Shite in Miniature II

[quicksilver]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

Yes, I'd been looking on the Oxford Diecast website and wondered why there was no mention of Gumdrop... a failure to agree licencing terms seems to be the most likely explanation, in the same way the Bodie & Doyle Capris made by Vanguards couldn't be sold using the trademarked Professionals name or logos. For collectors, it was just a case of 'if you know, you know' - understanding what the body colours and registrations represented.

In fact, I think Oxford pulled a similar move not that long ago with the 'Only Fools And Horses' Crayford Cortina MkII - no reference to the show anywhere on the website or packaging (although, given the vast amount of OFAH tat clogging up Home Bargains, I don't think it would have been all that difficult to licence the name) but a readily identifiable car all the same, based on registration and paintwork.

I guess if you own a classic or vintage car and it's regularly displayed at shows, as Biro's Austin 12 was, there's no reason a manufacturer couldn't view photographs and decide to make a model of it - indeed, I don't think you'd be able to stop anyone making and selling a model of your car, so long as there were no trademark infringement issues.

Must ask Cog Minor, he's the one who works in IP law...

Oxford have done that a lot and made several TV character cars that never make any reference to the show yet have the correct reg. Examples I know of include:

• Red/black Jaguar Mk2 (Inspector Morse)
• Bronze Ford Consul (The Sweeney)
• Silver and gold Mk3 Capris (The Professionals)
• White Mk2 Capri (Minder)
• Blue Reliant Supervan and lime green Mini with black bonnet (both Mr Bean)

On the other hand, there are a few explictly sold as TV vehicles like the brown VW bus specifically labelled as Dennis's from Auf Wiedersehen Pet. I suppose it depends on how much effort and expense they want to put in to getting the licence. That no doubt explains why they've never done the Reliant Supervan in Trotters livery as it's too obvious to be claimed as a generic model.

[bunglebus]

I ordered some more wheels from Creative 164 as they had a deal on - some of these are for current projects, some I just ordered for stock

Three different RS four spokes and they're all different!

[MiniMinorMk3]

1 hour ago, quicksilver said:

Oxford have done that a lot and made several TV character cars that never make any reference to the show yet have the correct reg. Examples I know of include:

• Red/black Jaguar Mk2 (Inspector Morse)
• Bronze Ford Consul (The Sweeney)
• Silver and gold Mk3 Capris (The Professionals)
• White Mk2 Capri (Minder)
• Blue Reliant Supervan and lime green Mini with black bonnet (both Mr Bean)

On the other hand, there are a few explictly sold as TV vehicles like the brown VW bus specifically labelled as Dennis's from Auf Wiedersehen Pet. I suppose it depends on how much effort and expense they want to put in to getting the licence. That no doubt explains why they've never done the Reliant Supervan in Trotters livery as it's too obvious to be claimed as a generic model.

Or maybe Hornby have an exclusive deal.

[MiniMinorMk3]

The R5 Turbo is done.

 

I did have another go at the rear lights. They still look a bit iffy in the pictures.

But that's me done with it.

As I have two of these lying about here's a bit of a before and after comparison.

Those front decals look like an impatient 8 year old me stuck them on!

[Remspoor]

4 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

David Soul died this week, RIP. 

5 wives, 6 children, 7 grand children, 1 Suzuki Liana. Lived his last 20 years in Hampstead, London, married to a lady 30 years his junior and became a British Citizen (which seems to been left off the news reports) 

So what of that iconic 1975/76 Ford Gran Torino 2-door coupe that he stated drove badly 

Hornby's Scalextric slot car alongside Corgi diecast effort we grew up with

Rough scale calculation

Cor, what a bloater in real life.  However, that was David Starsky's car... 

