Welcome back to the third installment of the Land Rover Die Cast Model Cars series. So far we have looked at several interesting finds and todays post is no different.
One of our finds in this collection is a Corgi Collection Land Rover, Trailer and Mini Safari Rally set, which was released in 1997. The rally race in which the mini on the trailer raced in was the 1997 Safari Rally Kenya, of which the legend driver Colin McRae actually won. The story is not so exciting for our mini #53, driven by the team of Robert and Michael Plant, brothers from Rochdale as they unfortunately retired from the race. A fun fact about that race is that a fellow retiree was actually Carlos Sainz Snr.
The Land Rover towing #53 is a Series III 109 W.B in white. From my research I cannot find if this was the exact car that would have towed the trailer, however given the location of the race and the year it is very likely. The car is detailed with decals from the time period, and also includes the famous Corgi logo (now, that definitely wouldn’t have been on the car at the time). This toy serves as a reminder of the part Land Rover plays in all aspects of life, including rallying.
Our next find is this wonderful pastel blue and orange livery Transco Land Rover. This again is a Series III 109 W.B and is also towing something behind it, however in this case it is not a rally car, but instead a road drill. Also included in the box is a workman, donning a head of white hair under his helmet and a grimace on his face as he uses the drill on a small piece of road.
Transco were a gas distribution company who then merged with the National Grid Group, to eventually bring the UK what we now know as The National Grid. Transco mostly used Transit vans, however in more rural areas, they sometimes used a Land Rover, similar to Royal Mail as in the last blog.
Our third and final find is a Series III 109 W.B Royal Mail Post Bus. This served as a later edition to the Series II we previously looked at, however it did not last long, quickly being replaced by the Defender 110, with an identical livery. If you took a quick glance, besides the front being different, partial bits of trim and the addition of a an Alpine Window, there isn’t much difference aesthetically. So, if the Defender 110 came out a little bit earlier, would this Series III Post Bus version even exist. This makes this find even more special as it marks such a specific time that could never have happened, yet for many will bring amazing memories.
