K47A Easy Rider

[charliep]

K47A Easy Rider. Issued in 1973. All England castings.

Body: Dark metallic blue or metallic blue.
Base: Yellow.
Base legend: Matchbox K47 Easy Rider; Speedkings or Superkings.
Wheels: Wire spoke front; five spoke star concave rear.
Front mudguard: Red, dark red or yellow.
Gas Tank: Red, dark red or yellow; with or without flame labels.
Engine: Found with or without inscriptions.
Type A - No inscription on either side.
Type B - Made in England on right side; Pat No. 1238927 of left side.
Type C - Made in England, Lesney Prod. & Co. Ltd. on right side; Pat No. 1238927 c. 1974 on left side.

Seat: Short or long (extends all the way towards the handle bars).
Seat rivet: Three types;
Type A: Rivet attached to rounded plate.
Type B: Rivet attached to rectangular plate with rounded top.
Type C: Rivet attached to rectangular plate.

Rider: Tan, dark tan, light orange/tan, orange/tan, white, light gray, burgundy-white.
Labels: Flames on gas tank & rear.

1. Dk.met.blu body/yel base/Speedkings/red gas tank/no lbl/red front mudguard/type A eng/short seat/typ A rivet/burgundy & wht driver/no rear lbl/PP.
2. Met.blu body/yel base/Speedkings/red gas tank/flame lbls/dk.red front mudguard/type C eng/short seat/typ A rivet/white driver/rear flame lbls.
3. Met.blu body/yel base/Speedkings/dk.red gas tank/flame lbls/red front mudguard/type C eng/short seat/typ A rivet/white driver/rear flame lbls.
4. Met.blu body/yel base/Speedkings/red gas tank/flame lbls/dk.red front mudguard/type C eng/short seat/typ A rivet/tan driver/rear flame labels.
5. Met.blu body/yel base/Speedkings/red gas tank/flame lbls/red front mudguard/type C eng/short seat/typ B rivet/lt.gray driver/rear flame labels.
6. Met.blu body/yel base/Speedkings/red gas tank/flame lbls/red front mudguard/type C eng/short seat/typ B rivet/lt.org-tan driver/rear flame lbls.
7. Met.blu body/yel base/Speedkings/red gas tank/flame lbls/red front mudguard/type C eng/short seat/typ B rivet/dk.tan driver/rear flame labels.
8. Met.blu body/yel base/Speedkings/red gas tank/flame lbls/red front mudguard/type C eng/long seat/typ C rivet/org-tan driver/rear flame labels.
9. Met.blu body/yel base/Speedkings/yel gas tank/flame lbls/red front mudguard/type C eng/long seat/typ C rivet/org-tan driver/rear flame labels.
10.Dk.met.blu body/yel base/Superkings/red gas tank/no lbls/red front mudguard/type C eng/long seat/typ C rivet/org-tan driver/rear flame labels.

[nearlymint]

Hi Charlie,
Recently added this one with no date or lesney on the engine, possibly very early production. Also the one with labels in these pictures has a yellow front mudguard which seems to be fairly hard to find.

K17 Lesney

K17-1.JPG (94.86 KiB) Viewed 1335 times

K17 Date

K17-2.JPG (80.54 KiB) Viewed 1335 times

J

[charliep]

Hi Jason,

Thank you for letting me know about this new interesting variation that I was not aware of. I agree that it is likely early production. Just revised the post & added new information & pictures. My first variation listed is a prepro and there is no inscription on either side of the engine. Also found one model with Superkings on the base vice Speedkings. The prepro has Speedkings so I am not sure how this one ended with Superkings. WRT the front mudguard, I was aware of the seldom seen yellow variation. I do not have one with yellow mudguard, but I do have one with yellow gas tank. There may also be a variation with black mudguard although I am not sure if it is genuine.
Charlie

[nearlymint]

Hi Charlie,
I think the order needs changing as the earlier castings have a shorter seat up to the handle bars, my one also has a slight casting difference inside under the tank. I will try and do some pictures.
Jason

[charliep]

Hi Jason,
I just revised the post and placed the three that I found having longer seats to the end of the list. Also, the one with Superkings on the base placed last as it would make sense to conclude
that it was produced at the very end of the production run when for some reason Speedkings was replaced with Superkings. I look forward for any info you can add and pictures will certainly help.
Thanks!
Charlie

[misterpop]

Oh what joy...A real collectors issue for variations.....Superb.....Nice one.

[Idris]

...for some reason Speedkings was replaced with Superkings...

Could someone please explain the background of these two series names? Which came first (or were they used simultaneously/interchangeably)?

[GHOSTHUNTER]

My understanding of them goes something like this.
From late 1970 onwards the King Size models were fitted with the new superfast style wheels and then marketed as "Super Kings" ( commercial vehicles ) and "Speed Kings" ( cars, racing cars, prototypes ).

Ghosthunter.

[Idris]

My understanding of them goes something like this.
From late 1970 onwards the King Size models were fitted with the new superfast style wheels and then marketed as "Super Kings" ( commercial vehicles ) and "Speed Kings" ( cars, racing cars, prototypes ).

Interesting.
The use of both therms on the K47A baseplate would therefore suggest a plan to standardise on the Superkings name (or, just possibly, some incorrectly-tooled, pre-production baseplates coming out of storage right at the end of the model's life).

[nearlymint]

Hi Charlie,
Model with yellow front mudguard.

K47

K47 yellow front mudguard.JPG (130.57 KiB) Viewed 1184 times

Front rivet that holds the seat, so far I have 3 different types.

1st type

K47-1.JPG (82.31 KiB) Viewed 1184 times

2nd type

K47-2.JPG (96.46 KiB) Viewed 1184 times

3rd type

K47-3.JPG (96.14 KiB) Viewed 1184 times

J