Budgie Diecast Miniatures No.19 Rover 105 vintage toy

Budgie Miniatures

No.19 Rover '105' Rovermatic

No.19 Rover '105' is perhaps the most common model in the Budgie Miniatures collection and mint examples are easily found. It started life in 1957 as Esso Series No.19 Rover '105' and continued in production very little changed until 1970.

No.19 Rover was a conventional body & base model made by Modern Products Ltd. based on the 1955 Rover '105' saloon. From the start it was coloured green with silver trim on grille, headlights and front and rear bumpers. The base was painted glossy black and had 'Rover 105 Rovermatic', 'No.19', and 'Made in England' underneath. 'Rovermatic' referred to the automatic transmission.

There were few changes to No.19 and all were minor. The first was a short switch from glossy black to matt or semi-matt black on the base. This was followed by the introduction of grey plastic wheels instead of metal.

In 1967 Budgie used the Rover model for a new version No.60 'Squad Car' and changed the base details. Later, when more models of the original No.19 were needed, Budgie changed the base again with 'Squad Car' blanked out and the number 19 on a raised circle. The colour of this No.19 type 2 base reverted to a gloss-black finish.

The final version of No.19 had a major change to the colour which altered from the usual green to metallic gold with silver trim on the front only. The black plastic wheels and glossy type 2 base remained the same. This gold version is very rare and enables No.19 Rover '105' to be both the rarest and, in the green version, the most common Budgie Miniature.

Apart from the Esso Series, the Rover was sold in a variety of boxes and packs. Budgie used both yellow and blue blister-packs, 'Mobile' Vehicle Series and 'Modern' (type 1) boxes. It was included in the Budgie Gift Sets Nos.8 and 12 and in 1967 it formed part of the triple blister-pack No.96B Service Set. In the United States it was also sold by World Toy House in 49cent blister-packs.