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I have this set from the late 1960's, both the boxed set and the G-1 gift set. Both service stations are molded in one piece. A friend of mine was describing a garage he had
found in two parts. I'd never seen this before so assumed he had a different type of garage to that, I thought he was talking about.
He bought it over to my house to show me and sure enough it was the garage I thought he was talking about but in two parts!
I posted some photos and Yellowfoden came back to me saying he had the same garage in two parts.

It appears there was a regular era version molded in one part and a superfast era one molded in two parts.
Who else has one of these two part garages ? Were they very common ? Why change to the two part service station ?
Dose anyone have boxed set ? Yellowfoden showed me his giftset version.

Steve
Matchboxkiwi

thanks Steve,
I will sent these pictures to a friend who has the 1970 set with VW Beetle in at (as a follow up of the set with red Fiat)
His set was never openend , bu maybe he can judge it through the packaging.

marcel

Hi Steve,

According to the text on the front of the box the interlocking forecourt was new in 1970 and I understand this set was sold up to 1974.
The MG1 Garage without models was also sold at the same time.

There is not Lesney marking on the plastic but there are numbers on the interlocking set but not on the regular wheel version.

The G1 café and the autoshop interlocking are identical to the full length MG1 and another example of clever use of mould components

In 1978 they modified the moulds again with the introduction of the Texaco MG-3 where the Café is almost identical. Interestingly this set has a third component in the form of a ramp. This actually has Matchbox made in England by Lesney.

I also have the single MG1 in the smaller box with forecourt, sign and pumps so it would appear that came first.

Here is the picture showing front of box with the models inside with sign and flags as well. The only items not showing in my images above in your post are the reinfoced packing pieces.
The second and third pics are to show the difference between the 1970 interlocking pieces and the 1978 individual pieces. They made the most of the moulds and dies by some clever modifications and adding extra components over about a 10 year period.
I have arrowed some of the differences.

Bert

Further to my post there may be another variation as shown on Nick's pages here but I have not seen this combination in the wild where it shows the Duckhams Oil hoist.

Bert