1958 HONGQI CA770, THE FIRST NATIONAL CHINA CAR

Author : Youkonton Ratarasarn

The National Car referred to the car that is 100% produced in China. The National Car of China was initiated from a National Development Plan for the first 5 years in 1950-1955. China set a scheme to produce its own car and had every part made in the country. In 1956, busses were firstly created and later on, they began to create saloon car and met with a success in 1958. The Honqgi (“red flag” in Chinese) model CA770 was a mixture between cars of the free world and cars of the communist which are the United State’s Chrysler Imperial and Soviet’s ZIL car

“CA770” was mode’s name of “Red Flag”. The meanings are as follows:
“C” refers to China
“A” refers to FAW (First Automobile Works). It was the name of the factory of the car.
The first “7” is a code number of the car.
The Second “7” means 7 seats
“0” is a kind of car (Limo)

CA700 used eight pistons engine sized 5700CC in order to have a 220 horse powers by using automatic gear of two speeds. The weight of the car was 2.5 tons. This model had been used as an official car for the leader of China and for many leaders of foreign countries who came to visit China.


In 1965 The Prime Minister of China, Joe En Lai denied the request of President Nixon who would bring his own car during his first visit China. He told Nixon not to worry. He welcomed Nixon with the best car in the world that built by China itself. It was this Hongqi CA770.

The President Mow Ze Tung, the leader during that period had used this model as his positional car, including welcoming various leaders such as Stalin of Soviet. This car was used by the leader of China for a long time since 1958-1983. The last Honqgi CA770 was produced in 1983. The latest model of Honqgi was Model Besturn. The current leader of China, Hong Gin Tow uses armored Audi A8 as his official car.

Now, it better to mentioned this die-cast car. It was die-casting Hongqi CA770. It was bought from China during my trip to film a documentation for the United Nation. During the days I traveled many places for footages. At dusk I went out and have a walk to find this die-cast. This was 5-6 years ago. I had a look nearly every store in Beijing. It was scarce to get one. Language was one of the problem. The seller did not understand English and I did not know any Chinese. I intended that die-cast I would buy must be Chinese brand that made in China and the real car must also be Chinese car. However, this die-cast car appeared to have a brand of French named Kader Precistion Model. The real car was certainly Chinese. It was the only die-cast car I felt good with its “Made in China”.
This die-cast car has a scale of 1:24 The length is 24.5cm. The Kader Precistion Model, USA had a permission from First Automobile Works which was a producer of Hongqi CA770 in 1997.

It is a black car. The bonnet can be opened to see the engine inside. The tail bonnet can be opened. There is a spare tire with battery in it. Four doors can be opened and shut. The seats and spare seat at the back are foldaway. All seats are covered with real velvet. The steering wheel has a system to operate the wheels to turn the car. Underneath, there are details of understructure such as leaf spring, shock absorber and exhausted pipe, etc.

The details of the die-cast car is very good. Even so, the rear mirror has a thin black curtain as a partition. Especially if we compare with the technical output of the last 10 years, this die-cast car is incredible. Lastly, I would like to repeat that it is the only Made-in-China die-cast car I feel good with.

JAMES BOND LOTUS ESPRIT OUTSTANDING CAR FROM CORGI

The James Bond Lotus Esprit by Corgi is an outstanding car. As seen in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, this car stands as on of the most innovative vehicles since the Aston Martin DB5. This is one of the classic James Bond cars of the cinema.

The Spy Who Loved Me, released in 1977, is the 10th film in the James Bond series and the third to star Roger Moore as MI6 agent James Bond. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert and the screenplay was written by Christopher Wood and Richard Maibaum. The film takes its title from the tenth novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series. Following a request by Ian Fleming when he sold the rights to the series that only the title of the novel be used, it is the first Bond film to be written with a wholly original plot line in its screenplay. The storyline involves a reclusive megalomaniac named Stromberg who plans to destroy the world and create a new civilization under the sea. Bond teams up with a Russian agent Anya Amasova to stop Stromberg.

Throughout the James Bond series of films Q Branch has given Bond a wide variety of vehicles with which to battle his enemies. Among the most noteworthy gadgets Bond has been equipped with have been various vehicles that have numerous modifications to include weapons systems, anti-pursuit systems, alternate transportation modes, and various other functions.

