437 - Superior Ambulance on Cadillac Chassis in red and cream livery

Name: 437 - Superior Ambulance on Cadillac Chassis in red and cream livery
Brand: Corgi Model Club
SKU: CORGI053X
Price: 42.95 EUR
Availability: InStock

€42,95

When introduced by Corgi in October 1962 this striking American ambulance featured an infamously erratic mechanism on the model’s rear axle to switch the rooftop bulb on and off, thus simulating a flashing emergency light. It was one of the few Corgi innovations of the era that failed to live up to expectations and was eventually replaced in 1966 by a simpler battery operated circuit that powered a flashing bulb*.

This Corgi Model Club edition marries the red and cream livery of the earlier model with the circuitry of the later variant. Both were given Corgi’s patented ‘Trans-O-Lite’ system whereby light from the bulb illuminated the model’s front and rear roof lights. Corgi sold over one million of the red liveried version of Corgi 437.

*Sadly these specialist bulbs, which incorporate a bi-metal strip to make it flash on and off, are sadly no longer available in the size needed.

Size: Length: 115mm Width: 40mm Height: 45mm

Scale: 1:54

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The model arrived quickly in secure protective packaging. It is convincing replica of the original 1960s Corgi Toy. The battery box takes a single AA battery and a simple switch lights up the central dome light and 4 corner lights which collect light by coloured plastic tubes……the equivalent of today’s optical fibre. The original toy had flashing lights and from my stash of 1960s bulbs I replaced the non flashing one in the model. These bulbs are old technology and nobody makes them in the 2020s. A keen modeller could easily hook up a clear flashing LED to achieve a 2025 flash effect. There is a video of my model with flashing lights on the Corgi Model Club Facebook group.

Very good I would recommend anyone to buy one.

Great model, very pleased with it.

Beautiful model

I've always loved the lines od this model, I had two in the wine and cream livery. I saw one in Belfast many years ago in the blue and white . And thanks to the CMC, I've now got the two versions. I know the CMC have come under criticism because of the flashing red light and to be honest the original ones while innovative were fraught with problems. If you had the bulb at the right height it didn't connect to the circuit,(I packed mine with tin foil and it seemed to work)
The on off switch was made of a srange material that became loose over time similar to the Corgi tractor with the lifting bucket the lever made the same also got loose over time.
The battery compartment on the ambulance became very brittle over the years and I replaced bulbs with a torch bulb available in the 60s and 70s.
I'm sure we can get out heads together and find a solution to the flashing aspect. But in all an excellent model good clean lines and a joy to see whatever the emergency 🙏

Jackknife johnny

Excellent brought me back to childhood

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