The Seven Golden Jacks

 

March 1968 brought a funny little car to our local Corgi stockist. It was a Mini-Marcos GT850 and something of a strange choice, the Marcos brand being a rare sight on our roads and this one being a particularly ugly car in reality. Corgi did, however, manage to make it look quite pretty in 1:43 scale.

Having said that, we did not see that many Buick Rivieras or Ghia 6.4 litres on the roads in Hertfordshire either. I believe one of the top guys at Corgi had a personal friendship with Messrs Marsh and Costin who ran Marcos which may explain why several of their range made it to the Corgi catalogues. Whatever the case, the Mini-Marcos, as model #341, was Corgi's first with a new feature they called Golden Jacks. These were levers which could be moved to provide a stand for an axle and also permit a wheel to be removed.

The levers were initially made in a golden colour metal but later models can be found with gold , silver or plain metal.

The Mini-Marcos had a host of other features too, an opening bonnet, doors and sliding seats. In a later guise,in blue with Whizzwheels this little car will become one of the scarcest Corgi issues, appearing just briefly in a Car Transporter Gift Set in 1972.

The #341 model was produced only in a lovely shade of metallic maroon with a white interior. This is the only Golden Jacks model to have small size wheels.

As can be seen from the 1969 Corgi Catalogue, this was the first of a series proposed by Corgi, with #275 Rover 2000TC following in April 1968.

This was very popular, being a very attractive and accurate casting. It essentially used the #252 casting, adding some welcome chrome to the front and rear, jewels in the holes where Trans-o-lite tubes had fitted before, a spare wheel in a carrier on the boot and a slightly unusual tinted perspex roof.

I had the single carburettor version as a real car myself but don't recall any options of such a roof. Unless it had particularly good heat absorbency or diminishing features, life would have been uncomfortable inside on hot sunny days!

The wheels I do recall reflecting very accurately the design of the large hubs fitted to these cars at that time. The 'TC' logos on the side and rear were a bit large, though! Nevertheless, this was a fine model.

The majority of these Rover 2000TC models issued were finished in metallic green with a beige interior. There are, however, variations with a red interior and a white interior. These are not common but not too difficult to find. Then there is also a white edition with a red interior. Again, considerably fewer white models were produced but they're easy enough to find.

Like the Mini-Marcos, the Rover would get Whizzwheels a couple of years later and a few revisions, to be released as #281 in August 1971 and just 48,000 sales establishing that version quite high in the 'rarest Corgi' list.

A couple of months later, in May 1968, the Oldsmobile Toronado gets the Golden Jacks treatment too. This time there is just a fresh coat of either metallic bronze-red or amber and a new base. At the same time Corgi took the opportunity to improve the device for operating the flip-up headlamps.

The amber version is a bit less common than the red but both sold well and red editions are inexpensive to buy now.

August 1968 sees the arrival of the fourth Golden Jacks issue in the shape of a new model to the range, #338 Chevrolet Camaro SS350.

This model shared wheels with the Oldsmobile. These are, though, the only two models issued with the same wheels. Having said that, you will now find all sorts of combinations as the normal size wheels are so simple to swap around.

The Chevrolet was always in metallic gold with a black detachable hood, red interior and black bonnet stripe. It also had sliding headlamp covers but merely chrome lamps, not jewels.

As well as sharing wheels with the Oldsmobile, it shares much of its casting and all the interior with the #343 Pontiac Firebird, about which more later.

This model sold fairly well but is re-issued, almost as an afterthought, for a very brief period in 1972 with Whizzwheels and finished in plain blue with a white hood. At the same time the Mini-Marcos reappears too in a box with Whizzwheels, finished in white with racing decals and a red interior. Both of these later issues are now scarce, the Camaro particularly so.

It is almost a year before we see any more Golden Jacks models and, as Whizzwheels appear in September, it is safe to assume that the next issues may only have made it to the shops because lots had already been produced and needed to be sold. The first of what I call the 'reluctant Golden Jacks issues' is in July 1969 when #302 Hillan Hunter emerges in all its glory as a London to Sydney Rally marathon successful finisher, complete with roo bar, jewels front and back, opening tool box on the roof and, of course, Corgi supply a kangaroo in the box as well.

