67b With Strange Wheel Anomaly

[RobertHurst]

Hello!. I am looking for expert opinions on this pretty and unusual VW I acquired with a batch of cars. It appears to have 2 different types of wheel/tire on the same car (the two types I learned about thanks to this forum) -- one of the older style solid black plastic tires (with hubcap on one side) installed backward, and the three other wheels are the newer style with tires and hubs! I also note that the axles are not installed in the same direction, which seems like a red flag, but the axles don't appear (to my very non-expert eyes) to have been altered. Ever seen one like this? What happened here? Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

[Brad Pittiful]

looks like you have a solid tire that would have a hub cap in the early release but put on a model with chrome hubs...but also the solid tire is on backwards

[GHOSTHUNTER]

looks like you have a solid tire that would have a hub cap in the early release but put on a model with chrome hubs...but also the solid tire is on backwards

I Second Dan's synopsis.

Ghosthunter.

[Miller]

i guess the solid was a leftover in the tire box and could have been used, if mounted right. But as the other rims can be mounted with both sides, the worker didn´t notice that single old rim. He just took that single wheel, sticked it on the axle (in that moment with the chrome hub in sight), put it in the baseplate, took another (new) one and then machined it. As the wrong tire isn´t in his sight in that moment, he didn´t notice it. And even if he would have taken a look under the baseplate, he would have seen a hub and everything would have been fine.

[RobertHurst]

Thanks to all. That is pretty much what I figured…But the axles being inserted from different sides? Does that make any sense?

[Idris]

What is interesting about this model (apart from the quirky nature of the assembly error) is that it opens the door to the possibility of models existing with mixed hub and hubcap wheels - something which would not be apparent from a cursory glance.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

…But the axles being inserted from different sides? Does that make any sense?

Yes, very correct for models of this period.

Ghosthunter.

[RobertHurst]

Thanks very much for the info, it is much appreciated.

Having once worked as a janitor in a factory setting with lots of small things all over the floor I can easily imagine a janitor sweeping up tiny wheels of different types that had rolled off to hiding places under various benches and assembly lines sometime in late 1967 and placing them all back into the same box. I guess there are many many possible pathways for the wheel to get into the box-- mistakes, deliberate actions --and from there it's just a matter of time until the worker grabs it and slaps it on the axle backward, assuming it's one of the new type.

Are there other examples of Matchbox cars with two different styles of wheel on the same car?

[ChFalkensteiner]

Are there other examples of Matchbox cars with two different styles of wheel on the same car?

Yes, this happened quite often with wheel types that are so similar that they got mixed up easily by the factory workers: e.g. 20 and 24 tread wheels, grey and silver wheels, wheels of slightly different diameters, and later in the Superfast era solid and hollow wheels or wheels with different hubcap designs.

Models on which the front and rear axles were fitted in two separate assembly stages were particularly prone to having different wheels fitted on the two axles, for example the 27c Cadillac and the 28b Ford Thames Compressor Truck.

However, I have not heard of a case of a mix of hub and hubcap wheels on one model before, as shown here.

[kwakers]

About three years ago there was another 67B with one "Hubcap" front wheel that was fit the proper way, while the other three wheels were the later silver hub and black tire style on it. Because I LOVE any error models that I can find in the Lesney regular wheel line-up, I bid to a reasonable limit for that one on E Bay, but lost the Auction. About 6 months later I happened to stumble across that identical 67B error that was listed in "Harvey's Matchbox" Store on E Bay for sale. The price was higher than the value I would place on such a piece, but I did take note of the similar error model turning up twice. I never did compare the two listing's pictures to find out whether Hardy had outbid me on that "same" error VW, but I did figure that he must already have an identical model in his massive collection if he was selling off this odd example as a spare. The "Hubcap" 67B VWs are so hard to locate in the U.S. that I only have a single example with that style wheels on it that I was lucky enough to have bought from Forum member Tim in March of 2012. (Boy does life fly by FAST!! )
I have to admit that since seeing this type mixed wheel error sold 3 years ago, I have made it a point to look for any such mixed hubs on all the 67B, 24C Rolls, and also the 8E Mustangs I see at shows or online, but have never seen any other mixed type hub/hubcap models for sale since.
Your model with that uncommon reversed "Hub Cap" wheel on it is not the first I have seen put on backwards Robert, but to have the other three to be a completely different style wheel makes yours a SUPER ERROR in my book. It belongs on Nick's oops pages for all to enjoy. Thanks for sharing it with us here..... kwakers