The Kenneth Hutchinson character car was a '73 Galaxie 500, dressed to look older and shabbier.  Stunt cars used to wreck were LTD and Custom 500.  Having the 460ci, it would have been quicker off the line compared to 351ci Torino. The Hutch character said in the show it was faster

Must get a model of one of those now

But what about the car Hutchinson replaced it with after his last Galaxie (he had two, looking identical - one rolled down a cliff, the other was blown up).  It was a '54 Nash Metropolitan named 'Belle' 

So that makes two cars to find models of.  Then Huggy's car..  Slope slippery. 

Go on you know you must.....

https://www.minicar.es/index.php?link=articulos&buscar=buscar_cadena&cadena=Starsky&orden=precio&c_pelicula=starsky-hutch&orden=precio&offset=0

[quicksilver]

23 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Or maybe Hornby have an exclusive deal.

But Oxford are owned by Hornby so any such deal would probably cover them, not that Hornby seem too bothered about such things. I know they recently got in a lot of trouble for announcing an unlicensed Titfield Thunderbolt train set shortly after Rapido acquired the rights, and had to cancel it.

[flat4alfa]

36 minutes ago, Remspoor said:

Go on you know you must.....

https://www.minicar.es/index.php?link=articulos&buscar=buscar_cadena&cadena=Starsky&orden=precio&c_pelicula=starsky-hutch&orden=precio&offset=0

That list has the Galaxie missing?  Was expecting Greenlight to have covered it though

List is also missing the Greenlight 1:18 Torino.  Not that I want any more, oh no

[flat4alfa]

21 minutes ago, quicksilver said:

But Oxford are owned by Hornby

Only since August 2021

It seems their Austin Heavy Twelve has been available since 2014

No longer offering the Airways Blue variation plated PR 6719 is telling though

[Remspoor]

28 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

That list has the Galaxie missing?  Was expecting Greenlight to have covered it though

List is also missing the Greenlight 1:18 Torino

The later is here. https://cochesdemetal.es/busqueda?s=Starsky+%26+Hutch

[MiniMinorMk3]

1 hour ago, quicksilver said:

But Oxford are owned by Hornby so any such deal would probably cover them, not that Hornby seem too bothered about such things. I know they recently got in a lot of trouble for announcing an unlicensed Titfield Thunderbolt train set shortly after Rapido acquired the rights, and had to cancel it.

I don't think Oxford are owned by Hornby...

I think they are a stand alone company

 

[ETCHY]

6 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

 

Gumdrop has passed me by aswell. It is odd as teh first one was written in 1966, with a new book coming out every year until 1971. At that time I was reading the original Thomas the Tank Engines from the library, and some of the Ladybird Janet and John stuff.

I do still have a book I got as a kid called "The little car" written by Leila Berg (that has a yellow Austin 7 in it).
I can see me now looking for Gumdrop books !

[quicksilver]

8 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

I don't think Oxford are owned by Hornby...

I think they are a stand alone company

 

Oxford are definitely owned by Hornby since August 2021 but seem to have been maintained as a separate company with a high level of independence. Lyndon 'Taff' Davies, founder of Oxford, became CEO of Hornby after the takeover and this was widely reported at the time.

https://www.keymodelworld.com/article/hornby-acquires-oxford-diecast

  

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

 

No longer offering the Airways Blue variation plated PR 6719 is telling though

 

I wouldn't read too much into that. Most of their older releases are out of production and no longer available.

[ETCHY]

6 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

David Soul died this week, RIP. 

5 wives, 6 children, 7 grand children, 1 Suzuki Liana. Lived his last 20 years in Hampstead, London, married to a lady 30 years his junior and became a British Citizen (which seems to been left off the news reports) 

So what of that iconic 1975/76 Ford Gran Torino 2-door coupe that he stated drove badly 

Hornby's Scalextric slot car alongside Corgi diecast effort we grew up with

Rough scale calculation

Cor, what a bloater in real life.  However, that was David Starsky's car... 

