Matchbox 12a; Land Rover Series 1

I really like Land Rovers, I owned them for years in 1:1 scale and there is just something reassuring and comforting about their familiarity, the look, the sound and the smell. Of all of them the short wheelbase Series 2 ragtop is the prettiest, it is at its best like this one; with the door tops removed and the canvas taken off. A design classic perfectly combining form and function. Who remembers the Top Gear challenge for the best car ever and Richard Hammond championing the (winning) Land-Rover saying it was just too busy to worry about awards as it would be off somewhere, doing something important. That really touched a nerve with me, and when someone says Land-Rover, I see the Series 2 SWB. I owned one, mine was a Station Wagon, a true classic car.

The Land-Rover Series II, 12b, was released in 1959 and remained in the range until 1965 when the Series 2a Station Wagon replaced it. There are some versions to look out for. The prize is the grey plastic wheel version which is not common but one below is also a premium version as the crimped axle on black plastic wheels is less frequently found than the rounded axle end version, shame it has been repainted.