Corgi 271 Aston Martin

1981 - 1982

 

Regarding the questions when 4-spoke wheels were used I can't give you exact dates :

- Wheels are more commonly 4-spoke from 1978-1982, and from 1983 more often dished 12-spoke. But the car in the 1978 catalogue (which is a pre-production model however) has 12-spoke wheels, so it may be possible that a smaller batch were made with the 12-spoke wheels. And with Corgi losing much money by then, it was becoming more usual to use wheels that were readily available instead of waiting for the proper wheels to be remanufactured, so other cars like the Kojak Buick and Ford Torino used the 12-spoke wheels in increasing numbers. It doesn't seem impossible to me that a 12-spoked car in an early box is as it came from Corgi.


The 4-spoke wheels were still used after 1983 in small batches on other cars (like some Bonna ambulance variants), so I guess the few seen on Aston Martins in blue boxes are authentic.

 

Regarding the questions when white interiors were used I can't give you exact dates :

- that's they were starting in the 1981 boxes and continued in the 1983 and 1984 boxes. I have one with a brown driver figure, and trying to remove that figure without damaging the seat is quite risky (I tried a little but didn't want to break something), so I guess this must indeed come from the post-Mettoy period.

 

- Bodywork color variations vary between grey and silver

- 4 spoke with white interior (1981 - 1983/4) or red interiror (1978 - 1991)
- 12 spoke Whizzwheels with white interior (1981 - 1983/4) or red interiror (1978 - 1991)

- white interior : 1981 - 1983/4 (with 4 spoke or 12 spoke Whizzwheels)
- red interiror : 1978 - 1991 (with 4 spoke or 12 spoke Whizzwheels)


I believe that all Bond figures up to Mettoy's failure in October 1983 still were painted. Only later were unpainted figures in light brown or dark blue used.

I think the passengers started to be unpainted during 1980, and Bond and passenger stayed the same until Mettoy's insolvency in October 1983.

Bond was moulded in black, like before, but only face and hand were painted.
Passenger was blue plastic without paint at all.

 

Wheels were plated plastic, 12 spoke, Bond was moulded in black, like before, but only face and hand were painted, passenger was blue plastic without paint at all and the interior is red :

 

 

 

Wheels were plated plastic, 12 spoke, Bond was moulded in black, like before, but only face and hand were painted, passenger was blue plastic without paint at all and the interior is white :