Ambassador Report 37
INTRODUCTION
I am sorry that the report was a little short last week. I am now back
to 100% health and it was heartening to receive so many well wishers’
encouraging comments. I was not able to compile a History report this
week and so I was very grateful to Graham Tomlinson who stepped in at
the last moment with a report and some photos.
On a different note, I am sad to report that neither Peter Adams nor
David Tilley from England will be able to attend the Gathering in New
Mexico this year. The cost of air fares from the UK is so high,
especially in the first week of the school holidays. I can confirm that I
will be attending and I look forward to meeting friends, old and new.
If there is anyone who is willing and able to share a room at the
Marriott, please contact me at matchboxuk@hotmail.com
A clarification about the Matchbox Taxi (generic) shown previously in my
last report is that it will be used in the City Works 5 pack and not in
mainline.
Another update is that Matchbox are no longer pursuing the Land Rover
LR4 which had been originally moved to 2015. It will be replaced by a
new licensed model. This is TBD.
Please note that all images shown in the Ambassador Reports are provided by the kind permission of the Mattel Corporation.
MATCHBOX ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
There is no question and answer section this week. We hope to have more
answers next week. The team looks forward to receiving more of your
questions.
NEW RELEASES
There are several new images available to show this week. First up is a
new tool for 2014. It is the Snow Ripper which is a snowmobile.
Next is the final exclusive car in the 9/10 packs which is the Porsche Boxster.
Appearing in the Mission Force Farm pack are the Tractor and the Sowing Machine.
The Travel Trailer is part of the Outdoor Sights 5 Pack.
For Sky Busters we have the Tilt Rotor.
A Little More History
Into the Future: Lesney miniatures in 1975.
The first Superfast releases of 1969 were of realistic models such as a
Lotus Europa and Rolls Royce Silver Shadow Coupe. However, in 1970 the
Lesney design team decided they needed to compete directly with Mattel’s
Hot Wheels and started to produce some weirdly styled models such as
the Road Dragster and Hot Rod Draguar. This continued into 1971 with
such models as the Mod Rod, Gruesome Twosome with two engines, Hairy
Hustler and Blue Shark. Such designs reached their zenith in 1972 with
the outrageous Flying Bug, the Tyre Fryer with probably the biggest
engine ever seen on a miniature, the Big Banger with an engine so large
the driver would have been completely at a loss to see ahead of him, the
angled Soopa Coopa and the curvy Woosh n Push. 1973 saw another extreme
engine model namely the Pi Eyed Piper, with the driver again very
likely to have an accident. Three over the top Choppers and a whole raft
of new Rolamatics models including the bizarre Clipper and several
other models which had their origins on existing models, including the
Hot Rocker with another large exposed engine on the Ford Capri body and
the twin turbined Turbo Fury based on the Blue Shark.
In 1974 Lesney calmed down for the nine releases for that year were far
from extreme: a Mercedes, Renault, Lamborghini, Honda Motorcycle, three
relatively realistic Rolamatics military models, an (admittedly
generic) Articulated Truck and a Le Mans style racer.
Strange then that in 1975 Lesney went all weird and futuristic again!
Models included a Seafire boat with huge exposed engine, a futuristic
fire engine and dump truck. Names to become familiar in the range
included Blaze Buster, Atlas, another wacky vehicle on the lines of the
Flying Bug in the form of the Mini Ha Ha, and the Vantastic, yet another
giant exposed engine on a heavily customised Ford Mustang!
The range in 1975.
However, three further models really stand out: the futuristic
Hellraiser (yes yet another outsized and exposed engine) and two very
imaginative space type vehicles - the Planet Scout and Cosmobile.
The Vantastic with all large dot dash
wheels and, like the Hellraisers, much harder to find than Cosmobile or
Planet Scout wheel variants.
Also three models that really stand out: the futuristic Hellraiser (yes
yet another outsized and outside engine) and two very imaginative space
type vehicles: the Planet Scout and Cosmobile.
Unusual red Planet Scout with unpainted base
All 5 arch variant in red
The #5 Seafire ran in the 1-75 range until 1979, and whilst initially
white with a blue hull, it was eventually produced in many colours as a
result of it’s inclusion in the Two Packs range in 1980, perched on a
specially designed plastic trailer. In this form, and in 5 packs, it
continued to be produced into the 1990’s. Rare examples include that in
white with a brown hull, and perhaps the hardest to locate, red with a
blue hull.
