Looking at Land Rovers again

I have written a great deal about Land Rovers but I decided to take a fresh look at what I had in various cupboards and boxes and to see whether I could make a better job of categorising the main #438 issue in deep green (shades).

I have found just three distinct models amongst my collection. That is, of course, not to say that there will be others but let's start with these for now. Please note that this is a major update of the original article and I have updated the references below for the types and some features since first publishing this. Apologies for having had to have several attempts at this but I believe I am now settled with the proposed types.

The principal distinguishing feature is:

the bars on the cab roof

I find three distinct types of cab roof bars

1 The three bars are of similar length and seem to be a separate plate

2 The bars are much shorter

3 The bars are full length and no evidence of a plate

The appearance of some form of 'plate' for the three bars varies quite a lot in the first two examples, sometime it is very obvious, like an additional piece of metal on top of the cab. In other examples it is much more flush with the cab roof surface and less visible. Nevertheless, the roof is quite different on the third variety with all three bars extending to the front and what seems like a different casting for the roof.

Within the first two type of roof I have found two types of rear window

the rear window

i frame within window

ii no frame

The window unit that shows the 'frame' is designed so that the rear cab window fits to give a flush finish at the back. The later style of unit is more simple and the window appears to be inset.

Because it is quite possible for some old window units to have been used at a later stage of production, I don't regard the window as a specific 'Type' but will refer to 1i and 1ii or 2i and 2ii in listings. As far as I can tell there is no 'frame' unit in any of the Type 3 or later models.

the vent leaver

For this particular group, I see just two styles of window lever.

i A small vertical edge lever

ii A larger triangle shape

All Type 1 and Type 2 models have the small vertical edge lever and Type 3 models have the triangle shape.

Later editions of the #438 will have a third variety - a much smaller triangle - but I have not seen this on the deep green Land Rovers. It appears to be standard from the metallic green turquoise models onwards, all the way through the Whizzwheels editions too, although I wonder that there may be some transition examples to seek.

the registration plate

Again, for this particular group I see two types of registration plate panel on the front wing.

i A small rectangular panel

ii A larger rectangular panel

As for the lever, there is a third variety of panel - a definite square shape - and this also seems standard for all later issues from metallic green-turquoise on.

All Types 1 and 2 appear to have the smaller rectangle and Type 3 have the larger rectangle. The more recent metallic turquoise and other later issues have a square plate.

the grille

i No gap between the grille and bonnet

ii A clear gap between the grille and bonnet

You will also note clear difference in the casting of the headlamps and badge.

All Type 1 and 2 appear to have clear lines around the headlamps and no gap, Types 3 having the  less well-defined lights and clear gap.

Below is a table summarising the three main types I have found amongst the blue-green models.

I have found only one example of Type 2i so far amongst green models. The others seem reasonably plentiful. I would be interested to know of how other collectors have found these types to be distributed as well, of course, of further varieties. I mention the possibility of a Type 4 below.

Needless to say, there will always be something different too - and here you can see a couple of 'outliers'!

The edition with red seats is quite uncommon but may appear throughout production - I even have Whizzwheels and Gift Set 19 models with red seats! So there is likely to be red seats in all types.

The distinctly blue-green model, however, is a bit unusual. At first I thought it was just another blue-green #438 but this one stands out and is quite different to all the others. It is not, unfortunately, though, RAF blue for the 351S! It is a Type 2 in the table above, with short bars and I am assuming it is just from a batch of production with a touch more blue in the paint mixture than usual. I would like to learn about any other instances of this quite distinct blue-green shade.

I had thought I might be able to distinguish a dark green and a deep green for this issue but I find so many shades in between that I have decided not to list them. (It is not as distinct as the two greens found on the #301 TR2 and #405 Bedford models).

Lastly on the subject of #438s for now, don't forget the 'farm green' issue from early Farming Gift Set 22 issues. This is a very distinct flavour of green, similar to the green shade used for the Gift Set 2  #406. In fact, I tend to refer to the 'farm green' model as a #406S but the number is hardly relevant as it was never issued individually anyway. With these being produced for a very short time in that colour, it is almost certain that they will all fall in Type 1 in the table above.

