Ford Consul Cortina Super Estate Car

Hell I wanted one of these. I can still remember the Royal Lancashire Show in 1965 at Stanley Park, Blackpool, when I went with my Dad and saw on a toy stall, for the first time, the version of this toy with the golfer figure and I had never wanted anything so much in my life - I begged and begged him to buy it for me - he didn't of course, I was brought up properly, my parents believed it was wrong to give in to their kids. I'm so glad I was not like that with mine (as are they too I suppose) and its done them no harm at all. So I had to wait 30 years to get one. I think that memory speaks for the need to collect toys like this - the emotions they aroused in childhood were so intense that we've never forgotten them. Would I have wanted one so much were it not this good? Absolutely not.

We had a Humber Sceptre at the time - why should I aspire to a Cortina? (There was a lot tied up in what our dads drove in the toys we craved). No, I wanted one of these because the model is so attractive and well made - it is one of the best Corgis ever and if I had to pick a favourite from the Little Wheels Museum this car would be on the short list.

The first 1963 Ford Cortinas were called 'Consul Cortina' and this is one of those, it has the word 'Consul' on the front of the dummy air-scoop. The 1965 Cortina Super Estate (no 'Consul') in my 1965 Observers book of Automobiles has exactly this same fake wood trim - and white-wall tyres. However in 1964 the model was facelifted and a new grille style was added, one which was extended to the sides and included the sidelights and indicators. Is this a rare example of Corgi getting the detail wrong? Either that or the toy took a little too long to get to market and Ford updated the car while the Corgi was in development. This is the 1963 year Cortina, There's a picture of a 1965 model below. Interestingly Dinky did update their '63 model to the new look grille, possibly to put some clear blue water between them and Corgi - the Dinky Cortina was one of their best ever models, pictures below of both versions.

This car was marketed by Corgi Toys under two model numbers. Number 440 has a golfer figure, a caddy & a golf trolley. 491 was sold alone. The golfer ones were all dark metallic blue. The others were either maroon, grey or dark metallic blue. Corgi released 440 in January 1965 and 491 in September of the same year. They both remained in the range until 1969. The Golfer set in its diorama box with the figures and the golf bag is always going to be really expensive. The solo model in grey is also very rare and highly priced. The maroon and blue cars under model no 491 are rather more modestly priced.