Miniatures News, September 1969
To commemorate the London-Sydney Marathon Corgi Toys have produced a model of the winning Hillman Hunter, with the extras carried in that event, such as twin spare wheels on the white-painted roof, and also on the roof the big toolbox, which opens to reveal miniature tools. The additional lamps, kangaroo bar and the advertising decals are faithfully reproduced in this 4 1/8 in.-long miniature, which has the black-hued bonnet and competition number of the Marathon Hillman. Fitted with sprung wheels and Mettoy’s Golden Jacks system, this Corgi is No. 302 and can be bought in the UK for 10s. 6d. It even comes with a kangaroo to hit!
Another very desirable Corgi miniature is a Ferrari 206 Dino Sport. This has the recently introduced Whiz wheels to give it a long run. It is No. 344 in the Corgi Toys series, is the same size as the Marathon Hillman, and costs 8s. 11d. Finally, for this month, Corgi have a Formula One Lotus-Climax with steering controlled by the driver—you move him to turn the front wheels. This entails a vintage track-rod which would surely cause Colin Chapman to swoon when applied to an F.1 car but it comes in an orange, black and white finish, with racing No. 8, and this 3½ in. long miniature costs 7s. Ask for Corgi No. 158.
Following very closely on their Edwardian Stutz and Peugeot “Models of Yesteryear”, Lesney have another, in the form of a splendid 1906 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost tourer in dusk grey, with chrome stepped screen, etc. The “chrome” might lose marks in a Concours d’Elegance but this is a fine miniature, to a scale of 51:1, which makes it 3 5/8 in. in length. It appears to have a more bulbous Roi des Belges body than the earlier Lesney Silver Ghost and is Y-10 in the “Matchbox” series. It costs 5s. 11d. and has the authentic bonnet rivets. Lesney also have a King-size Dodge Charger saloon, No. K-22 in this series, at 6s. 2d., and a Mercury police car, K-23, costing 6s. 6d. The latter measures 4 1/8 in., the scale being 50:1. For collectors of commercial vehicle miniatures there is a Lesney King Size 4½ in. Leyland tipper truck, No. K-4, priced at 7s. 6d.