MINICHAMPS 1/12 LOTUS RENAULT 97T 1985 AYRTON SENNA

Minichamps 1/12 Lotus Renault 97T Ayrton Senna 1st GP Win Portugal 1985 # 540 851292 For the first time ever on an Ayrton Senna replica, this 1/12 scale Lotus Renault 97T from Minichamps features a cockpit fairing which lifts off to reveal the kevlar-carbon monocoque and Renault EF4B/15 engine in all their glory. Limited to just 6194 pieces worldwide and measures some 14 inches (32cm) in length.

VANGUARDS - TRIUMPH HERALD 948 SALOON - 50 th ANNIVERSARY

Triumph’s elegant Herald was styled by Italian Giovanni Michelotti and launched in April 1959, priced at £495 in saloon form. The car modelled, WOY 660, was built on 24th August 1959 and dispatched on 3rd September to Mr Frank Carr, of the influential Triumph dealership ‘Carr’s Auto Sales’, for his personal use. Carr was a good friend of Standard-Triumph’s Managing Director Alick Dick, and had previously sold Dick his yacht ‘Herald’. The yacht’s moniker inspired the naming of Triumph’s new model range, so, without this car’s first owner, the Herald may have been launched with its development project name, Zobo. See more

CORGI - FODEN LIVESTOCK - IAN S. ROGER -NEWTON OF FORGIE, KEITH

In 1973 Ian Roger and his wife Rachel started in livestock haulage operating 2 lorries and employing 1 driver with a 1968 7 tonne Commer with a 21 ft cedarwood float painted in British Leyland Rover Sand. The business slowly grew through the 70s and 80s expanding into bulk and general haulage. In the early 90s their two sons Colin and Graeme Roger joined the family business and started moving bulk vegetables in a larger scale. Today the Company runs a mixed fleet of Scania, Volvo, Foden, DAF and MAN artics and drawbar combinations concentrating on livestock, bulk and general haulage, still painted in the same colour of Rover Sand. See more

CORGI 1/50 FULLER BREWERY FODEN DROPSIDE WITH TRAILERS AND BARREL LOAD

Fullers Brewery Foden Dropside with Trailers and Barrel Load limited edition model overall length approx 38cm, finished in tan with black chassis's and red wheels with gold lettering.The Foden has glazed side windows with gold piping around the cab and also gold lettering for the Company's name a barrel load completes the model. Limited edition certificate is also provided

EFE 1/76 PARAMOUNT 3500 - GREENLINE INVICTA

Perhaps the most interesting of the Paramount release so far is this Green Line-liveried model in Maidstone & District's Invicta branding for the Maidstone to London Express service.

The colourful London Greenline coach services livery sets off the rather formal lines of the Paramount well, and in fact the liverly could have been designed specially for the Paramount, so cleverly does it pick up on that characteristic plunging side window.

The front grille is to a slightly different pattern than the previous versions.

One of the neatest touches is the appearance of the small Plaxton badges front and rear, while the Invicta prancing white horse logo in its red triangle is a gem. A characterful latter day Greenline coach from EFE. See more

CORGI 1/76 MINI VAN 'CORGI TOYS'

A new tool for 2008 the 1:76 scale Mini Van modelled here depicts the retro styling of the Corgi Toys of yesteryear. Like today’s Multi-Purpose Vehicle’s or MPV’s the original Minivan (1962-1969) was designed for maximum interior room and was introduced during the 1950s coinciding with the emergence of Corgi Toys. This model celebrates the decade that also saw Mettoy Playcraft Ltd launch Corgi Toys as its new toy range of die-cast model cars. They were the only toy cars on the market at that time so were a huge hit. See more

IXO 1/43 NISSAN R390 GTI 'JOMO' 1998 LE MANS

The model in the IXO ‘Le Mans Legend’ is the Nissan R390 GTI raced at the 1998 Le Mans 24-Hours race.

The car sponsored by ‘Jomo’ and ‘Sports Graphic Number’ was driven to a third overall finishing position in the hands of its three Japanese drivers Motoyama/Kageyama/Kurosawa. Carrying racing number 33, the car carries the goodwill wishes of the sponsoring magazine’s readers on the top of each of its rear wheel arches.

