SIKU 1/55 MEGA LIFTER

Siku is a quality heavy duty mobile crane. The end of 1999 saw the release of the Siku Mega Lifter in 1/55th scale. This quite remarkable toy would be something for any child to cherish, as it is, it is a quality model and a worthy addition to any collection.

The three stage telescopic boom extends to 97cm which makes this particular crane one of Siku's largest to date. With lockable rams and manual winding of the cable are among many of the working features.

The operator cab extends outwards for better vision swivelling through 360 degrees with the boom. The lorry chassis has been used before on other model mobile cranes, which features extendible outriggers with levelling feet. Overall an excellent model from Siku. Buy it now

VITESSE 1/43 CITROEN 2CV - 1948

The first production 2CV was a fascinating looking machine, complete with a stylish grille, louvered bonnet and suicide doors. Vittess's model of this machine is extremely well done, you can almost sink into those hammock seats. Very nicely detailed early 2CV from Vitesse. Buy it now.

CORGI: KARRIER TROLLEYBUS 'IPSWICH'

The Karrier W Trolleybus is available in the green and pale cream of Ipswich. With differing tampo-printed advertisements on the nearside and offside, and with extremely well printed coats of arms on both sides, it is a pity that the front advertisements and destination board are in the form of a label. Buy it now.

DIE-CAST MODEL 1/18 MG MGB GT (1975)

The MGB was and still is a automotive Icon of the 20th century and was a sports car ahead of it's time. There was nothing cutting-edge about it's drive-line in that it was rear wheel drive with leaf springs mounted on the live rear axel. But the sporty bodyshape is timeless and still looks modern some 35 years on , which was no mean feat. This version is of the 'Rubber Bumper' USA federal model which became a standard bodystyle. B.L could not afford to keep the chrome bumpered model in production alongside the 'Rubber' version. This was forced on the company due to new stringent rules for the USA which was MG's major market. Also the suspension was raised by crude steel wedges under the struts again due to lack of money !. This killed the sharp handling of the little car and the heavy bumpers also damaged the top speed and fuel consupmtion. To my eyes I like the look as it did modernise the 'B' for the late 1970's until 1981 when Abingdon closed it's doors. B.L's failer was to not modernise the MGB so sales slowly tailed off until the bitter end. Then when Micheal Edwards took control of the company MG was not part of the grand recovery plan set in motion in 1979. This is a fine model though I don't like the lurid colour at all but I suppose it's very 1970's ?. The suspension is too low for this type of MGB but with some work it can be raised as I have done. All in all this is a great model of a classic sports car little seen on the roads today.--NEO "Daren" Buy it now

SOLIDO 1/43 TUCKER IN METALLIC BLUE

The 1948 Tucker has arrived, initially in metallic blue or metallic red, although six other colours are promised over the next three months, with all eight colours being available as a 'set' in the autumn.

While the general shape of this distinctive car has been well captured, with well executed windscreen wipers, the interior looks a little basic, particularly the dashborad area. pleasing touch is the front passenger window being shown slightly open. This is good value for its 1/43 scale

MATCHBOX ACCESSORY PACK NO.2 THE BEDFORD CAR TRANSPORTER

Accessory Pack No.2, released in 1957, was an articulated Bedford Car Transporter. This model was able to carry four Matchbox cars, two on the lower deck and two on the upper. In these early days of Matchbox toys there were no hinged deck or ramps, so there was no obvious way of loading and unloading cars on the upper deck. The Bedford Car Transporter is the most interesting of the Matchbox Accessory Packs as far as variations are concerned, not least because it exists in a rare colour version and was also the Accessory pack model which had the longest production run (and therefore more opportunity for variations).

The first version had metal wheels fifted in common with other Matchbox vehicles of the time, although the wheels were larger than those fiftted to any other model, excepting the Yesteryear series. The sides of the transporter trailer were decorated with the words “Matchbox” Car Transporter’ applied with a printing process unlike other Matchbox models (which had decals at this time). Earlier issues had the lettering much wider spaced than later versions, the overall length being 50mm rather than 37mm.

A WORLD OF BUS TOYS AND MODELS

Whether you are interested in toy vehicles or real buses, this book offers a feast for the eyes. An astounding array of model buses from some 20 nations - diecast, plastic, tin-plate, and cardboard - awaits you; the material is extremely captivating. But beware, if you do not already collect model buses, you may find yourself doing so after perusing this book. Also included are many antique and rare models one doesn't see all the time. Granted, not every model is included and the survey could be a little stronger regarding models from the former Soviet Union. Nevertheless, this book has a lot to offer and I heartily recommend it to anyone with more than a passing interest in buses. --Daniel L. Berek Buy it now