Matchbox/Lesney 50a; Commer Pickup Mk VIII

A lot of my cars came from jumble sales. I didn't get enough pocket money to buy new ones, I hardly ever went near shops and my parents didn't buy that many, so jumble sales were a good source. Our school had a jumble sale every year and the toy stall was always really good. It was a privilege of being a boy in the top year Juniors that you got to man (or boy) the toy stall, how I envied them all through the school until it got to be my turn.

Many years before that though I remember seeing one of these on the stall. It was bright and shiny, like new, in its original fawn. I liked it because it was the pick-up version of my favourite great aunt's Hillman Minx, and it was the same colour. In the way that boys do though it was thought old fashioned by the big boys on the stall because it was an old model and had no seats or suspension. This would be about 1964. It was priced I remember at one penny. It had '1d' in black felt pen on the bonnet and I bought it.

I didn't play with it much because I couldn't get the '1d' off it. Some years later I wiped it with solvent and off it came. Then it got painted red, had some bits glued in the back from an Airfix fire engine and became with the Husky VW Pickup part of the fire brigade for my train layout.

Matchbox introduced this model of the Hillman Minx-based Commer pickup in 1958, it was originally in shades of tan ranging from pale beige to light brown. Later releases were two-tone red and white and later to red and grey. Wheels can be metal, gray, silver or black plastic. Some of these are very hard to find and consequently worth quite a bit of cash. Best values are red and white followed by red and grey, tan versions with silver wheels are also highly prized. The lowest prices are for tan pickups with grey plastic or metal wheels - although these are still fairly pricey.

Matchbox/Lesney 50a; Commer Pickup Mk VIII	Matchbox/Lesney 50a; Commer Pickup Mk VIII; Light Brown, Metal Wheels	Matchbox/Lesney 50a; Commer Pickup Mk VIII; Light Brown, Grey Plastic Wheels

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Last Edit: 12/06/2024		Page Added 28/02/2021