The Kenneth Hutchinson character car was a '73 Galaxie 500, dressed to look older and shabbier.  Stunt cars used to wreck were similar LTD and Custom 500.  Having the 460ci, it would have been quicker off the line compared to 351ci Torino. The Hutch character said in the show it was faster

Must get a model of one of those now

But what about the car Hutchinson replaced it with after his last Galaxie (he had two, looking identical - one rolled down a cliff, the other was blown up).  It was a '54 Nash Metropolitan named 'Belle' 

So that makes two cars to find models of.  Then Huggy's car..  Slope slippery. 

There was a large scale Starsky & Hutch Torino in plastic that had opening doors & you could get the two figures for. Marx toys perhaps ? I had it as a kid, cool thing wish I still had it.
The Corgi model always annoyed me as the stripe was shite.
RIP Hutch.

[MiniMinorMk3]

Talking of kids car related books, I have these in my library (book collection).

 

[quicksilver]

5 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Talking of kids car related books, I have these in my library (book collection).

 

That reminds me of another series of kids' books about an anthropomorphic Mini from my childhood. The Adventures of Maurice Mini-Minor by Geoffrey Baker were illustrated by Rolf Harris  so I imagine most copies have been destroyed now and no parent wants anything to do with them.

[FakeConcern]

1 hour ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Talking of kids car related books, I have these in my library (book collection).

 

I have the first Speedy the Mini book, much thumbed and the fold out Mini is impressed where I traced it to make copies of. I liked making developments of cars when I was older and posted a load of them on this thread...

Mini is on page 3 if you're interested

Also soon after Starsky & Hutch came out I got a cardigan similar to the one Starsky generally wore for Christmas or my birthday...

 

I always felt vaguely embarrassed wearing it.

PS. I've never heard of Brum or Gumdrop.

[sierraman]

Anyone remember the Little Red Metro books? Another throwback to the 80’s! Imagine doing a Little Pearlescent Silver Dacia Sandero now? 

[RoadworkUK]

2 hours ago, sierraman said:

Anyone remember the Little Red Metro books? Another throwback to the 80’s! Imagine doing a Little Pearlescent Silver Dacia Sandero now? 

Was just about to mention those before I read your comment.

Written by Avril Rowland. I have three of the four books in the series; I must complete the set one day.

I'm very glad there was a never "The Little Red Metro gets chopped in on the scrappage scheme" snuff-fiction follow up.

[sierraman]

Just now, RoadworkUK said:

Was just about to mention those before I read your comment.

Written by Avril Rowland. I have three of the four books in the series; I must complete the set one day.

I'm very glad there was a never "The Little Red Metro gets chopped in on the scrappage scheme" snuff-fiction follow up.

Little Red Metro gets welded up... Little Red Metro gets its radius arms greased...

[sheffcortinacentre]

7 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I ordered some more wheels from Creative 164 as they had a deal on - some of these are for current projects, some I just ordered for stock

Three different RS four spokes and they're all different!

That's because there are 6 versions in real life.

71/2 in Xpack,

6 in laser (Capri),

6in MK2 escort RS,

6in MK1 fiesta supersport, MK4 Xpack,Mk5 series x ,

6in MK1 Capri RS,

51/2 in mk1 escort RS, mk 3cortina.

 

[sheffcortinacentre]

3 hours ago, FakeConcern said:

I have the first Speedy the Mini book, much thumbed and the fold out Mini is impressed where I traced it to make copies of. I liked making developments of cars when I was older and posted a load of them on this thread...

Mini is on page 3 if you're interested

Also soon after Starsky & Hutch came out I got a cardigan similar to the one Starsky generally wore for Christmas or my birthday...

 

I always felt vaguely embarrassed wearing it.

PS. I've never heard of Brum or Gumdrop.

I thought he only wore it in a handful of episodes?

[Spottedlaurel]

Revell do 1:25 kit of the Torino, I have one:

Nice set of slotmags, they'll be useful on something else. There's also a stock version of it on steels with hubcaps.

Didn't @vulgalour build one several years ago?

[AndyW201]

I remember our primary school library having one of the Gumdrop books, can't remember which one but I made a beeline for it as it was the only car related book in there. I also had a book about a yellow motorbike called Skid, who was apparently painted yellow by mistake at the factory and nobody wanted to buy him until a learner rider called Pete (I think) bought him and they went off having adventures.

