19c Aston Martin DBR5

[Idris]

The NAMC’s “Catalog of all Series Matchbox Models” (second edition) catalogues a non-metallic green model with no. 19 decals and a grey driver as variation 19-3A. It is tempting to regard this as a pre-production since BRG would have been a better and more obvious colour for the model, but I would suggest that the absence of reports of both a bonnet decal and of trim (see below) make this unlikely.
None of the AIM's “1-75 Series Regular Wheels” catalogue (second printing, 1983), Stannard, Houghton, or Leake ("Concise Catalogue of 75 Series Matchbox Toys by Lesney" (4th edition, reprinted 2006)) lists any variation not already catalogued by Nick.
U.K. Matchbox did not examine the model.

On Lefora, it was established that both Nick and I have examples with silver trim on the inside of the front cowling.

19c-1.jpg (31.78 KiB) Viewed 1931 times

My example has an unpainted inner baseplate and carries no 19 decals, but is missing its driver. (I think Nick's is similar.) Given the trim, it is logical to assume this to be the first issue, but what colour should the driver be? Can anyone provide a timeline for the grey and white drivers?
On this Forum (I think!), it has been pointed out that the metallic green can vary in much the same way as that of the 75b Ferrari Berlinetta, with both light and dark shades available.

[johnboy]

There's a related thread here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3315&p=33862&hilit= ... BR5#p33862

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Looking in the 1962 pocket catalogue, the driver appears to be light Grey so assuming the models used for photography are taken from early production batches (even 'Pre-Pro'), this could indicate Grey drivers were used first.

Ghosthunter.

[Idris]

Looking in the 1962 pocket catalogue, the driver appears to be light Grey so assuming the models used for photography are taken from early production batches (even 'Pre-Pro'), this could indicate Grey drivers were used first.

Good idea and sounds highly plausible!

[Diecast]

I want to point out that before the start of production there was a change of the front part of the casting mold. The original mold had a decal guides for the location of the third racing number. For some unknown reason, however, the front part was replaced, leaving only a fraction of the decal guides on the second part of the mold. Perhaps someone will find the pre pro model with the full decal guide.
Antonin

[Idris]

I want to point out that before the start of production there was a change of the front part of the casting mold. The original mold had a decal guides for the location of the third racing number. For some unknown reason, however, the front part was replaced, leaving only a fraction of the decal guides on the second part of the mold. Perhaps someone will find the pre pro model with the full decal guide.
Antonin

...or was it ever only a crescent?

[Diecast]

I think it is the rest of the decal guide, because all racing cars had the racing number on the front part of the body and the radius of the crescent has the same diameter as the decal.
Antonin

[Idris]

I think it is the rest of the decal guide, because all racing cars had the racing number on the front part of the body and the radius of the crescent has the same diameter as the decal.

You misunderstand me. What I meant was that perhaps the decal guide had only ever consisted of a crescent rather than a complete circle.
Taking that idea a step further, could it have been added as an afterthought? I always find it strange that the engine cover does not sit flush with the rest of the bodywork. Was this model originally planned to have an opening or removable engine cover and, when that proved too difficult, it was converted to a one piece bodyshell, following which, an idea for a nose decal was floated, but never carried through because of the difference in levels (which would have made adding a decal impossible)?

[GHOSTHUNTER]

I agree with that theory. It serves no real purpose to just have a half circle (Crescent), let into the tooling, this must be more difficult to do than a full circle, so something has dictated the absence of the rest of the circle.

Ghosthunter.

[kwakers]

Kwakers here back from lots of work projects with little time or energy left for our Forum. Winter is here, so snow and cold temperatures will bring me back indoors soon.....Thanks Idris, Antonin, George, Ghosty, and ALL who help by sharing here on our Forum......
The identical drivers of both the 19C Aston Martin introduced in February of 1962 and also the 73B Ferrari introduced in November of 1962 stayed gray until at least mid 1963. All 5 of the 1963 G5 Grand Prix Racing Gift Sets we found in Canada contained gray drivers in both of these racer's cockpits. There were also enough of our early 73B Ferraris in the U.S. with gray drivers to indicate at least a six month run of them before introduction of the "New" White drivers used till the end of production on both models. Models in our U.S. Bronner Store Displays usually had the early Gray Drivers in them while the boxed models under the shelves sold to customers always had the later white drivers inside. Checking Nick's Gift Set Guide shows several complete and only a single broken set with an improper white driver in the later #73B in it. Our Gift Sets actually included #52 decaled #19C Aston Martins instead of stock #19 decals that are shown in all the sets pictured by Vectis that are readable. Chances are that early collectors like ourselves would always remove the #52 decaled models to add to their collections or trade off and substitute the "Stock and Common" # 19 decaled models back into the sets for display or sale.
Idris' comment on the earliest models with a painted silver grill forced me to pick up a now-suspected early production #52 decaled model I STILL have on my computer desk to find it also is painted silver inside it's grill. I had never checked our other #19 Racers for this trim, but Antonin's half circle decal guide is very clearly visible on this one in front of me. I had never noticed that circle before reading about it here, so now I have wheel offsets listed by Stannard as 3mm or 3.5mm that can be mixed, our "New" silver grills, and Antonin's hood semi-circles to now compare and catalog on all of our early Aston Martin Racers.
Some Day with some extra time (Maybe a LOT)........Cheers! Kwakers