PLEASE NOTE: I will no longer be altering the variation codes. All new discoveries will be inserted in to their correct place in the timeline and given a suffix.
So a new variation that would be nearest to variation 4 would become the new 4a, etc.

Moko Lesney Matchbox 61b Alvis stalwart

In 1966 the Lesney model of the Alvis Stalwart became the fourth Alvis 6X6 based vehicle in the Matchbox 1-75 series following the earlier models of the 54a Saracen in 1958, the 67a Saladin in 1959 and the 63b crash tender in 1963.
The Stalwart was really an amphibious (swimming) military truck but by 1966 the majority of the military type of vehicle had been deleted which was presumably due to poor sales so the Stalwart made its appearance painted white and adorned with decals for "BP Exploration" (British Petroleum).
It had a green tinted window unit and 6mm green plastic hubs with 13mm black plastic tyres and the load bed was covered by a yellow plastic canopy.
The very first issue had a smooth floor to the load bed and all later issues had ribs to the load bed floor.
There were four different castings too the cab, Type 1 is the only one to feature the smooth load bed floor. Type 1 and 2 were the issues which can be found with the BP decal fitted, The 2 later cabs can only be found with the BP label that replaced the earlier BP decal.
Stannard lists a fifth cab type (type C in the Stannard) which is a type 1 cab with some of the rivets missing from above the windscreen but as there are so many different patterns to the missing rivets it seems daft giving what must amount to hundreds of different combinations of missing rivets a single code number so I have deleted this variation as these are in reality just faulty castings of the code one type cabs, The models with missing rivets should be listed as the type 1 cab.
As previously mentioned BP labels replaced the decals and the label can be found on all four cab types, At the time of conversion to superfast wheels the Stalwart was not considered suitable but it was kept on as a regular wheel model in the superfast range but with "Superfast" omitted from the box, This superfast era model was fitted with yellow wheel hubs and came only with the type 3 or 4 cab, The final run of the superfast era Stalwarts had an orange plastic canopy instead of the usual yellow canopy which probably makes thyis one the rarest version of the Stalwart although the Stalwart is a fairly common model and even the rarer issues are not exactly that hard to find.
The Stalwart was packaged in box type 'E' and 'F' type boxes with the superfast era model packaged in the 'G' type box, The model was deleted in 1971 but in 1978 it was re-introduced as a military model painted military olive green in the "Twin pack" series, The Stalwart from the twin pack had the model number '61' removed from the baseplate and it was sold without a model number except for 'TP16' on the twin pack packaging.

above: left rear & front, regular issues.
right rear, the later superfast era yellow hub version.

above: The last regular wheel era issue was released in an F type box,
The box had a plain yellow background to the illustration.

above: the early smooth or later ribbed load beds.

above: body 1, long uprights and 3mm clip.

above: body 2, long uprights and 4mm clip.

above: body 3, short uprights and 3.5mm clip.

above: body 4, short uprights and 4mm clip
with thicker windscreen frame.

above: The superfast era Alvis was unaltered from the regular wheeled issue but it
was released in a F type box with a revised illustration which had superfast type
"speed lines".

above: The Alvis wheels were later changed to yellow plastic hubs with black
plastic tyres and the last few white Alvises had a scarce orange-yellow canopy.

above: The Alvis was recoloured to a
dark green body with a black baseplate
and it was fitted with plain black plastic
wheels.
Lesney did consider fitting a brown
canopy but it was issued without one.

above: The green Alvis was also released in a 900 series twinpack.

above: some unusual Alvises from my collection. rear, with two left side labels.
front left, a pre production of the 1976 twinpack issue with green base and
brown (brush painted) canopy.
front right, an oddity with cropped decals on both sides.

code number general plastic canopy wheel type tyre type decal-label load bed body type

code 1 white body, green windows yellow 6mm green hubs 13mm black plastic BP decal smooth body 1

code 2 white body, green windows yellow 6mm green hubs 13mm black plastic BP decal ribbed body 1

code 3 white body, green windows yellow 6mm green hubs 13mm black plastic BP decal ribbed body 2

code 4 white body, green windows yellow 6mm green hubs 13mm black plastic BP label ribbed body 1

code 5 white body, green windows yellow 6mm green hubs 13mm black plastic BP label ribbed body 2

code 6 white body, green windows yellow 6mm green hubs 13mm black plastic BP label ribbed body 3

code 7 white body, green windows yellow 6mm green hubs 13mm black plastic BP label ribbed body 4

Superfast (era)

code 8 (same as code 6) white body, green windows yellow 6mm green hubs 13mm black plastic BP label ribbed body 3

code 9 (same as code 7) white body, green windows yellow 6mm green hubs 13mm black plastic BP label ribbed body 4

code 10 white body, green windows yellow 6mm yellow hubs 13mm black plastic BP label ribbed body 3

code 11 white body, green windows yellow 6mm yellow hubs 13mm black plastic BP label ribbed body 4

code 12 white body, green windows orange 6mm yellow hubs 13mm black plastic BP label ribbed body 3

code 13 white body, green windows orange 6mm yellow hubs 13mm black plastic BP label ribbed body 4

code 14 (no # on base) green body, black base, green windows none 13mm black wheels none 3LGS64 ribbed body 3

code 15 (no # on base ) green body, black base, green windows none 13mm black wheels none 3LGS64 ribbed body 4

box types	notes
E4	light blue sides, "new model"
E4R	light blue sides,
F2	A Lesney Product
F2	A Lesney Product, trademark to end flap closers

values

with green hubs, smooth load bed & yellow canopy £40

with green hubs, ribbed load bed & yellow canopy £25

with yellow hubs, ribbed load bed & yellow canopy £50

with yellow hubs, ribbed load bed & orange canopy £90

values are for mint models in mint boxes

price guide gallery

box gallery

picture gallery

code number	general	plastic canopy	wheel type	tyre type	decal-label	load bed	body type
code 1	white body, green windows	yellow	6mm green hubs	13mm black plastic	BP decal	smooth	body 1
code 2	white body, green windows	yellow	6mm green hubs	13mm black plastic	BP decal	ribbed	body 1
code 3	white body, green windows	yellow	6mm green hubs	13mm black plastic	BP decal	ribbed	body 2
code 4	white body, green windows	yellow	6mm green hubs	13mm black plastic	BP label	ribbed	body 1
code 5	white body, green windows	yellow	6mm green hubs	13mm black plastic	BP label	ribbed	body 2
code 6	white body, green windows	yellow	6mm green hubs	13mm black plastic	BP label	ribbed	body 3
code 7	white body, green windows	yellow	6mm green hubs	13mm black plastic	BP label	ribbed	body 4
Superfast (era)
code 8 (same as code 6)	white body, green windows	yellow	6mm green hubs	13mm black plastic	BP label	ribbed	body 3
code 9 (same as code 7)	white body, green windows	yellow	6mm green hubs	13mm black plastic	BP label	ribbed	body 4
code 10	white body, green windows	yellow	6mm yellow hubs	13mm black plastic	BP label	ribbed	body 3
code 11	white body, green windows	yellow	6mm yellow hubs	13mm black plastic	BP label	ribbed	body 4
code 12	white body, green windows	orange	6mm yellow hubs	13mm black plastic	BP label	ribbed	body 3
code 13	white body, green windows	orange	6mm yellow hubs	13mm black plastic	BP label	ribbed	body 4
code 14 (no # on base)	green body, black base, green windows	none	13mm black wheels	none	3LGS64	ribbed	body 3
code 15 (no # on base )	green body, black base, green windows	none	13mm black wheels	none	3LGS64	ribbed	body 4