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dinkycollect's picture
dinkycollect
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DTCA MemberFrance

-152b and 671 Reconnaissance Car (1937-55)

Discusion transfered.

We looked at this great model a short while ago, along with some other WWII era military pieces, but I recently came across a few more photos of the actual 1:1 vehicle. As others have posted before, it is a 1936 Morris Commercial 6x4 vehicle, and from reading some descriptions, not too many were produced. It was also somewhat underpowered and quite heavy. I believe it said the top speed was something like 35-40 mph. I can imagine that it was also geared quite low, given the weight and small power. While searching for information, I did see an ad for one in England, that was in the process of being restored. It was all apart, so the pictures I am including below are not that car.

In looking at these, it is very apparent that Dinky did a wonderful job of replicating the actual vehicle. Even the storage boxes on the runningboards and rear area look the same, and there are two doors on the left side, and only one on the right, just as is the original. I am guessing that this was one of the few pre-war models that was quite accurately modeled by Dinky, instead of combining design elements from several vehicles. I would guess that the light and medium tanks are also quite accurate. The main omission is the missing headlights.

I have included a few pics of my original condition Reconnaissance Car. This still one of my favorite dozen Dinky's ever made.....just a beautiful little model, very nicely done by Mecanno.

Terry


This view shows the interior of the vehicle with the canvas top off .....notice the table in the center...probably for looking at maps, etc...


Another picture, this one with different disc wheels........this may be an earlier or civilian version...notice the spare is on the side instead of the rear.
 

dinkycollect's picture
dinkycollect
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DTCA MemberFrance

Thanks Terry, nice pictures of this car. Apparently the casting was too complicated already for completing this model with a set of head lights !

Regards,

Jan

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dinkycollect
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DTCA MemberFrance

I always loved all the Morris Commercial models, this one included, as strange as it may seem 1940 - 50's MCC Army lorries were still being sold out of service when I was young in the early '70's,and lots of local traders / garages had them. Mostly the bonneted 50's lorry in 4x4 that no one made a model of, but also the 688 type cab too. I was offered one for

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dinkycollect
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Three different versions of the 152b Reconnaissance Car :

On the left is the extremely rare post-war version with smooth hubs and white tyres. In the middle is the common version with ridged hubs. On the right is also very rare version in the brown paint, which I believe was only ever used on export versions to the States.

More about the rare versions later.

Dave

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buzzer999
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The post-war version with smooth hubs.

This is listed in Ramsey's as being available from 1947 to 1949. I have a UK Dinky Price List from 1946 listing the 151a, 151b, 152a, 152b, 153a and 161b Military Vehicles, it has the Meccano reference 16/546/30. This was at the time that the Meccano Magazine was promising that Dinky Toys would soon become available and items were very scarce in the shops.

Of the post-war variations of the Reconnaissance Car this is the only version I have seen with the gloss green baseplate.

Dave.

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dinkycollect
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DTCA MemberFrance

Very nice set of reco car, are there any other variations ? You do not mention the shape variation of the front of the base plate.

Jacques.

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janwerner
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DTCA MemberNetherlands

Hi Dave, very nice examples you have!
I happen to have a similar one (post-war green base) in the collection, which also has the white tyres, albeit treaded, except for one which is smooth! I bought it in the USA a decade ago, perhaps that's a special 'USA only' finish?
The one on the left is from my pre-war Light Tank Set (with axle repair).

Kind regards, Jan

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dinkycollect
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DTCA MemberFrance

This is a very rare variation or rather the original version of the reconnaissance car. I have not seen it listed anywhere and this is the only picture that I have ever seen.

Has any one got one of these rarities ?

buzzer999's picture
buzzer999
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I have 5 Reconnaissance Cars and none of them have the odd baseplate shown above on the left.

I do not know why it was made that way, it serves no useful purpose.

Dave

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buzzer999
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DTCA MemberUK

Here is the brown reconnaissance car, this is also a very rare variation. According to Keith Harvie the brown military version were only sold in 1947.