The #22 Blaze Buster had a white ladder in pre-production. It is a
contentious issue as to whether this was also the first production
model, or simply that a few pre-pros escaped the factory. If one exists
on a sealed card it would help to clarify this uncertainty. It is
generally found with a yellow ladder, though the contention from the
book “Matchbox: The First 40 Years” that this was because white nylon
material was not normally used at the Lesney factory in 1975 is arguably
not true because the interiors of the Piston Popper and Londoner Bus
may challenge this assertion.
Certainly yellow did nothing to add realism to the model, though the
limited run with a black ladder is far more attractive. 5 spoke wheels
were always fitted to this model, though some rare examples exist with
the 4 spoke wheel most often found on the Hot Rod Jeep or Lotus Super
Seven. This variant commands a substantial premium. The model always had
“Fire” labels to each side, except for the “No.32” labels used on gift
set models. Such examples used to be considered rare and desirable but
now fail to produce much interest. Considering how long it remained in
the range it seems strange that the Blaze Buster was never converted to
include the 5 arch style wheel introduced shortly after the initial
release. Bulgarian versions of this model come exclusively with the 5
arch style wheel. Bulgarian models can also be found with a white
ladder. One funny quirk occurred in the 1983 catalogue, when the 1984
new release #18 Fire Engine was accidentally pictured in the #22 Blaze
Buster slot! The Blaze Buster started life with an unpainted base and
chrome interior, but by the final run in 1984 it had for some time
sported a black painted base and, ironically, a white interior, yet
still maintaining the yellow ladder!
The #23 Atlas was initially released with spiro type wheels as found on
the Beach and Baja Buggys, but these were soon changed to the dot dash
style. The first run also included a striped label running down each
side of the dump, but after just a few months this was discontinued,
leaving the model looking rather dull in dark blue with an insipid
orange dump, especially after the amber windows and chrome interior were
changed to clear glass with a dull grey interior. However the Atlas was
enlivened in 1981 when it was re-coloured orange-red with a silver dump
which was a much more attractive look. Rare examples abound: dark blue
with cross-over silver dump, orange-red with a black interior, and dark
blue with either orange or silver dump, both with a yellow interior, the
latter being perhaps the rarest combination. The body of this model was
also used on the #37 Skip Truck released in 1976. The Atlas was deleted
during 1983.
The #14 Mini Ha Ha was a curious release in 1975 as it was clearly more
suited to the early ‘70s era, but has always been a popular model.
Released in red with a bank of four giant exhaust pipes, blue windows, a
huge WW1 style aeroplane engine and pilot to match, this model
continued in the range into 1982 without ever being altered. The only
variants are those with two colour rather than four colour bullseye
labels on the doors, and dot dash front wheels rather than maltese.
It is perhaps a pity that Lesney never saw fit to re-colour this model
at any stage, as Brazilian models in blue, orange and green amongst
others indicate how superb it would have looked: a missed opportunity.
The Vantastic was almost unrecognisable as a ’72 Ford Mustang due to it
having been turned into an estate shaped van with a massive engine at
the front! Released in bright orange with blue windows, labels to the
sides and a white painted base, it was an attractive piece. The 1975
trade catalogue shows it at #14 and pre-production examples have this
number on the base, however it was eventually decided to designate it
#34 instead. By early 1978 almost all the Hot Wheels styled models from
the early ‘70s had been deleted and it was decided to remove the engine
altogether: a”34” label was stuck in it’s place. The design of the side
labels was slightly altered, although sometimes these were now missing
altogether, and occasionally a “Sunburst” label from the #47 Beach
Hopper was found on the bonnet instead. Rare examples include those with
the engine and unpainted base, and with a “Jaffa Mobile” label on the
bonnet. This is another model which is somewhat contentious. McVities
made a very large order of multiple thousands of the original Jaffa
Mobile in 1976, the #37 Soopa Coopa in orange. Due to the huge public
demand for this model, offered on packets of McVities Jaffa Cakes, more
models were ordered in 1977. However the Soopa Coopa had just been
deleted, so the #42 Tyre Fryer was substituted, and again many thousands
were produced in orange. Whilst both are considered rare and command
high prices when mint, in fact both these models are quite easy to
obtain, due to the vast quantities made and distributed. It seems to
make no sense therefore that examples of the Vantastic with Jaffa Mobile
labels are extremely scarce, and those very few that do materialise
could allegedly be fakes. McVities would surely not have ordered just a
few dozen pieces, even if Lesney had permitted such a small order which
in itself is highly unlikely and therefore whilst some Vantastics do
exist with genuine Jaffa Mobile labels, it is most possible that these
were made privately during or shortly after 1982 when most Lesney
factories ceased production and released spare labels. All Vantastic
models came with 5 arch front wheels and dot dash rear, and although
variants do exist, they are very hard to come by. The Vantastic was
deleted in 1981.
