Benbros Mighty Midgets
No.32 Compressor Wagon
Benbros continued the Mighty midget range with another model based on the AEC and Bedford cab & chassis castings to create No.32 Compressor Wagon.
The Compressor body was a one-piece casting rivetted onto the chassis with the radiator grille at the rear. The same body was used for both AEC and Bedford cabs.
Neither the AEC nor Bedford versions of No.32 Compressor Wagon had much variety and there were no structural changes. The AEC appeared at first in metallic brown (without trim) carrying a yellow compressor (with silver trim) but this was very soon replaced by an all-yellow model with silver trim on both cab and compressor.
The wheels were mostly unpainted metal on nail-head & crimped axles but one AEC variation had yellow painted metal wheels on round-head and crimped yellow painted axles.
The Bedfords were also yellow with silver trim and unpainted metal wheels on round-head & crimped axles but then, along with several other Mighty Midget models, a beige version was issued with red trim, or occaisionally silver trim, both variations having unpainted metal wheels. There was no upgrade to black plastic wheels.
One of the features of No.32 Compressor Wagon was the extensive use of trim on the engine parts and as this was applied by hand, wide variations occurred on its appearance. This was especially true of the yellow AEC versions
Quite which model Benbros had in mind when the Mighty Midget box for No.32 Compressor Wagon was designed is unclear because the picture shows a Foden cab on a four wheel vehicle which Benbros never actually made.
The yellow AEC models of the Compressor with unpainted wheels are not uncommon but other variations are scarce. The metallic brown/yellow AEC is probably the rarest.
AEC variation 1 : metallic brown with yellow compressor
AEC variation 2 : yellow
AEC variation 3: yellow, silver trim, yellow painted metal wheels
AEC : variations of silver trim on compressor
Benbros No.32 Compressor Wagon
Variations
All models had Mighty Midget boxes
AEC
(1) METALLIC BROWN cab & chassis, NO trim, umw, YELLOW compressor with SILVER trim
(2) YELLOW cab & chassis, SILVER trim, umw, YELLOW compressor with SILVER trim
(3) YELLOW cab & chassis, SILVER trim, PAINTED mw, YELLOW compressor with SILVER trim
BEDFORD
(1) YELLOW cab & chassis, SILVER trim, umw, YELLOW compressor with SILVER trim
(2) BEIGE cab & chassis, RED trim, umw, BEIGE compressor with RED trim
(3) BEIGE cab & chassis, SILVER trim, umw, BEIGE compressor with SILVER trim
Bedford variation 1 : yellow, silver trim
Bedford variation 2 : beige, red trim
Bedfords : silver and red trim