Shite in Miniature II

[bunglebus]

38 minutes ago, 155V6 said:

With the original wheels,it reminds me of the Playart version

That's got some serious aerodynamic mods to the grille and headlights! 

[FakeConcern]

39 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Didn't know about those.  It seems they named that one Travel Trailer (because Americans) 2007-14 and in that livery was part of the 2011 range Camping Adventure 5-pack

What struck was the door was on the offside, for 'driving on the right' roads (because Americans).   I wonder if it's based on a real twin axle design

 

So a comparison with proper DRIVING ON THE LEFT Matchbox Caravan history was thought overdue, so starting with...

The Berkeley Cavalier, 1956-60 and had a door on each side, each sealed shut

 

The 1960-64 Bluebird Dauphine had one door, which was an OPENING THING !

 

1965-69 Trailer Caravan had not an opening door, but a LIFT-OFF ROOF with VERANDAH!  Not sure if based on a real thing.

1971-82 Trailer Caravan was a model of an Eccles, same theme of no opening door and a lift-off roof with a detailed interior within

1978-99 Caravan is the only one I remember from youth.  Opening door was plastic this time

 

2000-12 Pop Up Camper, not an opening thing but a POPPING-UP THING

 

Then it goes awry for 2007-14 Travel Trailer by switching to LHD market focus and also only in twin and five-packs, never singles.  Does have opening door though

2021-current Travel Trailer II  also in Hitch & Haul twin-packs.  Similar to Travel Trailer  but shortened and with one axle.  Does it have an opening door still though?

 

Anyway.  WHO HAS WHAT in their collection?

It's no good asking which caravans we have when it's pitch black and pissing with rain!

I'm sure we do not have the MB Pop Up Camper and now need one, also the Hitch & Haul single axle is missing from the summer house.

Found a pic of the late MB Travel Trailer...

[155V6]

18 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

That's got some serious aerodynamic mods to the grille and headlights! 

The grille does look like it should sit a bit more upright,but I'm not going to fiddle with it as I'd probably break it 😕

[quicksilver]

49 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Didn't know about those.  It seems they named that one Travel Trailer (because Americans) 2007-14 and in that livery was part of the 2011 range Camping Adventure 5-pack

What struck was the door was on the offside, for 'driving on the right' roads (because Americans).   I wonder if it's based on a real twin axle design

 

So a comparison with proper DRIVING ON THE LEFT Matchbox Caravan history was thought overdue, so starting with...

The Berkeley Cavalier, 1956-60 and had a door on each side, each sealed shut

 

The 1960-64 Bluebird Dauphine had one door, which was an OPENING THING !

 

1965-69 Trailer Caravan had not an opening door, but a LIFT-OFF ROOF with VERANDAH!  Not sure if based on a real thing.

1971-82 Trailer Caravan was a model of an Eccles, same theme of no opening door and a lift-off roof with a detailed interior within

1978-99 Caravan is the only one I remember from youth.  Opening door was plastic this time

 

2000-12 Pop Up Camper, not an opening thing but a POPPING-UP THING

 

Then it goes awry for 2007-14 Travel Trailer by switching to LHD market focus and also only in twin and five-packs, never singles.  Does have opening door though

2021-current Travel Trailer II  also in Hitch & Haul twin-packs.  Similar to Travel Trailer  but shortened and with one axle.  Does it have an opening door still though?

 

Anyway.  WHO HAS WHAT in their collection?

I have all the Lesney-era ones, mostly bought cheaply in a poor state, restored and painted white, which looks more realistic than the weird colours Lesney chose.

And this Travel Trailer, soon to be joined by the ex-bunglebus one above.

[egg]

Oh no,  there's a red Citroen Ami to get....

[bunglebus]

I need one of those Matchbox pop-up camper things

It's part of a set with a Beetle and split bus - used to have the whole lot but it went AWOL years ago

[FakeConcern]

Ha ve a few of these...

[155V6]

10 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

Ha ve a few of these...

I saw the beige version at the car boot this morning,but left it as it had hardly any paint left.I do have these ones to hand

 

 

[Datsuncog]

I've had a few early Lesney caravans come and go over the years, but the only one I have to hand these days is the late '70s No.31 Caravan:

Never owned one of these until I bought this example in June; I just felt I was unlikely to ever find a better one, and a fiver didn't seem too outrageous.