The model shows the complete racing interior through the windows, which includes racing fire extinguisher. See more

VANGUARDS 1/43 MINI VAN ENFIELD BRAKE AND CLUTCH SERVICE YELLOW

During the design of the original Mini saloon, Alec Issigonis had shown great devotion to the packaging of the car. The ten-inch wheels placed at the very corners of the vehicle, external body seams, beautifully packaged drive-train and compact suspension system all helped the Mini to have a ground breaking passenger space to vehicle size ratio. Those very same features meant the load bay of the Minivan was flatter and bigger than you had any right to expect in a van only ten inches longer than its tenfoot long saloon cousin.

MATCHBOX: JEEP GLADIATOR

In January the first release for the year appeared in the form of a Jeep Gladiator Pick-up (71b) with suspension. This was the first of many Jeeps to be included in the miniature range and was obviously to boost sales in the US, although it was not the most appealing of models. It was paintd red all over and had opening doors with either a plastic or metal door spring.
It had black wheels and a black base which came with and without a patent number. A green interior was fairly common in Europe but soon all models had white interiors. The early European versions with green interiors are quite sought after in the US.

MAISTO 1/18 SCALE - MERCEDES CLK-GTR

Following the release of the 1977 ‘works’ AMG and Person Motorsports models of the Mercedes CLK-GTR, the 1998 Champions, gained by victory a the last race, were Klaus Ludwig and Ricardo Zonta, who beat the favourites Bernd Schneider and Mark Webber to the title. The car shown is the Schneider/webber car with racing number 1. When first raced at Le Mans, the car was a dismal failure, retiring early after a fast start; the decision to race at the French circuit proved to be an error.The model has opening doors and removable rear bodywork. The interior of the driver’s cockpit reveals plenty of detail, including all the knobs and dials. The rear body shows engine internals, full suspension detail and engine wiring, which, for a model of this size and cost, represents good value for money. The car carries ‘D2’ and ‘Warsteiner’ sponsorship. See more.

VANGUARDS 1/43 FORD ANGLIA - ROAD SERVICE

The models being offered this time by Vanguards in AA livery are joined by the Ford Anglia van in the familiar yellow. The sides, rear and headboard are all inscribed 'Road Service', the model being pleasingly finished, with relevant features picked out in silver, and the various lights suitably featured.

MINICHAMPS 1/43 MERCEDES 350 SL CABRIOLET

The Mercedes 350 SL cabriolet hard top is a truly excellent model from Minichamps. A quick glance shows this to be very fine: a closer examination reveals just what high standards can be achieved these days in die-cast.

When you examine the model, note how thin is the casting, particularly important where the roof meets the windows. Note that the windows are flush, yet there appears no unsightly ridges of plastic. The wheels are superbly portrayed. The light clusters both front and rear are excellent. The interior looks perfect with all the dashboard detail, door handles, and so on, picked out in blue mettalic. The windscreen wipers, rear view mirror and wing mirrors are all seperate fittings.

If modern cars fall within your collection, and you want an example of perfection, then do buy this model.

MOTOR CITY CLASSICS 1/18 SCALE - 1931 FORD MODEL A

1931 Ford Model A Roadster Diecast Car 1/18 Brown Die Cast Car Model by Motor City Classics
This is a handsome model, available in a variety of colours and well finished. Opening doors and dicky seat, plus a separate trunk, are nice touches.

The dash is not totally convincing: yes, the actual thing was pretty minimalist, but there's not one gauge in the centre moulding. On the other hand, good interior touches include separate brake and gear levers and a detailed steering wheel incorporating the mixture control lever.
From the front, his is a handsome model: its imposing radiator is nicely finished, and the headlamps look as if they could be lit.

Perhaps a few chrome details are a little heavily done, just edging on the borders of being tacky, but attractive, nonetheless.

VANGUARDS MINI MANIA 1:43 MINI COOPER STEVE McQUEEN

McQueen bought his Mini from Hollywood Sports Cars and had it taken straight to Lee Brown’s custom shop. He didn’t like the green body and white roof so had the car refinished in medium brown metallic with a beige roof. Brown also chromed and then reversed the wheels to widen the track, fitted a wooden dash, a fold back sunroof and had trimmer Tony Nancy re-cover the seats in brown vinyl. The engine was ported and balanced.

McQueen never had front number plates on his cars as he felt it spoilt the clean look.

Twenty years later Lee Brown spotted an advert for the car and bought it back, so he now owns the car he originally customized for the film icon. See more