Land-Rover Series 3 109 Station Wagon

Just because I am familiar with the succession of Land Rover utility vehicles (now sadly deceased) I cannot assume that everyone else is.

It all began in 1948 with the one we now know as a Series 1 - back then it was just a Land Rover. Series 1 Land Rovers are easy to identify because the sides are straight up and down, they do not have the horizontal waistline roll in the sides of the bodywork which continues the wing-line through. Series 1s were made until about 1960, they were in a range of different wheelbases: 80, 86, 88, 107 and 109 inches. In 1958 the Series 2 was introduced and gradually replaced the Series 1, these have the roll in the bodywork and still have the headlights in the radiator grille panel, the Series 2 was quickly updated and became the Series 2A visually they are almost identical. The wheelbase had settled down to 88 or 109 inch by now.

Series 3 Land Rovers came along in 1971 and are also 88 inch or 109 inch wheelbase, the most obvious difference from the Series 2 is that the headlamps were moved into the wings, although you have to watch it because the last Series 2A Land Rovers also had their lights moved into the wings, but these have a metal wire radiator grille, all the Series 3 Land Rovers have a Plastic Grille, you can also check the door hinges which are different, but nobody wants to do that. All of the 'Series' Land Rovers have leaf springs. The 90 and 110 (later Defenders) have coil springs and are more refined in every way than the Series trucks becoming more so until their demise in 2016. There still is a Land Rover Defender - but it is now a luxury 4x4, not a utility vehicle.

This is the Corgi Series 3 Land-Rover Station Wagon with opening rear door - they got the inside configuration a bit wrong having seats running all the way down the sides - how do you get in through the rear side doors? They have the interior meant for a long-wheelbase two-door hardtop in a station wagon body, otherwise very good.

The first release was, as is frequently the case, in a Gift Set (GS31) Safari Land Rover and Animal Trailer finished in zebra stripes. This model was introduced in April 1976 deleted in 1980, in July 1976 the Land Rover featured in the Tarzan Gift Set (GS36) which was withdrawn in 1978. I've not found one of these, they are in green & yellow zebra stripes.

The stand-alone Land Rover (421) was released in June 1977 and remained in the range until 1980, it has a roof rack and ladder. It is seen in plain orange and in red as a Forest Fire Warden car. The Fire Warden is the more valuable of the two.

In 1979 it is again paired with an animal trailer, a 4 wheeler this time, as part of the Pinder Jean Richard Circus series (GS30) It also has a clown figure, a polar bear and a gorilla. It was withdrawn in 1980

In August 1981 Corgi tried to add some excitement to their range and compete with electronic games, which were beginning to change the toy market, by adding a small number of diecasts with electronic features including a Police Land Rover (1005) which had working lights & siren. It remained in the range until the Mettoy bankruptcy in 1983.

In July 1982 another Corgitronics version appeared with a compressor trailer (1007), this time a little more successful, the engine covers on the trailer lift and you install a couple of batteries, when switched on you get the compressor engine noise, press the drill and you get the drilling noise  – fantastic, I love it. This set was was still in production at the time of the Corgi receivership. I've had a post-Mettoy version in Transco colours from 2002

The casting remained in the post Mettoy line-up for many years and is found in a wide range of finishes