Benbros Mighty Midgets
Nos.43-48 Bedford Articulated Lorry Cabs
In 1957 Benbros added a range of Articulated Trucks to the Mighty Midget series forming numbers 43 to 48. All the models had interchangeable cab units based on Bedford 'S' type tractor vehicles.
The models were small scale and not unlike the early Lesney Bedfords (Matchbox No.27a) but can be told apart by the silver-trimmed fuel tank which the Benbros version did not have.
Hollow cast in one piece, the Bedford Cabs also had 'Benbros' inside the roof with 'Made in England' and 'Qualitoy' under the chassis. The axles were fitted directly to the body and all types were used, flat-head, round-head and one batch of nail-head & crimped.
To start with Benbros used unpainted metal wheels (umw) but these were later replaced by black plastic ones (bpw), some colours having both. The wheel type on the cab was always uniform with the wheels on the various trailer units of each model. There was also a very rare silver plastic wheel cab in pale blue which was issued with No.44 Low Loader and No.45 Timber Lorry.
The very first yellow and red Bedford Cabs issued with No.43 Articulated Box Van were painted all over including underneath and inside but Benbros quickly discontinued this and all later cabs had unpainted undersides. Apart from red trim applied to the dark-yellow version, all the Bedfords had silver trim added to grille, bumper and headlights.
Some articulated models such as No.46 Petrol Tanker were issued with just one cab colour but most had more than one. The cab/trailer colour combinations listed for each model are the most commonly found but with a wide range of colours available they were easily interchangeable..
Collecting Bedford cabs is interesting because of the range of colours, wheels and axle types. There is also the possibility of discovering a previously unknown combination.
Variation 1 : yellow with painted underside, umw
Benbros No.43-48 Bedford Cabs
Variations
(1) YELLOW, painted underside, silver trim, umw, r-h axles
(2) RED, painted underside, silver trim, umw, r-h axles
(3) PALE-BLUE, silver trim, umw, r-h axles
(4) ORANGE, silver trim, umw, r-h axles
(5) GREEN, silver trim, umw, r-h axles
(6) YELLOW, RED trim, umw, f-h axles
(7) RED, silver trim, umw, f-h axles
(8) PALE-BLUE, silver trim, silver plastic wheels
(9) PALE-BLUE, silver trim, bpw, f-h axles
(10) GREEN, silver trim, bpw, r-h axles
(11) BEIGE, silver trim, bpw, f-h/r-h axles
(12) DARK-RED, silver trim, bpw, f-h/r-h/n-h axles
(13) YELLOW, silver trim, bpw, r-h axles
(14) MID-BLUE, silver trim, bpw, f-h axles
(15) DARK-BLUE, silver trim, bpw, r-h axles
Axle types
f-h = flat-head r-h = round-head n-h = nail-head
Variation 2: red with painted underside (cab has some metal fatigue), umw
(4) orange, umw
(5) green, umw
(6) yellow, umw, red trim
(7) red, umw
(9) pale-blue, bpw
(10) green, bpw
(11) beige, bpw
(12) dark-red, bpw
(13) yellow, bpw
(14) mid-blue, bpw
(15) dark-blue, bpw
Bedford Cabs : painted/unpainted undersides, umw/bpw
round-head (l) & nail-head (r) axles