Innehållsförteckning för April 2025 från Diecast Collector

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EFE Road has announced the first five of its long-awaited new 1/76 scale Leyland Atlantean ‘Sea Dog’ open top double decker buses as part of Bachmann Europe Plc’s Spring 2025 British Railway Announcements. The full-size‘Sea Dogs’ were built for the well-known operator, Devon General, which had begun running regular open top bus tours of theTorbay area in the summer of 1955. However, in 1961 Devon General introduced a fleet of nine specially built Leyland Atlanteans with Metro-Cammell bodies, each seating 75 passengers. Each was named after an historical naval or maritime figure, which quickly earned them the nickname‘Sea Dogs’. In their distinctive cream and red livery, they became a familiar sight on the 12A-12D routes servingTorquay, Paignton, Brixham, Babbacombe and Kingswear, and carried generations of holidaymakers for the next 20…

WE EXPECT YOU TO BUY, MR BOND! MINI GT’S FIRST 007 RELEASES HAVE ARRIVED… Announced in time for the 2024 Nuremberg Toy Fair, the first releases of MINI GT’s superb 007 Collection have now arrived. Starting with the iconic Aston Martin DB5 (nothing else could really have been considered for the first releases), the initial releases come as a pair, sold individually. MGT00900-007E is a model of the most famous of movie car’s first appearance in the film franchise, in Goldfinger (1964). MGT00901-007E represents the car’s second starring role the following year, in Thunderball (1965). The version from Goldfinger has the car’s special ‘Q’ features deployed, but the Thunderball version is a ‘clean’ DB5 with none of them activated. The DB5 really needs little introduction as the most iconic of…

There are moments in this hobby when something comes totally, and unexpectedly, out of left field. A case in point is Czech company Fox18’s first attempt in the 1/64 market with their new Fox64 line. Fox18 have been offering their services creating unique diecast in large scale for some time, but the release of two sets of Škoda 130s recently was a rather bold move. Since the disappearance of the High Speed/Grell line of diecast models in the 2000s, scarcely any vintage cars from the Eastern side of the BerlinWall have appeared in scales smaller than 1/43. Welly have a few castings (including Škodas) and both they and Majorette have added the Dacia 1300 to their lines in recent years. But it remains a rather niche area, and especially one…

The previous Then and Now article (Diecast Collector, February) detailed two very similar models and the closest in age seen so far in this series. This month’s is hopefully going to challenge even further as we are focussing on a trio of models aimed squarely at the collector’s market. The idea for the first Land Rover was conceived in 1947 during the aftermath ofWorldWar II. It was intended to be in production for only two or three years to gain some cash flow and export orders for the Rover Company. The trouble was, once production of Rover’s more luxury cars restarted, the Land Rover easily outsold all car production. The Land Rover started as a single model with an 80-inch wheelbase, and this was a basic vehicle; even the tops…

The second half of 1979 continued on from the first six months of the year with no less than 10 comic book, TV & Film-related releases out of a total of 14. By and large, they proved to be pretty popular and this was very much helping the company during a tricky period of vastly-reduced profits due mainly to investments in other areas. Corgi kicked off the second half of the year with four new releases during July, three of which fell into the aforementioned lot of comic book character-related items. No.263 Captain America Jetmobile was simply a repaint of No.169 Starfighter Jet Car, released in February 1973. Now painted white, with a black rubber nose and red plastic wheels, it was adorned with patriotic red, white and blue stickers…

Dinky Jeeps Growing up after the war, a number of ex-military vehicles were often seen on the roads. These always proved to be more interesting compared with the other vehicles around. At the time a boy living nearby had a pedal jeep which I envied – it was interesting to pedal along the pavements, but alas I never had one of my own. The nearest jeeps for me were military ones by Minic or DinkyToys with mine being light blue. The actual DinkyToys Jeep arrived in April 1946 with the number 153a and was in military green with white star transfers on the bonnet and rear sides. The drawings for the Jeep are dated October 1945 so production was underway very quickly. This was one of the first new DinkyToys…

FOLLOWING its 60th anniversary milestone, Majorette is taking its diecast car collection up a gear for fans in 2025. This month sees the release of a new limited edition Graffiti lineup, a Black Edition Gift Pack, and the electrifying Rimac Nevera Gift Pack. Available in a 5-piece gift box (RRP £15.99) or as single cars (RRP £2.99), the limited edition Graffiti vehicles will make a fun and vibrant addition to any collection. From the neon yellow Nissan Z with its blue rims to the souped-up Renault Megane R.S, Majorette fans will want to get their hands on these 1/64 scale cars before it’s too late. And who wouldn’t want to see the new Black Edition 2.0 gift pack (RRP £15.99) zoom into their collection? Including a Toyota GR Supra 3.0,…

MATRIX has announced two new 1/43 scale models set for release in the second quarter of 2025. The first is the Triumph TR6 Shooting Brake, a rare estate-style conversion of the classic British sports car. Available in blue (MX41902-021), red (MX41902-022), and yellow (MX41902-023), these models replicate unique one-off versions. Although Triumph never officially produced aTR6 estate, photographic evidence confirms their existence, including a blue example created by German owner Bernd Amling. The second release is the 1964 Lotus Elan 26R Le Mans Coupe, Ian Walker Racing edition. It will be available in three versions: gold No. 62 (MXR41209-011), driven by Jackie Stewart to a class win at the Prix de Paris; gold No. 128 (MXR41209-012), which crashed in practice at the Nürburgring 1000km; and a green model (MXR41209-013) with…

