Copies of Matchbox 12a

[dkenner]

As a longtime owner of a 1:1 scale 1951 Land-Rover (and other non-running examples. You just can't have one, whether it is diecast or full sized) I have been interested in small scale Land-Rover models. I have the Matchbox 12a and a few of other well known toys, such as a number of the modern offerings from Oxford Diecast. But, while reading up on the varieties of 12a, b & c, I discovered a variety of "copies" of those models, such as Tucker Box, Fun Ho, Lincoln.

Is there a source somewhere where these would be listed or identified. I have found a couple of photos within this site that only whet the appetite to know more. Generic searched on the Internet can be frustrating with the massive amounts of dreck, and many, what looked to be interesting, sites going dark. As I also edit the local club newsletter, I'd like to turn this into an article for wider knowledge and appreciation.

Also admit reading through this sites makes me interested to find some of these things, though at the same time, I am somewhat leery of eBay having been bit in the past with other items.

Thank you, Dixon Kenner
http://www.lrfaq.org
https://www.ovlr.org/nl/OVLR.nl.2018.html

[Tinman]

Don't forger the "Matchbox Originals" release of the 12a in 1993.

[matchboxkiwi]

Hi Dixon,
You should try contacting mattrove in the membership contact list. He is your land rover man particularly here, down under! He should be out of lock down in the next week or so.

Cheers, Steve
Matchboxkiwi

[dkenner]

Don't forger the "Matchbox Originals" release of the 12a in 1993.

Oh, I am familiar with that one. Sitting on a shelf with a few other small scale Land-Rovers. Though I never realised until recently that there are two versions of it. With and without China cast on the underside.

[dkenner]

Hi Dixon,
You should try contacting mattrove in the membership contact list. He is your land rover man particularly here, down under! He should be out of lock down in the next week or so.

Done. Still under lockdown here in Ottawa Canada. Starting week 9.

[Tinman]

Don't forger the "Matchbox Originals" release of the 12a in 1993.

Oh, I am familiar with that one. Sitting on a shelf with a few other small scale Land-Rovers. Though I never realised until recently that there are two versions of it. With and without China cast on the underside.

With nearly 40 years between the release dates of the two!

[dkenner]

Hi Dixon,
You should try contacting mattrove in the membership contact list. He is your land rover man particularly here, down under! He should be out of lock down in the next week or so.

PM sent, though see he has not been on this site since sometime in 2019. I may have poor timing.

I read that Lesney sent some dies to India, Dinky too, but no references to which dies, and whether 12A was one of them. Are there any sites on Maxwell or Nicky that are hidden somewhere on the Internet? I managed to find AutoFest City, which seems to be well regarded locally, but they have no contact email.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

I know of only one Land Rover model to emerge from India from the Nicky, Milton and Maxwell oddities. There is a Maxwell based on the Dinky Toys casting #344 Pick Up here...viewtopic.php?f=20&t=5650

I am not aware of any Lesney Land Rovers from India.

Autofest City seems not to be maintained very well at the moment as several features no longer work including their contact details.

Articles on Nicky, Milton and Maxwell are all hidden within bigger websites such as Talkmodeltoys which again is no longer active but I am sure you have already looked in there.

Ghosthunter.

[Malibu]

I wonder if Wiking had a 12a lying on the table as they made their Land Rover No. 10 in 1962.

(c) Malibu

Landy_2.JPG (69.65 KiB) Viewed 6405 times

Stephan

[mattrove]

There are quite a few Matchbox Land Rover 12a copies. The ones you said and a few more.

These include:
Fun Ho - New Zealand made. Lots of colours and some sets with a trailer. Living in New Zealand I have few of these.

Lincoln Toys New Zealand briefly sold as a Lincoln Matchbox Series. After Matchbox took legal action sold as Motorway Mini. Models with the rip off Matchbox style box are very hard to find even in New Zealand. Raw unpainted models with no box were sold too. Apparently they were sold from jars at one department store chain. Same die was used in Australia as a Tucker Box model. Shipping dies between NZ and Aussie avoided import tax as models were locally produced in both countries

Several variations to the New Zealand ones as they left factory. These are: driver, no driver but still hole for driver and hole for driver filled in. There are also two wheel types treaded metal and smooth metal. Crimped and push fit axles used. I have a no driver Lincoln landy with flashing from mould around hole so know not just a missing driver.

Japan got in to copying this model too. I know of copies by AHI Japan and Line Mar Japan elegant miniature range. Both quite different.

Got a German copy too I think. At least that's what factory looking sticker on base says. The casting is also different from all the others.

Are there any others? Blue Box did plastic copies of other models but have not seen the 12a. There are plastic copies of the 12b but not sure who made them.

Matt