Corgi Toys @ 60: Simca 1100 Coupé and a Milk Float

 

April 1964 sees a Simca 1100 Coupé arrive on the shelves at your local toy shop.

It probably won't have been the blue on in the box, however, unless you were incredibly lucky, as the vast majority of this issue were in a liquid silver type of finish.

It was a very simple model and one of a couple that had been intended to start a 'low price' range - models that would be attractive but much cheaper to produce and so could be sold for lower prices. The other model was the NSU Sport Prinz. I would imagine that the silver finish would have been more expensive though so maybe the blue ones were for that initial cheaper release idea. Suffice it to say that the blue ones are very scarce and sell for several hundred pounds whenever they do appear.

All models had a RN8 stripe decal on the bonnet, extending over the roof and onto the boot. They had an interior and suspension, shaped wheels and that's it!

The other release this month 60 years ago was 466, the Commer Milk Float. You will, of course, recognise this from the Gift Set 24 Commer Construction Set but this has its base attached and cannot be removed, with a different design so the two should not be confused.

No milkman was in the box with this one and the colours were always pale blue and white, with a red interior and suspension. The wheels were aways shaped on this edition. Much later, in 1971, there will be a Co-Op promotion through which you might have been able to send some vouchers and get one of these models with Co-Op stickers on the doors and all those models had cast wheels and were supplied in a blank brown box. It is a different model, albeit just a way of using up old castings, I guess. There was also a Co-Op van and Scammell Truck in the same promotion, but more about that in a few years' time. For now I just wanted to make it clear that the April 1964 edition did not get cast wheels and, whilst it really does look like a Co-Op edition, it isn't.

Unusual arrivals this month Part 2!

May has certainly been a fascinating month for the items coming into the village. Today three more arrived and each is a little special! 

I'll start with the Riley Pathfinder. These are always wonderful models and this is the very rare 205M mechanical edition in red. 

I have had one for a while but it has lost a lot of its paint. This one is in very good condition but there is just one insurmountable problem! It didn't come with a rear axle! For the photos I dropped one in. Actually, I am somewhat heartened to find that the motor inside and the mechanism and base generally are pristine and barely used at all. I suspect the rear axle will have come off early in its life. If I can find another gear housing and axle (with crown gear affixed) then I think I should be able to make a decent repair of this. Normally the housing is attached by two long posts, sealed inside, but I am sure I can do something that will not look markedly different.

This will then, even as a repaired item, be worth a substantial sum.

The second item is this lovely little maroon 226 Morris Mini-Minor. Well, just as its maroon colleague, the Rover 2000, featured cast wheels yesterday this model reverses all that and, instead of what I thought all of them had, cast wheels, we have the earlier type.

I am really surprised to find this. I am not 100% convinced of its authenticity and that isn't just because it has come from Russia! Three wheels are marked - the rims dented or scratched in a way that you don't normally see on even much played-with models. One wheel also seems fixed to the axle too but I have not yet been able to ascertain whether it is some sort of glue or just corrosion.

The front axle seems fine, though and, unless it has been joined by a sleeve in the middle, I can't see how anyone could have simply replaced the wheels or, for that matter, why. I mean, I may find it intriguing but the seller did not receive any more for this than he would have done for a 'normal' maroon 226 with cast wheels.

So, I shall investigate this one a bit more closely. If it is original then it's the first one I have seen and won't be at all easy to find.

Lastly, my bank balance will be pleasantly enhanced should I ever find a buyer for this beautiful Simca 1000 in blue.

It is in A+ condition with no faults other than a small mark on the front bumper. Otherwise the paintwork is immaculate and the racing decals perfect. The windows are crystal clear and undamaged and this lacks only a box really. Serious collectors often have a space where this one should be and I sold a quite worn example with a cracked rear screen some time ago for about £150.

Although a blue 205M (not sure which blue) and a red and black 216M are on their way I think these will be in too good a condition for me to extract the bits I need. So I shall be looking around for a wrecked M model going cheap and, ideally, one with the right length back axle as well as a 315 box.

