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DrJeep wrote:Yours looks like it could do with a clean - gentle soap and warm water would probably do the trick.

Just be careful with the transfers/decals!

Looking again at your picture, I wonder if the wheels are orange or red? I'd expect them to be red.

Here’s the Canadian catalogue with the turquoise and yellow transporter. Does this imply that it was a planned - though shortlived - colour scheme?

DrJeep wrote:Here’s the Canadian catalogue with the turquoise and yellow transporter. Does this imply that it was a planned - though shortlived - colour scheme?

Hi Glenn,

Given this catalogue is not from Lesney or Matchbox but a department store (Sears) I would suggest they have just photographed their new stock from Fred Bronner. Interestingly Sears over the years must have received some of the very first release that even included pre production pieces.

I did go through all my box records, catalogues and photos of Lesney (catalogues I do not have) and the turquoise with yellow does not feature as a single item. I still feel these are a combination of left over turquoise tractor units as the all yellow was introduced.

Box artwork is also another key with the boxes showing red tractor/orange trailer, turquoise tractor/orange trailer and last the yellow tractor yellow trailer on the single model.
There was a run of boxes that featured a turquoise tractor and a lighter orange trailer.

I had in the past wondered the same thing about it being a planned combination and the following was a clue.

The gift set G2 Transporter set from 1968 show it in the USA catalogue with turquoise and yellow in the artwork. The next G2 depicted the K8 in all yellow and when the G2 was introduced in the superfast era the Transporter changed to the K11 DAF.
The earliest G2 sets showed the Guy Warrior turquoise with orange trailer.

Here is a photo from my 1968 catalogue and apologies for a not so crisp photo. I took about 10 shots to try and get best quality.

On the subject of cleaning, after washing a Lesney I use an old hair dryer that has lost it heat function and have a nozzle fitted to present a fine stream of air to blow out moisture from inside cab and on axles inside hubs to keep rust at bay.

Bert

yellowfoden wrote:Given this catalogue is not from Lesney or Matchbox but a department store (Sears) I would suggest they have just photographed their new stock from Fred Bronner. Interestingly Sears over the years must have received some of the very first release that even included pre production pieces.

Thanks, Bert. I agree that it would be much more convincing in a Matchbox catalogue! I think that this helps us date the change to mid-1968, assuming that the Sears Christmas catalogue would have gone out in autumn 1968.

To continue with what Bert has done above...

1967 pocket catalogue =

and G-2 gift set =



then...

1968 pocket catalogue =
a switch to yellow tractor unit here,

but still turquoise on the gift set box


then...

1969 pocket catalogue =
yellow seems to be have been chosen.

Ghosthunter.

The US 'Wishbooks' or Christmas gift catalogues are produced for publication across the September/October period. I know this from research on something else not connected to Matchbox but something in my own collection.

Ghosthunter.

Thanks, Ghosty - it’s great to get the chronology sorted out so well. I think I must have been given my original turquoise and orange transporter for either my birthday or Christmas 1968, so it’s one of the last before the colours were changed. It was a firm favourite throughout my childhood (and I still like it!).

DrJeep wrote:

Tinman wrote:It was a popular wheel hub that was used on several 1-75's, Majors & Kings. It was made in orange, yellow and red and in vast numbers

True, but some combinations are rare (yellow 69b Hatra with red wheels, for example).

The yellow Hatra with red wheels is one I would class as Hard-to-Find. A much better example is the very first issue Hatras with orange wheel hubs (and gray tires) which are Harder-to-Find. Neither is what I would class as rare, the two tone paint hatra - now that's rare.


My comment should have gone into more detail. I intended to express the fact that since the wheels hubs abound in various colors, it's amazing that they kept things as straight as they did. Comment was not intended to contradict the model being difficult to find.

Since someone else brought up the Hatra's ...

Orange hubs, gray tires.


Red hubs.


Two tone.