Looking at the other Land Rovers, I have found these:

GS17/19 red

Type 1i

Type 2ii

416S

Type 1i

GS2 fawn

Type 1ii

Type 2ii

Type 3

406S

Type 1i

These are interesting and, like the 'Farm green' issue from GS22, they all seem, at first glance to have no evidence of a plate for the bars and yet have all the Type 1 features, length of bars and also all I have seen have the frame in the rear window. 

On very close examination, though, I can see the Type 1 'plate' element but, being the very first castings of the Series II, it is not at all obvious and it must be only in later production that the plate becomes more prominent. So I shall list these as Type 1i too.

It does, therefore, seem that the Type 1 casting is the first for Series II Land Rovers, followed by Type 2 with a different plate for the bars, then Type 3 with a revision to the entire roof as well as several other elements and finally Type 4 has a very tiny triangle shape, very smooth roof edges and other differences and appears to be introduced with the advent of the metallic turquoise and blue GS15 editions. I am sure there will be transition models to look for but so far even the metallic turquoise and blue GS15 Land Rovers with shaped wheels and a tin hook, which I have seen, and which would be the very earliest, all have the small triangles. Perhaps the Type 4 was introduced during the life of the blue-green #438? Only time will tell.

While I had the floor and several other horizontal surfaces covered with Land Rovers this afternoon I also spotted something interesting about the blue Land Rovers issued either as Gift Set 15 with a double horsebox #112 or Gift Set 19 with an airplane on a trailer.

The shade of blue for the Pony Club Gift Set 15 model remained pretty consistent as a bright and cheerful shade of blue throughout all its years with normal shaped wheels, then cast wheels and on to Whizzwheels too. At the very end of production, however, it seems that the mixture gets changed to a moodier shade with more violet added - clearly quite different as you'll see above. I have only seen this shade on issues with the later style of interior, with its moulded steering wheel. I had thought, therefore, that perhaps this was the paint created for Gift Set 19 which came along towards the end of the life of Gift Set 15 with a model that I had from that set having the same shade.

Now, though, with everything displayed, I have seen that all the other Land Rovers I have with beacons from this set have a much different and darker metallic blue finish. They also have no spare wheel on the bonnet but that's another story entirely. Just as I was beginning to conclude that production must have started with the same shade as Gift Set 15 and then switched to the new darker blue and then ditching the spare wheel I find these two.

The red interior is the old style with a separate steering wheel but finished in what I'm assuming is the later shade of blue! I can only conclude that there was a day when the ladies at the factory ran out of solid yellow plastic interiors and found some old red thin plastic types lying around and fitted those instead for a batch.

Incidentally, you may just be able to make out that the windows on the lighter blue GS19 model are amber tinted, in the same shade as the beacon, which is also made of perspex, all quite different to the others that I have which have clear windows and a red, softer plastic beacon. I have yet to encounter another like this. The trailer for the plane was in the same lighter shade and examples of the Land Rover with the spare mounted on the bonnet are few and far between. I am actually of the view that none of the darker shades will have this feature but I have to research this a little longer. Again, let's see what collectors can add to the list!

Corgi Toys @ 60: lots of valuable issues (if you had the early ones for Christmas!)

A huge number of new issues arrived in the shops in December 1965! I'll list them in catalogue number order, starting with the second appearance of the #242 Fiat 600 Jolly Ghia. It has lost the roof and comes only in a solid but cheerful yellow. Now with two people and a Corgi dog on the back seat too. 

This was not a particularly popular model and the attempt to make a few more sales from the casting was not very successful and it was quietly withdrawn from dealers' order forms after a few months. Really quite hard to find now.

Next is #256, the VW 1200 in East African Safari trim. This was a great model and something I was delighted to play with as it had really good steering operated by a spare wheel on the roof. So much more realistic-looking than the Austin A60 had been and with better ground clearance from the normal size wheels as well! The model came with a baby rhino about to attack the car on a pleasant scenic tray. The sticker on the bonnet was inclined to lift off but that didn't really bother me and I was more keen on things like the jewelled headlights and opening engine compartment at the rear and bonnet at the front. There was no space to carry anything so they seldom did get opened. I was also impressed by the use of a lovely bright silver base-plate to incorporate attractive bumpers and, remarkably, rear mudguards too!

The first issue was left hand drive but you will also find this in right hand drive form. There is also a very later edition where the jewelled lights have been replaced by rather tedious silver blobs. That's not an easy find either.

You may be beginning to see a trend here in these December 1965 issues.

