Budgie Toys Bedford LWB Tipper
Gets down to the nitty gritty of a vintage Budgie model.
Budgie Toys appeared on the market, in 1959, offering something slightly different from Dinky, Corgi and other existing diecast ranges. Instead of reflecting the variety of cars, trucks and other vehicles to be seen on the roads, Budgie’s focus was almost entirely on commercial vehicles, with the addition of a few others that might be described as public service vehicles, a category that would explain the inclusion of a Wolseley police car.
From the collector’s point of view, this resulted in a welcome selection of unusual prototypes being modelled, such as the AA Jumbo Mobile Traffic Control Unit, the Pluto Aircraft Refuelling tanker in Esso livery, and the spectacular Air BP Super Fueller, today one of the most sought-after Budgies.
In contrast to the relative obscurity of these, the Bedford LWB tipper is based on a very familiar subject - the Bedford S Type cab, familiarly known as the ‘Big Bedford’, and modelled by practically all the other British diecast ranges of the era.
Made between 1962 and 1966, the Budgie tipper has a red six-wheel chassis and a yellow tipping rear body, elevated by miniature hydraulic rams.The only variation recorded during the model’s four-year production cycle is a minor change in the design of the metal wheels, in common with other Budgie models. It can be found in the attractive yellow and black picture box, or in the later type of packing consisting of a cardboard frame covered with sealed polythene which has to be cut open to access the model.
In general, Budgie didn’t go in for multiple body variations on a common chassis as, for example, occurred with the Dinky Fodens or, indeed, with the smaller versions of these in the Morestone series that preceded the launch of Budgie. However, the Bedford chassis was reused briefly between 1964 and 1966 with a different type of tipping body with very high sides
Simple but effective mechanism operates the tipping rear body. Ham River Grit was an authentic livery.