Like the Standard Vanguard, the Ford Consul and the Morris Cowley this car was superseded in 1957 by a face-lifted Mk2 model. It had slimmer window pillars and fully exposed rear wheels. The lead time to production on these models was not that long - why I wonder did Corgi choose to go with obsolete models when it would have been just as easy to use the latest model? But it was the best selling toy in the range for 1957...

Jaguar 2.4 Saloon, the original release of the Jag from the early days of Corgi. You can tell it is a 2.4 and not a 3.4 because the grille is smaller and the rear wheel spats are complete, on the 3.4 they were cut away to make room for the knock-on spinners on the wire wheels. It was released by Corgi in March 1957 and remained in the range until 1960 when it was given a make-over. It got seats and suspension and new primrose yellow paint. It was also re-numbered 208s. You will also see this casting used for a mechanical friction motor version of the car, this one is blue and also has no interior.

It was also used for a red Fire Chief car which is found both in the early no seats, no suspension version and the later 'S' version.The original release, plain 208 without the s, was officially only ever in white however I have heard of it with the metallic blue body from the mechanical version.

If you click on the first picture and then blow up the full size photo, then look at the front wheel, you can see a reflection of the camera and me behind it taking the picture, peeping through the aperture in the front of the photo booth. This is a very sharp picture!