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Ford Transcontinental |
Last Edit: 19/08/2022 |
This was Corgi Toys' big truck version number 5. It started in 1957 with the Big Bedford S Type then in 1962 the Bedford TK took over. The US Ford H Series and Mack Prime Mover were next and at number five came the Ford Transcontinental. Although the Ford had to share the limelight with the French Berliet which for a few years was concurrent in the Corgi Toys range with the Ford.
Even though in my terms by 1976 Corgi Toys are well into their wilderness years, there were still some products which worked well and this is one of them. The successor owners of the Corgi brand in the post Mettoy years must have agreed as there were three Corgi Classics releases of the same truck, the last being the Pollock of Musselburgh flatbed in 2000.
1157 Petrol Tanker; Esso
In April 1976 Corgi Toys released the first of the Transcontinentals, the Esso petrol tanker (1157). It's nice to find an error in the van Cleemput 'Great Book of Corgi' though; the book states that this is just a change of cab unit from the 1152 Mack on the Gloster Saro tanker from 1971. They are correct in that it is a model of the Gloster Saro tank trailer, and it is almost the same as on the Mack - but it is wider, same length, but wider. The Ford Esso tanker, 1157, was made in red & white from 1976 to 1981.
1158 Petrol Tanker; Exxon
Also released in April 1976 the Exxon tanker was an export model for the USA.
1160 Petrol Tanker; Gulf
Also released in April 1976 the Gulf tanker was deleted in 1978
1161 Petrol Tanker; Aral
Also released in April 1976 the Aral tanker was an export model for Germany