Budgie Miniatures
No.27 Fire Chief Car
One of the most successful Budgie Miniatures was No.5 Police Car based on the Wolseley 6/80 vehicle, and in 1964 a new version was created with a different name and number, No.27 Fire Chief Car.
The body was the same casting as No.5 but this time it was painted red. Silver trim was added to the grille, headlights and rear bumper. The wheels were grey plastic.
The roof-top metal loudspeakers were retained and on the first issues these were trimmed with white paint. Later they reverted to silver-trimmed or unpainted.
No.27 also had a revised base. The casting included the original bell and front bumper but the lettering was altered to read 'Budgie Models', 'Fire Chief Car' (between raised 'brackets'), 'No.27' and 'Made in England'.
Before long the wheels were changed to black plastic and the loudspeakers to unpainted, and this variation is the most commonly found.
Although it first appeared in 1964, No.27 was not issued in the Modern Vehicle Series boxes but only in blue Budgie blister-packs and in the US in Toy House packs. The black-wheeled version was also included in two of Budgie's triple blister-packs, No.98B Utility Vehicle Set and No.99B Traffic Set.
Less common in the UK, No.27 Fire Chief Car is mostly found overseas especially in the US. The grey-wheeled variation with white speakers is rare.
No.27 Fire Chief Car
Model Variations
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(1) RED body silver trim WHITE or unpainted loudspeakers SILVER painted base GREY plastic wheels
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(2) RED body silver trim UNPAINTED loudspeakers SILVER painted base BLACK plastic wheels
Grey plastic & black plastic wheels, base lettering
Variation 2 : unpainted loudspeakers, bpw
No.27 Fire Chief Car : blue Budgie blister-packs
No.27 Fire Chief Car
Boxes and Packs
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1964-66 Blue Budgie blister-packs (Guiterman)
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1965-70 Toy House blister-packs (US)
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1966-70 Blue Budgie blister-packs (Budgie Models)
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1967-70 Budgie No.98B Utility Vehicle Set triple blister-packs
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1967-70 Budgie No.99B Traffic Set triple blister-packs
Variation 1 : white painted loudspeakers, gpw
White painted & unpainted loudspeakers
The real Wolseley 6/80
Budgie No.98B Utility Vehicle Set triple pack
Budgie No.99B Traffic Set triple pack
