173 Pontiac Parisienne

[Kev68]

A very nice find and rightly displayed within its case.

[dinkycollect]

                               
nearlymint

What you have here is a piece of history.

The Parisienne is the first Dinky to incorporate two completely new features : the retracting aerials and the Speedwheels™ on extra thin steel axles.

The model was designed with thick axles, steering and holes for the cristal boxes but as specified on page 363 of the July 1969 issue of the Meccano Magazines the specifications have been altered for the Speedwheels™. The new technique excluded the steering and the rear hole for the cristal boxes was in the way of the rear axle so it has been deleted and the Pontiac has always been packed in yellow end flaps boxes on which the drawings are wrong because the model is left hand drive and the grille should be attached to the chassis.

The picture shows clearly the changes made between a pre-production châssis with steering and a production one with Speedwheels™. The picture of the inside of the body also shows the changes made for the new suspension system.

The letter A cast on the production chassis may mean that there were two moulds or a double cavity mould. Are there any chassis with a letter B ? The reference number 173 has been blanked from the base of my Pontiac, where the early chassis marked 173 ? If so a large photo would be welcomed.

I think that these unique parts do not have much financial value but their historical value is great.

 

[nearlymint]

Thanks for info much appreciated, I also have some other bits in the marketplace that came with this model.
This is the picture showing the 173.

173

173.jpg (143.27 KiB) Viewed 5118 times

Jason

[Bill Manzke]

Great thread! I have always had a soft spot for Pontiacs.

[Diecastmolester]

I think I couldn't sleep until I had this built up with a working steering, thick axles with concentric wheels and painted in the powder blue Dinky obviously intended it to be in the first place.

Besides, what is that 'space' thingymachoo you're all banging on about? Must be something newfangled.
There is an even weirder thing nowadays, though. They call it 'time'.

[Bill Manzke]

Funny someone mentioned blue. Attached is a photo of my dad's blue 1968 Pontiac when it was brand new.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

That is fabulous, just how I remember my Dinky Toys version. Thanks Bill for posting it here.

Ghosthunter.