means common!

I've never been a fan of the Circus models and I had to go back to 2014 for a photo of the normal #487 issue from my own collection. I did wonder whether the Chipperfields blue plastic might fade in the sun to that olive colour but this seems not to be the case. Where a piece has broken I can see the same shade of green inside and even areas which would get no light are the same colour. So I am now hoping to find a little more information about this one. Whether a factory sample or an early issue to dealers, this would seem to be quite a valuable model if you have one in reasonable condition. Mine will probably remain in a collection of oddments without any significant value but too mysterious and, maybe, rare to discard.

Corgi Toys @ 60: Two Old Renaults and a Mustang

 I know what I preferred when I saw the new arrivals in April 1965 at the local toy shop. Like many other children at the time, I didn't give the Corgi Classic Renaults a second glance. They may have been well-made but they had no play value and parts which could easily fall off and screens which would not survive mothers dropping the model into wooden toy boxes every evening.

This came in a sturdy box and illustrated lid, with the model protected by a piece of foam rubber which no-one now is quite sure how it should be placed. I think it goes on top of the model but then the box lid doesn't fit as well as it does when the wheels are pressing down into the foam when it's placed underneath.

There were two colours issued at the same time: a pale primrose and something approaching lavender, each with matching wheels. I have seen some variations in the colour of the primrose one and there are different finishes to the lamps but you can still pick up near-perfect models in boxes for just a few pounds, 60 years later.

This will be the penultimate Classics issue in this era, with the final one coming next year in the ghastly shape of the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. (I am not counting the Basil Brush or Hardy Boys editions!)

Now, moving on to what is one of my favourites and a 'proper Corgi' from this era, the Ford Mustang Fastback 2+2.

This delightful model comes in four colours and three wheel types. There is pea green, metallic blue, metallic silver and metallic lilac. The early issues will have plain shaped wheels. Most of the production has wire wheels with some later editions getting the cast 'louvre/spoke effect' wheels.

In my experience the most common wheel types are the wire wheels, with shaped wheels being quite scarce on the pea green and lilac models in particular and I haven't seen many in these colours with cast wheels either, now I think about it.

This is only the second issue by Corgi to have opening doors, the first being the Ghia L6.4 some 18 months earlier. They're quite chunky doors and many would not close nicely in line. They did have a half-open widow attached to the door, however, which was a new feature. With chrome-plated bumpers and jewels for headlamps this was just what we wanted at the time. The seats folded down inside too, although the pale cream interior would soon get discoloured. Interestingly, the silver edition had a deep red interior. All the models had a Corgi dog on the rear shelf. In the Ghias, the dog would come in two sizes and I have yet to research whether the small dog came first or the other way around. I am also not sure whether there are different sizes of dogs in this model but my guess is that they're all the same.

The suspension on these models is vulnerable and you'll now find many that have collapsed. It is provided by plastic elements in the chassis which have become brittle and crack very easily now. Do be careful with any models that you have where the suspension has survived.

This model will be around for a long time in one form or another, as you'll discover, although you'll need to wait until 2031 for the final one!