Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2024 i Diecast Collector

NEW RESEARCH commissioned by Hornby Hobbies, the owner of renowned toy and collectable brands, Hornby, Airfix, Pocher and Scalextric reveals that hobbies significantly boost our well-being. In today’s fast-paced world, hobbies such as collecting, model building, gardening, painting and board games provide essential benefits including stress relief, skill development, and social connections. The study found that those who engage in hobbies experience greater life satisfaction (+24% vs. those without a hobby), increased happiness (+85% happier vs those without a hobby), and improved mental health (a driver for engaging in hobbies for 50% respondents). Notably, 93% of people in the UK actively participate in some form of hobby, reflecting the widespread popularity and integral role of hobbies in today’s society. What’s more, those who choose to partake in hobbies with others,…

KESS MODELS has recently announced the release of a 1947 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Labourdette Vutotal Cabriolet. The Phantom III was rebodied in 1947 by French Coach builders Labourdette of Paris, and the version modelled here was commissioned by Louis Ritter… the body alone cost $44,000! Before its transformation, it originally had a 1939 Hooper Sedanca de Ville body and 7338 cc engine size – it could achieve a top speed of just over 93mph. It was originally painted a metallic red-orange but was then restored in a dark two-tone for the JohnW. Rich Auto Museum. Both colour schemes have been replicated in the Kess Models. The models are to 1/43 scale and the model numbers are KES 43049040 (Brown) and KES 43049041 (Red). Priced at £111.99 these superb replicas will…

LOVELY WARM sunny weather brought the crowds of keen collectors out once again to the recently-reinstated July toy show. Held, as always, at the Kane County Fairgrounds, in the very pleasant town of St Charles, west of the city of Chicago. Remarkably, these shows are now in their 51st year. The shows have maintained their popularity over the years by appreciating and allowing for the new trends in toy collecting, and this was reflected by the number of stands featuring action figures, Star Wars, Funko Pops and similar. Although the very early tinplate toys we used to see there many years ago were fewer, there were still plenty of stands featuring diecast, later tin toys, pressed steel and plastic vehicles like the promotional cars that are popular in the USA.…

As we discovered last issue (Diecast Collector, October 2024), when I designed the rear of my X2000 I did so with the mindset that I was Alex Tremulous working for Ford in 1958, as without doubt this was the only way to think about and design such a project. I knew considering how much press coverage my car received that it was a good representation, but when the FoMoCo film The Stylist was discovered, it proved to me just how similar our thoughts were, and I have to say this thrilled me. This month I want to expand on this as I compare my car with the original Ford model, and against the recently released Autocult model. At the rear of my car I used the original, elongated oval panel…

When Hot Wheels hit the market in the late 1960s, established diecast manufacturers were compelled to respond to the challenge. Children now wanted fast-running cars with low-friction wheels and, one by one, competitors began to fit these to their cars. Low-friction wheels may have worked on Matchbox-size cars, but even though Dinky fitted ‘Speedwheels’ and Corgi ‘Whizzwheels’, the concept wasn’t so well-suited to larger and heavier 1/43 models. Toy cars might now be able to perform highspeed somersaults, or at the very least, zip along floor surfaces, but from the collector’s point of view the new wheel styles often detracted from the realism of the cars. One exception, though, was the series of 1/66 scale models from the longestablished German firm Schuco, produced from 1969 until 1976. These managed to…

On 27th September 1964, an aircraft took to the skies that is still much talked about to this day, despite the fact that, within a few months, the project was cancelled and all the aircraft ordered to be destroyed. Talk to anyone with even a slight interest in historic British aviation and this aircraft still generates incredibly strong opinions. AN AIRCRAFT FOR THE FUTURE Designated TSR-2, with “TSR” standing for Tactical Strike Reconnaissance and the “2” referencing its planned ability to fly at Mach 2, it was developed by British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) for the Royal Air Force. Borne out of the official General Operational Requirement 339, TSR-2 was designed to be able to perform a multitude of tasks. During the mid-1950s, the increasing sophistication of air defence systems led…

Like many collectors no doubt, I have several key themes to my collecting. I also have a more eclectic mix of vehicles, mostly cars, that interest me. Some of these themes focus on a single car type while others are more marque related. One such example of this, for me, is Saab. My fascination for Saabs started as a child; I just thought the 900 (and especially the Turbo) looked really cool. This has lead me into collecting models of the classic 900, earlier 99 as well as the later 900 and subsequent 9-3 models. For this months Little and Large I am focussing on one of Saab’s key cars; the 99 Turbo. A car that started Saab’s now iconic use of turbocharging. The Saab 99 was launched in 1968…

