Factory Errors

Greetings all! This 258 USA Police Car (actually a Cadillac) was received on 14 December 2014, just in time for Santa's delivery. On checking it, I discovered that someone was asleep the day it rolled down the production line at Binns Road. Although the left side (driver's side in the US) is as it should with the white paint covering part of the door with POLICE stencilled: Someone forgot about the right side (passenger's side) that it too needed to be done the same as the left front door: This is not the only example to have decals/transfers missing. A review of auction sites has shown this to be quite a common practice. Oh well, we are only human!! Kind regards Bruce (150) #583

I have a 199 Austin Mini Countryman with several errors. It has a Morris body which is finished in the pale blue normally found on Austins. In addition to this, the baseplate has one of its marking operations the wrong way round. The patent numbers on the outer edges of the base are stamped in the usual way, but the model name and number is upside down, so that the number now appears on the small hump behind the steering axle instead of being between the back wheels as it should be. I don't have a box, so can't identify its age, but the base is matt black, not shiny. Kevin.

Kevin - It would be great if you could attach an image of this unusual Austin/Morris. It sounds very similar to my 197 on the previous page. Kind regards Bruce (150) #585

Hi Bruce, I tried to post photos of this model, without success. A message came back that the images were too large: being a bit of a techno-dinosaur, I don't know how to resize them, but I'd be perfectly willing to email them to you for posting, Kevin.

Evening Kevin - you can reach me at landahoy1athotmaildotcom, and I can insert them so others can see your strange hybrid! ('Landahoy' then the numeral 1.) Kind regards Bruce (160) #587

Hi Bruce, Email on its way to you........... Kevin.

BinnerL13 wrote: 'I have a 199 Austin Mini Countryman with several errors. It has a Morris body which is finished in the pale blue normally found on Austins. In addition to this, the baseplate has one of its marking operations the wrong way round. The patent numbers on the outer edges of the base are stamped in the usual way, but the model name and number is upside down, so that the number now appears on the small hump behind the steering axle instead of being between the back wheels as it should be. I don't have a box, so can't identify its age, but the base is matt black, not shiny. Kevin.' Dinkinius wrote: 'Kevin - It would be great if you could attach an image of this unusual Austin/Morris. It sounds very similar to my 197 on the previous page. Kind regards Bruce (150) #585' BinnerL13 wrote: 'Hi Bruce, I tried to post photos of this model, without success. A message came back that the images were too large: being a bit of a techno-dinosaur, I don't know how to resize them, but I'd be perfectly willing to email them to you for posting, Kevin.' Greetings all As requested by Kevin, the following images are of his 199 Austin Se7en Countryman. I am also attaching another image of my 197 Morris Mini-Traveller that has a 199 Austin Se7en Countryman base plate, to enable readers to see exactly what Kevin has in his collection - a base plate that has been stamped incorrectly with the base plate itself having been affixed incorrectly. (Please refer to Kevin's remarks below - only the base plate has been stamped incorrectly!) With the image on the left, we have a fluorescent orange Austin and on the right, the Morris. Anyone have an Austin with an incorrect base plate? Kind regards Bruce (150) #588

Bruce, Thanks for posting the photos of my factory error Austin/Morris. I'd like to point out that the base IS fitted the correct way, it's the model description which has been stamped the wrong way around and now reads from the back of the car instead of the front, although the patent numbers have been stamped the correct way, as on your baseplate. By the way, is the front numberplate on your orange version missing, or just bent up? Kevin.

Kevin Glad of being some help. From England to Australia and back again, electronically! In the light of day - you are perfectly correct! The base plate has only been stamped the wrong way around! Interesting that the base plates went through one stamping process and then another. (I have inserted a comment in my Post above correcting my comments.) The orange version has no number plate. The base plate has been cut short as having the rivet so close to the front end, there is no need to have a number plate and most cars and some Supertoys (the Leylands for instance) that have a number plate involves the base plate end passing through an aperture and then bent that also serves as retainer instead of a rivet - cost-saving exercise? I recall reading something about this with the Morris/Austins somewhere! Kind regards Bruce (150) #591

Bruce, Some Minis are known without a front registration plate. Was this deliberate from Meccano or were they brocken ? I have not seen enough without number plate to say that the cutting tools had been modified. If this was the case, there may be an other reason than cost improvement for deleting the plate, this is because the plate had accessible sharp edges which could hurt the users. The 197 and 199 with front number plate and several other Dinky would not comply with todays safety standards. Jacques. (100)

Thanks Ron for bringing to our attention your unusual Humber Hawk. I always assumed that the plastic glazing for the 'windows, had a hole through which the protuberance from the ceiling was slotted, but checking my Humber there does appear to be some sort of 'spun over with the spigot. While scrolling through eBay last night, my first for going through all 10,637 entries (!!) I noticed quite a few auctions that drew my attention. One such auction was for a 176 Austin A105 shown in the images below. The front left wheel hub has been mounted incorrectly - the inner is on the outside. Nothing like a Friday afternoon effort, or first thing Monday morning! This is how the wheel should look like, mounted the correct way! (Although this does show yet another type of spun hub used which is different to the normal spun hub.) Kind regards Bruce (150) #691 4 July 2015

dinkycollect wrote: 'Bruce, Some Minis are known without a front registration plate. Was this deliberate from Meccano or were they brocken ? I have not seen enough without number plate to say that the cutting tools had been modified. If this was the case, there may be an other reason than cost improvement for deleting the plate, this is because the plate had accessible sharp edges which could hurt the users. The 197 and 199 with front number plate and several other Dinky would not comply with todays safety standards. Jacques. (100)' Jacques My apologies for having neglected to answer your above post going back six weeks! I have only had one mini pass through my hands with it being a 199 Austin Se7en Countryman in fluorescent pink. Unfortunately, I sold this one through auction in the UK several years ago. All I have are the following images to verify that the base plate had not been cut, but was totally original. Kind regards Bruce (150) #695 5 July 2015