Fantastic early U.S. market matchbox speedtrack car 6v 'with stripes' white corvette.

It has the destinctive thin copper contacts which need lubrication constantly otherwise slit holes would appear within little use.

Early cars has a slightly lower chassis, it meant the chassis could not be interchanged with the later type without adjustments when fitting.

This early example has the really rare grey solid wheels

Also more common early cars had white solid wheels. Some had a distinctive larger rear wheels and what looked like low profile tyres, this look was amazing.  See other pictures

Later came the standard grey spoked wheels used throughout the range.  

RARITY

When it comes to the rare Powertrack Cars there are quite a few, owing to the nature of the toy and also circumstances beyond normal control. The list below is not complete but it indicates rarity factor:

6v Police Helicopter - US Race and Chase (Black and white copter with black blades, dummy car for track with rod arm)

6v Japanese Police Car - Black and white

12/18v Red Saab

12/18v Yellow VW

12/18v White Fiat

12/18v Red Corvette

6v or 12/18v Gold Ford Escort

6v Factory prototypes - see pictures (orange ford, light green TR7, plain white VW, Mk1 Red Porsche)

6v Red Ford Escort with black/red chequered roof

VALUES and WHY?

Values on the above cars have been rising steadily over the last 10 years. Some were recoded to sell at over £500, and some rarely come up for sale. 

The rarity of several 12/18v cars is alledged to be a factory fire at the DAPOL warehouse.....'In 1994, while the company was moving to its previous location at Llangollen in North Wales, a huge fire destroyed the old site at Winsford in Cheshire, and large quantities of products and historical Wrenn material were destroyed.'  Those 'products' may have included a vast storage of the above cars pre-distribution. It is beleived that only some stocks were released with these cars, in Powertrack Plus, PROOPS and Counterlane sets.

Other rarity like the police helicopter is down purely to how easily this copter could be destroyed as it swung out from the track. The prototype models will be rare as are unusual combinations of decals, painted rooves etc.

Please help me with more info on this so I can start a HISTORY Section.  Thank you