This is actual white Esprit S1 used in the famous chase sequence in The Spy Who Loved Me. It evades the lovely Caroline Munro in her helicopter by driving off a pier and then converting into a submarine, complete with mines and rockets to get rid of any unwanted attention. This is a very early car and was purchased directly from Lotus Cars in 1998

The Lotus Esprit and its underwater exploits are second only to the DB5 in the Bond car hall of fame. To escape a rocket-equipped helicopter Bond (now played for laughs by the bouffant-ed Roger Moore) drives the Esprit off a pier into the sea, where it transforms into a submarine at the flick of a switch and blows up the helicopter with its own rockets. More underwater action ensues, until Bond emerges victorious on a beach full of holidaymakers. Six cars were used to film this sequence, one of which was a working submarine with two divers

JAMES BOND ASTON MARTIN TOY

The amazing Corgi James Bond Aston Martin toy is a 20th century classic and probably one of the most famous die-cast models ever made.

The James Bond Goldfinger film, starring Sean Connery and Honor Blackman, was released in 1964 and became an instant success. The film company Eon Productions commissioned Aston Martin for the use of two DB5 Aston (registration BMT 216A and FMP 7B) for the film, and also used both cars for the following film Thunderball.

Both cars were in a silver birch paint finish, one as the “effects” car and the other as the “road car” The “effect” car was adapted by John Stears and the Special Effects Team to accommodate retractable machine guns, nail and oil distributors, smoke generators, ramming overriders and extendible axle shafts to act as tyre-slashers.


James Bond Aston Martin DB5 & Figures - Goldfinger. This vehicle includes Spiked Wheels, Side Mirrors, Rear Bulletproof Screen, Ejector Seat, Rear Tire Slasher and Machine guns. This is the most popular James Bond vehicle to date with more then 20 million sold.

Product Features
James Bond
Aston Martin DB5
1:36th Scale Model
Diecast Model 4" in length

From Model collector, Ausgust 2000

GREAT MATCHBOX REFERENCE BOOK!

Encyclopedia of Matchbox Toys 1947-1996 (Paperback)

One of the best books on Matchbox Toys.,

By Chris Sellick

Its a big book and plenty of clear colour photos of so many examples throughout.covers every era of Matchbox toys.This type of book is superior over the wide but short books printed by this publisher.There is so much information here no matter whether you are devoted collector or just love looking at the old toys you had.This book will please most people.Its good value and high quality.

Editorial Reviews
Book Description :

It's all here! Fifty years of toys! The toys pictured and listed in this book represent the immense volume of items produced from 1947 when the Matchbox company was founded to 1996, including their popular diecast vehicles along with playsets, dolls, plastic kits, robots, and ephemera all in one massive volume-now in its second edition!
The international scope of Matchbox toys is illustrated through catalogs, boxes, and labels on toys printed in a dozen languages. Certain toys have been made for sale in specific countries or to promote specific companies or products. The numbering system on miniatures changed in 1982 when worldwide toys began different numbering systems. The result of all these variables is a fascinating and infinite variety of Matchbox toys.

About the Author:

Author Charlie Mack started the Matchbox USA club in 1977 and has opened the Matchbox & Lesney Toy Museum in part of his home in Durham, Connecticut. --This text refers to the Paperback edition. Buy now.

CITROEN 2CV, NOT JUST A CAR BUT A LIFESTYLE

Author : Youkonton Ratarasarn

German had Volkswagen. French also had a Citroen 2CV as a national heritage.
In 1936, Jean Boulanger and Pierre Michelin, the executives of Citroen had requested a team of engineers to design an economy car that was small comfortable and easy to drive. The system of the understructure must be soft as if someone place a basketful of eggs in the car running across the field, the eggs must not break.
After three years of Citroen engineers congregation, they discovered the original style of a unfamiliar appearance. It was designed by one of the teamwork whose name was Deux Chvaux. The body of the car was aluminium. The system of the understructure was made of metal magnesium for a light weight. It had only on front light and a wiper that must be used by hand to operate. It had two pistons engines, using water to cool the heath and cycling the starter by hand.

But it missed the chance to show to public due to the second World War in 1939. The motor show in that year was cancelled. During the occupation by Germany, Boulanger continued working on 2CV with his team. At all events, many kinds of the raw materials were scant, relating to the war.
After the World War II was ended, the oil was hard to find. This Citroen began to receive intention from the producer, due to many aspects of the appearance. 2CV associated with a living status of French and after situation in a period of war.
The engine of the 2CV used air-cooled engine instead of water-cooled. The understructure was changed into steel. The front light and wiper was added into two and the engine room was changed to a new gear.
Finally, after the more than ten year of design and alteration, 2CV appeared to public for the first time in Paris Motor Show 35 in 1948. Thereby, on October 7, Boulanger, chairman of the Citroen and Vincent Auriol, the French president had exhibited Citroen 2CV which was strange looking and was made fun by many people in that period. On the other hand, it was impressive to French people very much. Owing to its clever design an the price that cost only 185,000 Franc. It was the lowest price in the market at that time.