Next is another casting re-use in the form of #325 Ford Mustang 2+2 Fastback Competition Model. Corgi have added bright red stripes and a coat of white paint to the lovely #320 model and it gets a fresh lease of life. There was a set of peel off numbers in the box but the RN2 shown here is not at all common. Nor are the very early models with shaped wheels as illustrated here.

This model can be found with the fullest range of wheels of any Corgi. First it had shaped wheels but only for a very limited time before wire wheels were fitted. Then detailed cast wheels appeared, the ones with fine spokes, before a chunkier style of 8-spoke cast wheel started to be fitted and, just to add more for a complete collection, these came in a gold finish as well as the plain cast silver-grey colour. Finally some wire wheel models had a red sill added! (The Corgi Model Club made a mistake in adding the red sill to their chunky 8-spoke wheel version.)

You will also have fun seeking out the different interiors. Whilst there was no Corgi dog in this issue, the interior was initially the same as was being fitted to the #320. Later the interior is redesigned and you'll find both chalky blue and chalky green versions.

Next on the list for December 1965 is the #468 London Bus, identical to the original issue other than its advertising which now features Outspan Oranges and this will be the most common version of the #468 model.

Later this will get cast wheels, lose its jewelled headlights and then Whizzwheels as well as a wide range of other advertising banners, some of which are hard to find now. Look out for transition models which have cast wheels but no jewels.

Another re-use of a casting is the Citroen Safari model which is basically the same as the January 1964 issue, also #475, but now Corgi Ski Club stickers replace the 1964 Winter Olympics ones.

The skiing character is the same, as are the skis and ski poles. You will find red and yellow with both #475 models. For a change, that's the only variation!

Now for another 'new' model that isn't really new at all. The #477 is identical to the later issues of the  #417S Land Rover Breakdown Truck apart from the new plastic canopy fitted to this one, replacing the tin affair that had been fitted since the #417 was issued way back in 1960.

This another of Corgi's very long-running editions and stays in the catalogue for many years, getting cast wheels, transfers instead of stickers and, of course, Whizzwheels in the 1970s.

Something else with some play value was the #478 Jeep FC-150, although this is yet another re-working of an existing model. The same Jeep in red and lacking suspension or interior was available as Gift Set 14 in 1961. Now the lamp standard has gone but the character still remains (for a while).

The boom can be found in painted silver, plain metal silver and also gold-coloured metal. There is a variation with a red interior and the wheels become cast later in its long life, although it never gets Whizzwheels, oddly enough.

Two more very simple adaptations prolong the life of a couple of other old models. The #1110 Mobilgas Tanker was first seen in 1959 with the Big Bedford cab. All Corgi have done is add the new Bedford TK cab and changed the number to #1140.

The same trick was done with the #1129 1962 Milk Tanker.

Add a Bedford TK cab and call it #1141. Corgi didn't even change the trailer component. Well, they may have changed the coverage of the light blue colour on the tanker towards the rear but, as it is so simple to swap things over, I cannot be absolutely sure. #1129 models seem all to have the blue colour all the way along the lower half whereas the #1141 stops in a 90° corner.

Both these models had very short period of availability for dealers to order and are hard to find now - but do beware of an old rear section hitched to a new front one. With the Milk Tanker, that's not so easy as the 'milk' blue is not the same as the other blues used for the cab. The red for the Mobilgas Tanker, though, is more readily switched.

Finally, for 1965, you could have been one of the first to have bought a Gift Set 32, the #53 Massey Ferguson Tractor with Shovel attachment and driver, towing the #62 Tipper Trailer (with raves) issued in February. The #53 is the last of the shovel attachment types in all bare metal.

This is yet another hard to find item now and a valuable Gift Set when in good condition with its original, nicely illustrated box and display.

If you had been lucky enough to get this lot, as shown here (apart from the late #256) in your Christmas Stocking (well, you'd have need a pillow-case!) then your parents might have forked out 87/2d (that's 4pounds, 7 shillings and 2 pence). Now, however, you'd be able to sell them for £1500 if you' d managed to keep everything nice and original, as well as the boxes, of course. (For reference, inflation between 1965 and 2025 would make the original price around £120 in today's buying terms. So definitely an inflation-busting investment that you could also have had a lot of enjoyment from - on the carpet in the 1960s and in cabinets in the 2020s (and probably the loft in the years in between!)