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

JAMES BOND 007 - MERCEDES BENZ 'OCTOPUSSY"

During his escape from the baddies in Octopussy, Bond steals their Mercedes. With its tyres shredded, 007 steers it onto a railway track and uses the rims to slot onto the track, chasing the bomb carrying train. With seconds to go, he gets clear before the train hits it - naturally. This model has a nice deep glass finish to it. The model's little tricks include the boot and doors opening, plus it comes with a strip of rail track for you to remove the tyres and play James Bond for yourself. See more

VINTAGE GLORY FODEN C-TYPE STEAM WAGON

This is the Foden C Type steamer, and it’s a beautiful job. The front is very handsome, with the wheel to open the smoke box and various Foden signs being neatly done.

It comes is Tate & Lyle livery, as preserved by that company to replicate the Pease & Sons Fodens used by Henry Tate in the 1920s In fact AU6695 was originally owned by the Star Brewery, Nottingham. It was then owned by Foden itself, then by a stone company before being left idle until rescued by Tate & Lyle. The lettering is reproduced as on the preserved wagon.

The finish is well done, down to the solid tyres and various spare chains etc below the body. The rear of the model is largely plastic, but the careful spraying has ensured a good colour match and it looks like one die-cast moulding for the rear wagon sides, and higher body sides.

Inside it all looks like hard work to drive with various wheels and valves being neatly reproduced. There’s even planking on the underside of the cab roof.

CORGI 1/43 KOJACK'S BUICK

'Who loves ya, baby?'
If you've got the lollipop and the hairline's retreating swiftly, go the whole hog and buy Kojack's Buick. It's a re-release of an buy Kojack's Buick. It's a re-release of an old Corgi 70's favoutite, and now there's a white metal Kojak figure incorporated with the model, albeit a little over scale. He replaces the plastic Kojack and Crocker figures.
The brown Buick is the same moulding as ever, neatly finished with opening doors. The original colour of the model was a metallic dark brown; the new version is a more authentic light brown. However, there's a mystery surrounding the car that Kojak himself might not be able to fathom. The box says the model: 'was originally released in 1976 and included a mechanism recreating the sound of gun fire, which is still featured on this model.'
Either modern guns have better silencers than they did in 1976, or there is no mechanism on the new model. It used to be operated by a revolving toothed wheel at the rear of the car where the number plate should be, this produced a clicking gun noise. -- Model Collector See more

CHEVROLET NOMAD - BLUE & WHITE

The American Chevrolet Nomad of 1957 is a car that sums up an era. The Chevrolet Nomad was a station wagon model produced by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors. The Nomad is best remembered in its two-door 1955-57 form, and was considered a halo model during its three-year production as a two-door station wagon. Yat Ming's release in blue and white sums up the charms of a car you could get the kitchen sink in and drive huge distances. The chrome work is really nicely done, particularly the dramatic rear wings. Inside the seats and dash are again very good. See more

MAISTO 1/18 SCALE JAGUAR S TYPE

The Maisto 1/18th scale Jaguar S-Type captures the glamorous looks of the new saloon. Suffice it to say that in new limited edition metallic light lime green it is a hugely impressive as before. Really handsome detail touches make it the next best thing to owing a real one. See more

EFE 1/76 AEC 2RT2 - LONDON TRANSPORT

The first release of the newly-revised RT casting from EFE comes as one of the pre-war versions of the bus, in wartime livery, with single headlight and visibility markings. It captures the look of the vehicle very well. See more