VBD2 is closed. Please go to https://vbd3.co.uk instead.

12a Land Rover, issued 1955, length 43mm, box type B.
12b Land Rover Series 2, issued 1959, length 57mm, box types B-C and D.
12c Land Rover Safari, issued 1965, length 71mm, box types E and F.


The 12a Model


The 12b Model.


The 12b Model with GPW.


The two different types of the steering wheels.



The Thick and Thin steering columns, the thick column fits into a parallel slot, the thin column fits into a tapered slot.



The unlisted wheel size variation 10 x 24 tread instead of 11 x 24 tread.


The 12c Model.


A few variations on this model can be seen on Nicks variation site.

George T.

The unlisted wheel size variation, 10 x 24 tread instead of 11 x 24 tread.

i need to update my safaris pic...but dont sweat the gold model..its a base switch i made between a superfast and the regular wheel model

As I have recently found the previously elusive first casting version of 12a with the gap under the bonnet between the brace and the radiator, and as I cannot really see this gap in the picture on Nick's page, I have tried to take my own picture of it. It is probably not very obvious in this one either, but if you look closely, you can see the gap on the model on the left hand side:

Hi,

I would like to know if the Land-Rovers 12b ans 12c have the same scale.
Do they match together standing one next to the other?

Stephan

They are very close, The 12c is about 2mm wider, The hood on the 12c is about 1mm longer and the top of the windscreens from the ground is almost the same, from the front bumper to the back of the drivers seat is the same.

Hi Nick,

thanks for the info.
So now there are two more models for me to look for.

Stephan

ChFalkensteiner wrote:...I have recently found the previously elusive first casting version of 12a with the gap under the bonnet between the brace and the radiator...

What are Members' thoughts on this variation? Is it hard to find, or merely hard to spot?

Idris wrote:

ChFalkensteiner wrote:...I have recently found the previously elusive first casting version of 12a with the gap under the bonnet between the brace and the radiator...

What are Members' thoughts on this variation? Is it hard to find, or merely hard to spot?

I would have to say merely hard to spot, maybe another model thats rare depending on what country. I have checked my notes and have had 4-5 models over the years.J

nearlymint wrote:

Idris wrote:

ChFalkensteiner wrote:...I have recently found the previously elusive first casting version of 12a with the gap under the bonnet between the brace and the radiator...

What are Members' thoughts on this variation? Is it hard to find, or merely hard to spot?

I would have to say merely hard to spot, maybe another model thats rare depending on what country. I have checked my notes and have had 4-5 models over the years.J

That fits in with AIM, who give the later model a trade value of 10 and the earlier, slotted variant a trade value of 20 (which I interpret as meaning that for every slotted model, there will be two non-slotted examples).

Harold's values were not really production quantity based Hugh, they simply reflect a higher value being put on a model with a specific casting, wheel, or for a feature that was uncommon in our 'Yank' Store-bought models. The values as we know them today may have readjusted over time, but his was the earliest attempt I know of to define a trade value for all regular wheel Lesneys. As now can clearly be seen in retrospect, (and was even known to us at the time), his rarities were extremely undervalued relative to similar common variations of the same model. To value a gray plastic wheeled #20C Taxi at only '20', while giving common Taxis a rating of 5-7 means that we should have been able to trade 4 of our 'commons' to get one of those GPW rarities. We laughed at Harold's rare model estimates at that time, and they seem even more humorous today. That being said, I don't believe I have ever owned one of these 12As with the front opening under the base, they seem VERY rare over here in the U.S. If I can trade perhaps four examples of the standard production filled in base for one of these earlier castings, I would be doubling Harold's "Value" on this rarity in that trade. LOL .....Anyone game for the old kwakers swap on that one? If so, I need a dark green cabbed 27B that Harold valued the same as the light green cabbed models, an even swap?
Harold's Guide was never able to bring down or even effect the prices on rare versions, but it did give us an idea of what he considered harder to find in 1976. With that information we knew exactly what to concentrate on buying from veteran collectors as they were selling their old collections off...... Cheers! kwakers