FAIRS 5 OCTOBER • Maidstone, Maidstone Vintage Toy Fair, 01622 298159/01732 840787 6 OCTOBER • Harrogate, Dalesman Diecasts, 01943 873420 • Kempton Park, R M Toys Ltd, 02392 262446/07957 823507 • Shepton Mallet, Bulldog Fairs, 07379 578083 • Needham Market, Stowmarket Model Railway Club, 01379 668657 8 OCTOBER • Hook, Steve Clements Fairs, 01380 725322/07732 330305 10 OCTOBER • Theydon Bois, Joe Lock, 07866 641215 13 OCTOBER • Gateshead, Jim Corr, 07504 035955 • Lincoln, J & J Fairs, 01522 880383 • Steynine (W Sussex), David Parsons, 07742 609865 • Rayleigh, SRP Toy Fairs, 07739 998012/07498 912091 19 OCTOBER • Brentwood, J & J Fairs, 01522 880383 • Oswestry, James & Jackson Events, 07904 777605/07967 681080 20 OCTOBER • Frome, Bulldog Fairs, 07379 578083 • Herne Bay, SRP Toy Fairs,…

HOT OFF the heels of its appearance on Richard Hammond’s Workshop, Corgi has announced a new partnership with Hammond’s renowned classic car restoration business, ‘The Smallest Cog.’ Together, they will release an officially licensed selection of 1/43 scale diecast vehicles in Corgi’s Vanguards range. The inaugural model to emerge from this partnership will be a 1/43 scale replica of the iconic Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000 in Midnight Blue. This particular vehicle holds special significance as it was the first car restored by ‘The Smallest Cog’ and now serves as the business’s flagship show car. The model will be presented in exclusive dual-branded packaging featuring both ‘The Smallest Cog’ and Vanguards logos, making it a must-have for collectors and fans alike. In addition to producing the scale model, Corgi provided vital research…

THE 3 DAY Festival, one of the world’s largest historic motor sport gatherings, once again confirmed its place at the top of the tree over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The main spectacle of course, was the racing, with 20 races over the weekend, many with full grids, and all featuring no holds barred, full on action right up to the very end – Sunday’s final event saw an epic duel for the lead over much of the race between two AC Daytona Cobras, with the winner taking the flag a mere 3/10s of a second from the runner-up! There was more for the model collector this year than in previous years. RM Toys had returned, with their vast selection of models, there was a specialist competition car dealer, and…

WIN DO YOU fancy seeing your collection in print? The collecting community is a large, and diverse, one. And as such we all like to admire each others prized possessions, whether to further our knowledge or to add various items to our wish lists! Send us a picture and a little bit of information about your collection for the chance to be included in our new monthly My Collection series… and our favourite each issue will win a diecast model worth at least £10*. Email us at CollectingEditorial@warnersgroup.co.uk. Terms and conditions can be found online at: https://ccofgb.uk/submityourcollection.…

OXFORD DIECAST UNVEILS A PAIR OF SIXTIES CLASSICS THAT SIMPLY OOZE BEAUTY Two of Oxford’s newly-tooled American Classic range releases demonstrate the changing design and styling found in the US automotive industry just a handful of years apart. Ford’s 1960 Fairlane, with its fins and statement grille, contrasts with the mid-1960s look and size of Plymouth’s Barracuda. The beginning of the 1960s saw American cars feature many new advances in technology and the introduction of simple things, like automatic windows, longer wheelbases and more powerful engines. The Ford Fairlane was made between 1955 and 1970, during which time it came in a variety of body styles, including two-door and four-door saloons, similar hardtops, station wagons and convertibles. Oxford’s Ford Fairlane 500 is based on the third generation of the car,…

Way back in the early eighties, long before having personal computers, digital photography and the internet could ever be imagined, I careered headlong into dialogue with a Japanese toy manufacturer. Naive, and fuelled with heady enthusiasm, my first experience of inspiring and influencing the release of a series of representation livery diecast model cars was a messy affair. It relied on using contemporary amateur graphic artwork techniques with photocopies, paste-ups and hand colouring with felt tip pens. Such was the era. The result though was, to say the least, one I will never forget and is recounted for posterity and bemusement in MAR on-line. It did not, however, totally deter me from doing so again - but in a far more methodically structured way… Faced with so many new releases…