Obtained from the market at the same time as the similarly boxed RR Shadow II.

Quite the rig, you'll agree...

Out of the way, peasants...

[Datsuncog]

4 hours ago, FakeConcern said:

Have a few of these...

That's fantastic - and all you need to do is put up a little sign on the lawn saying 'Earwig Holiday Park - Rentals Available', and you'll be coining it in before you know it...

[Jon]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

That's got some serious aerodynamic mods to the grille and headlights! 

I've just sorted through my messy garage archives and pulled out this artefact:

Given to my Dad, when my parents replaced the second hand family 145 with a second hand 245, I think in Germany (hence sticker top right - I have the matching keyring, somewhere). 

Despite being too young to witness the 145 and also too young to even remember the 245 before it was replaced with one of the very first Cavalier estates, I pored over this brochure, when given it some years later.

 

(Tiny image sorry, as full image was displaying upside down, despite editing right way up)

 

Anyway, this is a roundabout way to say I reckon the Volvo Experimental Safety Car was the influence to the front end styling.

Yes, thats definitely the answer and not just clumsy casting by the PlayArt crew. Indeed, they even added extra massive wheels, presumably to keep pedestrians safe by driving entirely over them.

Anyone have a ropey version to recreate a VESC?

[bunglebus]

I wish, never found one! 

But I do have an Alme so that's alright 

[quicksilver]

Ooof, a 1/18 scale Carmine Red Maxi!

https://diecast-madness.co.uk/shop/ols/products/cml152-3

200 quid though. Not that long ago you could buy a real one for that.

[Jon]

7 minutes ago, quicksilver said:

Ooof, a 1/18 scale Carmine Red Maxi!

https://diecast-madness.co.uk/shop/ols/products/cml152-3

200 quid though. Not that long ago you could buy a real one for that.

Glad that such an item exists but I do wonder how many people will shell out that much dosh for one. 

Also, the 3/4 views are not that convincing...

A bit too squashed and overly square curves, by my eye. That said, I don't have one in my garage, so hard to reference.

And those personally irking post-2001 plates, with odd spacing.

I honestly think one of your 1:76(?) versions are far more convincing!

[Split_Pin]

11 minutes ago, Jon said:

Glad that such an item exists but I do wonder how many people will shell out that much dosh for one. 

Also, the 3/4 views are not that convincing...

A bit too squashed and overly square curves, by my eye. That said, I don't have one in my garage, so hard to reference.

And those personally irking post-2001 plates, with odd spacing.

I honestly think one of your 1:76(?) versions are far more convincing!

I agree, the little Oxford version is lovely. I bought one in this colour as it's the same as a neighbours example which was used as a van, OHS65V. I coveted that car.

[quicksilver]

I agree there's something not quite right about it that I can't put my finger on. The mirrors are too big and I think the wheelarches and sills stick out a bit too much. It's a pretty good effort but not quite good enough for a £200 model.

The little Oxford isn't quite right either. I think it's too straight and doesn't droop enough towards the rear but that's much less noticeable in such a small scale. It looks much better with the inside of the window frames painted black as I did on this one.

[flat4alfa]

Did someone say Majorette caravans?  No?  Must be my head talking to itself again

200, 300 and R-series etc (around 1:65 scale) saw these:

 

1966 Sterckeman Lovely with sealed door, in two-packs with Citroen DS

 

Late-1960s-early-70s Digue Baronette GT with opening inward door, in two-packs with Chrysler 180, BMW 3.0 CSI, Peugeot 504

 

1970s Sterckeman Lovely 400 with opening door(?), in two-packs 'Super Tandems' with Chrysler 180, VW K70

1977-85 Caravane St-Tropez with opening door(?), found in two-packs with Simca 1100, Ford Capri, Renault 18

1983-01 Caravane ...now that is a long run of 18 years! Opening door, found in two-packs with Peugeot 604, Mercedes 450 SE, Ford Sierra, Ford Mustang, Volkswagen Golf (Mk III), Toyota Runner, Renault Kangoo and big Pinder Circus set

