Ben04uk Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 Can someone please tell me what make and model the vehicle circled is? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 It's Morris J2 from 1950s. The model looks like a detailed Matchbox model. http://matchboxclub.com/types/60a-morris-j2-pickup-1958/ steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 17, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 17, 2016 A nice model, almost exactly 00 scale. Can still be found at toy fairs and swap meets for a couple of quid and easily fitted with glazing, wheels and interior. It might be possible to use such components from the Oxford or Corgi Trackside van versions of the same vehicle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben04uk Posted February 17, 2016 Author Share Posted February 17, 2016 I take it there are no more up-to-date versions of the Morris J2 pick-up then? I presume the owner of the above vehicle must have repainted his in green - very nice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 I believe it could also be badged as an Austin. Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 17, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 17, 2016 I believe it could also be badged as an Austin. Ed The different makes had different grills, the Morris grill sloped inwards to the top whereas the Austin grill was rectangular. Other than that they were identical, badge engineering at its best (worst?). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviesparx Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 Just dug out my old and badly repainted example fron the loft... Base reads, 'MORRIS J2 PICK-UP No.60 MADE IN ENGLAND BY LESNEY' No glazing originally, and I'd forgotten about mine but that picture has got me thinking.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 I have a whole fleet of the Matchbox J2 pick ups. The intention was to detail them up a bit and fit glazing, but newer models have rather stolen my thunder for doing that. As has already been pointed out, these were pretty well to OO scale.Quite a few other 1950s and '60s Matchbox (Lesney) models were to railway scales. Their catalogues of the times actually listed the scales in the descriptions for each model. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giz Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 There is a handy summary of the vans and pickups produced post-war by the companies that became British Leyland here: http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/commercials/commercials-purpose-built-vanspick-ups/ 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 18, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 18, 2016 I have a whole fleet of the Matchbox J2 pick ups. The intention was to detail them up a bit and fit glazing, but newer models have rather stolen my thunder for doing that. As has already been pointed out, these were pretty well to OO scale. Quite a few other 1950s and '60s Matchbox (Lesney) models were to railway scales. Their catalogues of the times actually listed the scales in the descriptions for each model. Matchbox made three vans as well as the Morris pick-up that were close to or exactly 00 scale. The pick-up was actually 1/75 scale as was the Trojan van. They made a Volkswagen van and a Thames 400E minibus that were spot on at 1/76 scale. Most of the British/European cars they produced were far overscale for 00 but some of the American cars were also very close to 00 scale. Other manufacturers such as Husky produced models that were more or less 00 scale as well. Most of these models with a little bit of work can be made presentable by changing the wheels and adding glazing and interiors as neccessary. I will try composing a list of such models including some from modern manufacturers such as Tomica. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 The Matchbox Commer/Karrier ice cream van was also very close to OO scale. The cab matches up in dimensions to my resin kit commer van (I can't remember the source of the kit for sure but I think it may have been Road Transport Images).I do have a couple of the Matchbox Ford Thames minibuses, but the Volkswagen van I had as a child has long since disappeared. The Husky Ford Zephyr 6 estate (a rarity in real life) was around 1/75 scale. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted February 18, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 18, 2016 The Matchbox Commer/Karrier ice cream van was also very close to OO scale. The cab matches up in dimensions to my resin kit commer van (I can't remember the source of the kit for sure but I think it may have been Road Transport Images). But is that because the Matchbox is to scale? How was the master for the resin kit produced????? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted February 18, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 18, 2016 W&T ScaleLink do a similar J4 from the 1960s. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 18, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 18, 2016 I put a Husky Zephyr 6 estate alongside the Oxford saloon version and they are dimensionaly identical in all respects. Another Husky model that is exactly to scale is the forward control Land Rover. There are other models in the range such as the Citroen DS that are said to be 00 scale but I have no examples for comparison. