opel diplomat n°36c sea green

[lesney0905]

I've never seen an original, someone can publish a photo?

[johnboy]

There's a link here:

http://www.vintagediecasttoys.com/

http://www.vintagediecasttoys.com/ShowT ... hNum=1#top

[mike]

There's a link here:

http://www.vintagediecasttoys.com/

http://www.vintagediecasttoys.com/ShowT ... hNum=1#top

Hi Johnboy.
Strange bottom plate ???
Is it a transitional model ?

[johnboy]

Yes, it's a strange one, grey plastic baseplate and engine. The Opel was introduced in 1966 and reading Nick's description, this version was included in the G2d giftset in 1967. I don't know how many were issued but they are very rare. I wonder if this model was a prototype and a small stock were hanging around from a year or two earlier and used up? Can anyone shed any light on this? The Diplomat was carried over into the Superfast range in 1970.

[mike]

Yes, it's a strange one, grey plastic baseplate and engine. The Opel was introduced in 1966 and reading Nick's description, this version was included in the G2d giftset in 1967. I don't know how many were issued but they are very rare. I wonder if this model was a prototype and a small stock were hanging around from a year or two earlier and used up? Can anyone shed any light on this? The Diplomat was carried over into the Superfast range in 1970.

Plastic plate with rivets!?

[johnboy]

A plastic base and riveted like the Fiat 1500. I wonder how the colour compares to a Fiat or a Lincoln.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

It does seem to be a proposed baseplate design and will have been chosen for cheaper production costs. Out of all the models in the range, very few have gone into production with a plastic baseplate and models with one do not have that feeling in the hand of value for money, you like to feel that you are holding something worthy. It does however show that seat mouldings can be clipped to the baseplate, but surely this could also have been done with a metal baseplate!

GHOSTHUNTER.