A FEVER OF YELLOW SPECTRUM PATROL CARS

The subject of yellow Spectrum Patrol Cars [or Pursuit Cars if you prefer and SPC for short] surfaced recently, so, with the help of Captain Scarlet, I thought I'd do a quick round-up of the one's I could find online.

The most interesting for Dinky collectors must be the yellow experimental SPC reported on on the brilliant Dinky TV Space Specials blog. I'll let you look yourselves 'cos they have a really fine picture and description here.

There are some yellow Code 3 SPC's online too. Here's a nice one that was a restoration project on You Tube. It's been on the blog before here.

There's also this McDonalds Code 3 with red wheels on Flickr

Of interest to collectors of plastic SPC's will be the yellow magicar version, which appeared in this 1967  Pursuit 21st Century Driving boxed set by Rovex Tri-ang, one of three magicar sets they put out but the only one with the yellow SPC I think. 

The set was blogged last week but I couldn't find any images of the Rovex yellow SPC out of the box. Only the red one. Can you?

For an exotic finish here's the Argentinian contribution and probably the largest of the fleet I think, the Explorador Lunar by Gorgo.

Gorgo's SPC came in various colours including yellow, which we featured on Moonbase way back in 2011 in this Argentinian medley I did below.

So readers, do you like yellow SPC's?

For more SPC colours check out Terry Harle's marvellous Tornado 31 fleet on Moonbase [see labels below] and the blue Dinky SPC on Dinky TV Space Specials, a superb bit of research by that blogger.

Have you got an SPC? Which colour?

A SWIRL OF TORNADOS: THE KNOCKOFF SPECTRUM PATROL CAR 31

Captain Scarlet superfan Terry H has been collecting these unusual knockoff Spectrum Patrol Cars or SPC's for a number of years now.

They are called the Tornado 31.

We covered it back in 2016

http://projectswordtoys.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/8th-birthday-dossier-tornado-31.html

and fellow blogger Geoffrey Peters posted about it way back in 2011

http://geoffstoys.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/captain-scarlet-spectrum-patrol-car-spc.html

This year Terry managed to pick up a green one and add it to his red and white cars.

Its a handsome trio don't you agree?

Have you got any SPC's?

8TH BIRTHDAY DOSSIER: THE TORNADO 31 SPECTRUM PATROL CAR MYSTERY

Earlier this year I received a surprise package from my friend Paul Vreede. One of the toys it contained was a plastic Spectrum Patrol Car [SPC] I'd never seen before.

It was called the Tornado 31 along both its sides and had pull-back and go action.

Knowing how much of a fan of SPC's my friend Terry Harle was I sent it on to him as a gift.

Terry had seen a white one before but the origin of the Tornado 31 remained a mystery!

Beginning to look around I found this online picture of the same SPC on the really excellent Geoff's Toys Blog:

Geoff sggests that it may originate from Argentina but no maker's name was apparent. I was already aware of a company there called Gorgo that made SPC-style toys, pictured, but they are completely different to this new one.

Another possible lead was in Dennis Nicholson's Gerry Anderson Memorabilia book. 

He decsribes a certain "Alf Zero Toys SPC, ITC Mechanics Choro-Q versions. can be mototised via spring motor - pull back type. spc, spv, msv. all 60mm in length."

I can find only one reference to Alf Zero toys/ models online, on an Italian UFO site referring to an Angel Interceptor, 3rd from the bottom:

http://www.isoshado.org/6/6_merchandise_archivio/model_kit_miscella.htm

The interesting thing about this is that it has "30's" on the top left. On the mystery SPC is what looks like the number "31" on the sides. 

A possible link perhaps?

Terry's own extensive collection has since ruled out the Aleph Zero connection. It turned out to be this vac formed kit he has. They also produced a version of the Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle and Maximum Security Vehicle. 

These were all small vacuum formed compact deformed body shells that a Choro Q pull-back and go chassis could be fitted to.

.

At this point in the search both Terry and I agreed that the Argentinian connection was a good possibility although their items could sometimes be crude copies. The Tornado 31 is a well-made toy.

Terry recalled that in Dennis Nicholson's "Guide" there's also reference to a Tri-ang friction SPC, though neither of us have ever seen one. They also made the Pursuit Racing and Escape and Capture versions of the SPC, so could the Tornado 31 be Tri-ang too?

 If a friction SPC by them did exist we would expect it to be prominently branded with the Tri-ang logo. The Tornado 31 certainly isn't.

Terry acquired a further example of the Tornado 31 SPC, this time in white, although the birth of these toys still remains stubbornly obscure. 

Pictured are the red and white versions of Tornado 31 with kind permission from the owner Terry Harle.

Can anyone help with this birthday mystery readers?