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Hell Drivers is one of my favorite films and I am always going back and watching bits on Youtube...Sterling cast as you say and one of the only films to have two James Bonds (I read somewhere Patrick Magoohan was asked but his role in "Man in a suitcase clashed")plus a Doctor Who....Fabulous Jill Ireland,Alfie Bass,Great great film....What amazes me is how much bigger Patrick Magoohan is over Sean Connery.......I bought a couple of Parrot Noses to do as Hell Driver trucks a few years back but never got round to it....As the film is in black and white I was going to do them in various shades of gray.....Howletes wsnt it?..I'll check.

The style of truck used for the Matchbox Kew Dodges was used in the US between 1961 and 1964. The Kew Dodges with this cab were the 400 series. Evidently from what I could find, they were all the heavier type of trucks, not using the 1/2 to 1 ton cabs used in the US for Dodge pickup trucks. The difference is, the 1 1/2 ton and larger cabs are mounted higher on the frame for clearance for the larger, heavy duty components and tires. They had a spacer panel and running boards under the doors, larger wheel openings with large flares and a spacer panel between the grill and bumper. The #13 Dodge wrecker does not have as large of flares and running boards, so I am wondering if it is British 1 ton version. The horse truck and #48 trucks look like the regular heavy duty Dodges.
The reason many of you Brits may not have seen many of these on on the roads back then is that most were made for export to Africa and Austrailia, many as Kew Fargo trucks.

Ewan wrote:

motorman wrote:
Ewan the image you posted makes the horse stalls and base look a dark blue. Is this what you are referring to?

Apologies for that - really lousy lighting yesterday. Yes, it is the stalls and base and they are dark brown (honest) - I'll try again today

Hi Ewan.
I have this. Green in the horse box

Maybe a help.

Greetings Mike.

Where the two horses always different ,or could you have 2 the same with the lorry boxed (i mean one eating and onelooking up)
Gary

ClOwY wrote:Where the two horses always different ,or could you have 2 the same with the lorry boxed (i mean one eating and onelooking up)
Gary

Hello Gary,

When these models were issued retail the horses were attached to a sprue or tree and they came with four horses. Two with heads down and two with heads up.
Think they were two breading pairs.

Somewhere I do have the horses still attached to the sprue and a sprue is shown in two photos attached.
If you have a look at Charlie’s stable one photo shows two horses one head down one head up attached to sprue. See photo 28 with red interior.

One of the photos of mine attached shows some discoloured horses which is a result of them being displayed in a cabinet that had lights in them. This has made the plastic brittle and when I bought this set when it was taken out the display case the horses broke away from the sprue. Sadly one horse lost his leg and had to be put down but the ones missing tails seem happy.

In contrast the other photo shows nice white horses and the plastic is still soft and flexible.
Interestingly the 40 year book describes the four horses as beige in colour.

I suppose as these models changed collectors hands you could end up with any combination of horses.

Bert

Thanks for reply
i always thought their were any 2 horses (u learn every day)
Gary

A case of Horses for Courses!!!

Ghosty.

The 43c Pony Trailer (1-75 series) comes with one set of the exact same horses, the K18 received two sets.

Thanks Tinman
Gary

After 7 years I had another luck and fond the second pre-production to the previous green one model of this K 18 Dodge Tractor Articulated Horse Van. There are a few pictures what differences I just found and table of variations I have.
Main differences are "K 18" without "-" on truck and trailer, then reinforcements on trailer base, different ramps. Dodge has windows without braces.