The second Lesney model of the Daimler ambulance replaced the earlier version in the Matchbox 1-75 series in 1958,
Unlike the earlier version this one was fitted with a baseplate which was painted flat black on the earlier issues and gloss black on later ones.The baseplate and body were fixed together by a tongue at the rear of the baseplate locating into a slot in the body and by a single round rivet at the front,
The body was painted cream or off white on the later issues,
The first issue is quite rare and one I have yet to see because it had gold trim to the grille and headlights and all later ones were trimmed with silver,
It can be found with or without a red cross decal to the roof,
It was fitted with either grey metal wheels or grey or silver plastic wheels and the axles were flat head with crimped ends but progressed through dome head with crimped ends and dome head with rounded ends.
There was just one casting variation where three triangular webs were added to the front rivet post that are just visible under the front wings,
The Daimler was packaged in 'B' and 'C' type boxes and was deleted in 1962 to make way for the next ambulance in the series which was the 14c Bedford Lomas
Note the photograph of the real Daimler ambulance at the bottom of the page which shows it to be a much larger vehicle than it appears in the model form, Amazingly the real Daimler had a half ton of concrete slab fitted into the floor to ensure the patient got a smooth ride to the hospital!.