This must have been an expensive model to produce with its totally new casting and a whole lot of bits and pieces not used elsewhere before. I tend to find this model sits rather low, as if the suspension has failed (not that that was very good anyway). That does seem to be how it was produced, however.

As if all the features added were not already enough to get people buying this one, Corgi provided a large sheet of stickers as well as an illustration showing where they were placed on the real car. Personally, I prefer the model with just the RN75 decals but many you will find have the rest scattered across the place with varying degrees of inaccuracy.

In September 1969 there should have been another Golden Jacks issue in the shape of a Ferrari Dino Sport but the order had come from above that Whizzwheels were the future, not Golden Jacks and a model such as the speedy Ferrari should be able to complete on the drawing room floor with other racing cars and not be defeated, as a Golden Jacks car would be, by even a 1956 issue Vanwall and probably even a Bedford CA Van, (although admittedly not the ones with a friction motor).

The Ferrari did appear in September 1969 but with Whizzwheels. Evidence of Corgi's earlier intentions are clear on the boxes for early issues, with stickers covering the text about removable wheels, Golden Jacks etc.and announcing Whizzwheels instead. The base also shows how there might once have been space for levers. There were also promotions in the Catalogue itself.

By March 1970, therefore, Whizzwheels were the order of the day and January 1970 brought us #343, the Pontiac Firebird, again with early boxes hurriedly edited.

February 1970 sees the Lamborghini also appear with Whizzwheels and edited boxes.

Then, in March 1970, we get something of a surprise. 

Rolls Royce was Britain's premier brand. People talked of a Rolls Royce being 'the best car in the world' and there was little dissent from GM or even Cadillac, mere grumbles from Mercedes-Benz and the French refused to comment. I had always wondered why Corgi didn't make a modern Rolls Royce. I had had to buy a Dinky Toy. Heavens! (OK, yes, Corgi did make a Rolls Royce in May 1966 - the 1912 Silver Ghosr but, quite frankly, no-one wanted to have that plastic-bodied affair trundling conspicuously oddly on their layout, a view borne out today by even models in original packaging failing to sell for £10.)

So to see a lovely modern Rolls Royce Silver Shadow issued was a delight.

Mercifully, someone on the Corgi Board had realised that the dreadful plastic Whizzwheels were most definitely not to be attached to this model when first introduced to the public. This was an iconic moment and the model had the potential to become Corgi's most internationally recognisable car image so what had been planned as a Golden Jacks release stayed that way.

Personally, I would have just fitted nice wheels and not bothered with the 'take-off' mechanism. I mean, has anyone ever seen a Rolls Royce changing a wheel at the roadside? A Rolls Royce appearing in any way to be deficient is not correct. For all that, the wheels, a larger size than normal, were excellent and a spare could be found in the boot.

It was a heavy model and it just had to have plenty of chrome at the front and back as well as double jewelled headlamps. The bonnet opened (although I am not sure it does so in the right way) as well as the boot and doors, with tilting seats and a detailed dashboard. The suspension was never great on this model and some, like the Hillman Hunter, do seem a bit too low slung. Production quality, however, did not match the brand, with the model never quite feeling as something you would prize as much as it ought.

The normal issue was finished in a metallic pale cream over a plain greyish-blue. There was also, however, a much more attractive edition in metallic silver over a rich metallic blue which suited the model far better. The model, available only for a short period in 1970, is fairly scarce but in that later finish it is very rare. As it happens, that finish was used in the first Whizzwheels edition which was issued in October, just seven months later.

I suppose the directors in charge of costs and profits at Corgi held precedence over those seeking to maintain quality and appearances and so in October 1970 not only did we see awful Whizzwheels fitted to this model but also in December a Bentley version with the same ghastly wheels and, to add insult to the brand, finished in pink!! 

Remarkably, the Rolls Royce was not the last to be issued with Golden Jacks. There was to be one more - an absolutely beautiful model in the delightful shape of #300 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

What made everyone take a second and third look at this model was its finish - an extraordinary, mirror-like finish in metallic deep crimson or emerald green.

