Monthly Archives: December 2018

1:43, Dinky Toys

Another Dinky Garage

By John F. Quilter

All text and photographs by, and copyright of, the Author.

Terry Hardgrave wrote about some very early Dinky Toy garages in  November for MAR Online. Here is a later version that has been in my collection since the early 1960s. It’s a French Dinky model and is moulded in plastic. It has an operating feature, when the chimney is pressed down the door opens and the car rolls back into the garage on a tilted driveway. Mine is so old I must figure out how the rubber bands that controlled the door work and fit new ones as the originals have long since perished. It is French Dinky number 502. I even have the box but it is showing some considerable attic storage wear and tear but the $1.25 price tag is still showing! The car is a French Dinky Renault Dauphine number 24E.

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1:43, Cadillac, Cord, Matrix, Mercedes-Benz

Final Matrix Models of 2018

By Maz Woolley

All text by, and copyright of, the Author. All photographs by the manufacturer.

Matrix has recently announced some new models to be issued in December. These are all 1:43 scale resin cast models made in China for the Netherlands.


MX20301-212 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75 Limousine Black 1970

This is the second version made from this mould. This time it appears in black. A colour often to be seen for formal cars.


MX20303-022 Chrysler Newport Dual Cowl Phaeton LeBaron gold 1941

This is the second version of this car, originally released in cream. Here it has been made with a gold paint finish. 


MX40307-012 Cord L-29 Phaeton Sedan creme closed 1931

The Cord Phaeton has already been seen in the range with its hood down. Here we have the hood and rear windows erected.


MX41302-142 Mercedes-Benz 500K Tourer Mayfair #123689 red closed 1934
 
Another model where the basic casting has already been released in a hood down form. Here the second version in the same red colour but with the hood up.

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Bugatti, Mercedes-Benz, Readers Letters and Comments

More Models by Barry Lester

By Barry Lloyd

Editor’s Note:  After publishing Patrick’s article about the Alfa P2 by Barry Lester, we received this email from another Barry, who knew Barry Lester personally.

In MAR number 90 (April 1995), Max Tomlinson wrote a comprehensive  article on Barry.  No mention of him working in resin, although (see  later) his early models were all in wood (balsa and thin plywood) and  acetate. I’ve re-read the article and had forgotten how involved Barry was with Adrian Swain, who according to Max, mastered the first Auto  Replicas kit, the ERA.  The resin ‘exception’ appears to be AR42, a kit of a Tatra 77A, a reworking of AR09, an earlier version in white metal.   Max’s listing shows AR42 as ‘resin’.

Barry was also involved with Pete Atkinson and Acorn Models…  They  parted company when Pete A decided to abandon the business and run a bar in Ibiza!  Barry L was eventually paid for all his pattern making work in SMEC kits. (Some of which no doubt ended up with me!) And I’ve missed a trick – apparently Barry did the masters for the  Franklin Mint Vanwall and Auto Union in a 1:43 range.  I’ve often seen the Vanwall, but have resisted it so far.  May be tempted now…

Here are my three Barry Lester models!

The 1:43 Brescia Bugatti was built ca. 1967 according to Max (from his  correspondence with BKL).  Barry built several in wood, and of course it became one of the Auto Replicas range of white metal kits.

The 1:32 SMEC Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix kit that I bought from Barry in early 1991 is shown below.  I don’t  know when he built it, but it didn’t look ‘old’ then.

The Bugatti T57SC Atlantic is to Barry’s odd 1:17 scale and is all metal (hand beaten brass body), apart from the interior trim, and is stamped  underneath BKL 98.

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1:43, Corgi Toys, Morris

Corgi Morris 1800 World Cup Rally

Text and photographs by, and copyright of, the Author unless otherwise stated.

One of Corgi’s latest releases in the Vanguards range shows that they can still turn out a really nicely made model even if only an adaptation of an existing casting. One wonders about the future of Vanguards range in the new Hornby as it is clearly now a minor sideline as it has had no investment in new castings for about four years.