I have only seen two or three of these in almost 30 years of collecting.

Here is the baseplate of the brown version

Here are the green and brown cars side by side for a comparison of the colours.

Dave

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dinkycollect
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DTCA MemberFrance

David,

Your brown US reconaissance car is very nice.

There may be a useful purpose for the early baseplate. There was probably nothing to stop the baseplate from going into the body and the axle maintain the baseplate.

Once more, it would be interesting to have pictures of the inside of the bodies to confirm my theory. The early limber's baseplate was also attached in the same way.

Jacques.

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buzzer999
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I'm sorry Jacques I don't understand what you are saying here, if what you say is true all the 152b baseplates would have to have been made this way.

I cannot see it making sense or, as you say has something happened to the die to force this one-off change?

Dave

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dinkycollect
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DTCA MemberFrance

David,

There are certainly two or a single posts in the corners below the base plate. If these were not then the base plate would need to be attached to the axle otherwise it would be possible to push it into the body.


The table and the right seat explain why there is only one door on the right hand side.

buzzer999's picture
buzzer999
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DTCA MemberUK

Without removing the baseplate it is impossible to see what is underneath so, for now, we will have to make assumptions about the inside of the body.

Here is a front and rear view of the common, ridged Hubs, post-war reconnaissance car. The detailing in this casting as superb and very accurately portrays the real world vehicle. I don't think any of these still survive which is a real shame.

Here is the baseplate for the ridged hubs version.

Dave

Chris1
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AustraliaDTCA Member

I don't know whether this is an unusual version, but when I was looking at my 4 Reconnaissance Cars I noticed that one had domed wheels but the larger diameter axles, so it is post-war. However it also has a green base which I understood were only found in pre-war versions?

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janwerner
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DTCA MemberNetherlands

Hi Chris, welcome here! Yes, this version is not very common, but it isn't very rare either. I have one and so does Dave Busfield, if I'm not mistaken. It has been described here, if you take a closer search on the forum. I presume it may have been primarily exported to the USA. The thick axles and the smooth hubs indicate that this issue was produced immediately post war, 1945-46. The white finely treaded tyres are not very realistic, but nevertheless give an attractive looks. Indeed the base plate is an unusual green one.
Kind regards, Jan

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janwerner
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DTCA MemberNetherlands

The other day I found a better example of one of the photos posted above already, representing the real vehicle. Improving the image a little bit makes it a virtually 'new' photo of this remarkable vehicle. Trying out my new camera I took some new pictures of my Reconnaissance Cars. I'm afraid every tiny piece of dust is visible now, so I will have to do some more dusting before putting my Dinkies in front of the camera. Kind regards, Jan 

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dinkyfan
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Jan---Very nice to see a better original photo of this wonderful vehicle. As a small child of 5 or 6, I was fascinated with my Dinky Toys model......and I remember noticing all the tiny detail: those little boxes on the running boards, the louvers on the side of the hood, the ripples in the canvas top. To me, this has always been one of my very favorite Dinky models, and comparing with the photos, Dinky did make a very nice and accurate model, with the omission of those headlights being one of the few things to detract from it.
Best regards, Terry

Chris1
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AustraliaDTCA Member

Does anyone know if the post-war 152b Reconnaissance Car ever had domed axle ends as shown on the 153b Jeep, 151b 6-wheel transport lorry and 161b Anti- aircraft gun?

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janwerner
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DTCA MemberNetherlands

My recent acquisition of the dark green / brown US export version below. A very fair looking bargain for such a rather scarce model and a nice companion to my equally brown AA Gun on Trailer. 

Regarding Chris's request above, I can only say that up till now I haven't seen an example with domed axle ends (yet). The only instance that it's shown with domed axle ends is the illustration on page 13 of the 1953 US Dinky Toys catalogue. Contrary to the others that we actually know with domed axle ends it had disappeared immediately after publication of this 1953 catalogue, whereas the others continued until 1955. So, altogether, it is plausible that this model may never have reached the stage as illustrated in the 1953 catalogue in the end. Kind regards, Jan