Corgi Toys @ 60: Batmobile and a confusing (but valuable) Gift Set

 

It's October 1966 and Corgi release what will turn out to be their greatest selling model, the Batmobile.

This illustration may not be strictly accurate because the October 1966 issue was a matt black model with gold wheels featuring red bat logos. It came on an inner tray which contained the 'secret instructions' and the missiles which could be fired from the tubes behind the cockpit. The first aerial was an almost transparent plastic and the cockpit was an aqua blue colour.

In production for many years, until 1983(!), you can imagine that it underwent considerable changes and variations are many. These include: 

Tyres

Wheels

Right filled-in door

Tail fin tips and taillights

Nostrils on the bat nose

Aerial

Canopy : aqua, light aqua, aqua green, clear, green, purple, light purple & light blue

Underside

Turbine exhaust nozzle

Batdoor Sticker

Horn indicators  

Beacon

The slot for the chain cutter blade until 1979

The slot for the chain cutter blade after 1979

Rocket

Headlight color

Seats with a purple color

Instructions

Badge

Envelope

Batman

Robin  

There was just the one variation in the first matt issue, however, and that is the aerial, with a silver plastic being fitted on some models.

In around March 1967 a gloss black edition replaces the matt and this is where the variations listed above start to be found. Later it gets a hook at the back to accommodate better the BatBoat.

 I am not an expert on this model. Indeed, the only one I have ever owned is the one shown below which was briefly in my possession from the estate of the late Percy Wilford, before being acquired for a vast sum a few years ago. Should you wish to read chapter & verse on this model I thoroughly recommend this chap's pages, available at this link.

In October 1966 you may have been lucky to have been given an All Winners Gift Set 46. Note the number - 46, not 45. 

You will see that this original box is numbered 46 and displays its content on the original card print. With the cars was a pack of bollards, the same as those included in the Lotus Racing Set which, of course this set's presentation closely resembles.

This composition was short-lived, however, and just two months later, not only was the Jaguar E Type exchanged for the James Bond Aston Martin but also the number of the set was changed to Gift Set 45!

The Great Book of Corgi has the content of Gift Set 46 in October 1966 as having a 264 Oldsmobile Toronado rather than the 325 Ford Mustang but I am pretty sure this is incorrect. The Oldsmobile was not actually issued until January 1967. It will appear later, as well as several other changes.

These two sets confuse most people and that is a shame as they are always so expensive but few, whether those buying or selling, seem to know what they are really paying so much money for. 

I shall return to these Gift Sets in a couple of months!

Batmobile - members' edition

Members of the Corgi Model Club, that is, who get (or will get when they eventually reach this release) this very nice matt black edition.

This was the first model issued in October 1966. The story goes that Corgi management saw the real car on display about 6 months later and when they saw it was gloss black they hurriedly changed production. Although a good few would have been sold in matt black, originals command a very high price. They'll now be joined by this model which, like the 'less shiny' James Bond Aston Martin the Club issued before switching to a new paint finish, will doubtless be advertised for substantial prices.

As you'll probably have had enough of Batmobiles for this year and maybe next year as well, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

The box will be unique to this edition, as will the Certificate of Authenticity and I don't recall getting this reproduction of an advertisement with the first gloss Club issue.

As you may have gathered from a previous article, I am selling the whole of my personal Club collection, including the original Ice Cream Vans (different codes and design on the boxes) but not including this matt edition or the less shiny Aston Martin. I'll hang on to those as I believe they will be a couple of models that will be good investments. The original Ice Cream Van should be too but I'll let that go.

If anyone is interested get in touch. I am looking only to cover the cost of acquisition of the 45 (or maybe 46, I lost count) models. At the moment my series ends with the Oldsmobile Toronado. I also have several duplicate early models for sale individually at moreorless what they cost me.

Corgi Model Club: Batmobile #1

 I have titled this #1 as there will be two more to follow. This is the first of the Corgi Batmobile re-issues and this one comes from the Corgi Model Club. It's the gloss black edition of the first issue without a tow-hook at the rear.

This comes in the first edition style of box - you'll have to wait for the 'with tow-hook' version from Corgi themselves for the window-style box - and a tray with wings, pretty much as the original will have appeared. (Original shown here with the model).

The Club provide some extra protection in the shape of some clear perspex retaining both ends and preventing movement in transit.

Inside the tray is the 'Instructions' packet and, separately a plastic bag with missiles. The 'Instructions' packet has the illustrated guide on one side and a list of features and contents on the other side in something approaching the 'typewriter' style of text which the original had. Here the computer font is a little too regular in comparison but otherwise is pretty much the same.

The model itself looks superb and should please all Corgi Batmobile fans, many of whom may never have seen such an immaculate-looking example before! The originals were very prone to chips on the wings, even chunks missing from the wings, as well as broken aerials and chips at the very least to the perspex windscreen and cabin elements.

I am not an expert on the Batmobile but the wheels look unfamiliar, with the gold rim and icon outline. as you'll see from the comparisons below, though, this may just be because all my models have been a little worn.

original issue

original issue

original issue

original issue

Update 6 October:

Once again the Corgi Model Club people don't edit their Certificates of Authenticity text very well. This time they have Dick Grayson as the actor when it should be Burt Ward playing Dick Grayson (Robin's real name). If they decide to correct this then these first issue ones could be valuable! Don't sell your just yet.

So that's it and expect to be hearing a lot more about this as it is bound to be a much talked-about issue. This particular model is what anyone who has not signed up for monthly issues from the Club will receive and is available to buy now from their store. I hope to have the matt black version before long as well as the Hornby-Corgi issue but first I may well receive the Oldsmobile Toronado which is still awaited!

Corgi Model Club do the Batman

 This will please a lot of collectors and no doubt there will be double sales too as the Corgi Model Club have announced that they will be issuing a replica of the first 1966 edition of the Batmobile in matt black finish for members only in or around November 2024.

There will also be a gloss black version which can be purchased by anyone from the online store later this year.

This approach is similar to that for the next James Bond Aston Martin, due a few months later where the members will receive the 270 model with silver grille and bumpers, with the more common gold grille and bumpers variant being available from the store. No doubt the vast majority of us will be buying both each time!

I am also expecting there to be more issues promoted by Corgi directly, rather than the Club, of new variations of existing Club issues. It must surely be considerably cheaper to produce a few models in different finishes and maybe slight adaptation using existing castings than to design from the start. We have seen and will see several along these lines from the Club itself in respect of new issues: Land Rover Breakdown Truck / Land Rover, Corgi's Land Rover Breakdown Truck and the Club's Public address Vehicle,  VW 1200 East Africa Safari / European Police Car, Oldsmobile Sherriff's Car / HQ Staff Car, Chevrolet Impala Taxi / Fire Chief / Patrol Car, Walls Ice Cream Van (Musical) / Non-Musical, Mini Cooper Monte Carlo / Sun Rally and James Bond (gold) / (silver) have already appeared or are in the programme. Colour changes and some simple adaptations of some others are surely going to come too as we have seen with the four other models already issued separately by Corgi.