Innehållsförteckning för September 2023 från Diecast Collector

NEW CHOPPER COMES IN TWO SIZES AFTER the popularity of its original MkI Chopper releases over the last couple of years, Toyway, through its parent company, Bachmann Europe, has now tooled up the modified MkII Chopper. The new 1/12 scale model has been manufactured in the two colours that the real thing has just been re-released in: Infra Red (shown here, with the Editor’s new full-sized version) or Ultra Violet. The brilliant, newly-tooled No TW41700 MkII features a diecast metal frame and chrome plated plastic parts with working steering and pedal/chain movement and PVC vinyl black tyres with detailed tread pattern. Each of the two colours has an RRP of £23.95. For more information and to order, contact your preferred Bachmann retailer, or visit https://news.bachmann.co.uk/2022/12/chopper-mk-ii-bicycle-rides-in/. There is a more-detailed review…

IN the early post-war years, when coachbuilders Park Royal Vehicles and Weymann were at full capacity and unable to fully meet London Transport’s enormous requirements for new RT buses, tenders to supply were sent to other manufacturers. Saunders Engineering of Anglesey and Cravens Railway Carriage & Wagon Co of Sheffield built 300 and 120 RTs respectively. Saunders RTs were similar to standard RTs in many respects, but Cravens RTs were quite different and many parts weren't interchangeable. Under its Exclusive First Editions brand, Bachmann Europe’s newly-tooled fleet of four 1/76 scale Craven RTs has been in the works for a while now, but the wait is nearly over for the following four livery releases: • E40301 – Cravens RT1406 London Transport (green & cream) Route 345 Kingswood• E40302 – Cravens RT1414…

LOOK Smart has confirmed the future release of models of all the Ferraris that raced at the recent Le Mans 24 Hours. Both of the prototype 499Ps (including the race winning #51, of course) will be released in both 1/18 and 1/43 scales. All seven of the 488 GTE Evo entries will be modelled in 1/43 scale, with #21 and #83 also to be released in 1/18 scale. For wholesale enquiries, contact John Ayrey’s (www.ayrey.co.uk), or contact your preferred retailer.…

To say OttOmobile’s SP2 is a significant release is an understatement. Whilst not totally unrepresented in toy and scale model terms, examples of the many and varied interesting products from Brazil’s automotive industry are still far too scarce. This, the first high quality model of a Brazilian Volkswagen in 1/18 scale, in scale model terms, is a watershed moment. AT THE HUB OF CHANGE It would take half a dozen pages to do full justice to the significance of the backstory behind OttOmobile’s SP2. Designed in-house at Volkswagen do Brasil and manufactured by Karmann-Ghia do Brasil SA, many air-cooled VW enthusiasts consider it to be the most beautiful and most desirable VW ever manufactured worldwide. Based on the interesting Brazilian variations of the typ.1 Karmann Ghia, with an engine from…

If you visit a WRC event nowadays, you’ll surely not want to miss what is referred to as the heart of the rally. The service park is where all the organisers are during the rally and where all the teams, big and small, have their service areas. In fact, teams are no longer allowed to service their rally cars outside the service park. All the regular maintenance that rally cars might need during the event happens here, as well as tyre changes and any repairs needed. Even if a car gets damaged on a special stage and urgently needs work to be done by the mechanics, it can only be performed inside the service park. The driver and co-driver, using the tools and spare parts on board the rally car…

The story begins in late 1944, when initial discussions got underway for the production of a piloted supersonic aircraft, capable of flying at 800 mph at 35,000ft for between two and five minutes. The Bell Aircraft Company was officially awarded the contract for three aircraft in March 1945 by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Flight Test Division and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). Originally designated XS-1 (XS stood for Experimental Supersonic), the aircraft would eventually be known as the X-1 – the first of a series of experimental ‘X-planes’. The design would break a lot of new ground as Bell’s engineers strove to achieve something that had never been achieved before – breaking the sound barrier during level flight. A turbojet engine was quickly dismissed as…

When the famous Dinky Toys factory on Binns Road in Liverpool finally closed its doors in November 1979, London-based Airfix Products Limited attempted to resurrect the brand name for a short period before it itself went bust in 1981. Dinky Toys survived in France thanks to the production of models made in Spain and, in 1980, an agreement was reached between the Airfix-run Dinky Toys operation and Solido to produce a series of miniatures. Announced in the Spring 1981 issue of Meccano Magazine, the article led with the claim that “Dinky Toys will go into 1981 with the largest new product release schedule ever undertaken by the company”. The models of particular interest here were described further as “a range of constant 1/43 scale models featuring popular European cars”. The…

