DINKY-TOYS GB #27D/340 LAND ROVER (Part 2)

The principal casting variants of the model concern the following parts : the front bumper, the windscreen, the bottom of the dashboard, the driving wheel and the driver itself, the front seats, the pulley, the hubs and the rear tow hook or more precisely the area around this tow hook.

Chronology of the variants

V00/V0 - This will describe the initial variant of the car. The principal charasteristic of this version are : flat windscreen (i.e. without the longitudinal curving of the vertical bars), mazac driver secured to its seat with a turned riveting,  big round section grey threaded tyres. I found on the models of my personal collection two different "under-versions" with the flat windscreen, the first (V00) with a 0,61mm thickness tinplate, the second (V0) with a 0,82mm thickness tinplate. See the fifth change on the main drawing in the first part of my review.

V1 - The first chronological variant visible on the model is the longitudinal curving of the three vertical pillars of the windscreen, to give them an additional strength. The thickness of the tinplate is around 0,82mm. I could not read exactly the date on the factory drawings picture, but this change is the fifth one. You can note that unlike the wooden prototype (having the windscreen in front of the carved base), the slot where the windscreen is inserted is behind the cast base. On this version, the mazac driver is always secured with a turned rivet. The front bumper silver paint covers also the bottom of the radiator.

On the left, flat tinplate windscreen (V0), on the right, the windscreen vertical bars are strengthened by a longitudinal curving (V1).

Picture of a dismounted windscreen allowing to see the fork to secure it to the front casting pillar.

V2 - The second chronological variant concerns the drivers riveting and the spraying mask for the front bumper. On the previous models, the spraying mask allows to paint the headlamps, the front bumper, as well as the bottom part of the grille (on the flat area under the grille). From this variant on, the driver is secured with a crossed riveting, and the mask is modified as the bottom part of the grille is no more painted.

Mask spraying change of front bumper between orange V1 version and green V2 version

Riveting change of the driver : turned on orange V1 version, then crossed on green V2 version

I thought at the beginning that this crossed riveting was done on the very first models, but the windscreen modification shows without doubt that this was false, as all the models with crossed riveting have curved vertical windscreen bars, and all the models with flat windscreen (i.e.previously produced) have their driver fixed with a turned rivet. As I stated on previous post, it must be noticed that the feet of the driver are cut off, in order to make the assembly easier.

V3 - This variant concerns the tyres. All the previous models are fitted with big grey tyres having a rounded section. From this on, the tyres fitted are grey, with a squared section, and a "M" on the side.

V4 - In this variant, the positionning lug in front of the rear hook is deleted, causing the hook on all the following models to be slightly mis-aligned, because of turning on its axle during the riveting.

Lug maintaining the rear hook on green V2 version, then deleted on orange V4 version. Note the slight mis-alignment of the hook after deletion of the lug.

V5 - The fifth variant is the return to the drivers riveting with a rounded tool instead of the crossed riveting.

V6 - This sixth variant, one of the more important and visible, concerns the hubs, that are made in plastic. Most of them are red, but some models have green ones or even yellow ones. As other models have received the same hubs in blue plastic (#424 ARTICULATED COMMER) or even black hubs (LAND ROVER TRAILER) some LAND ROVER could also have been fitted with them... Some remaining color variants to discover ! The very first LAND ROVER with plastic hubs remain with a riveted mazac driver.

V7 - This variant concerns the driver, now made of blue plastic instead of mazac. The first LAND ROVER with plastic driver have the unchanged seats casting of the previous versions, with a hole in the driver's seat where the bottom peg of the driver passes through. On this version, the driving wheel is still the big mazac one of the agricultural tractors.

Plastic driver with hole through the seat and big metal driving wheel (V7)

V8 - The main casting was then modified and the underside of the front seat was filled. The hole on the drivers seat no longer passes trough the casting. The underside of both seats are now filled flat to around 5mm of the underside of the shell. The driving wheel is replaced by a smaller one in soft black plastic, in order to make the removing and installation of the driver easier.

V9 - This variant is not so visible : the inner design of the lateral pulley, which was previous very detailed, showing a protruding crown with six bolts, is now partially filled and the end of the hole is now flat

Lateral pulley detailed on green model (V2) and partially filled on orange example (V9).

