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I purchased this model a couple months back. I read about the variation in the Charlie Mack guides but never saw one in the wild. A couple had showed up on Vectis auctions over the past few years.

I am trying to pin down its production history. Like, what region was it more commonly found, what year did it officially get released, and the big question, why do the blue windows not fit the cab and there is a hole in the sunroof area where the common variation with clear glass would protrude from this opening?

My own assumption is that since it was still made in England by Lesney, but after the bankruptcy, they were assembling some models and ran out of the clear window mold. The blue window insert looks very similar to the piece installed on the U.S. release SF22 Ford Big Foot Pick Up or the SF57 Ford Pick Up with Roll Bar in red.


Any thoughts???

Very interesting and not a variation I ws aware of. (I have an example of this model for the sake of completeness, but it's really too late for me.)
I think you're almost certainly correct when you say that it's associated with the 1982 receivership and represents an attempt to continue production with whatever parts came to hand.
A deliberate error piece - a very nice find indeed.

I would also go along with that 1982 date and the conflicting production interests and confusion taking place at that time affecting the production of many items in the product line. A deliberate error peice worth hanging on to!

Ghosthunter.

Thank you for the comments. I am definitely holding onto it. This is also one of my favorite castings from Lesney's final year.

Nice Jason, looks great with the blue glazing.

I Have seen a couple of these of the years with blue windows and did not realise it was an error piece, now I will have to try and find one myself. I do have an unpressed blue one some where with a silver/grey base which I will try and dig out.
Thanks for showing this model.
J

Unpressed body with a silver base, base was poorly stored before I got it so its a bit contaminated. J

That's a really nice find Jason. I never found one of those when I was really into variation collecting. I assume they started using the blue windows from the 22D or 57D 4x4 mini pickups for a short time.