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 a few changes to No.19, the first one being a switch to grey plastic wheels with matt black for the base, and the second to black plastic wheels with a more glossy base. There was no change to the green body colour or silver trim until the final variation.
During the life of No.19, Budgie made use of the Rover casting for a another model, the No.60 'Squad Car, and changed the base details to add the different name and number. Interestingly, when more models of No.19 were needed, Budgie had to change the base again to blank-out 'Squad Car' and restore the number 19 which they did by putting it on a raised circle. The colour of this No.19 type 2 base was a gloss-black finish.
The final variation of No.19 had a major change to the colour which altered from the usual green to a bright metallic gold with silver trim on the front only. The black plastic wheels and glossy No.19 type 2 base remained the same. This gold version is very rare and enables the Rover '105' to be both the rarest and, in the green version, the most common Budgie Miniature.
Apart from the Esso Series, No.19 Rover '105' 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 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