263 Superior Criterion Ambulance (1962-68)

Browsing through my image files I came across some older photos of the no. 263 Superior Criterion Ambulance, an over 50 years old Sint Nicolaas present. From a former colleague I got his ambulance some years ago, which was so well played-with, that it was virtually only suitable for satisfying my curiosity to the inside construction of this Dinky Toy. Although this model is beyond my present collecting time slot, the Superior Criterion has always remained one of my firm favourites, with all the (incidentally very successful) features, the realistic recessed contours for the doors, the sheer impressive uncommon design etc. I remembervividly when having completed my home work I tended to make a little bicycle tour along some toy shop windows in Haarlem (NL), one of them having it newly on display. Altogether I must have been staring there for a very long time. I got it as a present at last, in December. Although we played with it often and intensively, the condition of both the model and its box is very reasonable still. Added finally a nice Hausemann & Htte flyer in Dutch, advertising the ambulance in a spectacular way. Just a little type-set error below left: Alleervertegenwoodiger(exclusive agent) should read: Alleenvertegenwoordiger. Kind regards, Jan

Jan----Since this is also well beyond my Dinky collecting time frame, I have never seen one in person, but it certainly displays very well & must have been quite impressive when introduced. It also serves as a graphic reminder just how much Dinky Toys had evolved and changed in a few short years.Best regards, Terry

Greetings Jan and Terry, I too did not collect this model - until one day in 2004, I saw that an auction company in the UK was auctioning a 263 Superior Criterion Ambulance with a yellow interior but no box. I checked Ramsay's and it only mentioned a pale blue interior, so, throwing caution to the wind. I faxed my bid and ended up being the highest bidder. It joined my collection on 7 April 2004. Several months later I managed to procure a box through eBay and it arrived on 29 June 2004. This then whetted my appetite for the 263 and I went in search of the usual interior colour, a sort of duck-egg blue, and this one turned up at my home address several months later on 23 September 2004. As this one also needed a box, so dependable eBay came back on the scene, and a box was duly procured: My appetite was well and truly whetted with the 263, when a little over twelve months later in 2006, what did I find, but a dark turquoise interior 263, so this one joined the other two on 14 September 2006. Now this was starting to become very serious! I now had three 263 Superior Criterion Ambulances, with only one appearing in the then current Ramsay's catalogue. Where was this taking me? I had genuinely thought I had reached the sum total, after all, this model was not really my 'cup of tea' as it was well outside my 'zone of interest'. But then another model this time with a red interior turned up, and I just had to have it! So, lodged my bid, and it arrived in my post office box on 3 May 2007. This then brought the total to four 263 Superior Criterion Ambulances, all with different coloured interiors surely that would be the sum total, but no, one more was found and it joined my collection on 30 May 2007, a very uncommon version with white interior. Not only was it an uncommon interior colour, but the factory missed out applying the red side flash on both sides. Several months later I wrote to John Ramsay advising of these multitude of interior colours, and these appeared in the 12th edition of his catalogue bearing his name. Well, there we have it in a nutshell, or rather 'dinkyshell', the humble 263 Superior Criterion Ambulance with its FIVE interior colours. I have not bothered seeking out if there are any others, as I felt I had reached my limit and I would leave the chase or hunt, to others! There they all are - a classic collection of one Dinky Toys model! Now to end this, I humbly submit an English version of the leaflet submitted by Jan. I will include a nother copy of this image uploaded in the usual manner to allow the image to be enlarged. When I started buying this model, I had no idea where it was going to take me. I must confess I miss the excitement of the chase, and often wonder if there are in fact other coloured interiors out there just waiting to be discovered! Kind regards Bruce (150) 10161910/1020/2315

Bruce, knowing about your special interest in this wonderful model I knew we would not have to wait in vain for your contribution! Before you showed your interior variants for the first time I did not realize that they existed at all. Now you added your personal story behind it, those unique facts and events on the background that make a collection more than just an addition sum of separate items. Thank you and kind regards, Jan