This release is of a Morris 1800 VA08913 which ran in the 1970 London to Mexico, Daily Mirror, sponsored World Cup Rally. This was driven by Jean Denton, Pat Wright, and Liz Crellin and sponsored by Woman Magazine. The car came in in 18th position just behind the Moskvitch 412 entered by Avtoexport and ahead of a male crew in an Austin Maxi. 

The rally team was sponsored by Motorwoman – a section of then-popular Woman magazine. It was widely reported in Woman magazine and in contemporary motorsport titles.  Prepared by British Leyland Special Tuning on behalf of the privateer team, the car has been active in motorsport circles since, and has been fully restored. The photograph below shows it when recently auctioned.

Photograph Copyright of Anglia Car Auctions

The colour of the restored car is a different shade of blue to the Corgi model but some old pictures suggest the car might have originally been in the lighter blue – but old photographs from the internet make it difficult to judge.

The model is impressive and includes the full set of bull bars used on the World Cup rally which have been removed since. The model deviates from the real car in a few respects: the side indicators are still moulded in even if painted over and the grille may also be incorrect as all the photographs on the internet of period rallying 1800s have a simpler grille with less silver coloured parts. 

A large number of small separate parts have been used to replicate the rally kit including bullet shaped mirrors, handholds, additional lights, and spare wheels on roof.

To the rear the extra lights and handholds are continued. And a large rally fuel filler cap is fitted at the top of the wing. As the photograph below shows the pink painted corners used on the original rally car are all there to be seen. Sponsors adverts are neatly printed on the boot lid.

The wheels are also nice replicas of the alloy wheels used. The back standing plate is also well modelled as is all the badging.

The sponsorship adverts are all neatly printed on the sides. The driver’s window is in a partially opened position which gives a limited view of the interior which sadly has detail moulded in but none picked out at all. A dashboard of instruments would have been nice but the moulding does not seem to have been modified to include all the fittings and extra instruments a rally car would have had fitted. 

More surprising is the lack of any extra internal roll cage. Looking at pictures of the original car that is entirely correct and shows how much more dangerous Rally driving must have been at the time.

On last view of the front end shows how much effort has gone in to adapting this base casting and turning it into a rally car. One wonders if this model sells out whether  Vanguards Cortinas will be turned into Rally cars as they featured in many Rallies of the period.

All in all a decent effort by Hornby to use one of the Vanguards moulds in a creative way. If only Hornby would invest in some new moulds for this range.

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1:43, Art, Best, Ferrari, Fiat, Lamborghini, Lancia, Porsche, Rio, Volkswagen

News from the Continent December 2018 – M4 Modelcars Italy

By Hans Georg Schmitt

All text by, and copyright of,  the Author. Photographs from the manufacturer unless otherwise stated.

The models shown below should all have been released by the time this article is published. All the models shown are diecast unless stated otherwise and are made to 1:43 scale in Italy.

ART

ART395 Ferrari 250 P – Nassau, Governator’s Trophy 1963 -2nd Place Pedro Rodriguez

ART161/2 Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta – 24 hours of Le Mans 1949 – Drivers Lucas/Helde

BEST9728 Porsche 550 – SCCA National – Thompson 1959 – 9th Joe Trotter

BEST9729 Lancia Beta Monte Carlo Turbo –  Daytona
24 hours 1981 Drivers Alboreto / Ghinzani / Gabbani

BEST9730 Ferrari 250 LM – Winner of Grand Prix of Angola, Luanda 1964 Willy Mairesse

BEST9731 Ferrari 512 BB 1977 – gold and black – single sample Sotheby`s auction 2018

RIO4579 Lamborghini Miura Roadster Bertone – Motor Show Brussels 1968

RIO4580 Volkswagen Beetle Rally Monte Carlo 1954 – Drivers Prager/Culbert

RIO4581 Fiat 1100 E – Rally Monte Carlo 1955 – Drivers Dunod/Sampigny

RIO4582 Volkswagen Beetle 1200 De Luxe 1953

Its hard to believe but they don’t learn from others. Yet again the two Beetle models introduced this month have a number of faults. The oval rear window is right for 1953/1954, but the triangular ventilators in the front door are missing. The small brake lights at the rear are also incorrect. The bumpers are from a 1948 model, the twin exhaust pipes from 1956,  and as a special “highlight” the air intake slots between the windscreen wipers were not introduced until 1968!

