VOLVOS SCALE 1/43 Luc Vancampenhout Corgi Toys Volvo P1800

VOLVOS SCALE 1/43 Luc Vancampenhout
Corgi Toys
Volvo P1800
1962 – 1972
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Corgi Toys launched their Volvo P1800 model on scale 1/46 in July 1962, with
number 228, priced in the United Kingdom at 4s.5d. (4 shilling 5 pence), stencilled
on the box by the merchant as 4/5.
Colours were red, rare salmon (each time with yellow interior) , tan or very rare
creamy white (each time with red interior). Also a two-tone colour trial was made.
The Corgi 228 model stayed in production until
1965, when it was followed by number 258 ‘ The
Saint’s Car ’. 315.000 ex. were made in the
period 1962-1965.
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The Corgi Toys model portrays the English Jensen P1800 prototype with
the typical “V” on the front grill and at the rear “cowhorn”-bumpers,
splitted number plate lights and a different “VOLVO” letter type (slide 6 &
7).
The English Jensen P1800 prototype appeared earlier (as soon as
February 1960 in several car magazines (slide 5).
Corgi Toys considered the car as a British one : the car was RHD. (At
that time, Corgi scale models of British cars had RHD, while continental
cars had LHD). Nevertheless, the Corgi Club Magazine (see slide 9)
considered the Volvo P1800 as an example of international (panEuropean) co-operation.
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MotorFöraren 15 February 1960
right : unknown British car magazine
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Corgi Toys announced their P1800 model in the June 1962 interim leaflet containing
all new models up to July 1962. The P1800 model was presented in the rare salmon
colour.
The P1800 figures among other sport cars, like a competition version of the Aston
Martin DB4 and a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. Talking about good company !
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Not only Corgi Toys, also Volvo liked to put the P1800 in company of
the Aston Martin DB4 and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL.
…. or the Aston Martin DB4 and Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina (next slide)
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Also the Corgi Club Magazine Summer 1962 edition pays tribute to the P1800 on
pages 6 and 13.
Corgi Club
Magazine
Summer 1962
p.6
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Corgi Club
Magazine
Summer 1962
p.13
indicating the
original price
4s.5d.
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Finally the Corgi Toys model makes its screen appearance on March 5th
1964, in The Saint’s episode 2-25 ‘”The Gentle Ladies”, where the good
looking real estate agent Kathleen Howard, The Saint’s most important
reason for his visit to Bosham (a village in Sussex), is showing – on a
diorama in her office’s showcase - a scale model of her lover’s car : a
pearl white 1800 with red interior.
Corgi Toys model in
The Saint episode
‘The Gentle Ladies‘
on a diorama in
Kathleen Howard’s
real estate office
window
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This pearl white Corgi 228 portrays
The Saint’s new 1800. Indeed, two
episodes earlier – in episode 2-23 The
High Fence aired on 20th February
1964 – The Saint had exchanged his
bright white P1800 (real registration 71
DXC ; Volvo colour code 69 = white)
for a pearl white 1800S (real
registration 77 GYL ; Volvo colour code
79 = pearl white.)
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This pearl white Corgi 228 Volvo
1800 with red interior was only
produced in a small production run.
Today we have knowledge of 3 near
mint to mint examples of this small
production run.
Following slide :
The pearl white Corgi 228 Volvo
1800 compared with a real 1964
pearl white Volvo 1800 S RHD
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Then, in March 1965, followed “The Saints Car – Volvo P1800”, under number
258. This time, the first colour variation as on the The Saint’s Volvo P1800
was used (Volvo colour code 69) with red interior, completed wth a Saint logo
(black on white background) on the bonnet and a Saint figure in the driver’s
seat. This logo was taken over on the second Saint’s Volvo (a pearl white
1800S registered 77 GYL as already mentioned in the ‘Cars of the Stars’ car
museum in Keswick, United Kingdom.
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Left : The Saint’s 1st Volvo : a bright white P1800
Right : The Saint’s 2nd Volvo : a pearl white 1800S
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Right : The Saint’s 1st Volvo : a bright white P1800
Left : The Saint’s 2nd Volvo : a brightl white 1800S
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Advertisement in TV Century 21, number 96, 19 November 1966
(on slide 21 : advertisement in TV Century 21, number 9, 20 March 1965)
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The Saint’s Volvo was Corgi’s first TV or film related Crime-Buster model
in a long successful range (with James Bond’s Aston Martin the best
known) explaining why Corgi survived while other toy makers like Dinky
Toys went bankrupt.
On later models, the logo was changed to white on a red background or,
more rare, a blue background. There are also versions with spoke wheels
(see slide 24).
The Corgi 258 model launch meant also the end of Corgi model 228.
In 1970 the model was equipped with Whizzwheels and a yellow
interior under number 201, until production was definitively stopped in
1972.
Between 1965 and 1972, 1.306.000 The Saint’s Volvo (258 +201) were
sold (excluding the 1969 turnover, which is not known due to a factory
fire), more than 5 times the normal P1800 model (nr 228)
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Corgi made also a Volvo P1800 “Monte Carlo 1965 Rally – number 136”
prototype complete with driver, rally wheels and reserve wheel on the roof,
but finally a Rover 2000 was chosen to represent number 136. This Rover
model was launched in March 1965 together wih The Saint’s Volvo – both
as a separate model and as part of the Gift Set 38 “ 1965 Monte Carlo
Rally “ . Apparently, Corgi didn’t want to launch 2 new Volvo models at
the same time !
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The Monte Carlo P1800 shares some
characteristics with The Saint’s Volvo :
- bright white exterior colour
- red interior
- driver
- “228” number on the base blanked out
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LIST OF CORGI VOLVO P1800 MODELS
228 - Volvo P.1800 - red with yellow interior
228 - Volvo P.1800 - salmon with yellow interior
228 - Volvo P.1800 - tan with red interior
228 - Volvo P.1800 - pearl white with red interior
258 - The Saint’s Car – bright white with black Saint logo – spun wheels
258 - The Saint’s Car – bright white with white Saint on blue label
– spun wheels
258 - The Saint’s Car – bright white with white Saint on red label
– spun wheels
258 - The Saint’s Car – bright white with white Saint on red label
– cast wheels
201 - The Saint’s Car – bright white with white Saint on red label –
Whizzwheels
201 - The Saint’s Car – bright white with white Saint on blue label –
Whizzwheels
prototype based on 228 – two-tone colour trial
prototype based on 258 – 1965 Monte Carlo Rally
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TIMELINE
February 1960 – P1800 Jensen prototype pictures in car magazines
July 1962 – Corgi Toys launches model 228 Volvo P1800 (Jensen prototype)
4 October 1962 – in ‘The Talented Husband’, The Saint appears for the first
time in glossy white P1800 Jensen (71 DXC)
20 February 1964 – in ‘The High Fence’ , The Saint appears for the first time
in pearl white 1800S (77 GYL)
5 March 1964 – pearl white Corgi Toys 228 model appears in ‘The Gentle Ladies’
March 1965 – Corgi launches model 258 ‘The Saint’s Car – Volvo P.1800’
1970 – Corgi replaces model 258 with model 201
1972 - Corgi stops production of ‘The Saint’s Car – Volvo P.1800’ (model 201)
WITH THANKS TO :
Peter Stauder
Julie & Michael Rose
Carole & David Reitsis, QDT (Quality Diecast Toys)
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