Beginners look at the Bentley

[GHOSTHUNTER]

In production from 1958 to 1962, you would expect various modifications to take place on the 1929 Bentley Le Mans car, Y5-1. We have come to expect this on Lesney models but in fact this model remains a rather un-interesting model because so few changes have been found or recorded by collectors.

This means collecting a full range (if we know what the full range is!) of this model, will be easy yes...NO!

In fact while no known body or baseplate casting modifications took place, collectors have to be content with body colours, baseplate colours, steering wheel colours, grille mesh and grille surround colours and finally, crimped or peened axle-ends.

The first picture shows my current collection of models in their 'Time-Line' starting at extreme left with what the defunct Matchbox Models of Yesteryear club classed as their issue 1.

Issue 1 is a very hard version to find and what makes it unique is the silver painted grille mesh. Shortly after introduction this detail was deleted as it meant the model did not represent a real car as accurately as intended.

The next picture (below) shows another hard to find version which has a gold grille surround but on a model still with the grey painted tonneau cover, the raised section at the rear which on a real car housed the folded hood and frame hence the higher bulging type design. This was also removed because again, it did not represent a real car...this model was clearly a steep learning curve for Lesney!

We then come to the version with a green steering wheel.

They are displayed in two rows because this model's baseplate comes in a satin black or a gloss black. The models behind are duplicates. You can also see in this picture the colour change on the main body from dark to a brighter green.

The last model in the time-line is a wheel trial. It has been fitted with a set of 'Cross-Wire' wheels from a Grand Prix car in the regular wheels range. The specification of this is correct for it to be at the end of the time-line and because there has never been a concise reference listing for the Y5-1 model, how could it be faked, what would you be faking and how would you know what model to choose to create this version - there is NO reference listing!

Very few 'Known' variations are missing from my collection but one that eludes me is the model without any trim painting to the grille surround so the whole grille and mesh area is the same colour as the main body.

Ghosthunter.

[Viewfield]

Very few 'Known' variations are missing from my collection but one that eludes me is the model without any trim painting to the grille surround so the whole grille and mesh area is the same colour as the main body.

Ghosthunter.

Is this the one Kevin?

Rod

[YYS4BOB]

This one goes a step further!

[Tinman]

Spectacular group of models Kevin! Thanks for the post.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

So there are 13 models lined up in my first picture and with the missing variations I know about, the total could reach 20 examples of this first version Bentley for collectors to chase.

The replacement model in 1962 was essentially the same car just made with much more accurate detail and in a bigger scale.

The picture below shows an early 'Applegreen' version which the previousely mentioned defunct Matchbox club (MICA), coded as issue 1.

This is metallic green hence the generally accepted name of applegreen and the reasons for this chosen colour are not clear but to replace a green racing Bentley with another green racing Bentley would be missed by many buyers of the model so why not paint it a different colour!

A racing Bentley can surely only be green, the internationally accepted colour for a British team in motor racing events. Maybe a different shade of green would work and the metallic green Bentley was born!

Many collectors of the Models of Yesteryear range use the MICA reference books to sort out their models and see if they have the same variations as listed in the Lesney production order.

The 'Applegreen' Bentley has been universally accepted as an issue 1 because when compared to later examples of the model, it has what we regard as an early specification. However, there is in fact an earlier version painted in a normal green but in a lighter shade than models made after the 'Applegren' version.

The model shown here is a previousely unknown variation if we were coding it to the MICA book. It is made using a preproduction base and wings castings with hand painted silver grille surround.

There are now enough examples of this version in existance to qualify it as a recordable version/variation but with an earlier specification than an applegreen model, it can only be placed in the time-line before applegreen examples and having done this with my own models, it is interesting to see the production progression from a normal dark green to metallic (Applegreen) then to a darker normal green.

The picture below shows the time-line of the early models. Starting on the front row left, there are a couple of 'Pre-Pro' castings before the 'Applegreen' examples.

All this implies the model was first introduced to retail in a normal dark green but on reflection of it not standing out as being much different from the earlier casting Bentley, the Y5-1, this may be the promt to change its colour and as mentioned earlier, a metallic green was chosen!

Ghosthunter.

[Squid]

The lighter green (Kelly Green, perhaps?) is stunning!

[Tinman]

[YYS4BOB]

I agree with Kevin regarding the predecessor to the apple/candy green models, I have 3 of them, all slightly different. Very early castings with some of the later casting detail missing.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

The well known white MICA book, ''The Yesteryear Book 1956 to 1996'' celebrating 40 years of Yesteryears lists 8 issues of the Y5-1 Bentley.
It is clear from the models in my own collection there are more than that if you search for long, hard and deep enough for the different versions for your own collection.

The same book then lists 13 issues of the Y5-2, the larger replacement Bentley. My own current listing is for 44 to 45 versions which does include the Giftware plated issues but even if you don't include those yourself, you should be able to amass a collection bigger than is indicated in the white book.

I have not shown all of my own examples of the Y5-2 yet, it is quite a task getting all those together and actually finding somewhere decent to do the pictures.

Now arguably you wont see all the variations within a line up of 40+ models but it gives you an idea of how many can exist in a collection and as long as each model's specification is recorded hopefully in the correct order of production from Lesny (the Time-Line), they are nice to have and do help in answering other collectors Bentley model questions and queeries because with such a large pool of information, most questions can be answered by just finding the right model in the line up!

Ghosthunter.

[Moyboy]

These are prepro versions of the later Y2 Bentley Joe. Model was made in all plastic as it's easy to cast plastic in a metal mould rather than vice versa. I believe the model was made outside of lesney by contractors. There is a rare prepro version which was a different size when it was scaled up wrong.