73c Mercury Commuter

[Idris]

My apologies for the delay in reviewing this model. (No excuse apart from too much Christmas!)

The NAMC’s “Catalog of all Series Matchbox Models” (first edition) distinguishes two distinct paint shades: light metallic green and metallic green, whilst the AIM “1-75 Series Regular Wheels” catalogue (second printing, 1983) merely notes that shades exist. Neither listing includes variations not already covered by Nick ,and neither does either Houghton’s “Definitive Guide to Matchbox Toys” (2007) or Stannard.
U.K. Matchbox did not examine the model.
Interestingly, Nick seems to have been the first to pick up on his variation code 5 (the body lacking the petrol filler flap).

[ChFalkensteiner]

Interestingly, Nick seems to have been the first to pick up on his variation code 5 (the body lacking the petrol filler flap).

Hardy once confirmed to me that it exists - apparently he has one, but I have never seen that variation myself. It is a rather anachronistic combination of a RW base with a much later SF body. It should have large wheel arches too, for the removal of the petrol filler flap (fuel cap cover, gas tank cap) coincided with the enlarging of the wheel arches (in 1971).

Actually I wonder if the comparison picture on Nick's page shows a RW or SF model - I cannot really tell.

[SMS88]

I agree with Christian,that if a no tank flap RW 73c exists the body must either be a 1968 pre-pro or a late 1971 wide arch body given a RW base as a lunchbox special,as an F box SF the Mercury was an early 1970 change to SF - there is so far ZERO photographic evidence to credit this as a genuine shipped to stores variation as it had been a SF model for 18 months before the body was retooled. This model should be removed from the listings until proper photographic evidence of at least 2 examples appears due to the gross timeline discrepancies

[kwakers]

Before removing anything Mick, remember the wide arched Mercedes Ambulance that I believe was done for late regular wheel gift sets. Was the late 73 perhaps in a regular wheel gift set completely out of timeline like I suspect that well known Ambulance was?? We can surely wait a bit to decide whether another example does exist, and is being held by an 'old secretive collector still clutching his Stannard's'. (LOL, I don't have one, but have been looking for this one over three years now!) We also need to get some more facts on Hardy's model if we can. Also, remember this wagon used the 'Superfast Riveting' on it's last regular wheel versions, so was continued (like the purple 67 VWs) in regular wheel form well into the Superfast era. I am sure more may be found to be publicly shared with us.........kwakers

[SMS88]

Wide arched RW #3 Binz examples have turned up playworn however I have never heard anything about them being released in 1973 (what evidence can Dick offer about a 1973 RW giftset???) - indeed they could have been released as early as 1970 because the body was modified at the same time as the SF conversion which was NOT the case with the Mercury - the RW body continued unchanged on SF issues for 18 months or so

[kwakers]

I was referring to the late (number) 73 regular wheel Wagons in my Post that had the Superfast style wide and flat base rivets on them Mick. Do not bring the year 1973 into a regular wheel discussion to confuse an elderly collector.....LOL
To refresh memories, only a handful of regular wheel models are to be found using the 'New' Superfast style base rivets, and this #73 Wagon is one of them. This shows the production of this regular wheel Wagon went into the Superfast era, just as the Purple bodied 67 regular wheel VWs were. The #3 Ambulance body was retooled with wide wheel arches in 1970, and illustrated in the 1971 Fred Bronner Pocket Catalog that was available Christmas of 1970. I now have an example of that Ambulance with regular wheels and wide wheel welled Superfast body Thanks to Nick's site and fellow Forum members.
I can't tell the size of the wheel wells on the #73 Wagon pictured in that same pocket catalog for sure, but they look regular wheel size. I can't tell whether it had a gas cap or not because the wrong side is pictured in that pocket catalog. We don't know when the new dies were modified on this # 73 for sure, that may well have been done in 1970 also, but Bronner showed an early version of that Superfast.
Hardy's example exists with details just as Nick has coded it I am sure, the wheelwell size is our main unanswered question at this point. More examples will be found of it, just as happened with that SF bodied RW Ambulance I now have. Jason may even find variations of this one as he usually does....LOL.....Where is detective Numi? We have a job for her eagle eyes and computer talents.
After 50 years of 'NEW DISCOVERIES', one tends to be a bit more patient and open-minded when 'odd' Lesneys show up. kwakers

