Innehållsförteckning för December 2024 från Diecast Collector

FOR the first time Hot Wheels and Formula 1® are partnering to bring fans a full range of Hot Wheels products. The new product line from the two iconic brands will feature F1® Teams and bring the thrill of F1 races to 1/64 scale to deliver a brand-new way for automotive enthusiasts to play and collect, allowing kids and adults to celebrate their passion for racing with Hot Wheels. The first product to drop is a one-of-a-kind diecast and is available now on the Mattel Creations website. The limited-edition Formula 1 car has a special Hot Wheels racing livery to celebrate the partnership, and includes bespoke Real Rider wheels with interchangeable tyres, full-metal body and chassis and new F1 casting. The Hot Wheels F1 diecast also features the number 68…

CELEBRATING THE RESTORATION OF THE VERY FIRST 917 BY THE PORSCHE MUSEUM When Porsche exploited the new rules designed to prevent out and out sports car prototypes, a true legend of road racing was created. To fully appreciate what Porsche did, we need to travel back to 1968 – the governing body, the Commission Sportive Internationale (CSI), wanted to encourage the use of the then current 3-litre Formula 1 engines in endurance racing, bringing variety and, hopefully, some prestigious names with it. The Ford GT40 and the beautiful Ferrari 330P4s had seemingly had their day, especially as the Italian marquee had withdrawn from endurance racing for 1968. Aware that it would probably be a year or two before these new rules would entice sufficient interest, the CSI announced an interim…

Anyone who was a teenager in the 1980s and had more than a passing interest in Motorsport, will never forget the white and dayglow orange single seaters that dominated Formula 1, particularly between 1984 and 1991. In eight seasons, McLaren led Formula 1 like no other team had done before, conquering no less than six constructor’s world championships and seven driver’s titles. In one of the seasons, 1988 to be more precise, McLaren won every race in the calendar except one that went to Ferrari. This gives the measure of the supremacy that McLaren exhibited in Formula 1, starting in the second half of the 1980s. The team not only had the best cars, the best engines, the best drivers, but also the best logistics, the best strategy and the…

Sixty years ago in 1964, Fun Ho! Midget diecast toys went on sale in New Zealand shops. They are now good memories from the bad old days of the country’s restricted toy imports. A toy fair organiser told me recently that he remembers when a shop in the town where he lives received only one shipment of Match box Toys from Britain per year. It is diecast collecting history in New Zealand that people once queued for Matchbox Toys, and were then restricted with the number they could buy. Underwood Engineering in Inglewood, makers of the Fun Ho! brand, negotiated with Streamlux, an Australian company, to purchase small scale model vehicle dies it no longer used. The moulds found new life casting the original nine zinc Midgets. Some painted Streamlux…

The year 1977 was a very special one, as it marked HM The Queen’s Silver Jubilee. Corgi, of course, stepped up to the challenge, with a pair of commemorative models, but there was so much more that was new for the year too. Corgi started the year with a trio of commercial releases, two of which had first seen the light of day as Gift Set 34, released in September the previous year. Now available individually as No.55 David Brown 1412Tractor and No.56TipperTrailer, they retained the same colours as the gift set releases. The third model this month was No.1156Volvo BM 860 S, a 1/48 scale concrete mixer, a great model of the real thing that could be frequently seen during the motorway construction programme and construction sites at the…

FAIRS 2 NOVEMBER • Musselburgh, Jim Corr, 07504 035955 3 NOVEMBER • Stonehouse, Steve Clements, 01380 725322/07732 330305 • Midhurst, SRP Toy Fairs, 07739 998012/07498 912091 9 NOVEMBER • Oxford, Richard Atkins, 01869 347489 10 NOVEMBER • Poole, Steve Clements, 01380 725322/07732 330305 • Rayleigh, SRP Toy Fairs, 07739 998012/07498 912091 • Walsall Wood, Transtar Promotions, 01922 643385 • St Ives (Cambs), J & J Fairs, 01522 880383 12 NOVEMBER • Hook, Steve Clements, 01380 725322/07732 330305 17 NOVEMBER • Malvern, Bulldog Fairs, 07379 578083 • Rainton, Jim Corr, 07504 035955 • Spalding, J & J Fairs, 01522 880383 • Potters Bar, Joe Lock, 07866 641215 • Worthing, SRP Toy Fairs, 07739 998012/07498 912091 23 NOVEMBER • Exeter, Bulldog Fairs, 07379 578083 24 NOVEMBER • Tenterden, SRP Toy Fairs, 07739…

