49b First Casting

[Idris]

Over the years, I've had three of four of them and feel they are not rare and mostly overlooked.

This looks to me to be another example of first run models being exported, meaning that castings which were subject to an almost immediate change prove very difficult to find in the UK. Joe's comments point to a significant number of unmodified baseplate 49b Unimogs having been exported to (his part of) the United States. (Everyone over to www.ebay.com quick!)

[motorman]

Yeah MM,its about the love u have for these models that will keep u coming for more and learning the ropes.Just as u learnt about Superfasts so will it be for RWs.
When a variant/variations are being discussed here then straight away pop into Nicks and see exactly what they are talking about and thats it...never to be forgotten!!!
Have fun cos it sure doesnt stop here....
numi

Numi,

This is what keeps me hungry for more.

[ChFalkensteiner]

Over the years, I've had three of four of them and feel they are not rare and mostly overlooked.

This looks to me to be another example of first run models being exported, meaning that castings which were subject to an almost immediate change prove very difficult to find in the UK. Joe's comments point to a significant number of unmodified baseplate 49b Unimogs having been exported to (his part of) the United States. (Everyone over to http://www.ebay.com quick!)

I am still missing this variation, and as it is listed in Stannard, I have been looking for it for more than twenty years with no success.

So I can say that it was probably not available in Austria or Germany back then...

[nickjones]

I have been looking for one for 12 years and have not seen one, I know vectis had this casting variation in one of their sales about a year ago and it caused quite a stir among the Matchbox collectors there. It is very rare

[Idris]

It looks to me as though our American colleagues could be onto a nice little earner here, re-exporting first-type baseplate models back to Europe. (Incidentally, I sourced mine from the UK and, although I have no proof, I have no reason to believe that it was not originally sold here.)

[nearlymint]

2 of mine came from the UK and 1 from the USA. J

[Idris]

...can you tell us what variation code this one is. Can we have some more pictures of it as well?

I think these questions have already been answered but, just in case, it is a variation code 1 and I am also posting a photograph. If you look carefully, you can clearly see the open section of baseplate.

[Tinman]

It seems like these may be harder to find than I thought. There are cases where specific people come across the same hard to find variations over an over while the rest of us go on forever never seeing one in the wild.

[ford_a_30]

Tinman must be right about us Yanks finally getting something special here first. My type 1 is minty and came in a case lot for next to nothing. Still, I wish we had been sent all those cream cougars instead. Anybody want to trade just let me know.

[numi]

There seems to be a 1st Casting Unimog on a Buy-Now in the Us.
numi

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Matchbox-Vint ... t_63wt_981