Corgi Model Club 1:46 - Wall's Ice Cream Van on Ford Thames (with figures) - 447

Corgi 447, the first version of Corgi’s iconic Wall’s Ice Cream Van, was presented in a different box design to the later Corgi 474 and was notable for the two figures of an ice cream seller and a boy that accompanied it. Slots in the cardboard plinth that came in the box allowed the figures to be displayed next to the model to create a diorama. The figures were deleted from the later model for production cost reasons.

The question always asked about this model – and indeed, Corgi 474 – is why the steering wheel is on the left. This replicated the actual ice cream van, the left-hand drive position allowing the vehicle to be parked to the nearside (right), so that children could queue safely on the pavement for their Wall’s ice creams and ice lollies and not in the road!