I recently purchased a 4613, the version with two Porsches (red and beige) and two Beetles (green and white). Lokmuseum says it is the 1978-88 version.

Unlike the earlier versions with spring clips and autos that could be removed (and lost), mine has a very tight connection between the autos and an L-shaped flange that runs between the tires. They seem to be permanently affixed. Additionally, the upper deck doesn't want to detach with a moderate amount of force. I'm not interested in removing them, just curious about the difference.

My question: did Marklin make these connections very tight or even permanent (because too many of the autos were getting misplaced), or did a previous owner do me a favor and guarantee that everything is still there after 30+ years?