2CV began the trade in 1948 naming the Model A using the 375 CC engine.
In 1954 it was renamed to AZ and the engine was changed to 425 CC.
In 1956 it released a special model with aluminum body named Model 2ZL. Therefore, it had been altered many times on small details such as Model AZLP and Model AZAM. Until July 27, 1990 at 4pm (GMT), the last Citroen 2CV had been assembled in Portugal. The number of the production around the world was 7,301,278 cars in more than 40 years. Citroen 2CV met with success and sold very well. Sometimes, the buyers had to wait fro more than 5 years in order to have the ownership. The cost of 2CV had never fluctuated.

Citroen 2CV became one of the icon of French same as red wine, basket bread and Eiffel Tower.
Citroen 2CV was mentioned a lot about the ability to run in a various conditions, from desert to high hill and even waded water and mud included a long distant. For instance, in 1953-1954 Jaques Comet and Henri Lochon traveled 52,000km from North America to South America, Africa Spain and France.
In 1958, two students, Jean Baudot and Jacques Sequiela traveled by 2CV around the world with a distance of 100,000km. Beside that, there were many big rally , for example, the Raid Paris-Perspolis-Paris in 1970.

In 1971, the Raid Paris-Perspolis-Paris had 1,300 participants who entered the contest for a distance of 13,500km. 467 of that were Citroen. As shown here, this die-cast came from one of the rally participants. This real model was produced in 1952.

This die-cast 2CV is 21cm long. Its scale is 1:8. It is painted in yellow with logos screened on both side as a rally car refer to the car participated in the Raid Paris-Perspolis-Paris. The front hood can be opened to see the engine inside. Both doors can be open. The roof of the car is made of rubber and can be removed. The seats are covered with real fabric. The steering wheel has a system to operate the wheels in order to turn left and right. The understructure of the four wheels is able to move independently like a real car.
This die-cast car was produced by Maisto. It was not mentioned the year of the released but it seems older than 5 years. It was even more impressive since it was originally create in Thailand.

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MODEL FIRE ENGINES

1. Models of fire engines have been available since the beginning of the Century, made initially by German tinplate manufactures like Marklin, CKO and Schuco. American manufactures like Arcade and Kenton later made cast iron fire engines.
2. “Extras” for fire engines were soon available. Bing for instance introduced and American Escape Ladder in 1904 and a fire house with room for three vehicles in 1909
3. British-based companies like Mettoy, who went on a create the corgi range, were making a number of models based around the fire theme in the 1930s.
4. In 1938 Dinky made a diecast fire engine with six tinplate firemen. Mint boxed versions of this model can be worth up to £500 today. In 1955 Matchbox had introduced a Dennis-based vehicle into their 1-75 range and other UK-based companies like Budgie, Lone Star and Corgi soon followed.
5. The lasted Corgi model fire engine available at the moment is the Mack B aerial ladder truck in the colours of Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania.

From:The Diecast Collector Magazine
November 1997 Issue 1

RENAULT R16 - THE TOUGHEST AND MOST WELL-KNOWN CYCLING TOURNAMENT OF THE WORLD "TOUR DE FRANCE"

By : Youkonton Ratarasarn




“Tour de France” was a program of cycling tournament. It was well-known grade of the world by passing a various geographical countries. In France and sometimes passing through neighboring countries with a distance of 3000 km. consumed more than 20 days of cycling. It was first organized by Henri Desgrange in 1903. The first winner was a French, Maurice Garin and the winner at the present time in 2007 was Alberto Contador from Spain.





Due to the contest, “Tour de France” had many impressive viewers followed-up the race. Consequently, it was filmed in many cinemas by a distinguished director who received the Oscar Award and giant cinema company such as Paramount. This became the source of die-cast Renault R16. The car was made by Corgi in England between 1968 – 1972 by receiving a license from the Paramount Company, USA. The length of the car from front bumper to the camera lens in the back of the car was 11.9 cm. long. The wide was 3.7 cm. The height was 5.1 cm.







This Renault R16 had been added the area at the back in order to place the cinematograph and the cinematographer. There was a metal plate with Paramount logo on the top of the car. There was a driver sitting in the car. The wheels of the vehicle were made of tire. The hubs of the wheels were made of metal. The spare parts of the body were mainly made of metal including the cinematograph and a tripod. The lens of the cinematograph was made of crystal and could spin around as a real one, resulting it to be costly die-cast car. Its interesting story caused it to be required by many collectors.