The bonnet was matt black and opened and the headlamps popped up to reveal double jewels à la Oldsmobile Toronado. There were two plastic targa roof panels which could be removed too. (Most models now have one or both of these missing or looking rather worn but I have yet to find anyone who makes replacements.)

The Chevrolet has a unique wheel with many radial 'spokes'. It also has lovely red jewels at the back.

Although availability to dealers ceased later in 1970, the Chevrolet was popular and sold a lot more than the Golden Jacks Rolls Royce and almost as many as the Whizzwheels Pontiac and Ferrari. If you held both the Chevrolet Corvette and the Rolls Royce, there was a noticeable difference in production and finish quality.

It would re-appear, like all the other models except the Toronado and Hillman Hunter, with Whizzwheels and a less expensive finish as #387 . It would also, after a few rare transition issues, lose the rear jewels and, like the #281 Rover and #304 Camaro, the Whizzwheels version is very scarce and much more expensive due to very low sales and thus now being hard to find.

Most of the Golden Jacks series are easy to find and, as they were not suitable for high speed chases around the floor or racing, they tend to have remained in reasonably good condition. None have great suspension but also none seem to have failed suspension either, unlike so many Ghias and Mustangs, for instance.

The Corgi Model Club have, at the time of writing, issued copies of the Rover, Oldsmobile and Hillman Hunter.

Corgi Model Club: Rover 2000TC in white

 

A fairly inexpensive month for the Corgi Model Club as September's issue is the #275 Rover 2000TC now available in white. This has always been sought after by collectors and originals command a notably higher price as the white version does seem very much less common. So I can imagine many people will be delighted to see this finally arrive in October (or whenever their subscription reaches this model).

Very many originals can look a bit tired, the white finish showing every little mark. This copy, though, almost shines as it emerges from the pack and I only wish all my original Golden Jacks models had such lovely clean and shiny wheels!

This is an excellent reproduction, as was the green one that you may have seen first in April 2024. I wish that one day I can praise the Club for sourcing some glass 'jewels' instead of the poor plastic that they continue to use but that is really the only fault I can find with the model.

The box has the ugly panel with all kind of mostly unnecessary data and declares a 6+ icon which I presume is intended to dissuade anyone younger than 7 from playing with it. That seems to be about the average age that whoever edits their Certificates of Authenticity as once again the text is annoyingly lacking.

After this Rover, Corgi went on to produce five further models. I accept that there were only two more in 1968 but why not mention the other three, or perhaps even the proposed other Golden Jacks models which, with some late change in production , received Whizzwheels instead but were shown in catalogues as being Golden Jacks and had boxes initially with last minute stickers to cover up the incorrect text regarding features.

I shall write about the Golden Jacks series in a little while.

The model is almost worth buying for the spares that it can provide, by way of wheels and a spare wheel housing that inevitably gets broken on originals.

Sometimes you get a pleasant surprise

 Whilst I am only too fully aware of the number of models sold on Ebay which are far from what they seem and have descriptions which, even those written by AI, veer markedly from the truth, I do sometimes strike lucky. I bought those illustrated below plus a couple of other Corgis for £30. They did look a bit dirty and the photos provided weren't very well-focussed but I was happy to pay a lot more for just one of them - what looked like a lovely example of a #322 Rover 2000 Monte Carlo, one of my favourite models.

It has two or three small marks to the paintwork but none in obvious places and is totally original. No one has attempted to repaint the roof and it has the correct original decals with that slightly unusual font which most dealers supplying replacements get wrong. And the rear window isn't cracked where the Trans-o-lite system joins. Amazing! Prior to starting the catalogue and my Corgi business I had always kept my own Rover model on a shelf or on my desk at an office for many many years. It was one of the first models that I searched for in 2013 because my own model had disappeared. I did need one now for a Gift Set 38 I am building to take advantage of a reasonable reproduction box that has come my way but I tend to buy these when they're at reasonable prices anyway. It must be something about the colour and I do love jewelled headlamps and, of course, the super Trans-o-lite double headlamps.

In the group was this little #328 Monte Carlo Hillman Imp. Now I did expect this to arrive with something wrong, most probably broken suspension which these Imps so often suffer from. However, apart from some flat spots on the tyres, which were rock hard and have now been replaced, and some wear to the decals on the sides, this is a super little example. It is also the version with a yellow interior whereas most I've had have been white.