V10 - A little less silver detailing : only the bottom part of the front bumper receives now the silver paint.

V11 - Black tyres instead of grey ones, having the same design with a lateral "M". Grey tyres still appear on some models until the V15 version (included).

V12 - Very visible modification of the front of the car. The front bumper was previously held by two pillars near the grille and two little pillars at each extremity is now firmly secured to the front wings. One can wonder why this change has not been made previously, it could have prevent the break of a lot of bumper extremities due to an obvious fragility ! One must notice that only the gaps are filled, the shape of the initial pillars being still visible when looking the model from the underside. To be noticed also : this change is not mentioned on the factory drawing.

Model on the left has bumper fixed with 4 pillars, then secured to the front wings with gaps filled.

Another change also visible on the models from then on : the bottom central part form of the dashboard changes on the drivers side. The previous models have a square form, and the following ones show a protruding form between the central part and the gap for the legs of the driver, certainly due to a break of the die. The following pictures show the difference of the casting on models having a clear interior (not belonging to this variant). The corresponding uneven form is also visible between the driver and the lateral door.

V13 - Change of the place of the rear casting injectors, which were previously under the rear wings, and from then on on the rear bottom surface of the shell, one of each side of the towing hook. From this variant on and until the end of the production, the windshield is thinner having again a 0.63 mm thickness.

V14 - Two square blocks are added each side of the hook under the shell around the casting injectors. Those blocks have only one level.

Modifications of the rear injection points : under rear wings until V12, under the flat zone of the rear V13, on single steps square blocks V14​

Area of the hook details. On the left green model (V0) with lug in front of the hook. On the centre, orange modelwith blocks around the injection points (V14). On the right red model with double steps blocks and no more bridge around the hook (V15).

Details of the rear injection points : single step blocks (V14) then double steps blocks (V15)

V15 - Very important change all around the casting. The bridge around the rear hook is deleted. The rear lights are modified (lightly bigger) and the side pulley is completely filled. The blocks on each side of the tow hook have two steps, this modification seems to have been added to secure laterally the hook.

V16 - Last version, final simplification, the car is now painted entirely red, the inside being no more painted in a different color.

Changes on the rear (V15) : deletion of the bridge around the hook and lateral pulley completely filled and without details.

This is not a variant...

The "steps" visible on the front bumper are rather due to a die wear than a real variant. In fact you can see the same "steps" on the flat top of the wings, having exactly the same depth, denoting the die wear. The first models have flat bumper and the top of the wings is also flat.

Reported colors according to the casting variants

The casting variants listed in the following table are corresponding to the previous list. This table will be updated for the futures discoveries !

This table doesn't include the confidential version produced for the Ministery of Agricultural, painted dark green with silver highlights (cf blog de l'auto jaune). According to the pictures I could seen this must be a V2 variant (reinforced windscreen sides, driver secured with cross punched rivetting, grey tyres with round section)

Body color	Interior color	Hubs	On following variants	Remarks
Pale green	Beige	Pale green ridged	V0-V1
Burnt orange	Dark blue	Red ridged	V0-V1
Dark blue	Beige	Light blue ridged	V1	Rare
Brick red	Dark blue	Red ridged	V1	Rare (agric. set)
Light green	Beige	Pale green ridged	V2-V4
Orange	Dark green	Red ridged	V2-V5
Orange	Dark green	Red plastic	V6-V14
Orange	Dark green	Green plastic	V13-V14
Red	Ochre yellow	Red plastic	V15
Red	Ochre yellow	Yellow plastic	V15
Red	Rouge	Red plastic	V16

Table of known colors for Land Rover #27D-340

The boxes

As stated in previous posts, I am not a specialist for boxes, as I am of course firstly interested by their content.

The LAND ROVER was at the beginning packaged in grey then yellow cardboard retailer boxes containing 4 pieces each, bearing the 27D reference number, then in retailer boxes bearing both 27D and 340 references.

Individual boxes have therefore only been numbered 340. They have usually a round dot showing the model color (orange or green). At the end of production (for the red cars) the dot is uncolored.

What's remaining ?

Please let me know your remarks and keep me informed on possible unrecorded variants !

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Painting of the front bumper : including the bottom of the grille, bumper only, bottom of the bumper, version with reinforced bumper

Post initially published : jul 21st, 2018

Version française ici.