NAMC Tankers

[Dr Jazz]

I would like to collect as much knowledge and history there is on these NAMC tankers. Nick has written a small note about them, but there must be more info on them. How many was made? Is there any one in the forum who actually ordered one from NAMC back in the 70s? I have seen some where that the red NAMC tanker was made in 270 specimen??? Purple much more. Do we have any clue??

Thanks
Jazz

[SMS88]

Bob Brennan ordered them made. He is still alive and Kwakers knows him personally

[kwakers]

I believe Bob may have given us our purple Tanker at Ed and Abby Meyer's house in Connecticut in 1971. It was a pretty important single model to us, so it went on display in our regular wheel display when we got home. That also may have been the initial 'meeting' of his brand new NAMC Club. That day we also received a code three VW SF Camper Van with a custom decal commemorating that small get-together of collectors who were mostly 40+ years old. It was like many of our Forum members meeting in one room after 6 years of online friendship today. The friends and collectors were a strong part of our hobby, just like today.
I can't say how many purple Tankers were made Jazz, but they are not listed as a Superfast variation in Bob's own NAMC Lesney SF Guide. He must have considered them custom code 3s as we still do. I know he paid a visit to the factory as they were painted and assembled for him in that special color. Both he and Colpitts had developed factory connections, and were trying to take the East Coast distributor crown away from Bronner. Things got a little messy when you were part of the initial membership of both AIM and NAMC Clubs.
The red Tanker was made a bit later, but any production figures were kept very secret on both versions. Hardy and a few other collectors are still visiting Bob to pick up Toys, but any I have bought from him have been shipped very 'formally' to me now. I have yet to see him anywhere to renew our old friendship we had from the late 60s through the 70s. I still have our letters back and forth about 'rare' variations and transitional models in our area (which make interesting reading 40+ years later). Bob still has a stock of unlabeled later red Tankers I would say. They keep surfacing now and then in his E Bay sales. I wish I could be of more help Jazz, but old NAMC newsletters may answer your question. kwakers

[Dr Jazz]

Thanks Kwakers!

First of all, to know someone there was a collector already in 71 is awesome. Think of all the stories you could tell. On my wishlist is a day with kwak, see his collection and listen to all those stories

Well on the NAMC front it is still a mistery on the amount, But if he stil has a bulk of them it is posible that one day many many more will come to the marked. I have been looking for the red NAMC for 5 years now and the few I have seen was more than 500£. Money I don´t have But in my search of it I have found my own red tanker, that for sure was not ordred by Bob, but was maybe a leftover from his production. So I will keep searching

I dont consider them as code 3 costom, am I the only one? I know they where never sold in shops, but they where produced at Lesney. What is the public opinion on this?

Have a great weekend

Jazz

[SMS88]

They were painted and assembled in the factory for a factory customer which makes those WITHOUT stickers code 1. Those with stickers would be code 2 because the stickers were added outside the factory by Lesney´s customer not a 3rd party.If both paint and stickers had been applied outside the Lesney factory they would be code 3

[kwakers]

From knowledge of the second version Mick, you are entirely correct. I cannot be sure out of memory if the first purple version Tanker was labeled here in the U.S., but with Bob's own non-listing of it in his S.F. Guide, they had to have been code 2 in his mind also. I know of none of the early ones that were sold or sent out without labels on them, and neither of Bob's two colors of these Tankers were available in stores. He controlled them all back then as they were factory fresh, just as he still does today 40+ years later with unsold stock he still may have left of them. An amazing part of U.S. Lesney Club history Jazz, I am glad you appreciate them now as we did that long ago. kwakers

[Dr Jazz]

I really do The petrol tanker is my favorite model. It would also be fun to know why Bob chose the Tanker. It has, of course, a vast expanse to put stickers on. Well does some one have the old NAMC catalog where these are mentioned? I would love to get a copy if someone has it.

I am sorry that I ask, but I do not know much of the history of the US lesney collector club. But since they have made my favorite model I will now have to investigate

[Dr Jazz]

Does anyone have any NAMC newsletters where these tankers are mentioned ? I would be happy to know more about it.