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 18, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 18, 2016 The Matchbox Commer/Karrier ice cream van was also very close to OO scale. The cab matches up in dimensions to my resin kit commer van (I can't remember the source of the kit for sure but I think it may have been Road Transport Images). I do have a couple of the Matchbox Ford Thames minibuses, but the Volkswagen van I had as a child has long since disappeared. The Husky Ford Zephyr 6 estate (a rarity in real life) was around 1/75 scale. I think the Matchbox Commer/Karrier van is slightly underscale and the resin kit, as many once were, is taken from the Matchbox model and perpetuates the same faults. Matchbox quote a scale of 1/78 which is about right bearing in mind that Matchbox didn't always quote the correct scale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium JZ Posted February 20, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 20, 2016 I put a Husky Zephyr 6 estate alongside the Oxford saloon version and they are dimensionally identical in all respects. Another Husky model that is exactly to scale is the forward control Land Rover. There are other models in the range such as the Citroen DS that are said to be 00 scale but I have no examples for comparison. Citroën DS from, front to rear, Oxford, Matchbox, Husky. J2. Pick-up Matchbox, van Corgi Trackside. The corgi looks way too big. Austin Cambridge. Oxford front, Matchbox back. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 20, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 20, 2016 Citroën DS from, front to rear, Oxford, Matchbox, Husky. 20160220_103505_resized.jpg J2. Pick-up Matchbox, van Corgi Trackside. The corgi looks way too big. 20160220_103520_resized.jpg Austin Cambridge. Oxford front, Matchbox back. 20160220_103512_resized.jpg A lot of the smaller Corgi models are to 1/72 scale so do look big even against the Oxford models. Some of the proportions are a bit odd as well, their Ford Anglia and Morris Minors are awful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 (edited) The proportions of some Matchbox models were modified to make them "look right". A dubious practice at best, but still better than some (most?) of the rubbish available to today's children. Not that they would be much use to us anyway as most are approximately 1/64th scale (apologies to any S scale modellers reading). A couple of examples - the Matchbox no. 22 Vauxhall Cresta looks to be too wide and the Budgie Austin taxi is too long (also rather under 4mm scale). (The Matchbox model of the taxi is around 1/72 scale - The Dublo Dinky one is the right size (or at least claims to be) but is collectable and thus expensive and comes in a strange blue and white colour scheme. The Husky Citroën DS Safari is I think possibly H0 scale, as the prototype is actually 6.5" longer than the DS saloon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_DS Edited August 23, 2018 by Il Grifone Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 20, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 20, 2016 Fortunately a lot of these vehicles are now available from Oxford and Classix so there is no need to resort to modifying these old toys. IMHO the Minix range were amongst the best and even today can be modified and upgraded, the only thing that let them down was the wheels and the lack of interior on some models. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DIW Posted February 20, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 20, 2016 snip....... Not that they would be much use to us anyway as most are approximately 1/64th scale (apologies to any S scale modellers reading). Indeed, a selection of Matchbox vehicles usually graces my S scale railway. I usually park the 60s Merc SL over the oil patch adjacent to the station.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 20, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 20, 2016 Looking at JZ's pics I wonder if the Corgi glazing and interior will fit the Matchbox casting? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 (edited) Unfortunately Minix also fall under the heading of 'collectable' ..... However, I did pick up a bright yellow sports car for 75p. A Sunbeam Alpine IIRC. The Dinky buses are 1/76*, but again 'collectable' and better models are available. Most are obscure prototypes. *Actually 5/32" to 1' but near enough. Meccano Ltd. were strictly Imperial. (Even today's French Meccano has 1/2" (sorry 12.7mm) as a 'magic figure'). Edited February 20, 2016 by Il Grifone 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungus the Fogeyman Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 Sorry chaps, but as the owner of said vehicle I can tell you its a kit, not a Lesney repaint. Trouble is I built it 14 years ago, because I wanted a small pick up truck for the coal merchant and the Oxford and Corgi ranges werent really establised at that time. Don't ask whos kit it was though!! Disgusting of Market Harborough Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor quinn Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 Don't ask whos kit it was though!! Disgusting of Market Harborough Springside? All the best Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted August 1, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 1, 2018 There was a company making cheap white metal copies of various diecasts in 00 scale. IIRC they produced copies of many of the Dinky Dublo models as well as a few of the Matchbox models including the J2 pick-up. They were very crude and often poorly made. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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