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I posted a couple of my more unusual Morestones here and commented that the Plymouth Belvedere, while charming, isn't one of Morestone's best. In contrast, here's one that really is a good casting: No 14 Packard Convertible. Unusually, the windscreen on this is just a piece of clear plastic, orange on the earlier models (this one is original). The driver is cast separately. Both the windscreen and the driver are often missing, but the windscreen is easily replaced with a carefully cut piece from a coloured plastic bottle.

I'm not sure this is strictly the right box - I think that this probably contained the black plastic wheeled version.

Here are two more Morestones that I like - no 16 Austin Healey and no 7 Mercedes Benz. I've put them together because the designs are similar, with the driver cast as part of the base. The Healey is quite hard to find in good condition, even though it was made for eight years from 1957 to 1964. This one is pretty good apart from the paint wear on the driver. In case anyone is wondering, this is exactly how the windscreen was made, with just the two slightly short uprights and no top rail. These uprights are quite often broken on playworn Healeys. The Mercedes is virtually indestructible, so it's pretty easy to find.

Thank You for these pictures Dr. Jeep! I have always enjoyed picking up a few Budgies when they are loose at Toy Shows today because I had bought a few brand new in the 60s to display with our early Lesneys. The Austin Healey 3000 has always been my favorite full size British Sports car, but I have only one model like yours that has both windshield posts snapped off at their base. I assumed it would have had a top windshield frame, but I now stand corrected on that! Kwakers

kwakers wrote:The Austin Healey 3000 has always been my favorite full size British Sports car, but I have only one model like yours that has both windshield posts snapped off at their base.

I like the Austin-Healey roadsters, too. A real one is out of the question, and the only die-cast examples I've owned are Hot Wheels versions. Those, sadly, were given the typical Hot Wheels treatment, with a supercharger and dual quads poking through the hood.

Even though it seems like an odd choice for inclusion, given the prototype's rapid obsolescence and involvement in an infamous event, I like the Mercedes-Benz as well. Thanks for sharing, DrJeep...I'm curious as to what you'll show next!

kwakers wrote:...I have only one model like yours that has both windshield posts snapped off at their base. I assumed it would have had a top windshield frame, but I now stand corrected on that!

I picked this one up at a toy fair - I don’t know if the seller thought the screen was broken, but it was only a few pounds.

Squid wrote:Even though it seems like an odd choice for inclusion, given the prototype's rapid obsolescence and involvement in an infamous event, I like the Mercedes-Benz as well.

That is a truly terrible event. I expect the model was more of a tribute to Stirling Moss’s Mille Miglia win, though the Mercedes had an extra co-driver’s seat for that.

DrJeep wrote:That is a truly terrible event. I expect the model was more of a tribute to Stirling Moss’s Mille Miglia win, though the Mercedes had an extra co-driver’s seat for that.

It is, indeed. Even video footage of the events immediately preceding the crash is gut-wrenching. Morestone including the Mercedes-Benz as a tribute to the great Stirling Moss is very believable.

As an aside, my favorite models in the "Petrol Pump Series" are the Land Rover, Cooper-Bristol, Thames van, and Foden dumper.

Squid wrote:I'm curious as to what you'll show next!

I thought I'd show two that are very British and really easy to find - Wolseley 6/80 police car and FX3 Taxi.

The full-size Wolseley 6/80 was made from 1948 to 1954. Morestone introduced the model in 1956 and it was still being made in 1970, by which time it would have been very unfamiliar to children. It's a nice model, though, and also came in green and as a fire car in red. The name on the base is misspelt as Wolsley.

The taxi is another model where the driver is part of the base. This one had a shorter run - 1957 to 1965. It usually has silver trim, but the one I've put at the front is trimmed in gold.

DrJeep wrote:The full-size Wolseley 6/80 was made from 1948 to 1954. Morestone introduced the model in 1956 and it was still being made in 1970, by which time it would have been very unfamiliar to children.

The Wolseley outlived the FX3 taxi, but the latter would have been more familiar to children...funny how that decision worked out.

I enjoy seeing these lesser-known models, and I'd like to add some of them to my collection someday!

Squid wrote:The Wolseley outlived the FX3 taxi, but the latter would have been more familiar to children...funny how that decision worked out.

The FX3 taxi went out of production just as Morestone introduced the model - they obviously liked obsolete vehicles! The FX4 was introduced in 1958 and in production for the next 40 years. This is the one we automatically think of as a London taxi. The missing left door on the FX3 was to supposed to make it easy to load luggage.

Squid wrote:I enjoy seeing these lesser-known models, and I'd like to add some of them to my collection someday!

It’s been fun pulling them out and photographing them. I don’t know why they’re not more popular with collectors. They’re charming and relatively easy to find in good condition, though there are some rarities too. I’ll keep going - I’ve a few more to show.

DrJeep wrote:They’re charming and relatively easy to find in good condition, though there are some rarities too.

The Cooper-Bristol and the Thames are among those rarities, as I understand. And I don't imagine Morestones and Budgies, generally speaking, are easy to find in the States.

The FX4 was sometimes seen in Keeping Up Appearances. Its overall appearance is not dissimilar to the FX3, so I imagine children would have not found the FX3 terribly unfamiliar.

I look forward to the next post of Morestones and Budgies...thanks again for sharing them!