Vintage Benbros Qualitoys Articulated Removal Van diecast toy

Benbros Qualitoys

Articulated Removal Van

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The Removal Van or Lorry was probably the last Timpo re-issue which Benbros added to the Qualitoys range. There was no change to the casting but Benbros issued it in a few new colours.

The cab was a simple one-piece hollow casting to which the axles were directly fitted. At the back was a central bullet-shaped knob for the coupling to the trailer. There was no id. on the cab. The wheels were painted metal (probably later coloured plastic) with black treaded tyres.

The solidly cast trailer was hollow without a base and had no rear doors although one of the illustrations on the box showed two opening doors. There was no id.on the trailer. The single axle ran through holes inside the two mudguards. Inside at the front was a cylindrical tube which dropped over the coupling knob on the cab. The weight of the trailer was more than sufficiant to hold it in place. The wheels were similar to those on the cab.

Benbros chose red as the primary colour for the cab and green for the trailer and the wheels were either green or blue. Silver trim was added to the cab grille, headlights and bumper. Later these colours were reversed with a green cab and red trailer. The trailer was also issued in cream and orange in the combinations in the table below.

The first green trailer seems to have appeared without decals but as Timpo had done with their models, Benbros added various decals to the Removal Van. Early decals were 'Lyons Tea' or 'United Dairies' (which Timpo had also used) and these were attached to both sides of the trailer. Later a 'Bishop & Sons Depository Ltd' decal was used on a red or orange trailer.

The Articulated Removal Van had two multi-model boxes, the first being a full picture box (pictured here) covering ex-Timpo items with detailed background illustrations around the different models. The name of the model inside the box was printed on one end-flap.

Later a bright yellow box was issued covering more models including the Sunderland trucks and Royal Mail Land Rover. Although not pictured on the box, it is known that the Removals Van was issued in this second type of box. (An example can be seen on Qualitoys Petrol Tanker page).

On the box illustrations Benbros called the model 'Articulator Removal Van' but the end-flap stamp said 'Articulator Removal Lorry'. It is not a common model and some variations are very rare. The most frequently found is the 'United Dairies' one.