The #314 that was in the group is not a model I like very much and they all do seem to be very cheap and plentiful so the £5 I effectively paid for this one isn't quite so much of a bargain and I probably won't sell it for ages and even then at only £10 if I'm lucky. It's clean, though, and just missing the Ferrari transfer and a RN4 on one side. Unlike the other two I have at the moment, this one does have both exhausts! They seem to break very easily, being thin pieces of chrome-plated plastic and a little vulnerable at the rear. I know of only two variations for this model and that is in the lines on the base. Early models have two simple parallel lines. Later models have an angled section at the rear end of each line. This was around for such a long time that there may well be other differences that emerged with time but I have yet to know about any. I do notice different RN transfers - colour and style of numeral but wonder that these may just be poor reproductions.

Another model I have managed to avoid having for many years is this #151A, the second outing for the rather bland-looking Lotus Mark 11. The first edition from 1958 was a little interesting in that there are some scarce colours like red and silver to discover but for this one it's just smooth or shaped wheels and RN3 or 7. This one does have a driver although I am not sure it's the correct character as he appears to be much too high above the screen. Having said that, the Simon Templar father-figure in the #215S Thunderbird would suffer at any speed as he sits several inches above the top of the screen in that car too.

I am quite happy to have this, though, as it is very clean, all original and a colleague in Australia sent me a sample reproduction box in return for my assistance with design and dimensions for it. His work is excellent, rather better than some we may be more familiar with and I can now sell this model with his box, which has been lying around for a couple of years at least. 

I am also most relieved that the tyres are OK on this one. I have no idea how anyone can change them!

I shall not bother to bore you with photos of the other two models, for which £5 was probably about the right price to pay if I am going to get any profit at all from them. One was a #309 Aston Martin Competition, a late model with the small, closed vent. The paintwork was not good, though, showing a lot of playwear so it could be something someone might wish to restore. The only other fault is a small scratch on the front screen so I really don't want to break it apart as the decals, suspension, wheels are all sound and, despite being well worn, it is still all original. So someone might like it for a few pounds.

The other was a #155 Lotus-Climax Racing Car. It looked great, with a driver and suspension is intact and the paintwork very good. Unfortunately, though, it has lost the twin chrome exhausts. It does look an easy repair and one that ought to be worth doing as the end product will be a lot better than some restoration repaint. There's no need to break it so perhaps that'll appeal for a few pounds too.

This article was just about some of the every day models we see come and go and to share how sometimes you can do well on Ebay. The site is much-criticised and some people seem to want to avoid Ebay like the plague but I don't have a lot of trouble there. The costs of selling are high but it is the only site which I feel reaches a large enough audience of people who are interested in what I have to sell. I would much rather everyone buys from my own store, where I do get to keep a lot more of the proceeds and, accordingly, list products at lower prices, but it's simply not anything like as well-publicised.

You do have to be careful - and I feel sorry for whoever bought a fawn-coloured 'Pre-production sample' of a #241 Ghia L6.4 this week for £166. I did write to the seller when I first saw it to say that he would be disappointing a buyer as there were several signs that this was most definitely not a pre-production sample but merely something someone had repainted and screwed back together. The seller maintained that the screw was the same type as another that had been illustrated, possibly in the Great Book of Corgi, of a factory sample of a Ghia Mangusta 5000 De Tomaso and even included that illustration in his listing. The two screws were quite obviously different and, whilst I doubt Corgi had any 'standard screws' for holding models together anyway, I am sure that a pre-production sample, which would be from 1962/3 would not be identical to a 1968/9 one for the later Ghia!

I have had many genuine colour trials and factory samples and they have rarely been screwed together. The base is either riveted as per a normal issue or where the model is very much something being worked on and a very early sample, the base is held on by elastic bands. Screws may have been used sometimes and I am sure some people will have genuine examples but that badly-painted brown Ghia was not good. Unfortunately, now that it has achieved that price once this will be used by someone to justify another high price next time it appears on the market and, much as we may criticise Ebay sellers, there are plenty of similarly inaccurate descriptions at all the major auction houses where I suspect this will finish up one day at £400.

