PLEASE NOTE: I will no longer be altering the variation codes. All new discoveries will be inserted in to their correct place in the timeline and given a suffix.
So a new variation that would be nearest to variation 4 would become the new 4a, etc.

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Moko Lesney Matchbox 62c Mercury Cougar



In 1968 Lesney introduced their new model of the Mercury Cougar which took the number 62 spot from the TV service van in the Matchbox 1-75 series.
The first issue was released painted cream with an ivory plastic interior and a clear plastic window unit without windscreen wiper or mirror detail to the windscreen.
It was fitted with 6mm chromed hubs with 10.5 x 45 black plastic tyres on dome head axles with rounded ends. The baseplate was silver plated metal and it had Lesneys "Autosteer" system where the front wheels could be turned by pressing down on the side of the car which you wanted to steer towards, Releasing the pressure would allow the wheels to return to the straight ahead position. A few of the cream Cougars have been found with red interiors.
For added play value the model was enhanced by having doors that would open which were held in the open / closed position by a metal spring mounted under the bonnet, The model also had a tow hook which was in the same colour as the interior because it was part of the interior molding.
The cream body was quickly recoloured to metallic lime green and the interior was recoloured to red plastic, Also a rear view mirror and windscreen wiper detail was added to the windscreen molding.
There were casting modifications to the baseplate and to the bonnet interior, The baseplate originally had no patent number and the letter (A) was cast high up so it made contact with the towing guide, later a patent number was added and later still the letter (A) was lowered so there was now a gap between the (A) and the towing guide.
The bonnet was modified when two studs were added to the door hinging mechanism which is visible behind the front wheels, Later a raised ridge was added to each side of the inside of the bonnet which can be seen above each front wheel.
After just over a year in production the model was converted to superfast wheels but lasted less than a year in its superfast guise before being customised by having a large chromed supercharged engine fitted and a hole cut into the bonnet to accommodate the new engine.
The cream painted Mercury with ivory interior is extremely rare and is possibly a pre production model but several are known to exist and these nearly always seem to turn up in South Africa so it would appear that the first run of Cougars were sent there, The cream with red interior is a recent discovery and the valuation for this one is an estimate. All versions of the metallic lime green issue are fairly common but as the Mercury was only in production for a little over a year it is not exactly a common model.
It was packaged in 'E' and 'F' type boxes, The early 'E' boxes illustrated the cream model and the 'F' box illustrates the metallic lime model, this can be the regular wheels type box or the early superfast type box without the word "Superfast".

code number genetal wheel type tyre type baseplate bonnet
code 1 cream body, ivory interior
no wiper or mirror detail to windscreen 		6mm chromed hubs 10.5 x 45 black plastic high "(A)", no pat # no stud or ridge
code 2 cream body, red interior
no wiper or mirror detail to windscreen 		6mm chromed hubs 10.5 x 45 black plastic high "(A)", no pat # no stud or ridge
code 3 metallic lime green, red interior
clear windows with wiper & mirror detail 		6mm chromed hubs 10.5 x 45 black plastic high "(A)", no pat # no stud or ridge
code 4 metallic lime green, red interior
clear windows with wiper & mirror detail 		6mm chromed hubs 10.5 x 45 black plastic high "(A)", with pat # no stud or ridge
code 5 metallic lime green, red interior
clear windows with wiper & mirror detail 		6mm chromed hubs 10.5 x 45 black plastic high "(A)", with pat # with stud no ridge
code 6 metallic lime green, red interior
clear windows with wiper & mirror detail 		6mm chromed hubs 10.5 x 45 black plastic high "(A)", with pat # with stud and ridge
code 7 metallic lime green, red interior
clear windows with wiper & mirror detail 		6mm chromed hubs 10.5 x 45 black plastic low "(A)", with pat # no stud or ridge
code 8 metallic lime green, red interior
clear windows with wiper & mirror detail 		6mm chromed hubs 10.5 x 45 black plastic low "(A)", with pat # with stud no ridge
code 9 metallic lime green, red interior
clear windows with wiper & mirror detail 		6mm chromed hubs 10.5 x 45 black plastic low "(A)", with pat # with stud and ridge

box types notes
E4R light blue sides, "new model"
F1 none
F2 none

values

cream body, ivory interior, no wiper or mirror detail to windscreen. £4000+

cream body, red interior, no wiper or mirror detail to windscreen. £3000 (estimate)

metallic green body, red interior with wiper & mirror detail to windscreen £30

values are for mint models in mint boxes
price guide gallery
box gallery