Lesney Prepros

[paelzermaen]

Poking around in my picasa pictures, I found some black and white pics, which I found some day in the web and loaded them down. (There`s a watermark on it, so it should be OK to show,admins??)
Beside the fact, that one of these young Lesney engineers is smoking at work, I found some prepos on their desk:
In front a Freeman commuter with hub cap wheels (don´t forget the roof rack !), at the back what looks like a Iso Grifo in white.








Here´s the next one. This is more tricky.
Behind this experienced ingeneer is a Merrywheather Fire Engine, apparently with hub cap wheels. What´s BEFORE the Merrywheather?? a Ford Group 6 ??? With hub cap wheels??? Or are we already in the Superfast era and it has normal SF wheels? Can the experts identify the date by the King Size on the left??





Don´t know if this was discussed before, didn´t find anything in the Search function.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Great pictures and while they are clearly posed, they do show some interesting models. The first picture has elements of wheel and tyre design testing and try-outs and yes, the Merryweather could well have the regular wheel design as we know examples exist and have been shown on the forum.

The last picture once again posed, has some sort #24c Silver Shadow model, maybe just a body casting and is a known 1967 issued model. These pictures may be from 1966-67 because of my observations.

I think we could identify all the models seen including the 'Yesteryears'.

Ghosthunter.

[Miller]

Another interesting thing is the Scammell freight liner , which came as K-14 in 1971. Also looks to have regular wheels.

Speicher 2.jpg (37.76 KiB) Viewed 2088 times

Speicher 1.jpg (27.06 KiB) Viewed 2084 times

[fixer]

regarding the use of 3rd party pictures it would be prudent to credit their origin and be aware of copy rights
now the fun white interior on the Lambo and could the Griffo be white as it looks quite a bit lighter than the Lambo

[kwakers]

Yes Fixer, I saw also saw the Iso as a VERY INTERESTING white pre-pro model sitting so nicely on the table, but missed the white interior in the Lambo that I though may have been an unpainted casting which was awaiting its doors. I would not be concerned about copyrights on such publicity pictures that were obviously released by Lesney out of their own files years ago. Thanks for sharing the pictures, I passed up a genuine RW Fire Truck pre-pro like the one on the shelf in silver for about 2K US five years back, the one shown here seems like it is a bit of a darker colour to me...... I watched Alan ToyBoy Wank sell his example for over double that price just two years ago now, but Charlie Mack told me that doctor G had paid much more than that when he found and bought it for his collection years ago. Our discussion of the "Pre-Pro" coloured ladders sold with it as Ghosty knew them from the YY Fire Truck sure was an interesting Forum topic. I had never questioned their pre-pro rarity (Or NOT) before he educated us on them being used on both models.
We are only the Keepers of these Diecast rarities, but it really is interesting to know some of the history on a few of them when they do change hands......kwakers

[Batterseaboy]

See the wooden master on top of the cabinet, what is that ?

[motorman]

There is an unusual item next to guys hand in the last image, it looks like something is mounted on a raised curled wire stand but I can't make out what it is, any ideas?

[fixer]

looks like either a #68 porsche 910 or possibly #45 group 6 ....... or maybe a non released Ferrari dino !!!!!

[motorman]

looks like either a #68 porsche 910 or possibly #45 group 6 ....... or maybe a non released Ferrari dino !!!!!

Wow Reg you could be on the right track mate, how interesting I wonder if it's a resin mock up? Whatever it is I want it!!!!

[nickjones]

This collection of photographs from Getty Images were all taken during the 1968 Queens visit to the Hackney Lesney factory in Lee Conservancy rd where Lesney were awarded the Queens award for industry, their second of three to be awarded to Lesney. I have photographs from this collection included in my book mainly because they had not appeared in other publications.