The #55 Hellraiser was yet another model sporting a huge exposed engine,
though on this particular model at the rear. Initially available in
white with a red interior, in 1977 it was changed to a rich blue colour
with an off white interior. The blue example can be found with the red
interior from the white model but only commands a small premium. All
blue models with red interiors, and roughly half those with the
off-white interior, have silver painted bases. All variants included a
“stars and stripes” label at the front, though some blue examples with
off white interiors and silver bases can be found with the “3” label
from the #3 Monteverdi Hai. Again this variant, though not common,
creates only mild interest. As with the Vantastic, wheel variants on
this model exist but are very few and far between. As standard it was
released with 5 crown front and dot dash rear wheels. Rather than remove
the engine from this model, Lesney chose to delete it from the range in
1979.
Very rare Hellraiser wheel variants: both have large dot dash front and
rear, note blue model has the rarer red interior cross-over.
The #59 Planet Scout was released as a space oriented vehicle, as was
the #68 Cosmobile, the names rather give this away! The Planet Scout was
released in two tone green, with the Cosmobile in blue and yellow. The
Planet Scout can be found with the base in lime green or less common
apple green, though this is not considered rare.
Both came with amber windows and chrome interiors, and although the
Cosmobile was later altered to include a white interior, the roof horns
were always chrome. In late 1978 both models were changed so that they
now had a matching colour scheme of metallic deep red and beige.
Although plentiful, for some reason this colour combination is
considered rarer and commands a small premium. A small run of red
Cosmobiles were made with chrome interiors and they are quite hard to
find yet strangely are not considered rare.
Rare cross-over Cosmobile, standard metallic red upper with matt black Adventure 2000 base!
The following year, 1979, the Adventure 2000 range was expanded to
include the K-2005 “Command Force”. This set included three miniature
models, including both the Planet Scout and Cosmobile. The colour scheme
chosen was avocado and matt black, and the windows were changed from
amber to purple. Although at the time not very successful in this colour
scheme, these models are now quite sought after. The avocado Cosmobile
can be found with chrome or white interiors, but far rarer are those
with amber windows, which again can be found with both colour interiors.
The Cosmobile in avocado with amber windows with either interior
commands a huge premium, and can sell for around £200 as it is rarely
seen. The amber window Planet Scout in avocado is less rare but still
fetches in excess of £50. Due to the poor sales of these sets in this
colour, in 1980 the colour was changed to a metallic dark blue, though
the base remained matt black. This colour scheme is shown both in the
1980 and 1981 catalogues, yet despite this none of the sets were ever
released. Single examples of the metallic blue models did however appear
in Tescos stores in 1981 on blister cards, or in Tesco multi packs.
These blue models only ever came with purple windows, and the Cosmobile
only with a chrome interior, and examples of both now make in excess of
£100 each, sometimes twice as much. Unlike the #34 and #55, wheel
variations on both these models are, relatively speaking, quite common,
but as they are still rare they create a good deal of interest. The
Planet Scout should come with 5 crown front and dot dash rear wheels,
but can be found with 5 crown front and rear or dot dash front and rear
on most colour schemes. The Cosmobile should have 5 arch front wheels
and 5 crown rear, though again it can be found with all 5 arch or all 5
crown, possibly on all variants.
Rare metallic blue Adventure 2000 models
Another rare wheel variant is the blue and yellow model with a white
interior, where an extremely small run were made with small maltese
front wheels! In the miniatures range the Cosmobile was deleted in 1979
and the Planet Scout in 1980, although the Planet Scout was later made
in a plethora of different colour schemes, often with highly
inappropriate tampo print, in Bulgaria.
A Brazilian version.
The last two Rolamatics models were also released in 1975, the #20
Police Patrol and the #35 Fandango, the latter another example of Lesney
weird and wonderful styling. From 1976 onwards Lesney started the trend
back to realism, and so 1975 was the last year of Lesney breaking the
boundaries of mad imagination, but often highly successfully and with,
dare I say, beautifully designed models!
Some pre-pros linked to this article are shown below.
Nigel Cooper 6th May 2014
Muy interesante, gracias.
ReplyDelete