DURING the Isle of Wight Bus Museum’s ‘Wightrider’ event in Ryde, Bachmann Europe Plc unveiled six new 1/76 scale Bedford OB coaches as part of its growing EFE Road range of diecast collectables. The new models continue the legacy of the popular Exclusive First Editions (EFE) models of the Bedford OB, but now feature wing mirrors for the first time. Each is finished in a highly detailed livery that represents its full-size counterpart during its working career, or in preservation where appropriate. Bedford introduced the OB in 1939 as a replacement for its earlier WLB type. It featured a 28hp engine with a four-speed manual gearbox, a fully floating rear axle, and vacuum servo-assisted hydraulic brakes. The top speed was in the region of 40mph. Seventy-three OBs, most of which…

POCHER, a manufacturer of high-quality model cars, has launched its unique holiday escape to Le Mans, dubbed the“Pocher Pitstop”. The trip will allow people to take a step back from their busy lives and focus their mind on building the new and iconic Porsche 917 in an inspirational setting with no distractions. The Pocher Pitstop holiday has been launched to celebrate the brand’s latest masterpiece, the Porsche 917 Gulf Edition ⅛ scale, an iconic model which pays homage to the legendary racing car of the 1970s. It also gives both motorsports and modelling fans the chance to embark on an unforgettable trip to Le Mans. The Porsche 917 was driven by racing icons like Derek Bell, Jo Siffert, Gijs van Leenep and Helmut Marko, cementing its place in the history…

There is no doubt that the growth in the 1/64 scale diecast market seems to have been exponential in the past six months (Into Summer, June 2024 issue). So much so that the word on the street talks of Chinese factories abandoning 1/18 in favour of 1/64 diecast. Meanwhile there seems to have been no let up either over the autumn in new releases in most other scales. So, first up a pair of 1/18 resin bound releases from Ottomobile. Both are distinctly French home market versions of the cars they model. Having taken Solido’s lead, both OttOmobile and GT Spirit, also moved their manufacturing base from China to Bangladesh a while back. RENAULT 5 GTL (5 DOORS) - 1984 (RED, OT1147) A superb replica in all respects of the…

Some recent eBay discoveries re-ignited a theme which has intrigued me for some time. The topic is the market testing by partwork collections of sample models which do not proceed further and therefore do not receive full release as intended. These scenarios are enacted behind the scenes, so I can only guess at the processes involved, but now with four examples to discuss and some online clues to fill information gaps, an overview of how this tends to happen can be assembled. No doubt individual cases have their own particular elements, but in general terms my impression is that a partwork chain such as Atlas Editions will invite a modelmaker to tender a sample for a new range, which is then test-marketed to existing subscribers in a small batch to…

Today, there is nothing unusual about finding a model of an Italian sports car made in China. Virtually everything currently on the market, from a budget Hot Wheels or Bburago up to an expensive resin handbuilt model, comes from that part of the world. It was in the mid-eighties that Chinese diecasting began to take off in a big way, with Hong Kong-based toymakers transferring their manufacturing facilities to Guang Dong Province to benefit from lower costs. In due course the established European brands, unable to compete, subcontracted manufacture to China as well. By the 21st century, the industry had matured to such an extent that indigenous brands had become market leaders and some even bought over the European brands. Thus, for example, the May Cheong Group (makers of Maisto)…

According to what I’ve dug up, Jada Diecast was founded by Jack and May Li back in 1999 and the pair’s initial foray into the world of diecast models took the form of a 1/24 scale 1953 Chevrolet tow truck, which was one of the models in the company’s Thunder Crusher range. After serving a market demand for customised vehicles, as well as spin-offs from sci-fi films and television series, Jada branched out into other lines, including playsets, radio-controlled cars and even air guitars…! If you want to collect Jada, then many media transport favourites are out there: Batman and his Batmobile, the Ghostbusters’ Ecto-1, Knightrider, Fast ‘n’ Furious cars, Bugs Bunny (apparently the rabbit drove a Chevrolet Corvette)… Scales vary: 1/32, 1/24 and 1/18 are perhaps the most common…

Will Roe’s collection of Irish diecasts, all related to the food and drink industries, holds a special place in his heart. As a long-standing member of the Coventry Diecast Model Club, the honorary editor of the club’s newsletter (Wheelspin) and a former President and Vice President, it’s not surprising that Will, of Exhall near Coventry, has a wide and eclectic collection of diecast models – around 1,500 in total. His Irish food and drink section, a part of his Mini Mobileum, came about because his wife of 45 years, Carmel, was born in Dublin, and they have enjoyed many wonderful family holidays over in the Emerald Isles. Naturally, many of these models bring back happy memories. Some models relate to places they have visited, such as Bewley’s Café in Dublin.…

