This is an excellent list. Can I ask a question? When was the metal canopy on Corgi Land Rovers replaced with the plastic one? I have a Chipperfields GS23, with the Booking Office included, which I think makes it 1962. The Land Rover canopy has been replaced wrongly with a cream plastic one, so I'd like to replace it. Looking at the polystyrene in the box, it looks to me as if it has had a metal canopy, without the protruding furled up roll at the back of the plastic one. This has caused me much head scratching, but I've just stumbled across your excellent blog. Can you help?
Thank you, John and my apologies for the delay in responding. The first Chipperfields Land Rovers were issued in April 1962 in GS19, towing the trailer with an elephant cage. These had a tin canopy and the GS23 set issued in September 1962 would also have had a tin canopy. Both sets continued to be on dealers' order lists through to 1967 and, at some point, the blue plastic canopy would replace the tin. With all the other Series II Land Rovers having a plastic canopy from the end of 1962, it would seem reasonable that Chipperfields blue canopies would have been produced from then too and, when stocks of the metal ones ran out the plastic ones would replace them. With the change to the set contents and polystyrene cut-out in 1964 there is clearly room for the slightly bigger canopy. I have seen 1st issue sets, however, with the plastic canopy and, whilst a tight fit, it does seem most likely that packers would simply have pressed the model in place. So, whilst no-one can give us a precise date, it is safe to assume it would have been in 1963, probably early to mid-1963.
This is an excellent list. Can I ask a question? When was the metal canopy on Corgi Land Rovers replaced with the plastic one? I have a Chipperfields GS23, with the Booking Office included, which I think makes it 1962. The Land Rover canopy has been replaced wrongly with a cream plastic one, so I'd like to replace it. Looking at the polystyrene in the box, it looks to me as if it has had a metal canopy, without the protruding furled up roll at the back of the plastic one. This has caused me much head scratching, but I've just stumbled across your excellent blog. Can you help?
ReplyDeleteThank you, John and my apologies for the delay in responding. The first Chipperfields Land Rovers were issued in April 1962 in GS19, towing the trailer with an elephant cage. These had a tin canopy and the GS23 set issued in September 1962 would also have had a tin canopy. Both sets continued to be on dealers' order lists through to 1967 and, at some point, the blue plastic canopy would replace the tin. With all the other Series II Land Rovers having a plastic canopy from the end of 1962, it would seem reasonable that Chipperfields blue canopies would have been produced from then too and, when stocks of the metal ones ran out the plastic ones would replace them. With the change to the set contents and polystyrene cut-out in 1964 there is clearly room for the slightly bigger canopy. I have seen 1st issue sets, however, with the plastic canopy and, whilst a tight fit, it does seem most likely that packers would simply have pressed the model in place. So, whilst no-one can give us a precise date, it is safe to assume it would have been in 1963, probably early to mid-1963.
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