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1:43, Atlas Dinky, Peugeot

Atlas Dinky 1428 Peugeot 304

By Maz Woolley

All text and photographs by, and copyright of, the Author

The latest model that I have received from Atlas is a replica of French Dinky 1428 Peugeot 304.   This model was originally made in France from 1969 to 1971, then in Spain from 1974 to 1978. It was made to 1:43 scale as was generally used for all French Dinky cars. It was launched not long after the real car reached the market and was made in white and metallic green. Atlas has chosen to replicate the model in white. The box is a copy of the original which was the later style of box with a graphic image of the vehicle but unsigned and lacking any of the nice period backgrounds used earlier in the 1960s. The model shows French Dinky trying to control costs and the special features are limited to opening front doors and yellow plastic headlights. The model is of the Berline (Saloon) rather than the cabriolet or coupe which were also made. Its main competitor was the more radical Citröen GS. 

The Peugeot 304 was sold from 1969 to 1979. It was introduced to fill the gap between the 204 and the 504, though it actually used the mid section of the 204. It was usually powered by a petrol 1,288cc engine driving the car through the front wheels, though a 1,357cc Diesel engine became available during its production. Over a million of this type of car were made. 

The front end is dominated by the large headlights which are perhaps exaggerated on this model. The yellow lenses were compulsory in France at the time the model was originally made.

The rear end shows that the Dinky is modelled on the early 304 as the rear lights were updated in 1972. The 93 licence plate originates Bobigny in Seine St. Denis in the Paris suburbs where the Dinky Factory was located.

The photograph above shows the car’s opening features. Just the front doors. The 304 badging on the bonnet and at the rear is modelled rather larger than life. The interior is in red with a black steering wheel.

A road sign is included with this model, as it was with the original. Other signs were included in other French Dinky models of the time.

The next model expected from Atlas is another Peugeot, a 404 Police Car.

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1:43, Aston Martin, Best, BMW, Ixo, Minichamps, Part Work, Volkswagen

Do It Yourself!

The Easy, Medium and Hard Way…

By Sergio Luis dos Santos

All text and photographs are copyright of the author.

How many times do we want to have “that special version” from a specific car or racing event?  Sometimes we wait for years until it surfaces but what about those that never show up?  The only way to go is to customize an available model.

Some projects need only a few decals and some fine touches to be finished. More elaborate work might need a complete set of new decals for the entire car, but the most complicated ones need a complete repaint as well.

Here are the easy ones from my 1:43 collection.

1 – Minichamps released this Porsche 911 GT3 from the Porsche Michelin Supercup 2006 in a “neutral” livery without a driver’s name. This was the easiest one: no decals to be removed.  I added a set of white names for the side windows plus the smaller ones with the Brazilian flag above the doors provided by Jbot Decals. I left the rear window without the Senna name, since I could not locate any image to confirm this.

2 – Best Model released this Alfa Romeo 33.2 as the car driven by José Carlos Pace and Marivaldo Fernandes at 3 Hours of Rio de Janeiro in 1969. In reality, the model as it was released matches the car raced by Pace and Marivaldo at 500 Km. de Salvador.  For a correct Rio race car, a large Alfa Romeo badge was applied in the front white panel under the number 33. I also replaced the  small Alfa badge for a new one, both provided by Jbot Decals.

3 – In 1996 the International Touring Car Championship had a round at Interlagos, São Paulo on 27 October. This Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI was the mount of British driver Jason Watt. Japanese driver Naoki Hattori drove it in the Japanese round, so HPI released it in Hattori markings. In the Interlagos race the car was driven by Max Wilson in the same livery, so a new set of Wilson in white for the side windows did the trick.

