280 Delivery Van (1945-54)

A very rare one.This is an hybrid pre / post war model bought in a boot sale last week-end in Brittany.Smooth hubs, white tyres and closed rear windows. It could even have been made in 1941 before the factory stopped making toys. Was the die made before or during the war ? When was the real Bedford designed ?It is already known in red with black smooth hubs and black tyres (see Keith post February 10, 2006 above).So we now have the following variations : Blue body, smooth black hubs, black or white tyres. Very first models made in 1945. Red body, smooth black hubs, black tyres. Red or blue body, black ridged hubs with smooth black tyres with roof reinforcement to attach the loudspeakers of model 34 c - 492 'Loudspeaker van. Red body, red ridged hubs, smooth black tyres.Are there any more for example a blue body with blue hubs ?

I have two red examples, one with black and one with red ridged hubs. Both have the reinforcement for the Loudspeaker.

Three views from below: Without reinforcement, with reinforcement and the reinforcement in use by the Loudspeaker Van. The blue van has ridged hubs and lacks the reinforcement, so this example 1946-1947. And some more vans. Kind regards, Jan Werner

The blue van with white tyres at the top of this page has thin 1.63 mm. (SWG 16) axles. It is then 1945 or earlier.

That is remarkable indeed, Jacques, especially if this example might have been available in France in the early war months / years.

Jan, I doubt that this van was imported to France in 1940 or 41. At that time the Gerries were here already and there was no importation from Britain to France except some Singer Sten guns which by passed all border controls. It is more likely that some one brought it any time after the war not knowing how rare and interesting it is. The person who bought it last Sunday did not know either and certainly made a very good deal.

Then, despite the desinterest, the owner has taken good care for this model! Another 280 now, a recent discovery, an ultra rare De Bijenkorf Van, of which only a handful seem to have survived in my opinion. I hope to report some more about this little miracle soon, but any comment is quite welcome now already! Kind regards, Jan Werner

The numbering of this post-war van model is rather confusing. 280 was initiated when the 2nd type vans ran out of available numbers, having reached 28y (z was often used for some French models if Im not mistaken) with the Exide and Drydex Van. The trade boxes were marked 280 and the contents went on with 280a (Vyella), 280b (Lyons/Hartleys), etc. Pre-war type 3 models occurred as 280* only and this number is often referred to for the post-war issue. Example in the GBofDT, page 40: 28 (to 280) Delivery Van (Postwar) (no dates mentioned). On page 44: 280 (of 28) Delivery Van (Postwar), reissue 1945-51. The scarce contemporary post-war printed references, like the 1948 US catalogue mention 28 and so do the post-war trade boxes, as far as I know. The post-war no. 280/28 Delivery Van (3rd type) was issued in two colours, red and blue only, with smooth black hubs 1945/46 (Jacquess example as shown above), ridged satin black hubs without loudspeaker attachment base 1946/47, the same with loudspeaker attachment base 1948/50, and with coloured hubs 1950/51. It never had rounded axle ends, like the Loudspeaker Van, which had them from 1952 on. The rear axle is crimped inside and makes removal or normal replacement of the tyres not possible. Hence, these tyres may indicate the original tyre situation, if the front tyres might have been replaced. It is sometimes presumed that the filling in of the wheel covers over there was done in order to simplify the mounting of the rear axle. This van belongs to the simplest Dinky Toys indeed, cast in one piece and without base plate or any other additional features to the body. It never had an advertisement. Introduced in 1940, various colourful liveries with advertisements were available for a short period. Discontinued in 1941 and mostly horribly hit by fatigue, these initial issues are quite rare in decent condition. (The De Bijenkorf Van above, being a second type van can be doubted to be a 28 or 280, as it is an unnumbered promotional). A special issue was the army green version as produced for the South-African army. The prototype was probably a Bedford HC 5/6 cwt van, which was based on the Vauxhall Saloon H-type of 1937 compare the criss-cross-type radiator on the first pre-war edition of the no. 30d Vauxhall. The HC van was introduced in 1938 (but, contrary to the Dinky model, of course with headlamps!). Production was discontinued in September 1948. In the presently available October 2014 issue of Model Collector Jona Schellekens attributes the scale of 1:50 to this Bedford HC or Bedford JC van. Some more pictures: The first post war 280/28, smooth black hubs, this one in blue with probably original white tyres (1945/46). The second post-war issue, with ridged black hubs and not visible here without loudspeaker mounting facility (1946/47). The dating is confirmed by the apparent first owners note in pencil inside: 24/4/47. This one in blue. One of the very few advertisements of this van in the ca. 1948 USA catalogue, stating Dinky Toys No. 28 Delivery Van. The third post-war issue, with the ridged black hubs and loudspeaker mounting inside, which was no doubt added end 1947 / early 1948 when the no. 34c Loudspeaker Van came into production. The fourth issue, now finished with coloured hubs, a change which concerned the whole Dinky range in or shortly before 1950. The transfers Nestl on this example have been added later. My three Dinky vans which I could use for this piece. An inside look of the same trio, showing the change of the loudspeaker mounting inside the roof. The rare military production. Finally two versions of the 2nd type trade box, marked 28. As always: comments, corrections, additions welcome! Kind regards, Jan

Thanks Jan One of my favourites, Here's the Loudspeaker version.......

Chris Warr

This photograph appears on the website of the Liverpool Museum. It is a Bedford van belonging to Garlick, Burrell and Edwards who were dealers in Bedford and Scammell, they were vehicle suppliers to Meccano. Dave

Was there ever a 280 set of six different vans ? Any evidence ?

Hello Jacques, I have several Dinky catalogues and pricelists from Meccano Liverpool. Meccano catalogue 1939-1940 list: 280a Viyella van 280b Hartleys van 280c Shredded wheat van 280d Bisto van 280e Yorkshire Evening van 280f Mackintosh van, all at 6d. Set 280 is also offered at 3/-. Revised Pricelist 15 september 1939 list a set 280 at 3/6. So 6d more expensive, The advertising on the 280 vans is not mentioned anymore in the list for vans 28. Netherlands pre war catalogue 1939 does not list a set 280. To see the page of the 1939-40 catalogue go to the catalogues you can find at this site with a lot of pre war catalogues and lists from my collection. If I find a picture of a set 280 will let you know. John.