When I sign off this issue in just a few days' time, on the 18th July 2023, it will be four days short of exactly 10 years since my journey officially began here. On 22nd July 2013, I was properly introduced to my team and sat down in the editorial chair for the first time. I did take a short sabbatical from the chair between January 2016 and September 2018 but, during that time, I was still writing articles and model reviews and was only missing for one issue. Returning to the hot seat for nearly the next five years (where has the time gone!), this has been the most fun I have ever had during my long working life. I hope you’ll forgive me for this short piece of…

By way of a postscript for the preceding pages, I felt it appropriate to use these pages to detail a fair few more of the incredible amount of variations of the No 38 Model ‘A’ Van. The total number runs into the hundreds, thanks to all the promotional versions that have been produced since the casting’s first appearance in 1982, so it would be impossible to detail them all here. According to the Matchbox Wiki Fandom page (matchbox.fandom.com/wiki/Model_A_Ford_Van), the casting carried on until 2007, when the last documented regular range version was released. In addition to all the promotional and regular range releases, Matchbox also made full use of the casting by manufacturing special-liveried versions and selling them in themed six-packs. I’ve acquired five of these over the decades, released…

FEATURING models exclusively-commissioned from NorthCord Model Company and Corgi Premiums, the Model Bus Creations line up for the latter part of 2023 has a really exciting look about it. August sees the arrival of the long-awaited return of the classic, one-door Scania Omnicity casting from Northcord. For the first time, it is being produced in an all-white finish, allowing collectors to create their own versions. This will be a limited run of 204, priced at £65.00 each. Further Northcord commissions include a pair of Enviro400 buses in Stagecoach liveries (£65.00 each) and another Enviro400 design in Go Ahead London Driver Training colours, again at £65.00. Another Scania Omnicity will be in Stagecoach all-over-red livery – details are yet to be announced for this one. The first of the Corgi Premiums releases,…

CORGI has confirmed to Professionalmania, the company that has commissioned an exclusive new model of Bodie’s Capri from the popular TV series, The Professionals, that it has been moved up the production line and should now arrive in the UK in August. The new model also has improved, clear plastic protective inner packaging, which is fully removable for display on the plinth in the box after arrival. In addition to the impending new arrival, Corgi has confirmed to the company that it has accepted its commission of a twin pack. More details about this soon. Scheduled for August arrival, numbers of the new Capri are limited – the previous Professionalmania commission sold out really quickly. To find out more, and to pre-order this magnificent model, drop Tony Buller an email…

With each month’s batch of releases, OttOmobile usually announces one rally-themed model, and one of the latest is a stunner, both in terms of visual impact and the amount of detail it carries. ESCORT COSWORTH GR.A - 1993 (OT994) Another, most welcome model of a popular British motor sport competitor from OttOmobile. Unmistakable in one of the most distinctive and eye catching liveries seen on the international rallying circuit in the early 1990s, Malcolm Wilson’s Ford Escort Corsworth Gr.A. is from the 1993 Network Q RAC Rally. There is just so much excellent detail, from the white wheel rims, right through to the caged and harnessed interior. Needless to say, you just can’t ignore this one thanks to its livery and that bank of rally lights. Surely a ‘must-have’ for…

Matchbox is not a brand generally associated with character toys, and particularly not superheroes, which tended to be the domain of Corgi and Ertl. The Lesney company was very reluctant to pay any form of royalties, and only in its final years did it produce some character toys aimed at the pre-school market, notably the Disney and Popeye ranges. Later owners of the Matchbox trademark, such as Universal Toys and Tyco, were more receptive to licensed characters, resulting in ranges based on properties such as Thunderbirds, Stingray, Code Red and the James Bond films. Tyco was acquired by Mattel in 1997, creating internal competition between Matchbox and Mattel’s Hot Wheels brand. Mattel favoured its own line, and Matchbox was repositioned as a brand of diecast cars aimed at pre-schoolers, with…

Following on from the Hallmark Road Rovers (August issue), we’re now going to look at a very similar series. The Funkymobiles were another range of cartoony, anthropomorphic toy vehicles, but made Berrie and Co, of Van Nuys, California in the mid-1970s. I can’t speak for Mr Berrie, but his company was a West Coast based importer of toys and collectible novelties. Most of its products were sourced in the Far East, and were usually sold in gift stores and card shops. The Wallace Berrie Company hit the big time when it obtained the exclusive license to market Smurfs in the USA. At the time, Smurfs were seen as fairly quaint, obscure, continental collectibles. But not long after, Smurf-mania hit America, with TV cartoons, films, songs and, of course, figurines. This…

