Corgi Batboat "C107" : 1967 - 1981

The Batboat was the first version or "tin fin" version (1967 - 1976). Although the Batboat was blue in real life, Corgi chose to mold their Batboat in black. This first version Batboat did feature a "flame" sticker on the side of the hull similar to the real Batboat. The rear deck and fin were covered with a tin lithograph which displayed the yellow and black bat logo and was roughly correct for the actual Batboat. Like the Batmobile of this era, the trailer had metal hubs and rubber tyres, although they were smaller than those of the Batmobile. The Batboat was held in place on the trailer by means of two "spring loaded" plastic "hooks" that grabbed two corresponding tabs on either side of the boat hull. All Batboat trailers were painted gold.

First Note About Batboats Sold Separately : The first version Batboats were sold with a little plastic "trailer coupling" that fit over the first version Batmobile's turbine exhaust (held by friction). This coupling provided a hook for pulling the trailer. Those trailer couplings are very rare these days. But at least the first version Batmobiles were able to pull around the Batboat and trailer.

Batboat 1967-76 Tin fin version, available in white, aqua, purple and light blue glass, beacon cage (early versions looked like a dark silver, later versions from 1970 it was gold). Came with a trailer with tyres (4 types) and Whizwheels, Batman and Robin included. Box was card which was predominantly blue and yellow with a pic of the Batboat in water on the front and back. Flame stickers on hull. Later box types had on ther inside flap "for spare tyres ask for ref no 1449". The first Batboat boxes had NO ref no. This again, was due to complaints about the tyres splitting. You'll notice the ref no is DIFFERENT from the GS3 box type 2, this is because when the boxset came out in 1970, the trailer was still the original, with it having different tyres. So that makes it POSSIBLE to date your Batboat by its trailer.

This changed as well on the Batboat box in 1973 when the boat changed its trailer tyres 1449.

So in regard to the ref numbers, in 1970 it first appeared on any box, 1456 (Dia : 16 mm for Batmobile) and 1457 (Dia : 14 mm) being first, and 1973 just for the boat trailer it changed to 1450 (1450 never write on boxes !!! / Dia : 15 mm) and 1449 (Dia : 15 mm), in 1975 it changed with news wide tyres 1456 and news hubs again.

First box types (1966-1970) had NO ref number on ther inside flap.

Second box types (1970-1972) had ref number on ther inside flap : "for spare tyres ask for ref no 1457".

Thrid box types (1973) had ref number on ther inside flap : "for spare tyres ask for ref no 1449".

Reference number 1450 & 1456 (Batmobile tyres from 1975) never appeared on any BatBoat boxes.

Also included in early versions was a plastic coupling, which you could attach to your Batmobile IF you had bought one WITHOUT a towhook.

You'll notice the ref no is DIFFERENT from the GS3 box type 2, this is because when the boxset came out in 1970, the trailer was still the original, with it having different tyres.

Boxes for the red tyred Batmobile and Batboat just had "For spare tyres ask for trailer no 1457" but it's a Trailer tyres and hubs 1450 inside !!!