#15 VW Microbus

[fixer]

VW microbus has opening side doors and rear engine cover and tailgate although on later issues the rear opening features are cast shut alongside the rear corner windows which can be filled in, the only difference between my 2 examples is the rivets one is a spread type and the other is spun

[ogedei2]

Both blue but both with smooth tyres, silver painted base & spun posts.

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With Orange normal interior (top) & with Orange Police/Ambulance interior (bottom).

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Yellow with smooth tyres, normal interiors, both have Silver painted bases, Orange (top) & Red (bottom).

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Filled & Open rear corner windows.

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[GHOSTHUNTER]

I like this model and considering the complicated casting with all it's openings, it does not look particularly bad, yes the external hinges stand out if you concentrate on them, but hey, this is a toy isn't it!

I spoke about this model before in another thread and highlighted the fact about closing off some of the panels and it would seem Lone-Star may have been experiencing too many problems during production with such a delicate casting. There is also good evidence for closing off the rear corner windows because of 'Flashing', clearly shown on the Blue model in the last picture posted above by "ogedei2".

In the initial annoucement flyer (nice catchy name, where have I seen that before!), for the range, it illustrated the VW in a Two-tone colour, but on introduction in 1966, it was in a single colour and I don't think any were issued in Two-Tone colours. The 1967 'AHM' catalogue also shows a Two-tone illustration.

Ghosthunter.

[fixer]

Kev
do you have a copy of the flyer showing these in two tone and I remember your comments on the rear casting
also your reasoning for the spread rivet being a fear of the base/casting being to fragile for a spun type

[ogedei2]

Havnt got a working scanner Reg, this was the best I could do with the camera. From the AHM catalog. Thanks to Ghosty, otherwise I'd have forgotten all about the catalog

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Havnt got a working scanner Reg, this was the best I could do with the camera...

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Thank's ogedei2, thats the one.

Ghosthunter.

[fixer]

thanks Si
pity they didn't paint any like this, looks nice
I also noticed the "8" decal on the GT doors i have not seen this on any models and wonder if it made it into production if only the early issues

[fixer]

any ideas on which colours could have been used

[GHOSTHUNTER]

any ideas on which colours could have been used

We may never know, because the illustration in the 'AHM' catalogue is based on the one used by Lone-Star on their own very early new model range announcement flyer, shown below.

Very early 'IMPY' flyer..JPG (84.65 KiB) Viewed 2987 times

Ghosthunter.

[fixer]

strange there's no GT shown but the unissued Thunderbird is