 

1977-79 / 1998-99 Caravane Residentielle with opening door, skylight and rear window. Showing a full-furnished interior, Le Manoir de Roi!  Found as singles or in the big Pinder Circus set

 

2018-21 ERIBA Puck with opening door, found in two-packs with either Volkswagens Beetle, T1 or T3

2018-21 Airstream Sport with opening door, found in two-packs with either Volkswagens Beetle, T1 or Ford F-150

 

There was also the larger 1:36 scale Serie 3000 from around 1980.  Opening door as you would expect, in two-pack with Chevrolet Blazer, later 'Super Movers' with Range Rover

[bunglebus]

On 09/10/2023 at 13:20, bunglebus said:

American Editions 33 Willys for a start. There are a couple of variations on this one, mainly black or silver bases - I managed to ruin my silver base while trying to clean a mark off the roof, which irritated me enough to buy this one. I had the black base version when I was young so it has a special place in the collection 

Guess what? I put this away and realised it was my black base version that I ruined cleaning the roof! So:

Oh and they both have the "STREEY ROD" text on the base - I think they eventually corrected this

[flat4alfa]

34 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Oh and they both have the "STREEY ROD" text on the base - I think they eventually corrected this

It seems they were still stamping it as STREEY as late as 1997!

It gets better though, the initial England production had it as STREEI

See http://www.cfalkensteiner.com/Matchbox/Catalog/MI/MI001-200/MI108/ChF-MI108.htm

[bunglebus]

Wait there's a black one?

I have the white and some other versions

 

[flat4alfa]

Only got early Macau grey base one here and it will stop there.  Don't want this one for sure

[flat4alfa]

9 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Wait there's a black one?

It was a 1990 Kelloggs promotional, likely USA only.  All UK got was the four Kelloggs Model A Vans.

USA also got this a mainline

[bunglebus]

Dinky 190 Caravan

Fake Maisto copy thing

THIS

Hongwell

Corgi Juniors

Barlux

Superkings K6

Matchbox 57 Eccles

Less common colour Matchbox

Majorette Airstream

Siku teardrop

 

[sheffcortinacentre]

The K6 is a really good representation of a late 70's Europa ( 70's caravan geek)  model/toy static caravans are very scarce, anyone have/know of any?

[ETCHY]

8 hours ago, Jon said:

Glad that such an item exists but I do wonder how many people will shell out that much dosh for one. 

Also, the 3/4 views are not that convincing...

A bit too squashed and overly square curves, by my eye. That said, I don't have one in my garage, so hard to reference.

And those personally irking post-2001 plates, with odd spacing.

I honestly think one of your 1:76(?) versions are far more convincing!

It's too "flat" & touch too wide. I like it though but not at that price.

[Split_Pin]

I am less than a fan of 1/1 caravans but the smol ones above are just great! I currently only have the one, a Corgi Juniors paired with a yellow SD1 but my Majorette cars are now crying out for one! The Superkings example is lovely and would go well with my Jaguar XJ6. 

[sierraman]

I am yet to see the advantage in touring caravan holidays but I’ve got a Havens site worth in the loft, I’ll take a look later. 

[danthecapriman]

Here’s my current continental touring rig!

The only other caravan I’ve got is a little Matchbox common one, which has had a cooking accident and been on fire! I did that as a kid stupidly but it didn’t really ‘take’ and for some reason I kept the caravan.

[quicksilver]

Majorette Caravane Residentielle with added aircon covering the hole where the sunroof broke off. It's far too big for the quoted 1/100 scale and more like 1/76.

Modified Majorette Camping Car Deluxe. Majorette had trouble scaling their caravans as this one is too small for 1/60.

 

[Jon]

I know there's one or two of you on here that like a bit of unusual Matchbox and/or Sierra castings, so here's one I wasn't aware of:

My First Matchbox/ELC(?) version.

 

Yellow wheels on the yellow XR4x4 also, but they could be painted (especially as the spoiler looks to have come off the grey version).

 

Made in China, apparently. Should this be some almighty holy grail item, these are on Trademe right now, so I can bid if anyone's keen. I'm guessing not, so posted here more for curio interest.