Bruce---Another wonderful collecting story, and like so many, it started off so innocently.....with one early example. The plethora of interior colors opens up a whole new world of collector opportunities, and now we need to know if there were others! Very nicely done and thanks for sharing your thrill of the 'chase'. Best regards, Terry

Thanks Jan and Terry for your kind words. Jan - it was interesting to say the least that you were expecting me to Post something on the Superior Criterion Ambulance! It seems I did not disappoint you!! Terry - Yes it started purely by accident and sort of got out of control! But I am glad I did as the chase has broadened the subject of Dinky Toys a wee bit. I have realised that I should have posted an image of the version with the red interior taken of the other end flap, as it shows the price of 7/11 which was the price for the 263 between January 1964 until at least August 1965 and possibly as late as July 1966. Prior to January 1964 the price was 8/6 starting from the month the model was released in September 1962. I think this model would probably take the record for the number of different coloured interiors used during its life-span of six years, almost one colour per year! Kind regards Bruce (150) 2016212110/1021/0118

Dinkinius glad to see you have only found the same 5 interior colours as I posted on the Forum a while back, and now in The Journal Oct 16. Are there more I wonder??

Greetings Townie54. haven't heard from you for over a year since we discussed the Museum in the old Texas Book Depository in Dallas. On reading your Post above I went scurrying around and found our discussion on the 263 Superior Criterion Ambulance, and in particular my Post dated 20 June 2015 when I first posted the photograph of my five 263 Superior Criterion Ambulances with their five different interiors. This was in the 'Happy Collecting Milestones' topic. (When I posted the photo of my five 263 models recently I had a feeling that I had posted the photograph previously, but could not remember where!) But I have yet to find your Post when you included a photograph of your five 263 Superior Criterion Ambulances with their different interiors. I have not as yet received my copy of the October 2016 issue of The Journal. I look forward to seeing the photograph of your five interiors. I too have wondered if there are further different coloured interiors for the 263 just waiting to be discovered! At the time, we also discussed the four 449 Chevrolet El Camino Pick-up trucks with their different interiors, images of these in my collection I posted in the same Topic as above. Kind regards Bruce H. (150) 20161109/1037/2024

Hi Bruce,I've only two interiors on the El Camino, so glad to see if you repost your four! Got a couple of interiors on the Fairlane police and the Cadillac 62 but guess there could be more?

Hi Bruce and all, I have just received a Dinky 263 Superior Criterion Ambulance with box. It is pretty standard with pale blue interior, except it has standard sized spun hubs instead of the smaller ones. I have a red interior one already but someone has evacuated all the personel - no driver, assistant or patient! Also a 'standard' one with pale blue interior and small hubs and am on the trail of a yellow interior job. Ron F

Hi Ron, congratulations with this nice new addition, one of my post-1959 favourites. Remarkable indeed, those 'regular' hubs and tyres on your model. They make the difference for me because I have always appreciated those new, correct, finely treaded tyres so much, being much more realistic (and to scale) than those earlier regular 'heavy duty' treaded tyres, especially when applied to 1/48 scale cars like the Americans of the later 1950s. The Jaguar Mark X is such a nice exception too, with the well-chosen, correct 1/48 finely treaded tyres. However, a remarkable find for you to see the unusual wheels and tyres! When I got the Superior Criterion Ambulance, in 1962, I accepted the model as received. It was much later, comparing mine with other examples, that I noticed the very faint colour strip. Yours - and virtually all other examples - show the firmly red applied strip. My red strip has not suffered from wear or rubbing, it is as it was in 1962. So it is factory made. I am still surprised with the wonderful condition of model and box, because we played a lot with it. Still, a collision on the carpet must have caused a firm dent in the front bumper, on the left corner. Kind regards, Jan

Hello Ron, An other previously unlisted variation. Great find. Congratulations. Jacques.