OXFORD DIECAST
Oxford have released a red civilian version of their 1/43 scale Land Rover Lightweight with a khaki-coloured canvas back, rather than the hardtop, selling for £17.95 [1]. The registration OAD 962P dates it to 1975. There is a fine mesh grille incorporating the Land Rover badge, although the windscreen wipers are rather basically represented as silver painted lines. The Lightweight was introduced in 1968, based upon the Series 2, but with a shorter wheelbase, lighter aluminium body, reinforced chassis, increased ground clearance, a more powerful engine and 24-volt electrics. Previous issues of the model included those used by the Royal Navy, Army and RAF.
In 1/76 and living van, retailing at £33.95 . Fred owned several road rollers over the years, buying in 1968 for £350, and restoring her over the next few years. He used her to give demonstrations (or “demonster-ations” as he called them) of steam power and engineering up and down the country, and to help building roads and bridges. and Fred were made famous when they undertook a 200-mile journey from his home in Bolton to London in 1990, taking several weeks, which was televised by the BBC. Fred died in 2004, but the real is still giving demonster-ations at the Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre in Bolton.