French aircraft of the 1950s Remembering CIJ, who made aircraft to 1/300 scale. ON SALE 3 DECEMBER …or download the digital edition 7 days earlier! JANUARY '25 Issue 327 PLUS… ■ Hot Wheel 1967 Lotus 49 ■ The new Corgi Batmobile reviewed ■ Models 'Little and Large' ■ A-Z of diecast collecting ■ Auction results ■ All the latest news ■ Extensive selection of new model releases ■ And much more… Please note: These planned editorial contents may be subject to change where necessary.…

Every year me and my fellow Lamley Group writers talk about how good the hobby is getting, specifically in the world of 1/64 scale. There’s just so much going on. Hot Wheels and Matchbox continue to bring unique and interesting vehicles to the pegs and Mini GT, Tomica, Tarmac, Pop Race et al are doing wonders at the more premium end of the market. And that’s without mentioning the influx of brands coming in from China who may have some licensing issues but are no doubt creating very cool diecast. But we all know that there are many stones left unturned, many real world cars that haven’t yet been replicated in 1:64 no matter how significant they are. And I’m sure Diecast Collector readers loyal to the 1/64 and“3 inch”…

Being born in 1977, the toy cars of choice for me were Corgi and Matchbox in both larger 1/36 scale and smaller 1-75/Junior scales. I don’t recall how I acquired a slightly tatty, but complete, Dinky Police Range Rover; but I do remember being really in awe of the full range of opening features it had. Of course the Dinky version wasn’t the first or only toy representation of the early 2 door Range Rover produced during the 1970s after the introduction of the real thing in 1970. But it was the first one I had so it seemed fitting that I used this casting, albeit in the rarer yellow release, for this month’s Then and Now. Paired with it could have been the exquisite, but expensive, Bahama Gold 1/43…

Some of the most charming Dinky Toys produced must be the pre-War commercial delivery vans, the ‘28 series’. These vans came in three different types. The firs, t and earliest, being made of lead, the Types 2 and 3 are diecast. Genuine examples of Type 3 pre-War delivery vans are very rare. Much rarer in fact than Type 2 vans and possibly even Type 1’s. Frustratingly, more and more ‘deep fakes’ have been appearing on the market. The reason Type 3 fakes are so common is that the casting for the Type 3 delivery van was used after World War Two and renumbered No.280, a play worn model can often be found at any good toy fair for a few pounds. Now, before we carry on, let’s be absolutely clear…

FORD ZODIAC Production: 1970-72 Catalogue: 1970-72 Box Styles: F, G This popular model of the Zodiac looks superb with its new wheels, initially appearing in Superfast guise with its metallic light blue regular wheels colour. This would soon give way to metallic green, in various shades of course, and eventually lime green when the wider wheels arrived and the casting had been modified to accommodate them. A very hard model to find in its early colour, and interestingly its last too, most still around today are found in the metallic green shades with narrow wheels. TANZARA Production: 1972-75 Catalogue: 1973-75 Box Styles: I Tanzara was loosely based on a terrific-looking concept car from 1969, the British Motor Corporation’s Zanda. The Zanda was a rear-engined, two-door sports car designed by Harris…

Over the years when you visited a railway station there would be an area for a goods depot. It would be hive of activity and no doubt some mechanical horses would be present. They were there for deliveries and the advantage was that the trailers could be uncoupled ready for loading while the ‘horse’ unit could take another trailer for the deliveries. This type of scene could be incorporated into a Hornby Dublo layout using the Dinky Toys Models. The first DinkyToys Mechanical Horse (No.33a) started deliveries in June 1935 complete with a trailer as seen in the Meccano Magazine that month. The model came in green, red, yellow or blue and were in trade boxes of six models with packing pieces. In the same year sets of the Mechanical…

JohnVerrin This is just a 3rd of my collection, which currently resides in the Cloverlands Toy Car Museum in Llanfair Caereinion, Powys. I've had a passion (my patient loving wife Georgina calls it an obsession) for model/toy cars most of my life. It all started when I decided to get most, if not all the cars, vans, trucks etc from my childhood. Then, continuing from there, purchasing models of real cars I liked but couldn't afford in a million years. Even now, as the great Graham Hamilton (Rockertron Toys) says "It’s like a drug, you just can't help yourself". I'm still purchasing model/toy cars EVERY week! Nigel Smith I have always been a Corgi vehicle collector and their quality has been the main reason for it. 1/50 scale trucks are…