25d Ford Cortina Mk. II

[Idris]

The NAMC’s “Catalog of all Series Matchbox Models” (second edition) notes that the interior comes in both white an off-white (which Nick calls ivory). Can anyone confirm and, if so, which variations come with which interior?
Neither the AIM's “1-75 Series Regular Wheels” catalogue (second printing, 1983) nor Stannard have any variations not already covered by Nick.
Houghton has a metallic blue model (otherwise identical to Nick's variation code 6) catalogued as variation 25d-7. I remember that Joe (Tinman) has always argued very strongly against this being a legitimate variation because of the timelines. (You will recall that the Cortina continued for some time in metallic brown as an SF model.) On the other hand, the same timeline issue appears to apply to the metallic red 15d VW Beetle of which genuine RW examples appear to exist. Comments anyone?
U.K. Matchbox did not examine the model.

[kwakers]

My comment is that the similar 15D regular wheel Volkswagen in metallic red is a VERY strong argument for the existence of the metallic blue regular wheel 25 Cortina. Fred Bronner actually pictured the odd colour regular wheel VW in question in a garage scene in his 1969-70 pocket catalog. The wheels can't be seen on the red VW, but the rest of the models in the picture are still regular wheel versions, so at least one batch of colour trial VW bodies existed very late in the regular wheel era. We can't rule out the same may be true of these colour trial metallic blue 25 Cortinas if Houghton has that version coded in his guide. My position would be that both the red VW and a possible RW blue Cortina would be very rare colour trial survivors, not actual store delivered "Stock" models available to the public in very small numbers such as the #62 cream Cougars that Stannard correctly listed in his 1985 Guide.
I have never seen an off-white #25 regular wheel Cortina interior, but the Superfast models are all listed as having a CREAM interior in our NAMC Guide. Just as everyone in their Guides has been missing the last RW Cortina bodies produced with their raised hood and trunk lines, could those last production regular wheels have had some of the "New" cream Superfast interiors in them as well??
The Cortina with off-white interior Bob has listed in his NAMC Guide apparently came from a Lesney "Vacation" Gift set because it had a snap-on roof rack on it. That one was not in Bob's collection, so possibly was produced late in the RW era with the "New" cream Superfast interior in it.
I have only ever seen the white interior in "Stock" brown bodied RW Cortinas, so all the above is just my ideas as to how an alternate interior or paint colour model may have originally left the Lesney factory.
My only other comment is that Antonin and I have noted the existence of a chisel cut roof rivet treatment on the Cortinas that has missed cataloging all these years now. An example will be on its way to you soon Hugh so that Nick's update on this model may include that ignored roof rivet treatment one day........kwakers

[Taniwha]

I think the later issued models are a distinctly darker shade of brown than the earlier issues.

Cheers,
Gavin

[johnboy]

I can't really help with the interior colours, I don't have one which could be described as white unfortunately. These two are different though but I don't know the best descriptions (ivory, off-white, cream?) The light coloured model which is consistent underneath too, is Nick's code 1, but the later darker one is unlisted. It has studs but an unflattened round rivet (rivet type 1) and an oval window hole. The ovals are only listed for rivets 2 & 3 but I suspect that this is something that has been overlooked. Might be worth others checking for this.

[yellowfoden]

Further to Johns unlisted 25d, here is another unlisted for Nicks table.

This 25d Cortina of mine has a casting of : NO location studs inside boot area behind rear wheels (as per Nicks code 1 but the window plastic roof rivet is the flat type 2.
Or Stannard hole A, Rivet B, Boot stud A (unlisted)
I tried to capture both features in the same photo but can’t quite get the angle and in focus.
Attached are a couple of photos in the meantime.

Bert

[yellowfoden]

..... but the later darker one is unlisted. It has studs but an unflattened round rivet (rivet type 1) and an oval window hole. The ovals are only listed for rivets 2 & 3 but I suspect that this is something that has been overlooked. Might be worth others checking for this.

Hi John,

Had a closer look at the 25d and confirm a second example of the unlisted combination you mentioned.
My id tag on this just had a question mark as previously coded with M Stannard, so it is good to review these again.
Here is a combined pic showing the detail.

Regards

Bert

[johnboy]

Thanks for the pictures Bert, here's mine: