CONTENTS of the print edition
Model Auto Review 223
Publication 7 June 200804 Cars in colour 07 Ford Consul Classic-Capri Dave Turner, UK 10 Ertl Force One: 4 Harvey Goranson, USA 12 Mikansue Jowetts John Hanson, UK 13 British model car collectors corner: 14 Ron Gersbank, South Africa 16,17 Cars centre spread 18 Letters 19 Competitions 20 Techno Classica Hans-Georg Schmitt, Germany 21 News DecoArt, Alezan 24 Land Rover John Quilter, USA Truckstop 26 Book Reviews Captions to page 29 27 Kit Review Geoff Sear, South Africa, Club News Contributions to MAR 29 Buses and emergency in colour
EDITORIAL
by Rod WardANOTHER RETIREMENT
Bernie and Graham DuCros tell me that they have finally decided to retire from the business that began in Reading as Gems & Cobwebs over 30 years ago. For many years they have been manufacturing 1:43 white metal handbuilt models in Cornwall under the Milestone Miniatures, Brooklands, 43rd Street and other range titles. The business is now for sale, as they hope to enjoy some well-earned retirement. If you are an interested buyer, you can contact them at gemscobwebs@freeuk.com
BASE TOYS AND BRITBUS
During the recent serious illness of Don Craggs, his two 1:76 scale diecast ranges were looking for a new home. Now, with the sad death of their founder and owner, the future of Chinese-made Base Toys and Britbus is still uncertain at the time of going to press.
HORNBY BUY CORGI CLASSICS
Youngsters is a buying group for UK toyshops, enabling small retailers to combine their orders to the big toy companies. Youngsters went into administrative receivership in April. KPMG were appointed as administrators by Barclays Bank, following 'credit problems'.
CORGI INTERNATIONAL
On 1 May Corgi International sold the Corgi diecast business to Hornby Hobbies Ltd for £7.5m. The sale includes the Corgi Classics brand, tooling and intellectual property rights. They also bought remaining Corgi inventory for £800,000. Last year, Corgi Classics generated sales of £6.5m, but did not report profitability as a separate entity, 'constrained by a shortage of working capital'. Corgi International will continue with its PopCo and Master Replicas activities, and will change its name to a new one. 50% of the workforce will go, but up to ten will be retained in Leicester. Hornby also acquired the Bassett-Lowke name as part of the purchase. Hornby intend to invest £750k per year 'to expand Corgi from its core market of British adult male collectors to a younger overseas market', by way of licensed product such as Harry Potter and Thomas the Tank Engine.
OUR SUMMER BREAK
There will be the customary seven-week gap until MAR 224 appears, to allow us a couple of weeks annual break, so don't pester your usual stockist; MAR 224 will appear in mid-July. Not for us the extended holidays we hear about from readers; a world cruise, sloping off to the holiday cottage for three months or the transcontinental tour of a lifetime. We'll just take a fortnight in the south-west of England to recharge the batteries and maybe produce a painting or two. Biggles the bearded collie (now 13 years old) is in for a shock. He'll be expected to take some mild exercise instead of sleeping for his customary 23 hours a day.
AUTO REVIEW BOOKS
The latest Auto Review book is now available, a Jaguar Album. Another appeal: among Auto Review books currently in preparation are Electric Vehicles, Riley, Speedboats, Jowett, Standard, Daimler (+ Lanchester and BSA), British motorcycles, Wolseley, Sunbeam (+ Talbot), pedal cycles (incl mopeds) and Vauxhall. If you have illustrations (your own photos, adverts, brochures etc) or personal anecdotes to offer, please send them to me as soon as possible for inclusion in these future publications.
MORE OXFORD PLANS
News from Oxford on future releases:Oxford Automobile Company
A new range of 1:43 diecast British cars from the 1930s to the 1970s, for release August-September onwards. First releases will be a Daimler DS420 limousine in white (wedding anyone?) and a Daimler DS420 hearse in black. Next will come a Jaguar Mark VIIM saloon in birch grey and its Worcestershire Constabulary police car equivalent in black. All variants of this family of Jaguar saloons will be produced eventually, Mark VII, Mark VIIM, Mark VIII and Mark IX. More British classic cars are at various development stages, to be released at a rate of four or five cars per year.Oxford Haulage Company
Oxford's new 1:76 scale modern truck range started in April-May with Scania R Topline artics in famous liveries including Prestons, Richards, Campbell, Wilson, Fagan & Whalley, Pollock Scotrans, Jones, Tinnelly, Robinson and Mulgrew. A Nooteboom heavy haulage eight axle low load trailer, a DAF 105 and a DAF FTGXF will be added in June.Oxford 1:76 (00 model railway) scale
Aready available in 1:76 scale: Jaguar E Type, Jaguar XK120, MGB, Morris Minor Convertible open or closed, Morris Minor Traveller, Ford Cortina Mark I, Ford Cortina Mark II and Bedford TK British Rail Signalling Van.These 1:76 models will be released next: Fordson tractor, Wales & Edwards milk float, Series 1 Land Rover, Morris Eight Tourer, Jowett Javelin, Standard Vanguard I and TX4 Taxi in May. Triumph Mayflower, Ford Popular E93A and Morris Oxford III in June.
Future 1:76 releases include Jaguar Mark VII saloon, Jaguar Mark II saloon, MGA, MG TC, BMC J2 Paralanian motor caravan, Bedford CA van, J2 milk float and CA milk float.
There will also be a Bedford TK fire appliance and Scammell Scarab mechanical horse (prewar and postwar types) with rigid or artic dustcart, dropside and flat bed bodies.Oxford 1:43 scale
Recently released: TX4 Taxi, Land Rover Series 1 80 inch wheelbase. New: Land Rover Series 1 88 inch and 109 inch wheelbase; various versions, Vauxhall Vectra Rally car BTCC winner 2007 May (2008 Vectra later). BMC J2 minibus Bartons, plus many new liveries on existing commercial vehicles in the range in June.Future ranges
Oxford will launch another new range (currently codenamed Scorpion) in October.
No details can be released yet, but it is in an different field from the current ranges. For those who still like the ‘traditional’ Oxford products, such as the Bullnose van, there will in future be a 1:76 scale version of this model, suitable for vintage era railway layouts and for promotional purposes.
TECHNO CLASSICA 2008
By Hans-Georg SchmittAt the end of March the world’s biggest indoor classic car show was held in Essen, when Techno Classica celebrated its 20th anniversary. 165,000 people visited the 12 halls in spite of an admission fee of €20, plus €10 for the catalogue and €10 for parking; €40 total (over £33). It seemed that every surviving Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing coupe and Roadster was in Essen. A Ferrari California Spider was sold for €1.5m, a 1913 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Tourer for €840,000 and a Bugatti Atalante for €695,000. Many of the free-spending buyers came from America and Asia.
A number of car manufacturers were present, but some were only represented by their clubs. Daimler AG had a bigger stall than last year, but more cheaply fitted out. Their highlight was a demonstration of the restoration of a Mercedes-Benz 600 saloon. Their main competitor BMW only had a modest information desk, but after sacking 8,000 employees they couldn’t be seen to be squandering money on show stands. Hall 7 was mainly occupied by Volkswagen group: Audi, Seat, Skoda and VW. The trophy for the best club stand went to the Trabi friends of Niederrhein. As in previous years, some special fair models were offered, all pictured in the print edition of MAR.
DECO ART DELAGE
SWith so many 1:43 ranges closing down or subsiding towards closure it is good to hear from John Simons of Marsh Models of a new 1:43 white metal handbuilt range he is making in conjunction with Model Assemblies. DecoArt will include stylish and elegant cars of the 1920s and 1930s. The first model in the new DecoArt range, DA01, is a Delage D8-120 Aerosport, available handbuilt only, no kits. Sorry about the small photo, by the way.
Reminder: if you send us news items for reproduction in MAR, please ensure that digital photo files are big enough to reproduce in print form. Files reduced in size for use on the internet are rarely large enough for use.
ALEZAN'S OVER-POWERED ALFA
The latest 1:43 handbuilt model in the Alezan Collector range is AC23 Alfa Sprint Giocattolo from 1986, which was powered by a five litre Holden V8 engine! Only 200 models made.