The modern start to the story happened at the end of mid November last year when an eagle eyed member of the FrenchVW Coccinelle JEANS Facebook Group, Alexandre Achard, spotted a new 1/18 diecast release on Solido’s stand at Le salon Epoqu’Auto, Lyon. When posted on Facebook his photo of the exhibited model sent ripples of intrigue, consternation and clamour through the French Jeans Beetle fraternity and prompted an unraveling of a story that lasted into the NewYear 2025. As for the historic start to the story let’s keep the plot simple and non-technical (and non-geeky I hope Stephen! - Ed) with the start of the original Jeans Beetle story back in the halcyon days of the mid-seventies… THE “ORIGINAL JEANS” BEETLE Well, actually, there ended up a lot of…

First of all I must point out that although I love all things diecast and Fiat, I'm certainly no fan of EVs at all. However as I mentioned in my letter in Diecast Collector in response to Stephen Paul Hardy’s Signing Off article on collecting EV models (Diecast Collector, August 2023), I've realised that I seem to have unintentionally accumulated a small collection of Fiat EVs without realising it and I just thought I'd share them with you. Mention electric cars and most people will immediately think ofTesla or theToyota Prius, certainly not Fiat yet few realise that the very first mass produced electric car from a major motor manufacturer was in fact a Fiat Panda way back in 1990. Built by Austrian partners Steyr-Puch who also put the Panda…

LAND ROVER FIRE TRUCK Production: 1970 Catalogue: never appeared as a Superfast Box Styles: G An incredibly hard to find former regular wheels Superfast is the Land Rover Fire Truck. It was so short-lived that it never even made it into the catalogue as a Superfast, being replaced in the 1970 range presented in the catalogue prior to it being printed - it was only in production for a few months. Other than the new style wheels, there were no other really notable changes for the most mysterious of models apart from some very minor tweaks to the labels. Expect to pay a small fortune for a mint model in a similar condition box. ECCLES CARAVAN Production: 1970-73 Catalogue: 1970-73 Box Styles: G Eccles Caravan is based on a real…

Pay just £41.99 for 12 issues Saving 30%* when you subscribe yearly! Why subscribe… ■ Features from the world of vintage, nostalgic toys and models ■ Handy tips and price guides featured every month ■ The latest releases from all the major manufacturers ■ Get inspired with the latest auction, toyfairs and events £320K WORTH OF Diecast, Railways, Tinplate, TV & Film, and online sale results! Vulcan Models 0 Gauge0-6-0 tank Loco BR lined Black Terrier No.32644. FREE GIFT! Get a copy of the Toy Collectors Price Guide 2025* HOW TO ORDER YOURS… Simply scan the QR code seen here, visit https://ccofgb.uk/CollectorsGazette or call our team on 01778 392006 and quote GAZ/2025. *T&Cs apply. Free gift available while stocks last. Rate applies only when you subscribe to 12 issues of…

MATRIX is set to release a 1/43 scale model of the 1938 Aston Martin 15-98 2-4 Seater, expected in early 2025. This classic car, originally unveiled at the 1937 Earls Court Motor Show and built by Abbey Coachworks, was powered by a 1950cc OHC 4-cylinder engine, with only 50 units produced. The model will be available in grey (MX40108-171), red (MX40108-172), and black (MX40108-173). Pricing details have yet to be confirmed, but you can secure yours through Spa Croft Models (www.spacroftmodels.co.uk) or your preferred retailer.…

POCHER has unveiled the Porsche 917KH – 1971 Le Mans Winner – MARTINI® Edition, a stunning ⅛ scale diecast metal model kit that allows collectors and motorsport enthusiasts to recreate one of the most iconic race cars in history. With over 316 detailed parts, over 200 screws and more than 30 hours of build time, this officially licensed complete model kit offers a true-to-life replica of the Porsche 917KH that triumphed at the 1971 Le Mans 24 Hours. The Porsche 917KH is renowned for its groundbreaking aerodynamic design and exceptional performance on the track. Powered by a flat-12 engine, the 917KH was a force to be reckoned with, particularly during the 1971 Le Mans race, driven by Gijs van Lennep and Helmut Marko where it secured Porsche’s second overall victory…

MAY 2025 Issue 331 Remembering quintessentially English luxury cars of the 1960s Rover 3-Litre and 3.5-Litre, which ooze an aura of traditional craftsmanship and grandeur ON SALE 1 APRIL …or download the digital edition 7 days earlier! PLUS… ■ USAF Thunderbird ■ The Autocult Masterpieces range ■ A-Z of diecast collecting ■ Models 'Little & Large' ■ 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.…

Group 5 'Special Production Car' regulations started in 1976 as a way to increase the number of entries in the FIA World Championship of Makes. Cars had to use the same basic structure of a GT orTouring road car, and the same engine block. From there, they could change almost everything to make it go faster. The concept behind this set of regulations was that several manufacturers could enter their heavily modified road cars. There was no need for the original car to be a especially fast or competitive machine, because the allowed modifications would take care of that. However, and contrary to expectations, that was not the case. In fact, only two manufacturers picked up the rule book and started to work in 1974, two years before the Group…

If you are really into the obscure stuff, then you’ll want to track down an example of a diecast produced by Swedish company Lenyko. Patience might be a desirable asset for you in the search, though, for the manufacturer ceased production in 1963, following a factory fire. Distributor Gösta Norén started producing 1/43 scale diecast models of the Volvo PV 444 in Gothenburg in 1957 under the brand name of Lenyko, although, confusingly, models were also marketed under the name of Geno. Baseplateses differentiate the two; so if Swedish models are your thing, you’ll need to track down both. WIZARD STUFF Merlin is yet another of those obscure English manufacturers about which rather little is actually known. These diecasts were made in north Londonn by TAL Developments, which was one…