Those of us who travel frequently, particularly to smaller airports or on low-cost airlines, may be familiar with the Cobus, a specialized type of bus used to transfer airline passengers between terminals and aircraft. Cobus Industries was founded in Germany in 1990, as a joint venture between the bus chassis and engine manufacturer Daimler-Benz, and the Portuguese coachbuilding firm Salvador Caetano. The Cobus was developed in response to requests from Zurich Airport for a fleet of buses that could transport large numbers of passengers quickly and safely from the airport terminal to the ramp. The Cobus differs from a regular transit bus in several ways. It is wider, but has very few seats, as it only needs to ferry passengers and their luggage for short distances; there is ample standing…

■ Phil Chapman Here’s just a few pictures of my collection. I've been collecting for over 25 years and a lot of the collection is on display at Liskeard museum in Cornwall. It’s free entry to anyone who wants to visit! This month’s WINNER! ■ Kevin Brock I've been collecting Fiat models since the late 1960s. It started when my father, who was working for Fiat UK at the time, used to bring home 1/43 Mercury and 1/13 scale Pocher publicity models of new Fiats at the time like the 124 and 128 Saloons. He would give duplicates to me and so I started collecting, the Fiats being kept separate from my contemporary Corgis, Dinkys and Matchbox models. Send us a photo and a little bit about your collection for your…

For my generation I think our first experience of television was Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953, which was shown in black and white. At the time, most programmes were made in studios, but there was a growing need to show outside events both here and abroad. This meant that the BBC would need outside broadcasting facilities and as a result, specialised vehicles were produced to cover these events. Needless to say DinkyToys saw this as an opportunity to introduce models of these vehicles. The Dinky Supertoys model was the BBC TV Mobile Control Room (No.967) arriving in July 1959. The model is finished in dark green and has a grey roof, grey stripes down each side and grey wheels. The headlights and bumper are picked out in silver. There…

As mentioned in the last issue of this magazine, the letter J brings into focus a lesser-known maker: that of Jordan and Lewden. This company, if no other in this A-Z of Diecast series, certainly deserves some sort of publication devoted to its output, for its range was large and extremely interesting. This company started up production around 1950 and its initial offering was half a dozen cars, a little bigger than Dinky examples but well made for all that. The Ford Prefect, Daimler Conquest, Austin A40, Buick and StandardVanguard (also in Estate format) all date to about 1953-1954, and the Buick aside, the real things would have been familiar sights on British roads. In time, friction drive gave way to push-along power in this so-called River Series. Dies were…

THE RUMOURS that Corgi were looking to replicate their iconic 1960s-era Batmobile grew steadily after the success of the Corgi Model Club, a venture that was launched in February 2021 and was embraced into the Hornby family earlier this year. Social media posts from the Corgi Model Club have long indicated they were working with Hornby to get the necessary licence to produce the Batmobile – and we were rewarded with good news recently when the Club announced they were producing not one but two versions of this famous diecast CorgiToy! Both are due this October. Corgi Model Club members – or at least, those who are up to date with their collection – will receive a replica of the rare ‘matt’ black Batmobile which is only available to members,…

A RANGE of new, mainly American, models are to be released by Matrix this coming November. They include a Cadillac Superior Ambulance in various colour schemes (red MX20301-461, white MX20301-462 and Ambulance MX20301-463). Also available will be a 1972 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Brougham (in beige with white roof, black or metallic green with black roof), and 1991-1994 Jaguar XJ4 in metallic red, metallic blue or British Racing Green. There is also a 1939 Mercedes-Benz 770KW150 Cabriolet B maroon in maroon, white or black. All coming in at 1/43 scale, the prices, as usual at this stage, are not known. Keeps your eyes open for them though, as they care bound to fly off the shelf!…