The Austin A40 Devon was a classic British post-war family car, but it is significant that it first went on display in New York in September 1947 – an indication of the priority given to export in that era. In due course, the Devon became a familiar sight on UK roads too. By 1949, Meccano Limited was beginning to refresh the Dinky range with new post-war models and the Devon was an obvious subject, introduced as No 40d in January of that year and remaining in the range until 1960, after receiving a new and more colourful two-tone look in 1956. These models were examined in detail on Michael Driver’s page in the May 2023 issue. Dinky was not the only contemporary toymaker to model the Devon. There’s a Tri-ang…

FAIRS 10 AUGUST • Theydon Bois, Joe Lock, 07866 641215 12 AUGUST • Exeter Matford, Bulldog Fairs, 07379 578083 13 AUGUST • Worthing, SRP Toy Fairs, 07739 998012 20 AUGUST • Oxford, Richard Atkins Toy Fairs, 01869 347489 • Orpington, SRP Toy Fairs, 07739 998012 28 AUGUST • Houghton le Spring, Jim Corr, 07504 035955 29 AUGUST • Garstang, Kevin Wright 07908 494097 • Elsecar, Newcomen Toy Fairs 01226 744425 3 SEPTEMBER • Spalding, J & J Fairs, 01522 880383 • Malvern, Stu Vowles, 01373 452857 or 07917 125641 • Midhurst, SRP Toy Fairs, 07739 998012 10 SEPTEMBER • Orpington, SRP Toy Fairs, 07739 998012 • Walsall, Transtar Promotions, 01922 643385 AUCTIONS 1 AUGUST • Stockton-on-Tees, Vectis, 01642 750616 3 AUGUST • Online, Vectis, 01642 750616 5 AUGUST • Kings…

Following on from last month, another event at the Beaulieu National Motor Museum, with a strong scale model connotation, opens just a few days after this issue is published. Running from 7thAugust to 20th October “Icons of Motoring: Genevieve and the Spyker” reminded me of Reader’s Letters page contributions from Chris King, Patrick Hogan and Andrew Ralston last winter. The event celebrates the 70th anniversary of that wonderful British comedy film, Genevieve, by having both 1904 vintage stars from it on display in the museum ahead of their participation in the London to Brighton Veteran run in November. I am still amazed that we have had precious few models of both cars ever released - the legendary Darracq offering that was part of the earliest days of Airfix appearing in…

TO celebrate ten years of high-quality resincast model manufacture, Laudoracing has released a detailed book for collectors, with text in French, Italian and English. Are you curious to know how Laudoracing models was born? Do you think you know everything about all the models made over the last ten years? Do you want to be sure that nothing is missing from your collection? Then don't miss this new Laudoracing book: 240 pages with production data, more than 1,400 photographs of every model, colour and variant ever made, including the history and some curiosities about the real cars and their scale reproductions. All this is packed into a single bound volume, sized at 215mm x 215mm, and created exclusively to celebrate the company’s first ten years. Note that this is volume…

THE next model in the Corgi Model Club collection, which should have begun to arrive with early subscribers by the time that you read this, is No 358 HQ Staff Car. Based on Corgi’s popular and well-used Oldsmobile tooling, painted in olive drab and given US Army markings, with the addition of a driver and three passengers, this is another great replica and yet another fantastic Corgi that featured in the 1966 catalogue. The series of military vehicles didn't sell well at the time, despite in general being very popular in the 1960s and ‘70s. This is thought to be because of Corgi’s rather blatant reuse of existing tooling, combining largely British vehicles with incongruous US Army liveries. They're highly desirable today, of course, the lack of sales increasing their…

 7 BUMPER PAGES! PICK-UP A BARGAIN WITH SOLIDO’S EVOCATIVE CUSTOM 'ROOSTER SPEED' VW 1/18 scale SOLIDO 1968 Volkswagen T2 Pick-up Custom - green PRICE: £55.99 REF NO: S1809401 www.solido.com SOLIDO’S first version of the marvellous Volkswagen Pick-up arrived in the original 'Splitty' form, in late 2021. Initially available in two colourways, one with a 'tilt' rear cover, both versions were reviewed by Stephen Paul Hardy in the December 2021 issue and came in for plenty of (totally justified) praise. Given how popular these T1 releases proved to be for Solido, it was only going to be a matter of time before we saw the T2 'BayWindow' in large-scale diecast from the prolific French manufacturer. It comes in both the customised form you see here and also as a classic version, No…

