LET'S TOUCH BASE - CORGI D.B.5 #271...

In May of 1978, CORGI TOYS issued their third version

of JAMES BOND's ASTON MARTIN D.B.5, this time in

1:36 scale.  As you can see, the double 0s of the 007 logo are

roughly finished and, frankly, a bit amateurish in appearance.

That apart, it was a very nice looking car, and is still on sale

today at regular intervals.

  

When production shifted abroad, the 'Made In Gt. Britain'

line was removed and, with the reintroduction of the Corgi dog,

the logo was moved to where the country of manufacture used to

be.  There may have been a version with the '78 Corgi logo still

at the top, but with no country of manufacture at all;  however,

I can't be bothered going through every Aston Martin I've got

to check, so we'll forget about that possibility for now.

Back in the mid-'90s, I brought the inferior double 0s to

the attention of the then-managing director, CHRIS GUEST,

suggesting they should either be re-done or removed.  I guess it

was cheaper to remove them, because the next issue of the car

looked as you can see in the pic below.

I also pointed out that, as the D.B.5 was the car with which

the company was most associated, a little more care should be

taken with its production.  At that time, the gap around the roof

hatch was very uneven, and the paint finish extremely poor, being 

more of a pale grey than the traditional silver birch.  I suggested a

deluxe version, with richer paint job, wing mirrors, wipers on the

windscreen, and spoked wheels with rubber tyres.  And guess

what?  The next release of the model looked just like the

one below, but with the above base.

I eventually contacted Corgi again (by this time owned by

HORNBY), and congratulated them on their much improved

product, saying that the only thing requiring amendment was the

positioning of the Corgi logo on the base, and suggesting that  it

would look better occupying the space where the 007 used to be.

Imagine my surprise and delight when the very next Aston Martin

I purchased had that very change instituted.  Although I suspect

Corgi may have arrived at the same conclusion independently

as not too much time had elapsed between me making the

suggestion and it being implemented.

So there you have it.  My part in Corgi's restoration

of its 271 model of James Bond's Aston Martin D.B.5 to its

former glory - surpassing it in fact.  And friends - the story

is true.  I know, because I was that soldier.

Posted in: Cartoons