Batmobile with Batman and Robin PRICE: £39.99 SCALE: 1/46 REF: RT26701 • Expected: Autumn 2024 Volkswagen Golf MkI GTI, Inari Silver PRICE: £37.99 SCALE: 1/43 REF: VA12010 • Expected: Winter 2024-25 Ford Cortina Mk5 1.6 Carousel, Forrest & Crystal Green PRICE: £37.99 SCALE: 1/43 REF: VA15005 • Expected: Autumn 2024 Ford Focus Mk3 RS, Shadow Black PRICE: £37.99 SCALE: 1/43 REF: VA15305 • Expected: Autumn 2024 James Bond Aston Martin DB5 – Silver PRICE: £32.99 SCALE: 1/43 REF: RT26101S • Expected: Autumn 2024 James Bond - Rolls Royce Sedance de Ville-Goldfinger PRICE: £39.99 SCALE: 1/36 REF: CC06807 • Expected: Autumn 2024 The Henry Ford II Collection PRICE: £149.99 SCALE: 1/43 REF: VA14908 • Expected: Autumn 2024 Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000, (Richard Hammond’s The Smallest Cog) PRICE: £37.99 SCALE: 1/43 REF: VA14909…

Founded in 1899, the Fiat group grow to become one of the largest in the automotive industry. By the 1970s, it was a true giant, not only building automobiles, but it also involved an incredible list of other areas. From primary products, like special steels, plastics, paints and oils; but also intermediate and ancillary products, like castings, forgings, dies and electric parts. The offer of end products supplied by Fiat was as wide as passenger cars, industrial vehicles, trucks, city buses, fork lifts, industrial and marine applications, agricultural tractors, aero-engines, aircraft components, gas turbines, nuclear power and spare parts for the entire production range. Oils for engines, gearboxes and other lubricants were an important part of the business, and at a certain time this production occupied a factory in Naples.…

Number 52 during the Lesney-era Superfast range comprises a brightly coloured, two-seater concept car, a sporty BWM and a waterbased police vehicle… DODGE CHARGER MK3 Production: 1970-76 Catalogue: 1970-76 Box Styles: G, I The only concept car modelled released in 1970 was the Dodge Charger III, based on a 1968 Chrysler design for a luxury two-seater touring coupé. The model version was an extremely accurate representation of the real thing, complete with a working, rear-hinged canopy. The interior was in black plastic and correctly represented the tilting dashboard and bucket seats. Early versions were painted to resemble the prototype car (which was a dark metallic red) although this could vary from magenta to a rich purple shade, while the base was painted mid-green. From 1974 the colours were reversed somewhat,…

Let’s be honest, right from the start: you have to be pretty interested in cars, and in particular the low volume manufacturers, to have heard of the name Marcos. As a lifelong car nut, I’ve made it my business to learn all about the minor (some would say quirky) manufacturers, since their shoestring operations, unusual approach to design and their ingenuity in raiding corporate parts bins for items that would save them tooling up has long fascinated me. And Marcos falls neatly into that category. Marcos, though, is unlike many of this particular genre, for it weathered storms and survived recessions over the years, yet produced a relatively few cars. You’ll hardly ever see a Marcos on the road, yet they are about; and if what you see is a…

Another good mix of releases came along during the second half of 1976, further underlining Corgi’s commitment to appeal to a broad base. From TV hero vehicles to military might, it was another great end to the year. The second half of 1976 kicked off with a terrific trio of TV and film-related releases, plus a great combination set. In fact, three of the four newbies this month were gift sets! No.290 Kojak’s Buick is a model of the Buick used by our hero in the muchloved TV series. It also featured two figures, including one of Kojak himself, of course, plus a clip-on roof light for when in hot pursuit. Also included was a life-sized NewYork Police Department badge sticker. Gift Set 36 was branded simply as “Tarzan” and…

■ Matchbox by Lesney 1958 Vauxhall Cresta, pink and grey #22, appears excellent plus and in a very good box. Sold for £55, British Toy Auctions, September. ■ Matchbox by Lesney Wreck Truck, AA and RAC Matchbox Garages, red #13, appears near mint in a very good box. Sold for £30, British Toy Auctions, September. ■ Matchbox by Lesney Cadilla Sedan #27, pink roof, metallic body red chassis, appears excellent plus to near mint in a very good box. Sold for £60, British Toy Auctions, September. ■ A boxed 1/18 scale Sun Star Back To The Future Delorean Time Machine #2710. Item appears mint in box. Box appears very good to excellent; some storage wear. Sold for £45, British Toy Auctions, September. ■ A boxed 1/18 scale Joy Ride #33844…

DECEMBER '24 Issue 326 Lotus Elan in small scale by Welly A miniature version of arguably one of the most important sports cars of the last 100 years! ON SALE 1 NOVEMBER …or download the digital edition 7 days earlier! PLUS… ■ New Model Spotlight■ How to spot a fake?■ Models 'Then and Now'■ Partwork test models■ 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.…