Benbros TV Series & Mighty Midgets
No.16b Station Wagon

With the creation of the Mighty Midget collection, Benbros introduced two American car models, No.16b Station Wagon and No.18 Hudson Tourer.
Why the Station Wagon was given number 16 is not known but it seems Benbros decided that No.16a Express Locomotive would not upgrade into the Mighty Midget range so the Station Wagon joined as a new number 16 (now known as 16b). It was 61mm long, only just able to fit into a Mighty Midget box.
Modelled on the Chevrolet Nomad, the Station Wagon was not a brilliant representation of the real car and the size of wheels was sometimes too small, but it proved a popular toy. The body was a one-piece casting fitted onto an unpainted base. Initially, Benbros used a clip-fit assembly (up to variation 4) but later turned to rivetting the body and base together and this was used for the remaining models.
To give it play value, Benbros painted the Station Wagon in a range of different combinations of colours and wheel types, totalling 19 at the latest count! The first batch were metallic blue, pale-blue, pale-green and various shades of red. Silver trim was added to the front grille, headlights, rear lights and side flashes. Small unpainted metal wheels, slightly treaded, were used on these early models on nail-head and crimped axles.
The push-fit bases had open-ended bumpers at both front and rear but they were prone to breaking so when Benbros switched to type 2 rivetted bases, they also strengthened the bumpers.
Red models continued with the type 2 base but new colours followed, blue, orange-red and mid-green, all with silver flash trim. These had larger unpainted metal wheels more in scale with the model and some would say the best diecast wheels which Benbros used. Also, flat-head & crimped axles started to replace the nail-head type.
The next version had silver plastic wheels, the first time Benbros used them. The model was coloured dark-red and had no silver flash. Later this colour model was fitted with black plastic wheels.
Another interesting feature of the Station Wagons was the use of grey plastic wheels. They were rarely used by Benbros, in fact only one other model has been found with them, No.49 Coca-Cola Lorry , These wheels were identical in size and mould to the silver and black plastic versions.
Two Station Wagons were fitted with grey plastic wheels, the first a mid-blue model with silver flash and trim, and an unpainted base (variation 11), and the second, a chrome model with red roof, red flashes and headlights, and with an unpainted base (variation 19).
Towards the end of the Station Wagon's production Benbros issued a range of brightly coloured models in a chrome-plated finish with red or blue roof and side flashes, red trim (front & rear lights), and a coloured base which could be either red, blue, dark-green, orange or unpainted. Most of the coloured bases had matching painted metal wheels but some had black plastic wheels and the green base seems to have only had black plastic. Unpainted metal and grey plastic wheels were also used.
With such a range of choices, the Station Wagon is interesting to collect and there is always the chance of discovering a variation not previously known. It was a popular toy so it is not hard to find but some variations are rare or very rare.

Variation 1 : Metallic blue, small umw
Benbros No.16b Station Wagon
Variations (revised)
All models had Mighty Midget boxes
(1) METALLIC BLUE, SILVER flash, unpainted Type 1 base, small umw
(2) PALE BLUE, SILVER flash, unpainted Type 1 base, small umw
(3) PALE GREEN, SILVER flash, unpainted Type 1 base, small umw
(4) RED, SILVER flash, unpainted Type 1 base, small umw
(5) RED, SILVER flash, unpainted Type 2 base, large umw
(6) BLUE, SILVER flash, unpainted Type 2 base, large umw
(7) ORANGE-RED, SILVER flash, unpainted Type 2 base, large umw
(8) MID-GREEN, SILVER flash, unpainted Type 2 base, large umw
(9) DARK RED, NO flash, unpainted Type 2 base, spw
(10) DARK RED, NO flash, unpainted Type 2 base, bpw
(11) MID-BLUE, SILVER flash, unpainted Type 2 base, gpw (push-fit)
(12) CHROME, BLUE flash & roof, RED Type 2 base, RED pmw
(13) CHROME, RED flash & roof, RED Type 2 base, RED pmw
(14) CHROME, RED flash & roof, ORANGE Type 2 base, ORANGE pmw
(15) CHROME, RED flash & roof, BLUE Type 2 base, BLUE pmw
(16) CHROME, RED flash & roof, GREEN Type 2 base, bpw
(17) CHROME, RED flash & roof, unpainted Type 2 base,bpw
(18) CHROME, RED flash & roof, unpainted Type 2 base, umw
(19) CHROME, RED flash & roof, unpainted Type 2 base, gpw (push-fit)

Variation 3 : pale green, small umw

Variation 4 : red, type 1 base, small umw

Variation 6 : blue

Variation 7 : orange-red


Variation 8 : mid-green

Variation 9 : dark-red with spw

Variation 10 : dark-red with bpw



Variation 11: Mid-blue, grey pw on push-fit axles

Variation 12: chrome, blue roof & flash, red base & pmw


Variation 14 : chrome, red roof, orange base, orange pmw

Variation 15 : chrome, red roof, blue base & pmw

Variation 16 : chrome, red roof, green base, bpw

Variation 17: chrome, red roof, unpainted base, bpw

Variation 18: chrome, red roof, unpainted base, umw


Variation 19: chrome, red roof, unpainted base, grey plastic wheels (push-fit)

Variations of body colours

Variations of rear trim and bases

Type 1 base & small umw (front), type 2 base & large umw (rear)

Coloured bases : Dark-green & bpw,
Blue & pmw

Base and wheel variations
