Saturday, July 17, 2010

CORGI 1/43 ROVER MINI AND BMW MINI



The two cars depicted in this boxed set are two of the cars which took part in the 2004 Lord Mayor’s Show in the City of London. In this show the Mini Cooper Register supplied 45 cars, to celebrate 45 years of Mini – H314 AEC is a 1990 Rover Mini Cooper which actually led the Mini Cooper Register display of 45 cars in the 2004 Lord Mayor’s Show, as it did in 1994, 1996 and 2001. The most modern car is the September 2004 built New MINI ONE D, 8996 DF. This is the 4th time that the Mini Cooper Register has supported the Lord Mayor’s Show, the previous times being 1994, 1996 and 2001. Shop here

SCHUCO 1:43 MERCEDES-BENZ 170V WOOD FUELED


Bio fuels are nothing new. In the fuel-starved Germany of the 30’s and 40’s, “wood gasification” generators were fitted to cars when gasoline wasn’t available. This novel model replicates the burner affixed to the rear of a Mercedes-Benz 170 sedan, with plumbing to the front part of the device that fuels the engine. Completing the scene is an extra bag of wood slung over the right front fender. A fascinating model made all the more interesting because of its scarcity. Buy it now

Monday, July 12, 2010

VANGUARDS 1/43 BEDFORD S TYPE TANKER 'REGENT'


The Bedford has the oval tanker body and is finished in the red "REGENT" livery with front mounted ladder, which looks correct and is certainly not over-scale. The tank is all metal and is painted, avoiding the problem of trying to match the colour of plastic tank to metal parts. . In addition to admiring the basic model, look at the 'By Appoinment' coats of arms on the cab doors, which have been superbly printed. Buy it now

Saturday, July 10, 2010

SCHUCO 1:18 PORSCHE 356 A SPEEDSTER SILVER


The Porsche 356 was the company's first production automobile. It was a lightweight and nimble 2-door sports car available as coupe and convertible. Production started in 1948 in Austria and in 1950 the factory relocated to Germany. In 1955, after numerous changes, the 356A was introduced. Production continued until April 1965. Little noticed at its inception, the first 356s sold primarily in Europe, but by the early 1950s the 356 had gained renown among enthusiasts on both sides of the Atlantic. Like its cousin, the VW Beetle, the 356 was a four-cylinder, air-cooled, rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive car utilizing unitized pan and body construction. While the 356's body was an original design by Porsche, its engine, suspension and chassis were derived from the Beetle. However, Porsche quickly re-engineered and refined the car so by the late '50s many fewer parts were shared. Cabriolets were offered from the start, and in the early 1950s sometimes comprised over 50% of total production. One of the most desirable collector models is the 356 Speedster, introduced in late 1954. With its raked windshield, bucket seats and minimal folding top, the Speedster was an instant hit, especially in Southern California. Buy it now

Friday, July 9, 2010

HOT WHEELS 1/18 FERRARI F50


The Ferrari F50 is a high-performance Supercar, introduced in 1996 to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. The car is a two-door, two-seat convertible with a removable hardtop and has a 4.7L naturally aspirated sixty-valve V-12 engine that was developed from Ferrari's F1 powerplant. Only 349 cars were made, one less than Ferrari estimated they could sell.
This car has been superbly modelled by Hot Wheels in their ever increasing 1:18 scale Ferrari range. As we have said in the past in other Ferrari reviews, this model is excellent quality and extremely good value for the collector! Hot Wheels have captured the power and grace of these incredible machines, and of course the red paintwork and prancing horse speaks for itself!! Buy it now

Saturday, July 3, 2010

BRUMM 1/43 SIMCA D-DAY APERTA 1944


An interesting model has appeared on the Simca 5, in military guise as it would have appeared on D-Day in 1944. Perhaps the paint finish is a little too glossy in places, but pleasing touches are hooded healights (portrayed in black) and the fact that the seats actually tip forward. Buy it now