4 – Also in the ITC Championship in 1996, Ricardo Zonta drove this Mercedes Benz C Class in Germany at Nurbürgring on 1 September. This car was released by Minichamps as raced by Jan Magnussen from Denmark. A set of white large Zonta for the side windows and the smaller ones with the Brazilian flag for the hood provided by Jbot Decals were used. The real car is preserved as raced by the  Colombian Juan Carlos Montoya in Silverstone!

5 – Flávio “Nonô” Figueiredo drove this Vauxhall Vectra for the Vauxhall Sport team at the 1998 British Touring Car  Championship.  Onyx released both cars from this team, the number 88 of Derek Warwick and number 98 of John Cleland. Again Jbot Decals produced a set of Figueiredo names plus the new number 99 with a white background in a perfect matching size to cover the older ones.

Now let’s see the ones I call the medium category. In this category,  we must remove all decoration, decals, etc, and keep the original colors, sometimes with small color touch-ups.

6 – This Aston Martin DBR9 from IXO had all decoration removed with a new set of decals from Race Track Decals to finish it. Brazilian Fernando Rees had his debut in GT car racing at Mil Milhas Brasileiras 2007 at Interlagos with Gregor Finsken, Steve Zacchia and Roland Berville. A pair of small front wings were added to match period photos.

7 – Augusto Farfus, Gregor Finsken, Steve Zacchia and Roland Berville raced this BMW 320d at 24 Hours of Nurbürgring 2008 obtaining a 1st place in the S1 Class.  A Minichamps BMW 320si had all new decorations put on, then a new set of decals from Race Track Decals were used. Only color change was the external rear view mirrors in black.

Next are the hard ones… These models had all paint removed to add new colors plus custom made decals. Both models are based on real cars down to the license plates.

8 – Volkswagen Beetle, or as Mexicans say, Escarabajo. Using a Mexican taxi from an Altaya partworks collection, the old green and cream livery was changed to white and blue from Acapulco using automotive paint.

9 – This Volkswagen Santana is a taxi from Curitiba City, in Paraná, Brasil. In truth this is the Chinese VW version but a close match to the Brazilian one. This model belongs to a Del Prado partworks collection. The silver color was removed and replaced
by actual reddish-orange automotive paint obtained from an auto workshop through a friend doing a trip to Curitiba, who also provided some photos of the real taxi!

It’s worth mentioning here that the models in the medium and hard categories were made possible due the skills and hard work of my friend Afonso Giordano Netto.  He sadly passed way in December 2017.

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Diapet, Mitsubishi

A Bronze Mystery

By Frank Koh

All text and photographs are copyright of the author.

I have owned this “bronzed” Yonezawa Diapet 1/40 scale Mitsubishi Galant A-II coupe from the early seventies for two years now, but I have yet to find out what material it is made out of.  Could it be some specially treated zamac (zinc) alloy, white metal, brass or brushed anodized aluminum?  And what would be the logic behind the production of this rare and special piece?  Was it some sort of special dealer promotional model, or simply the product of a creative imagination?

The finish is unpainted, and there does not appear to be any form of “clearcoat” to protect the surface of the metal. If it were unpainted zamac (zinc), the finish would have been well-oxidized after more than 45 years sitting totally untouched in its mint box.  Brass oxidizes too, so could it be some sort of brushed anodized aluminum?

Just like the “regular” painted variants of this Diapet Galant A-II, the lines and proportions are very, very convincing. Why this particular model was rendered in this esoteric treated metal alloy of still-undetermined origin remains a mystery.

And like most Yonezawa Diapet models of the sixties thru the very early nineties, this proudly Japan-made piece features opening doors, hood and trunk, plus reclining front seats! Tremendous play value for what was originally intended to be a toy car, but hey, when rendered in this mystery material, was it some sort of special dealer promotional model or just the product of a creative imagination, resulting in an interesting, if not frivolous adult conversation piece?

A friend who knows how to read Japanese said the literal translation of what’s written on the box is “Antique Color (Bronze)”.   The photo on the box is the exact same “bronzed” piece as the actual model, whereas the “regular” painted Diapet Galant A-II variants had a painted car in the photo. What is the real intent of the manufacturer in producing this bewildering model?