[SMS88]

I was referring to the late (number) 73 regular wheel Wagons in my Post that had the Superfast style wide and flat base rivets on them Mick. Do not bring the year 1973 into a regular wheel discussion to confuse an elderly collector.....LOL
To refresh memories, only a handful of regular wheel models are to be found using the 'New' Superfast style base rivets, and this #73 Wagon is one of them. This shows the production of this regular wheel Wagon went into the Superfast era, just as the Purple bodied 67 regular wheel VWs were. The #3 Ambulance body was retooled with wide wheel arches in 1970, and illustrated in the 1971 Fred Bronner Pocket Catalog that was available Christmas of 1970. I now have an example of that Ambulance with regular wheels and wide wheel welled Superfast body Thanks to Nick's site and fellow Forum members.
I can't tell the size of the wheel wells on the #73 Wagon pictured in that same pocket catalog for sure, but they look regular wheel size. I can't tell whether it had a gas cap or not because the wrong side is pictured in that pocket catalog. We don't know when the new dies were modified on this # 73 for sure, that may well have been done in 1970 also, but Bronner showed an early version of that Superfast.
Hardy's example exists with details just as Nick has coded it I am sure, the wheelwell size is our main unanswered question at this point. More examples will be found of it, just as happened with that SF bodied RW Ambulance I now have. Jason may even find variations of this one as he usually does....LOL.....Where is detective Numi? We have a job for her eagle eyes and computer talents.
After 50 years of 'NEW DISCOVERIES', one tends to be a bit more patient and open-minded when 'odd' Lesneys show up. kwakers

Hi Dick,
Nobody has disputed the RW 3 Binz with Sf body because production of these overlapped and multiples have been found and photographed.
Unfortunately this is UNTRUE for the ´´missing perhaps fake´´SF73. Not recorded by Harold Colpitts.No clear photographs have ever been publicly shared online. No examples belong to members here nor any of the MCCH collectors who share photos with Christian F. No examples have appeared in collector catalogs.Lime SF73 bodies represent less than 5% of lime SF73 survivors today and it is known that none of the models to gain widened arches for wide wheels (except the SF24 + SF3 done for THIN SF wheels) had them before 1971.If a RW baseplate has been fixed to a SF bodyshell tooled more than a year perhaps 18 months after the SF73 went over to SF with the standard RW body then it must be a fake or a lunchbox special,either way it cant be a legitimate mass produced variation because it would stand out from standard models like a thumb smashed with a hammer. Its bad for Nick´s reputation to have a model in the listing for which no reliable photographic evidence of existence has been seen - like the Stannards code 1 plain black tyred RW24 Rolls - the example Jim from NM has is from a source with many factory specials.

[nearlymint]

Very interesting discussion, think we really need to know where Harveys 73 fits in the codes(or is this the one in Nicks list) first.
Nothing to say that very early/prepro models did not have this filler cap, then they added one, then they took it away again.

Mick I am interested to know about the RW24 rolls stannard code 1, why you added this into the discussion.
Jason

[nickjones]

The 73c page was written in 2008, I believe the variation was made known to me by a highly respected collector living in the USA who wishes his identity to be kept secret but due to various hard drive crashes, including the one in my head I can't find out where the info was obtained.
There is only one variation included in the whole of the guide that does not exist, and that is known only to me for copyright purposes. it is not the 73c.

[SMS88]

The 73c page was written in 2008, I believe the variation was made known to me by a highly respected collector living in the USA who wishes his identity to be kept secret but due to various hard drive crashes, including the one in my head I can't find out where the info was obtained.
There is only one variation included in the whole of the guide that does not exist, and that is known only to me for copyright purposes. it is not the 73c.

Did that collector offer you any proof that this was a store bought item as opposed to being a lunchbox special??? Collectors have looked for SF examples without gas tank flaps since the toys came out in the 1970s -a RW version may have escaped detection for so long for the simple reason that NONE were made officially - by the time the body tooling was modified it was well into 1971 and RW were history for the factory.