Friday, July 2, 2010

SCHUCO 1:43 VOLKSWAGEN T1 SERVICE VAN FOR JOHN DEERE-LANZ


The classic Volkswagen T1 Minibus was first produced in 1950 and continued to be made until 1967. Its duties ranged from functional to fun, seeing duty as delivery van, service truck, emergency vehicle, family car and getaway camper. With its low cost, high reliability and ease of maintenance, it was a hit with all its owners, but is probably best remembered as an iconic symbol of '60s counterculture. The VW van was among the first 'forward control' designs in which the driver was placed above the front wheels. Thanks to wind-tunnel testing, the Minibus was aerodynamically superior to the Beetle despite its slab-sided shape. Never known for its power, the Minibus started out with only an 1131cc engine making 25 hp. By the end of its production, engine displacement grew to 1.5 liters, producing a whopping 42 hp. No matter the size, however, the engines were always air-cooled, a VW hallmark. Buy it now

Monday, June 28, 2010

BRUMM 1/43 FIAT 508 'EIAR'


This is the Fiat 508C EIAR (Ente Italiano Audizioni Radiofoniche) of 1948. Once again a fairly basic car, but also again very well modelled. The casting is very thin, so although the glazing is not flush, it gives the appearance of being so. As always the general level of finish is to a high standard. Buy it now

SCHUCO 1/32 MERCEDES-BENZ TRAC 1800 TRACTOR




The MB Trac was developed by Mercedes-Benz from their Unimog truck platform. Mercedes built Trac’s from 1973 to1991 in a variety of configurations, and has since sold the design to another German company that continues to build them. The Unimog truck was originally intended as an agricultural platform, so in the early ‘70s Daimler Benz evolved the design into the MB Trac, aimed at larger scale farming. The new tractor crossed the Unimog technology of all-wheel drive and a robust power transmission to four large equal-sized wheels, with the appearance of a tractor: slim hood, with an angular, elevated driver cab. From the initial MB Trac, a broad product range developed, culminating in the heavy duty MT Trac 1800 Intercooler with 180 hp engine. When Daimler Benz ended production in 1991, 41,000 vehicles were produced, of which 30,000 are still in service. Buy it now

SCHUCO 1/43 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK


The Mercedes-Benz GLK is a compact luxury crossover released as a 2010 model in North America after its public debut at the 2008 Beijing Auto Show. It is built in Bremen, Germany, and its design has been heavily influenced by the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedans. A variety of engines and transmissions are available, as the GLK can be purchased with 4-wheel drive or conventional rear-wheel drive. Buy it now

CORGI 'GOLDEN OLDIES' : BEDFORD S 'SPRATT'S'


More of the 'Golden Oldies' have appeared, recalling the days when the colorful liveries on commercial vehicles appealed to the young toy-buying public.

Indeed, the Bedford S van comes along in Spratt's livery, which was always popular on the orinal Dinky Toy and certainly looks attractive in its lastes guise. This model has added silver trim for door handles, hinges, and so on. Buy it now

Friday, June 25, 2010

CMC 1/18 - 1954 MERCEDES RACING CAR TRANSPORTER DIECAST MODEL

1954 Mercedes Racing Car Transporter Diecast 1/18 Blue Die Cast Car Model by CMC


This is the 1954 Mercedes Benz Blue Wionder racing transporter. Super high quality and extreme detail, you will marvel for hours inspecting the accuracy and attention to the small detail that CMC is known for. This will be a prized addition to any 1:18 collection. Includes stainless steel ramps, detailed engine, authentic paint and interior. Dimensions approximately L-15, W-4.5, H-4.5 in.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

CORGI 1/50 THAMES TRADER BOX VAN 'FOX'S GLACIER MINTS'


A model series from Corgi sees the Thames Trader box van in the livery of Fox's Glacier Mints. The deep blue with white roof highlights the pleasing Fox's livery perfectly. See more

Sunday, June 20, 2010

SIKU 1/55 MERCEDES 'FAUN' REFUSE TRUCK


This is a very nice model of a Mercedes Benz-mounted 'Faun' refuse truck. The 'business end' of the model has a revolving 'compactor', lifting rear end, sliding inner wall, tipping body and, of course, a 'wheelie' bin. It has great 'play' value and it really quite good looking -change the plastic wheels and do a little judicious detailing and this could pass for a much more expensive diecast. Shop here

Matchbox Models of Yesteryear Y-18C 1918 Atkinson Steam Lorry

    Matchbox Models of Yesteryear Y-18C 1918 Atkinson Steam Lorry was made in England by Matchbox International in 1986. It is 11 cm long an...