The Vauxhall Collection.

[maldat]

I don't know anything about the Guildsman Competion.. my Grandparnets imported a vax viva HC . it had a twin cam engine. very cool for its day..... I always thought this matchbox model was a proto type model for a frenizza (spelling) as they did have some very sportie frenizza's which were never sold here new, but I have seen the odd one or two... That were imported...... speaking british imports , my fav is the Hillman McLaren ... . pre 1970.. I have owned a Mk1 Lotus Cortina... but more of these in NZ than Lotus ever made..I have only ever been in 1 Hillman McLaren which is the only one I have ever seen..

[vetrad]

I've always liked this one, but it is definitely one of the more condition-sensitive models and so easy to scuff the glass. Here's a pair of prepro models and a Brazil.

-David

[fixer]

How many of these greenish gold prepro #40 are there that's 3 members that have one so far including Nearlymints and mine one on Christian's site and one on ebay a few years ago

[GHOSTHUNTER]

I don'y have my Vauxhall material with me, but I have the full story of the Guildsman Competition in storage, but from memory, Lesney gave competition winners a model and when I say winners, that means there were winners in the age group categories, those models could well have been 'pre-pro' examples as exclusive prizes before the model went retail.

The winning entry (the model that became the "Matchbox" #40), was designed by Phil Gannon and he has contributed to the 'Planet Diecast' forum and while I also contribute to that forum (as TheRollerman), I have not yet seen the article because I don't know where it is! the site is a bit more tricky to navigate for older threads and topics.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

If you Google 'Vauxhall Guildsman Competition' you will get hijacked copies of an original article by Nigel Cooper and his original is in that lot somewhere. Maybe Nigel would like to pop in here and give us the story from his own mouth. Whichever version you read, they all relate the same information, but the pictures are good.

Unfortunately, there is very little info about the 'Guildsman Competition' from the point of view of Lesney and how they got involved and it would be nice if Nigel could expand on this.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Here is another 'Pre-Pro' #40 in the same colour as shown above and I have found out these were proper 'Preproduction Samples' the key word here being 'SAMPLES', more than one and suggesting enough were being made available to be given out to several people, back to my feeling they were given to the class winners as well as a cash sum, with the top winners going on a 10 day visit to America (including the GM's headquarters!!!).

Preproduction Sample.JPG (35.57 KiB) Viewed 1152 times

GHOSTHUNTER.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Here is a link to the 'Superfast Casting show' for #40 Vauxhall Guildsman.

...viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1511#p10879

GHOSTHUNTER.

[motorman]

Here is another 'Pre-Pro' #40 in the same colour as shown above and I have found out these were proper 'Preproduction Samples' the key word here being 'SAMPLES', more than one and suggesting enough were being made available to be given out to several people, back to my feeling they were given to the class winners as well as a cash sum, with the top winners going on a 10 day visit to America (including the GM's headquarters!!!).

Preproduction Sample.JPG

GHOSTHUNTER.

I think Reg and Jason have examples of this pre pro

[GHOSTHUNTER]

A slight change of direction for a while now. The model shown below could have made a nice addition to the "Matchbox" range. It was made in 1993 for a close friend and fellow Vauxhall collector, Peter Walters, who allowed 20 examples to be made and offered to collectors. I advertised it through my (then) current Vauxhall and Opel models listing subscription magazine.

It was based on a LONE-STAR Firenza and made of solid resin with a set of wheels based on the type of wheels fitted to the Cavalier GSI parked next to it.

It is the 1973 'Droop Snoop' Firenza, designed as Vauxhall's answer to the Ford Capri. Only 204 real cars came off the production line, so even the real car is hard to find, all known examples are in collectors ownership, with the odd one coming up for sale once in a Blue Moon!

My example is in deep storage so for the moment I only have this single picture.

Cavalier GSI and friend...jpg (87.63 KiB) Viewed 1112 times

GHOSTHUNTER.

[fixer]

Not fair Ghosty not fair
Would be nice to see some better pictures