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At a general vintage shop I recently purchased a Monte Carlo Citroen, which unusually has a tyre on the roof, rather than the usual ariel. I can't find any other examples of this online so I just wondered if anyone knows if this is a rare variation or just a skillfully done Code 3?

Image resized and rotated for ''Melbourne Red''.
Ghosthunter.

That's a very nice model.

Kev68 wrote:That's a very nice model.

I must admit that it is and does look good with the spare wheel on the roof. As regards the original question by ''MR'', I don't think it is the work of Corgi and feel sure they would have used one of their roof racks already featured on other models to house the spare wheel, not just fixing it directly to the roof.

Ghosthunter.

Channelling Mick for a moment, it is possible that this represents some kind of trial. However, having said that, the spare is right at the front of the roof and therefore sitting at an angle. As such, it looks rather odd and is not aesthetically pleasing.
Close examination of the spare might offer some clues as to whether it was mint when fitted, although subsequent playwear (of which there doesn't seem to be much) might make this a difficult call. More fruitful would be an assessment of the retaining pin: is it a shortened, standard, Corgi axle? Is the finish on the inside of the roof consistent with normal, Corgi axle-peening practice or is it more amateurish? Also how does the end of the retaining pin intereact with the glazing unit? Has the latter been modified in order to accommodate the end of the pin and, if so, how?

Or is it simply glued on?

I wonder about glue too. As no rivet or axle is visible in the picture, it would have to be buried inside the wheel which doesn't seem possible with these wheels - I think they're solid with a small hollow for the peened end of the axle. This screen-grab of the wheel from the original large picture seems to show that the hollow is empty.

In the absence of a shortened axle holding the wheel in place, it has to be glued, in which case i would categorise it as an after-market addition to a standard model (until proven otherwise).