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 gloss or semi-matt 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, the first one being a switch to grey plastic wheels with a matt black for the base, and the second to black plastic wheels. There was no change to the body colour or trim.
Budgie used the Rover casting for a new model, the No.60 'Squad Car, and changed the base details to add the model name and number. 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.
Variation 1 : first issue in Esso Petrol Pump box with Tanker Coupon
Variation 1 : green, umw, semi-matt black type 1 base
MOBILE Vehicle Series box
No.19 Rover '105' Rovermatic
Model Variations
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(1) GREEN BLACK type 1 base unpainted metal wheels
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(2) GREEN BLACK type 1 base grey plastic wheels
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(3) GREEN BLACK type 1 base black plastic wheels
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(4) GREEN BLACK type 2 base black plastic wheels
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(5) METALLIC GOLD BLACK type 2 base black plastic wheels
Variation 2 : green, gpw, yellow Budgie Toys blister-pack
Variation 3 in yellow Budgie Toys blister-pack
Variation 4 : bpw and gloss-black type 2 base
MODERN Vehicle Series (type 1) box
Variation 5 : Metallic Gold, bpw, type 2 base
No.19 Rover '105'
Boxes and Packs
1957-59 Esso Petrol Pump Series boxes
1961-63 MOBILE Vehicle Series boxes
1961-64 Budgie Gift Sets No.8 and 12
1962-63 Yellow Budgie Toys blister-packs (Guiterman)
1963-66 MODERN Vehicle Series (type 1) boxes
1963-66 Blue Budgie blister-packs (Guiterman)
1964-70 World Toy House blister-packs (US)
1966-70 Blue Budgie blister-packs (Budgie Models)
1967-70 Budgie No.96b Service Set triple blister-packs
World Toy House blister-pack (US)
The real Rover 105 Rovermatic