This is a beautiful set and all original apart from the box and brollies, although not many people will be able to tell the difference for those items either.
Firstly it has the normal issue of red Bentley - here with steel wheels for Steed and a white Lotus for Mrs Peel. Note that in this set a red Bentley should have steel or gold wheels, not red. Only the scarcer green Bentley would have red wheels. You will see many sets where someone has put a 9001, 9002 or 9004 issue in the set and changed the hood, which is quite easy with many reproduction parts available.
The Steed character is original. Most reproduction Steed characters look like Jeeves painted grey and are quite wrong. The Mrs Peel character is a reproduction.
Original brollies are very hard to find these days so I have added these reproductions which are quite good and the correct size and pattern. The box is simply superb, not over-bright like many, professionally produced and printed on the correct colour and weight of card with accurate cutting of folds and wheel spaces in the tray.
The Bentley has no flaws that I can detect on the black mudguards or red bodywork. The four main wheels are good and clean and the spare also. The original window, identifiable as it does not the two 'pips' where a full hood would rest on a 900 edition, is intact. The horn and emblem are also in place. Strangely, the handbrake is missing. I will supply an original component but I cannot quickly see how it might have come out so, on the same basis, I cannot see how to put it back either! To be honest, few people will notice its absence but it has meant I cannot ask as much as I would usually expect for this set.
The Lotus has a few very small chips but it is otherwise a good example. It even has some suspension, although these never had a lot. The windows are clean and clear, steering wheel in place and bonnet opens smoothly. The wheels are clean and bright and the tyres are original, now hard but not cracked so I have not replaced them.
If you would a nice Avengers Set at less than half the price of one in an original box then this is a good opportunity to fill that space or put one aside for the future.
I do also have original boxed sets available and one with the very rare Lotus with cast wheels. Contact me if these are of interest too.