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1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible |
Last Edit: 28/03/2020 |
This looks like Corgi really trying, a bit late in the day, but really trying to get back to their glory days with a well-modelled US car having some nice opening features. It was an interesting departure though for them to bring out retro fifties models, this being one of them. It is very late in the day though as the whole company went bang shortly after. Nice opening boot and bonnet features with that good old US V8 on show in the front. It had a long 20 year life in the Mettoy and post-Mettoy Corgi range.
The 1957 Ford Thunderbird was first released in 1980 as the Vega$, Dan Tanna car, this was a 1978 TV series about a private detective in Las Vegas. It remained in the range for just one year and they are hard to find and sought after.
it came out next in January 1982 in the core Corgi Toys range as No.801 in the black and yellow boxes. These are closed convertibles in either cream with an orange hood or white with a black hood.
It was re-released the following year in the 50's Classics range as No.810. These cars are Open cabrios in two-tone cream & orange or closed cabrios in either white with a black hood or cream with an orange hood.
In 1986 under post Mettoy ownership it returned in grey Corgi Classics boxes still as 810 as an open cabrio in pink or black. Next came two character specials with Elvis Presley in 1998 and Marylyn Monroe in 2000.