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Dinky Toys

Dinky Thunderbolts

By Terry Hardgrave and Karl Schnelle

All text is copyright of the Authors.  All photographs are copyright of Terry Hardgrave.

Those two silver record cars are the same vehicle, but Dinky Toys  finished them differently over time, one pre-war and one post-war.

The car was called the Thunderbolt speed car and was owned and driven by Capt. George Eyston.  In the late 1930’s it held the land speed record for awhile, at something like 350 mph, before John Cobb surpassed it.

The real car was quite interesting: very large and heavy, and quite complex.  The men that drove these at Bonneville had to be part crazy!

This Dinky is a bit crude, although a fair representation of the real thing. The pre-war version (shown with its box below) was never imported to the US, to my knowledge, so these are fairly rare over here today.

Dinky brought out their first version, number 23m,  around 1938, and it was the most accurate. It had black accents and also had a Union Jack flag painted on the tail fin.  The 23m was only made in this color combination.  This version was made pre-war; Mike and Sue Richardson (1981) report it was made 1938-41.

The Dinky Toys name was also changed from Thunderbolt to Streamlined Racing Car and the car re-numbered 23s in 1939.  They may have done this  because the record was already two years old or perhaps because it wasn’t the record holder anymore, so Dinky chose to make it “generic” in name.  It was painted either green or blue, with no Union Jack.

After WWII, Dinky decided to re-issue 23s, and at that time they also painted it in silver, with blue, red, or green trim, like the one shown in blue above.  When they changed their numbering scheme, it was renumbered again as 222 and lasted until 1957.

The early pre-war version also came in a nice box, with a nice description of the real car and its accomplishments.  Here is a closeup of the box end.

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1:43, Berliet, Ixo, Kässbohrer, Renault

Hachette Italy World Buses Part 21

By Fabrizio Panico

All text and photographs by, and copyright of, the Author.

Number 61 to 63.

Three more European buses : a German, and two French. A strange mix as we have already met all of them in this collection, in one form or another. They are from the Italian Hachette partwork “Autobus dal mondo”, a collection of eighty 1:43 scale bus models, very similar to the French one “Autobus et autocars du monde”, produced in Bangladesh for Ixo.

No. 61 (no. 84 in the French collection) Renault R 4192 1952 – We have already met Renault and the AGP Saharien (see part seven, no. 19), the TN6-C2 (see part twelve, no. 34) and the R4192 (see part nineteen, no. 55). Renault is one of the oldest automobile manufacturers, always facing strong competition and, thanks to its many successes, able to slowly incorporate many of its commercial vehicle making competitors after the Second World War.

The R4000 series was the first “modern” Renault bus, previously based on truck chassis, heavy and uncomfortable. Facing the Isobloc challenge (use of a self-supporting structure) in 1949 Renault presented the R4190 with a chassisless structure and the engine placed horizontally under the floor on the right side between the two axles. It was an instant success and was produced in many different versions (the R 4192 was a low roof version with a more powerful diesel engine), and it went on until 1993, with periodic updates.

The model is shaped accurately. The body is plastic whilst the chassis is metal with lot of detail. It has single rear wheels. Many additional small parts are fitted as usual: lights, front bumper, mirror (one only) and registration plates, plus a large ladder to reach the luggage area on the roof.

As already noted the mould was used on no. 55 (see part nineteen), no changes are apparent, only the livery is new, this time from Ets. Gonthier & Nouhaud, an urban and suburban passenger transport company from Periguex, a small town located in the Dordogne department in the New Aquitaine region (capital Bordeaux), south west of France.

It seems that the company was active from 1959 to 2012, when it was absorbed in the larger Régie Péribus, the transit network serving Périgueux and its wider community.

On the internet it is possible to find pictures of the real vehicle, with the same green and cream livery, the same strange advert on the front bumper and the same registration plate (24), correct for the Dordogne. No apparent differences to the French edition. A faithful reproduction of an once quite common sight on French roads.

