Prototype Chassis

[Idris]

...someone got a bargain with the one that sold recently...

Actually, the last one Graham sold only reached £14.10.

[DrJeep]

Not expensive at all, thought the latest was even cheaper - £4.99 plus £4.99 for postage.

[Idris]

It's odd and I've seen it before. If it's not documented or listed in a catalogue, the majority of collectors simply aren't interested. Look at the gold-trimmed A-series I've turned up, and the yellow-hubbed 4a before it was demonstrated to be a genuine variation - they were all cheap as chips (just like these chassis prototypes).

[fixer]

This is a brass prototype posted on Facebook by Paul Carr

[DrJeep]

Looks like the one Christian has on his site. Brass seems an odd material: it has a much higher melting point than mazak/ zamak - 900C compared to just under 400C. Or is it scratch built and soldered together? I thought prototypes were usually much bigger.

[motorman]

Christian has a picture of a prepro VW camper with regular wheels, implying that it was around before the Superfast launch.

Yes, that's an intriguing photograph. I just wish there was a baseplate shot to accompany it. However, that's not quite what I meant by my comment. Let me try again.
If we accept that the wheels on the prototype chassis are prototype disc wheels, then that means that the chassis (bearing the number 23 and therefore seemingly destined for the 23e VW Camper) pre-dates the well-known disc-wheeled Lotus,Lamborghini, and BMC. However, I am not aware of any examples of the three sports cars with those prototype disc wheels, and similarly I have never seen a photograph of a 23e Camper with disc wheels. This suggests to me that priorities may have changed within Lesney as the Superfast project progressed, with the development of a not very interesting camper being sidelined in favour of other, more exciting models to act as the flagship designs for the new concept.

I would tend to agree with the Hughes comments above and having read through the rest of this thread I feel that I have very little that I can add. I also own one of these prototype chassis and have noted the following wheel mould numbers on my example
41B, 39B, 43B and another 41B, now my understanding is the wheel mould with a ‘B’ suffix have not been seen before but would indicate a 1969 date for production of the moulds for this wheel type. Kevin may be able to shed more light on the wheel mould numbers and the relevance to the timeline for this chassis. I tried to take an image of the wheel mould numbers but it is very difficult, I managed to get a partial image of the mould number 39B.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

39B tooling number is suggesting 1969 possibly going into 1970 so the wheels on that chassis are quite late compared to an initial feeling of the age we think the chassis is.

It may well be a prototype chassis but for a specific model and not for the Superfast project overall.

[kay]

This is a brass prototype posted on Facebook by Paul Carr

This model has been sold in the "Matchbox Magic 4" auction by Vectis back in July 2000.
The description says "Original hand-made brass master prototype for the No. 23 VW Camper - which features the base from the earlier No. 34 VW Camper £200 - 250".

Kay

[motorman]

39B tooling number is suggesting 1969 possibly going into 1970 so the wheels on that chassis are quite late compared to an initial feeling of the age we think the chassis is.

It may well be a prototype chassis but for a specific model and not for the Superfast project overall.

Are you saying that the green chassis moulding marked with the number 23 was not intended for the Superfast #23a VW Camper Ghosty?
My thoughts would be that the axles and wheels may not be contemporary to the green chassis moulding as as I have demonstrated from the images I have posted that they are easily separated.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

I meant that the chassis is for a specific model and not for the whole development of the Superfast project so because it does have a 23 moulded on its surface, it is very likely intended for the VW.