Simca 1000 Coupé in blue

A blue Simca 1000 arrived yesterday. I wasn't expecting ever to have one of these. OK, so it has quite a few chips on the paintwork and the windows are a bit scruffy but it is all original and not actually damaged, just worn in places. The wheels, tyres and base are good.

It's the first I have seen for sale in a year or so of looking and the owner wasn't a Corgi collector and probably just regarded it as one of many bits of junk in a box of old toys.

So now I've crossed this off the list it will be available for someone to purchase. One catalogue-type site lists this at about £40 but that has to be way off the mark as there simply aren't any anywhere and it's easier to find a Pop Art Mini! QDT show recent examples, (admittedly looking near new with boxes), that have sold at prices between £800 and £1010 so putting a price on it is really difficult as there is nothing reliable to go by. I'll start around £130 and see what happens.

Blue and really rather rare

Here's a treat, courtesy of a collector who has been corresponding with me recently. Never mind feeling green with envy, his really rare finds could have made me feel blue too! It is, though, sheer pleasure to share these with you. He doesn't want any formal acknowledgement but I am sure many people will be very grateful for the chance to see these.

First is a #315 Simca 1000 with 'competition' stripes in a rich dark blue. The normal model had a plated silver finish, also used for the Jaguar E Type and Mercedes 300SL. My understanding is that this was not officially released in this colour but quite a few were produced and found their way into the public arena so, whilst you'll be extraordinarily lucky to find one you'll be unlikely to afford it!

Next to share with you is the #305 Mini Marcos GT850 in a sort of deep sky blue. This is the Whizzwheels version of the maroon one that almost everyone had with the Golden Jacks wheels. The normal version of this was an off-white colour and that is pretty scarce itself, the Whizzwheels version not being terribly popular. Few will also have survived as they were very flimsily built and inclined to get easily damaged. The blue one was an official release and would most likely have been found in a car transporter set. I have seen one set for sale recently and they will appear from time to time. They're not the prettiest of cars (and I spotted the real thing on the A43 near Towcester last week which further reinforced that view!) and you may be lucky to pick one up without needing a second mortgage.

The third blue car that my correspondent shared with me and that I now share with you is the #246 Chrysler Imperial in kingfisher blue. I always think that kingfisher blue sounds delightful and would seek out cars that shade almost just for the name alone. The photos don't really do the colour justice, appearing rather darker than it would appear to the naked eye in daylight.

Now this is also extremely scarce but it did, at least, sort of make the 1969 Corgi catalogue in the guise of #507 Bermuda Taxi, presumably intended to replace the old Thunderbird. Although the taxi never appeared I guess Corgi must have produced a fair number of these - and if you look closely you'll see the drilled holes behind the rear seats where the poles would have been placed - and presumably let them out in the wild as a cheaper version of the red model.

The pale blue interior looks pretty much the same as one of the two options in the red version but it loses the door inserts and we think it may also have lost the golf trolley. If that is the case, though, then the box would have had to be changed but that isn't something we've seen so remains uncertain.

I will add these illustrations to my main site in a while to make them easier to track down in future. I doubt whether I'll ever actually have one in the collection but there's no harm in looking! It is interesting that it is often the blue models that have been the scarcest. Another two that spring to mind are the Marlin Rambler (normally red and black) and the Citroen 'Le Dandy' Coupe (normally deep magenta). You'll find these without too much trouble but they are both quite expensive in comparison to the 'normal' colours.

Here are some examples of the real cars. My guess is that you could get the Simca for less than the 1:43 version!

The Mini Marcos looks like some kind of little bug but plenty are still going strong. The model was pretty accurate, indeed, possibly making it more attractive!

The Chrysler model never looked right to me, sitting too high and fat compared to what it should have been like. Corgi usually got it dead right but did seem to struggle with some models.

Really acccurate was their Simca 1000 Coupe. A simple model that I often got confused with the NSU Sport Prinz out at the same time.