 

 

No. 62 (no. 85 in the French collection) Berliet Crusair 3 1969 – We have already seen the Berliet history and its Crusair (see part eight, no. 22), the PHL 10 (see part ten, no. 30), the PR100 ranges (Jelcz version, see part fourteen, no. 40) and the PLR 10 (see part sixteen, no. 47). Founded in 1899, like Renault, Berliet is one of the oldest automobile manufacturer, part of Citroën from 1967, then acquired by Renault in 1974 and merged with Saviem into the new RVI in 1978.

After the Second World War only the commercial vehicle production was resumed, at first it was highly successful, but in the sixties the competition was very tough and resources to innovate were lacking, leading to the loss of its independence. The Cruisair range, developed from 1966, offered innovative technical solutions (rear engine) and a new aesthetic (straight lines and large windows), fixing new standards for the European buses.

 

Comfortable, reliable and profitable, but not free from defects, the Crusair was limited by its max length (11 metres), but achieved widespread success, and was assembled by Porto in Portugal, Heuliez in France and also in Algeria. Produced, under the Renault badge, until 1989, the Cruisair underwent few aesthetic changes: you could date the models only on the basis of updates to the front panels with a major modernisation made in 1972.

The scale model has a plastic body and a metal chassis. As usual there are small additional parts, like the front grille, bumpers, mirrors and wipers. As previously noted the mould was already used for no. 22 and no differences can be seen, only the front grille and light assembly is new, while the wheels are lacking chromed hubcaps.

According to Hachette no. 22 and no. 62 are both from 1969, but the different front grille and lights assembly dates no. 22 as a post 1972 version, while no. 62 is the original one. Also the livery is new, no. 62 sports the white and blue colours of Air France, in this case a shuttle service between the Orly and Le Bourget airports. The registration plate is coded 75, correctly from Paris (Île-de-France). Also for the Cruisair it is possible to find on internet some pictures of the very same real vehicle. No apparent differences to the French edition. A nice souvenir for lots of tourists of the Concorde years.

 

No. 63 (no. 86 in the French collection) Setra S14 1961 – We have already met the Setra company and its S215 HD, and the S14 by the Spanish Seida licensee. In 1951 the Wagenfabrik Kässbohrer in Ulm decided to create a new company dedicated only to buses. It was named Setra, short for “selbsttragend” (self supporting), referring to the integral nature of the construction. The modular system (same structure’s elements and same cockpit) allowed to change only the wheelbase, the engine power and the interior fittings.

The S14, presented in 1961, is considered one of the first modern European buses. Featuring a high windshield, with a thin central pillar, and a longitudinal rear engine by Henschel, a straight six diesel delivering 170 CV, the S14 was the mould for the whole range of Setra buses in the 60s. The S14 was a full-length 12-metre 55 seats vehicle, and despite being rather expensive it was very successful. In 1963 an agreement with Seida allowed to license-build chassisless coaches in Spain. They were equipped with Pegaso engines and marketed with simultaneous double badge as Setra Seida and Pegaso.

The model is accurately shaped and the livery seems to be authentic, on internet you could find many pictures of similar real vehicles. Anker Reisen is a travel company from Lüneburg, a “Hanseatic” town in the German state of Lower Saxony, located about 50 km southeast of the more famous Hamburg, and belongs to that city’s wider metropolitan region. The registration plates are correctly coded LG. As usual there is a plastic body and a metal chassis, The body is quite bright, helped by the red and light grey livery and plenty of windows, which are also fitted to the roof. Many small separate parts are fitted: front and rear bumpers, lights, front grille, wipers and rear view mirrors.

Hachette has created the original Setra version and partly modified the mould used for no. 24. The original details were erased from the baseplate and and new ones printed on. The body has been slightly changed with lights amended. The Kassbohrer logo has replaced the Pegaso one on the front grille and on the hubcaps. All the Seida logos have been replaced by the Setra ones. The side windows have been changed to show a different split design. There are no apparent differences to the French edition. After the integral (and a bit disappointing) re-use of the Renault R 4192 mould, it is heartening to see the effort made by Hachette to differentiate between the two S14s. We’ll see more mould re-use, it’s logical, but thankfully in some original and interesting ways. Altogether a nice and welcome model.

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