In addition to OttOmobile’s regular release of a rally model each month, Solido has also evolved a similarly well-established back catalogue on the theme, which it frequently expands with new versions. 406 BTCC - 1996 (OT828) One of OttOmobile’s most recent releases is this dramatic green and gold Ultron-liveried Peugeot 406, as entered in the 1997 BTCC British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) by Motor Sport Developments (MSD). Carrying #12, it depicts the car driven by Tim Harvey to second place in the tense Thruxton leg of the championship that year. This model is surely yet another ‘must-have’ for British motorsport fans. The dual colour paint finish is excellent, the decals very well applied and the base model, with its full detailing really, bears close inspection. As ever, a photoshoot often…

In 1977, Dinky Toys brought out a really wonderful set that included four of its current range of diecast models and matched them with sections of cardboard roadway, very much in the style of the awesome Roadmaker sets that had been sold through newspaper advertisements a few years earlier (I remember these well and had one of the very first versions). The interlocking design was different to that of the Roadmaker version, but the Dinky set included plenty of sections to make a sizeable play area anyway. The sections made up roughly 20ft of cardboard roadway, complete with T-junctions, curves and a mini-roundabout. Also included were components that could be folded to support a flyover, for extra play value. Plus, there was a bumper set of twenty road signs too,…

1968 PART 1 Early in 1968, Corgi Toys introduced an exciting new gimmick on a few of its models, some new and some reworks of existing releases. The first of these was released in March but, before then, there were a couple of very interesting models that went on sale. No 109 Pennyburn Workmen’s Trailer was quite a small item, but it was a very good replication of the real thing, produced by Pennyburn of Londonderry. It was clearly going to work well with the many suitable towing vehicles that had already been produced too. The chassis was painted yellow, with a red plastic towhook, and the main trailer body was painted blue. Both sides of the lid were hinged and lifted to reveal a red inset, filled with chromed…

No. 38 Number 38 during the Lesney-era Superfast range comprises a Regular Wheels carryover (Honda Motorcycle with Trailer) a custom chopper motorcycle, a realistic military vehicle, a short-lived leisure wagon and finished with easily the most prolifically-produced Matchbox model ever. HONDA MOTORCYCLE WITH TRAILER Catalogue: 1970-72 Box Styles: G An incredibly popular release, considering it is a trailer. Along with No 9 Boat & Trailer, it was an excellent seller. Initially maintaining its regular wheels colours, the motorbike changed to purple for its final catalogue appearance in 1972. Also, like Boat & Trailer, it then had a very successful stint in the Two Packs, usually in orange and paired with a similarly-coloured Field Car, although the labels still had a yellow background. STINGEROO Range: Choppers  Catalogue: 1973-76  Box Styles: I…

In my younger days my visits to the cinema allowed me to see films that showed American cars and vehicles. These were somewhat different to those I saw on our streets and roads. My collection of toy cars by various makers, including Dinky Toys, did include American car models. The early Dinky Toys range had several American cars of the pre-war period and of course later more modern versions joined the series. As the years passed larger American car models arrived with extra detailing and features. The Dinky Toys Plymouth Stock Car arrived in 1979 and is featured in the Dinky Toys News (October Meccano Magazine). The model is in navy blue with the racing number 34 on the boot and doors plus 428 C.I, and GoodYear decals on the…

EMAIL YOUR LETTERS AND QUESTIONS TO CollectingEditorial@warnersgroup.co.uk OR WRITE TO US The Editor, Diecast Collector, Warners Group Publications plc, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH. IXO’S FIAT RITMO GLAZING PROBLEM I wonder if anybody else has bought the new 1/43 Ixo 1979 Fiat Ritmo Abarth Gr2? This is an excellent model, as there are very few models of the 105/125TC Abarth, so this fills an important gap in a Fiat collection. However, there are some annoying inaccuracies that I feel are unacceptable at this level. First of all, the model is labelled as a 1979 car, but the model is of a 105TC, which didn't come out until May 1981, and it wasn't badged as an Abarth, which this model is. The first Abarth badged Ritmo was the…

A few evenings ago, I was on the telephone to my old friend Roger. Having recently taken delivery of a Corgi Buick Riviera, found for me and beautifully restored in gold by Steve Flowers, I was asking Roger if I was right in remembering he had an identical model on the mantelpiece in his childhood bedroom, albeit sometime into his late teens. He struggled with this for half a minute then, using the "gold" as a stepping stone, confirmed that he once had (and possibly still has) a Studebaker Golden Hawk - the Dinky version. A few weeks back, he wouldn't have gone astray over my question. There would have been an instant "yes", coupled with where he bought it, or who gave it to him (perhaps his niece) and…