List of Spacex variations
Variations on Spacex vehicles fall into a number of categories as described below, the combination of which means that some vehicles (can) exist in quite some variety. The list only concerns Spacex Stage 1 vehicles, except the threesome of Pippin Spacex toys at the end.
Colour
Most noticeable is the complete colour change on a number of Spacex vehicles, which occurred in 1969, probably just before or coinciding with the US release of the range as Golden Astronaut toys (because so far no early colours have ever turned up in GA packs). I do have reason to believe that both colour schemes were produced side-by-side for quite some time, however.
A few particular vehicles also had a change in their yellow colour, where I wonder what may have prompted this.
Plastic in all colours also shows slight variations due to the differing mix of colour dyes in the basic plastic, as does the colour tinting on transparent parts. This is quite normal with cheap toys produced in their thousands, and so doesn't constitute a real (as in intentional) variation.
Colours appear in the list in chronological order, early colours being listed first.
Names
A number of Spacex vehicles were renamed for the US market, receiving different name stickers. Some of these (very) occasionally turn up in Spacex packaging as well, but whether that was a factory mixup or intentional I can't say (because surviving examples still on the card can be from any point in the Spacex production period, and so don't provide any clue to the production ratio of one variation over another). Fact is that some of the new names also were listed on Pippin Spacex card backs, so perhaps it was intentional but relatively few survive.
Markings
Spacex vehicles can be found with no markings, with just "Made in Hong Kong" or with an additional "Tri-Ang Spacex" trademark (a few toys have a number, but if they do they always seem to have it, regardless of other changes, so to me that's not a variation). Unlike the 1969 colour change, it would appear that trademarks were added to various vehicles at various points during Spacex production. It's also very possible that some vehicles never received the extra trademark, and this is another reason I'm starting this list, hoping somebody might have a trademarked version to add (and where I'd love to have a picture of same please? :)
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| Forklift variations in colour and markings |
The Nuclear Freighter initially came with tails as separate components, which were very fragile and often broke off (also inside the blister card or even before - I have one with no tails attached or loose on a completely sealed card...). Somewhere later in 1969 the moulds were changed to incorporate shorter tails in the top body section.
Pre-production colours
These appear in advertising and card-back photographs, and must be pre-production test versions (or possibly mould test shots) in provisional colours. Not one of these colours has ever been found on a production toy, so these don't feature in this list.
TRACTOR T-5 / TERRAIN TIGER
- Red with green details, T-5 name sticker, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- Yellow with purple details, T-5 name sticker, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
- Yellow with purple details, T-T name sticker, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
? Anybody have a red trademarked version?
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FORKLIFT 7 / LIFT LOADER
- Orange Forklift 7, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- Orange Forklift 7, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
- Blue Forklift 7, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- Blue Forklift 7, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
- Blue Lift Loader, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
* The fact that both colours exist with and without the trademark proves that the two colour variations were produced side-by-side for a period before and after the moulds were changed to include the trademark.
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HELICOPTER P3 / SECURITY PATROL 'COPTER
(always in purple, always marked NO. 3035)
- with P3 sticker, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- with P3 sticker, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
- with Security' Copter sticker, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
* the apostrophe is a typo, misplaced on the sticker - it should be -after- the space to denote the missing "heli" in "helicopter".
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HAWK
(always in orange)
- marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
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SUPPLY FORCE MERCURY
(always in red)
- marked "Made in Hong Kong"
? anybody have a trademarked version?
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RECONNAISSANCE 2
- Magenta pink, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- Purple, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
? anybody have a trademarked version in either colour?
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NEEDLE PROBE
(always in pink)
- marked "Made in Hong Kong" under wings
- marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark under wings
... and the other day I was surprised to get one in a more mauvish pink, with bright blue undercarriage, and marked "Made in HongKong" under the fuselage.
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PROSPECTOR / MOON EXPLORER
(always green with orange wheels, always marked NO. 3034)
- Prospector, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
- Moon Explorer, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
? anybody have a version without the trademark?
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EXPLORER MEV-2 / PROSPECTOR
(always in green)
- MEV-2, orange wheels, blue arm & antenna, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- MEV-2, yellow wheels, purple arm & antenna, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- Prospector, yellow wheels, purple arm & antenna, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- Prospector, transitional combination of yellow wheels with blue arm, suggesting the wheel colour was changed before the arm colour
? anybody have a trademarked version?
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MOBILE H.Q
- White over orange, blue dome and windows, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- White over orange, yellow dome and windows, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- Orange over white, blue dome and windows, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- Orange over white, yellow dome and windows, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
? anybody have a trademarked version?
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CRICKET P1
(always in purple)
- marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
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NOVA ROCKET
- Pink over green, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- Orange over purple, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
? anybody have a trademarked version?
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NUCLEAR FREIGHTER
- Green over bright yellow, separate yellow tails, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
- Bright yellow over green, separate green tails, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
- Green over orange-yellow, separate orange-yellow tails, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
- Orange-yellow over green, separate green tails,marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
- Green over orange-yellow, moulded-in tails, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
- Orange-yellow over green, moulded-in tails, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
* Because the Nuclear Freighter received its trademark before the body top mould was altered to include the tails, I don't expect to find a version with tails moulded in and no trademark.
? anybody have a version without the trademark?
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SPACE PATROL 1 / SPACE COMMAND SHIP
(always in orange)
- Space Patrol 1, light blue nacelles, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- Space Patrol 1, dark blue nacelles, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
- Space Command Ship, dark blue nacelles, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
... and the other day I was surprised to get one without screws holding it together, with bright blue undercarriage, and marked "Made in HongKong" under the rear of the fuselage.
? anybody have another combination?
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PLEASURE CRUISER
(Always marked NO.3038)
- Lemon-yellow, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
- Orange-yellow, markings unknown (it's MOC so I can't see underneath :)
- Peach-orange, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
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MOBILE LAUNCH PAD
- Cyan-blue platform, orange tower, dark orange crane, green rocket with red detail and "Interplanetary 1" name sticker, platform marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
- Greenish-blue platform, red tower, dark orange crane, white rocket with red detail and extra "USA" sticker below "Interplanetary 1" name sticker, platform marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
* I have so far not seen a white rocket in Spacex packaging, so I believe this (with its extra USA sticker) may have been exclusive to the Golden Astronaut series.
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MOON BASE HQ
(pods always in four colours, one each in yellow, orange, green, blue, always marked NO.3046)
- marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
- Furniture inside is usually white with a red stage, but I have seen it in red with a white stage as well.
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NUCLEAR PULSE
(always in orangey-yellow)
- marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
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The only Pippin Spacex toys to show variations are
- Rescue Craft 6, unmarked
- Rescue Craft 6, marked "Made in Hong Kong"
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- Molab, unmarked
- Molab, marked "Made in Hong Kong" plus trademark
- My two Molabs also each have a name sticker in a different typeface, one set in a light font, the other being more bold and condensed.
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- Lunar Orbiter has antennas that are chrome-plated, with or without blue varnish applied (the other shiny blue parts are also plated with blue varnish on top).
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Paul will be very happy to hear of anything not listed yet at paul.vreede@gmail.com
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