But that is all another story. For now I just wished to share you some of the nice surprises that can be found on Ebay.

Corgi Toys @ 60: Nine new releases for March 1965!

 I don't think there will have been many children getting all the new issues which March 1965 brought to their local toy shop. There were no less than seven new models and two gift sets this month 60 years ago.

One was the almost iconic Corgi gift set - the Monte Carlo Gift Set of three 1965 rally models.

Record indicate that just 72000 of these were sold, not many for those times, and these sets are extremely expensive now, with prices reaching £1500 or more for a set in its original box. The box may be one of the most expensive pieces of folded cardboard around as the cars can be found individually for around £120 each in unmarked condition so the box adds a massive £1200!

It's an attractive set and features the 321 Mini Cooper which was released in February plus the new Citroën and Rover which were simultaneously released individually his month too.

The Citroën DS19 is catalogue number 323 and is the 210S model with four small jewels as fog lamps and the Monte Carlo decals. Individually it was issued in its own illustrated box. A classic problem with this model has been the aerial which can become brittle and is not easily replaced.

The Rover 2000 is the 252 model with Monte Carlo decals and two jewels added to the grille. The individual models were first issued in a 252 model box with a 'Special Release' label over one end. Later issues had their own illustrated boxes.

Another Mini appears this month in the shape of the Austin Mini Countryman.

I would have dated this rather later than 1965 but it did, indeed, come out this month 60 years ago. This is a substantially revised casting, previously seen as the Minivan and Police Van, now with woodwork and windows and a chrome-plated roof rack and two surf boards. In the box is a young chap in swimming trunks in a position where he neds to be holding the surfboard to avoid looking a bit strange.

It's a nice model and will eventually get cast wheels to replace the first issue's shaped wheels. There is also a little known and seemingly very scarce variation where there is no fuel filler on the rear left wing.

I believe this is a very early edition but have no further information about this.

A commercial vehicle gets revised this month in the shape of the quite ancient Jeep FC-150. First issued in April 1959, the Jeep now gets an interior and suspension as well as a plastic canopy.

There are three initial releases, two in blue and one in a sort of green-beige colour, often referred to as avocado. The blue can be found quite easily with either red or lemon interiors but the avocado version seems to be mostly red, with lemon being a scarce variation.

Later this model will get cast wheels and it stays in the catalogue for many years through to 1972.

The Saint's Volvo P1800 is issued this month too. This is a straightforward adaptation of the July 1962 228 model with the addition of a character at the wheel and a 'Saint' emblem on the bonnet.

Later editions get a red or blue label which covers the whole of the bonnet and has the Saint emblem in white. The red is usually found with cast wheels. The blue label edition is quite scarce. The same body and character will stay in the catalogue until 1972 too, the red label edition getting Whizzwheels and a different interior in 1970 as #201.

The 'Simon Templar' character appears to be the same as the driver inserted in the 215S Ford Thunderbird.

Next we have some models brining us some refreshments. First is a Karrier Van, looking rather old-fashioned now, but with an interior and suspension and a nice 'trans-o-lite' feature that lights up the 'Snack Bar' sign at the front.

You'll find two versions of this - the usual one is Joe's Diner but there's a nice Belgian variation advertising patates frites.

After your snack you might have fancied an ice cream and the next model is the Ford Thames Ice Cream Van in Wall's livery.

You get a model of the ice cream seller and a young lad on a pavement with a 'hopscotch' design. This was a short-lived issue, however, being replaced after just a few months in October by a 'musical' version. The characters and display scene go and instead you get an ugly handle at the back which plays a tune when turned.

Finally for this month, the second issue of the Fordson Tractor is paired with a Beast Carrier in Gift Set 33.

This is the first appearance of the Beast Carrier trailer, which will not be available individually in a box until later in 1965. It comes with four calves on a card straw design in the trailer and a green plastic mesh stretched across the top. There is also a driver on the tractor in this set.

This is quite a scarce set because it gets the new Ford 5000 tractor at the end of 1966 and is renamed Gift Set 1. The Beast Carrier itself is another very long-running model, staying in the catalogue until 1972.