[REVIEW] Lesney Matchbox Cadillac Sixty Special (another one)

Lesney Matchbox time is here again, and time again for something some may remember. This is Matchbox 27c, the Cadillac Sixty Special. This casting entered the range in 1960, remaining until 1966, and is a shining example of a golden age for Lesney products:

I reviewed another example of this casting last year:

But in keeping with the recent/current theme, this is an unboxed example, and this one has a special quirk.

As described in the prior review, 27c is a casting of a 1958 model year Cadillac. No doubt made to appeal to the US market, this also hails from a time when the Matchbox line evolved into greater detail than 1950s era castings, this one having the then-new luxury of glazing. The late 50s and early 60s featured many rare castings and variants, and most models from this era are desirable, 27c included. This model features fine proportion and detailing, along with two-toning to add realism. I estimate scale to be around 1:70 - a little small, but the real world vehicle is anything but small, and this was made to fit in a box. From all angles, the quality is apparent:

Front and rear have similar quality, with the finely cast grille/emblem and rear bumper areas being nice touches, along with the tow hook for play value:

The base is basic, and contains identifying detail. From the base, one can also see the special feature of this particular example:

Here’s the fun feature. This is an error model, or as Matchbox collectors call it, a “negative variation”, specifically, “mixed wheels”.   This trait is of historical interest, as it shows silver and grey wheels coexisting.  Via this, I suspect this casting was made around 1963.  This example has three silver wheels, and one grey plastic wheel (right rear):

I am definitely happy to have this example in my collection. I have a few of these, one boxed, but this one being unboxed and mildly playworn is more than compensated for by the negative variation. It is also still a pretty and presentable model:

And a few pics of a lovely 1:1 from hemmings: