K34A Thunderclap

[charliep]

K34A Thunderclap. Issued 1972. All England castings.

Body: Black, yellow, dark yellow or gold.
Base: Unpainted Speedkings.
Wheels: Maltese Cross; Large or large & wider.
Engines: Found with either K34A or K35A lightning.
Driver: White or opaque. With or without helmet.
Helmet: White, red or dark red.
Labels:
Front: "Matchbox 1" or "Matchbox 34" on white or yellow background.
Side: "Shell 1" or "Matchbox 34" on yellow & red label (can be found without side labels).
Rear: "Matchbox" or "STP Firestone" on red label (found also upside done).

1. Gold body/unpainted Speedkings base/wider rear wheels/white driver w/red helmet/"Churchill MK V11" decals/PP.
2. Black body/unpainted Speedkings base/large rear wheels/white driver w/white helmet/"Matchbox 1" labels.
3. Yellow body/unpainted Speedkings base/large rear wheels/opaque driver/"Matchbox 34" yellow labels.
4. Yellow body/unpainted Speedkings base/large rear wheels/opaque driver/"Matchbox 34" white labels.
5. Yellow body/unpainted Speedkings base/large rear wheels/opaque driver/"Matchbox 34" white labels/upside down rear lbl.
6. Yellow body/unpainted Speedkings base/wider rear wheels/white driver/"Matchbox 34" yellow labels.
7. Yellow body/unpainted Speedkings base/wider rear wheels/white driver w/white helmet/"Matchbox 34" wht lbls/no side lbls.
8. Yellow body/unpainted Speedkings base/wider rear whls/wht driver/no helmet/"Matchbox 34" wht lbls/no rear label/K35A engine.
9. Yellow body/unpainted Speedkings base/wider rear whls/wht driver/wht helmet/"Matchbox 34" wht lbls/upside down rear lbl/K35A engine.
10.Yellow body/unpainted Speedkings base/wider rear wheels/white driver w/red helmet/"Matchbox 34" yellow labels.
11.Yellow body/unpainted Speedkings base/wider rear wheels/white driver w/dk.red helmet/"Matchbox 34" yellow labels.
12.Dk.yel body/unpainted Speedkings base/wider rear wheels/white driver w/red helmet/"Matchbox 34" yellow labels.

[nearlymint]

Hi Charlie,
Has your version 7 got the engine fitted from the K35 Lightning, also I think the gold one is a prepro.
J

[charliep]

Hi Jason,
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Yes, version #7 is fitted with K35A Lightning engine. So it qualifies as a "factory error".
WRT the gold one, you may be right as well. I remember buying it from someone in the UK as a prepro. In fact I had it displayed with
the prepros although unfortunately I did not keep notes. Well done.

Charlie

[nearlymint]

Hi Charlie,
The K35 engine I think is a variation maybe stock issues or something, I have seen a few over the years(I may have one but not sure where). I also have noted one with spiro front wheels which I will try and dig out for you.
I have the gold one you show with an incomplete date on the base, is yours the same.
J

[charliep]

Hi Jason,

Yes, mine is also with an incomplete date on the base. Attached are two scans.

Charlie

[nearlymint]

Picture of some other variants.(not as good as yours Charlie)

K34

K34.JPG (94.87 KiB) Viewed 1043 times

Top left is with spiro front wheels.
Top right is with the K35 engine.
Bottom left my prepro has the exhaust fitted in the down position(yours is above the rear wheels)
Bottom right a model fitted with the exhaust up above wheels same as your prepro.

Jason

[charliep]

Hi Jason,

Thanks for posting pictures of your variations. Always interesting to learn about what's out there.
BTW, I moved the prepro to the top of the list, so no.7 became no 8.

Charlie