Don't remember the little red Metro but I ended up living  my own series of horror stories after getting one when I passed my test,

Never saw Speedy the Mini either, but I do remember Martin's Marvellous Mini (or more accurately Martin's amazingly strange looking Mini?) in the Tiger comic,

[Spottedlaurel]

Found quite a range of HWs today here: https://www.starlings.co.uk/starlings-of-bury

 

 

 

 

 

Quite a limited selection of the standard range, but all sorts here that I'd never seen before. I avoided Thor, Beauty and the Beast etc and made this little selection:

The Matchbox Subaru was from the Co-Op earlier in the day, when I popped-in to buy a loaf of bread. Same case had the Kadett rally car in it.

[AndyW201]

My TV cars include a few licence dodging Corgis,

The Sweeney

 (This could so nearly have been  one, why they seem to have chickened out and added the vinyl roof and slightly changed the reg number I don't know.)

The Professionals,

Corgi carefully avoiding naming the show the cars came from!

The Code 3  duo from Professionalmania do have the C15 logo on the packaging but apart from the website's name there is no mention of The Professionals or Bodie or Doyle anywhere.

Weirdly, the Corgi branded but Vanguards based Ashes to Ashes set does have the show's branding, (as well as the single release of the Quattro in shot-up form, which I don't have),

But Ray Carling's Granada was released in standard Vanguards packaging with no mention, not even on the collectors card, of it being used in the show,

(Although Corgi may have been unaware A675 XRD was used in the show as it was given the incongruous reg number UTU 127V during filming, which just looked wrong on a series 2 2.8 Injection model)

Always regretted not getting the Vanguards Life on Mars Cortina when it came out.

No chance of ever getting one either now, with the prices they fetch...

[Datsuncog]

25 minutes ago, AndyW201 said:

Always regretted not getting the Vanguards Life on Mars Cortina when it came out.

No chance of ever getting one either now, with the prices they fetch...

This is why I try to get to the market early doors... you never know what might turn up in some job lot!

[AndyW201]

6 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

This is why I try to get to the market early doors... you never know what might turn up in some job lot!

I live in hope!

[Datsuncog]

On 05/01/2024 at 18:28, MiniMinorMk3 said:

My bright orange DY-3B GT had yellow lamps

and my DY-19 V8 had a very slight tint as well

 

Blimey, so does mine!

Well well well. Still can't say for certain whether it came like that new, or it's simply gone like that after being out on display on a sunny shelf for most of the 1990s.

I'd like to think I would have noticed incongruous French-style phares jaunes upon unboxing this for the first time, as that's the kind of thing that would have annoyed me, but I really can't say, 30+ years later.

There seems to be some yellowing to the glazing unit too:

So that's a bit perplexing.

Yesterday's acquired DY-19 V8 version is not quite as yellow around the lamps as the orange DY-3B:

But is lightly yellow, all the same.

I haven't managed to extract this one from its packaging yet, as there's been vast amounts of sellotape involved in a vain effort to keep the disintegrating box together.

Don't know why I'm so fond of this rendering of the MGB, but I am - and I regret getting rid of my first release DY-3 in blue with the Webasto sunroof now.

Another one for the list, then...

[sierraman]

3 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Found quite a range of HWs today here: https://www.starlings.co.uk/starlings-of-bury

 

 

 

 

 

Quite a limited selection of the standard range, but all sorts here that I'd never seen before. I avoided Thor, Beauty and the Beast etc and made this little selection:

The Matchbox Subaru was from the Co-Op earlier in the day, when I popped-in to buy a loaf of bread. Same case had the Kadett rally car in it.

What’s this... co-op selling matchbox?

[Spottedlaurel]

3 hours ago, sierraman said:

What’s this... co-op selling matchbox?

Occasionaly they have HWs on strips. These were £3 a go on a random shelf and marked-up as Power Grab.....