Book Reviews
Tinplate Toy cars of the 1950s and 1960s from Japan by Andrew Ralston. Paper-bound 160 pages. 250x250mm 173 photos. Veloce Publishing Ltd., 33 Trinity St, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1TT UK. Tel: 01305 260068. ISBN 978-1-845841-26-3. £24.99 UK, $49.95 USA
Andrew's name will be familiar to MAR readers, as will the quality of Veloce’s books. Many will also know of Bruce Sterling’s collection in New York, from which 150 examples are pictured here, all in mint condition, and with their boxes. Japanese tin cars are very desirable, and here we have examples of all the major toy makers, with their Cadillacs, Chevrolets, Buicks, Packards and many other makes. I usually whinge about full-page photos, but that is when they are bigger than life size. Here are big pictures, but much smaller than the real tin toy. Andrew provides a concise caption for each item, on the original vehicle, the Japanese toymaker and the toy. In addition he gives a price category. If you have Japanese tinplate cars in your collection, or if you would like to have them (and who doesn’t?), you’ll find this book fascinating.
Rod WardHistorische Autobusse by Frank van Boogert, photos by Herman Scholten, originally published in in Dutch, now with German text. Published by and available from Heel Verlag, Gut Pottscheidt, 53639 Königswinter, Germany. Tel: 02223 9230-0. 128 pages, 347 colour photos. Hardbound 220 x 300mm. ISBN 978-3-89880-912-2. €19.95
This book pictures and describes buses from the 1950s and 1960s. Many were scrapped at the end of their lives, but some of them were rescued and have since been restored; vehicles from Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the USA.
Hans-Georg SchmittK&R KIT REVIEW By Geoff Sear
K&R Replicas have produced another winner, the MG Magnette ZB Varitone. The kit consists of about 40 parts which go together with the minimum of effort. Flash is minimal. Internal door handles, window winders, armrests etc are quite delicate and need quite a bit of care when assembling. The vac-formed windows are a nice snug fit, but like all kits they need a steady hand when trimming. I only had two small problems with mine; the steering wheel sits too low and fouls the driver’s seat, so a small V had to be filed in the dashboard to make it fit correctly. The front wheels did not fit centrally in the wheel arches, they were too far back. The securing bracket had to have the axle groove moved slightly forward to get the right effect. A small length of plastic had to be epoxied onto the baseplate to control the forward/backward movement of the axle. Shut lines and ride height are perfect. This kit is not for a builder with limited experience, but will appeal to builders who enjoy building a kit with a minimum of fuss and to all collectors of the MG marque. Highly recommended
CLUB NEWS - Collated by Rod Ward
Snippets gleaned from club publications:
In Wheel Bearings, the Maidenhead Static Model Club journal, Chairman John Ward notes that as the Club has now entered its 39th year, the 40th Anniversary is not far away. He invites suggestions from members as to how to mark it. The MSMC is also looking for a publicity officer, as newsletter editor Cliff Maddock has had to handle both tasks of late. If you would like to join the MSMC in time for their fifth decade, or to give them some publicity, contact Alan Simpson on 01494 813903. In Wheel Nuts, the South Hants Model Auto Club journal, I am reminded of their sterling work taking model displays to shows and thus publicising the hobby. This time it was Race Retro 2008 at Stoneleigh. Contact Dave Painter on 01264 366408 for membership details
On contributions to MAR
We are pleased that we are still having articles and pictures offered by readers for publication in MAR, though more are welcome, especially if they are informative, well-illustrated and of interest to a wide readership.
It can take a while for some articles to make it into the magazine, now that we have less space available. In particular, we have a number of articles on hand which are personal reminiscences of what collecting was like in the ‘good old days’. If we have space in the future, these will be published, but we don’t need any more on that topic for now, thank you. I also repeat a note we have had in these pages previously: With so many fellow collectors going to the Great Swapmeet in the Sky, we do not publish obituaries or tributes (sorry), otherwise the magazine would be filled with them. News, features and photographs on other subjects are welcomed.
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