27ac Tracteur Massey-Harris Manure Spreader (1950)

The rarest of the French gift sets? Rare it is anyway, because it was officially for sale in 1950 (from June) only, as the French catalogue of that year confirms. The models inside the box are 100% Made in England, but the display box is French. Red paper covers the natural cardboard underneath. The insert is yellow, with cutouts for the diecast wheels of tractor and trailer. An extra tiny round cutout is positioned exactly below the trailer's tie rod (for keeping this in place with a cord over there?). A yellow label is pasted on one short side, bearing the name of the contents. Its British counterpart is the more common no. 27ak, Farm Tractor & Hay Rake of 1953. Kind regards, Jan

Jan, this is a beautiful possession, such a special luxury French box. Congratulations on this.27AC is definitely a rare box. As you said yourself, the 1950 catalogue mentions 'disponible en Juin' (without a price indication), but 27AC also no longer appears in a subsequent catalogue, leaflet or price list. That's why it is also not possible to find the price for which this coffret was sold. 27AC was therefore only a one-year issue and is indeed the rarest box of the French 'Les Coffrets de Luxe'.Meccano Bobigny was of course dependent on the delivery of the British 27a and 27c by Meccano Liverpool for the issuance of this special 'hybrid' coffret 27AC. This delivery will probably also have to do with the duration of the issue.Coffret 25N appeared in the 1949 and 1950 catalogue. Coffret 25o was available from 1949 to 1954 with a Studebaker or a Ford Camion Laitier as content. These French red 'Les Coffrets de Luxe' are and remain very special for collectors. It is a pity that there is no image of the model on these Coffrets. That would greatly enhance the box, as is the case on the British Gift Sets.I am still happy with my 25o Studebakers Camion Laitier with 2 different 'Coffrets de Luxe', which are less rare, but absolutely very special.Kind Regards, Jan Oldenhuis

Thank you, Jan, for your comment. Your Studebakers are very desirable too. I am still looking for the same red Coffret de Luxe for the Chariot fourche Coventry Climax. Wouldn't the 600 f, in hand writing on the box label, be the correct indication of the official price of this 27ac? Looking at the other prices stated this seems plausible. Kind regards, Jan W

Jan, I totally overlooked that. You're right. This note '600 f' on the box must have been the French price. That is quite plausible given the other prices of the Coffrets in the photo of the 1950 catalogue you added. I am adding a French leaflet from September 1950 which includes 27ACKind regards, Jan O

Have not yet started on the French Dinkys and still away to go on the English but will look out for an example but not hopeful. Thank you for the detailed important information. David

Hi David, after over forty years of collecting Dinky Toys I seem to have arrived at rarities like this one. I was lucky enough that a vendor familiar to me offered it to me first, before listing it on eBay. I could not resist that fair offer .... Kind regards, Jan

Regarding the question of what the hole under the tractor and trailer coupling in the box is for, I found this photo in Vincent Espinasse's Auto Jaune Blog. In any case, it is a workable solution. Kind regards, Jan O.

Possible, Jan. However, not very friendly to the paint! Regards, Jan W

I couldn't pass up this special offer. This box is rarely offered for sale and I found it on Ebay France. The box was offered complete with tractor and manure spreader, but I do have the tractor and manure spreader myself and in a better condition.I negotiated with the seller outside of Ebay and was able to negotiate a price that was acceptable to me for the empty box, so that the seller could still sell the tractor and manure spreader.The box is in even better condition than I could see in the photos. It is even in perfect condition all around with very minimal damage as can be seen in the attached photos. A nice addition to my French collection, which I am very happy with.Jan Oldenhuis, 1 September 2022

Congratulations, Jan! I think I remember that one being offered on eBay, and being very expensive with a rather poor content. But the box is splendid indeed. Good deal! At least two examples in NL now. Kind regards, Jan W

Well done Jan O. A very nice rare box.