47a Trojan Van
Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 12:39 pm
The NAMC’s “Catalog of all Series Matchbox Models” (second edition) lists a variation at 47-1C with c/a but a silver grille. Confirmation appears to be provided by the AIM “1-75 Series Regular Wheels” catalogue (second printing, 1983) which lists the same variation at 47-1c. In addition, AIM highlights the existence of both dark and light GPW, with the latter only occurring on Nick's code 9 (r/a, silver grille).
Houghton lists all of Nick's 1 mm tongue models as having silver grilles, whilst his code 9 is Nick's code 9 but with light GPW.
Stannard does not list any variations not already covered by Nick (only four variations are listed!), and U.K. Matchbox did not examine the model.
What we therefore need for this model is clarity regarding the timing of the introduction of silver trim to the grille. Nick suggests that it was very late in the model's life. AIM and NAMC suggest that it was sometime during the c/a period, whilst Houghton ties it in with the casting modification at the rear.
Two other variations are known to me, but further details and confirmation are required:
- I recall Vectis selling a BPW example. It was discussed on this Forum (Lefora?) and the consensus seemed to be that it was a plausible variation and might have once been a salesman's sample.
- Garry showed a gold-trimmed example on Lefora. I've looked for the photograph, but cannot find it. (It's not in the George's Casting Show thread.) IIRC, it was a headlights-only job (headlights and grill would probably be too late for even occasional gold-trim). Now Garry had his faults, but I don't recall outright fakery being one of them. I am therefore very tempted to regard this as being a genuine variation. (Plenty of other models throw up seemingly random gold-trimmed variants.) Can anyone confirm the existence of the gold-trimmed version and, if so, provide the associated code details?
Houghton lists all of Nick's 1 mm tongue models as having silver grilles, whilst his code 9 is Nick's code 9 but with light GPW.
Stannard does not list any variations not already covered by Nick (only four variations are listed!), and U.K. Matchbox did not examine the model.
What we therefore need for this model is clarity regarding the timing of the introduction of silver trim to the grille. Nick suggests that it was very late in the model's life. AIM and NAMC suggest that it was sometime during the c/a period, whilst Houghton ties it in with the casting modification at the rear.
Two other variations are known to me, but further details and confirmation are required:
- I recall Vectis selling a BPW example. It was discussed on this Forum (Lefora?) and the consensus seemed to be that it was a plausible variation and might have once been a salesman's sample.
- Garry showed a gold-trimmed example on Lefora. I've looked for the photograph, but cannot find it. (It's not in the George's Casting Show thread.) IIRC, it was a headlights-only job (headlights and grill would probably be too late for even occasional gold-trim). Now Garry had his faults, but I don't recall outright fakery being one of them. I am therefore very tempted to regard this as being a genuine variation. (Plenty of other models throw up seemingly random gold-trimmed variants.) Can anyone confirm the existence of the gold-trimmed version and, if so, provide the associated code details?