Matchbox mayhem
Vect is certainly brings in the big bucks when it comes to Matchbox models. A recent sale saw a Regular Wheels 30c Faun Crane factory pre-production colour trial, with dark graphite cab and chassis without a rear brace, hand painted blue roof lights, a silver jib with a grey plastic double arm hook and bare metal base without tow guide sell for just over £4,000. That, though, was small beer compared with the US market blistered Regular Wheels 25b Volkswagen Beetle. This was an unconfirmed Stannard Code with a metallic silver-blue body with rear silver trim but without red tail-lamps. Fitted with a turquoise green window and a gloss black base, it ran on 9.5 x 20 tread grey plastic wheels. An early example of the blister packaging, Vectis’ estimate of £900 was too modest, the bug making £8,160.
The Regular Wheels factory pre-production model maker’s prototype model of an AEC Cement Silo Truck (which used the cab and chassis of the 51c AEC Tipper Truck) was equally interesting in orange and sold for £2,760 whilst £3,600 was needed to acquire the Regular Wheels 44a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, this a Stannard Code 10 finished in metallic light silverblue with mask sprayed front and rear silver trim but without red tail lamps.
On the train side of things, an ACE O gauge modern issue E/38 2-8-0 loco and tender in LMS maroon Class 8F No.8624 was near mint and came with instructions and its outer mailer. This made £600. An unused Hornby (China) R2485 (Live Steam) 4-62 LNER green A3 Class Loco No.4472 "Flying Scotsman", complete with control units, an oval of track, gloves, various tools plus an operator’s manual, aroused much interest: the lot settled on £456. For the same money you could have bought the Wrenn W2283 4-6-2 LNER photographic grey A4 Class Loco No.4489 "Woodcock." ■