Shite in Miniature II

[quicksilver]

1 minute ago, Split_Pin said:

Ha ha yes it is! How did you know? 😂

I also painted this with it:

 

I remembered you painting that truck with it and guessed you had some left. It's a nice colour and I remember a lot of 600s being gold. You can probably tell mine is Nightfire Red, my favourite Rover colour of the era.

[Split_Pin]

Just now, quicksilver said:

I remembered you painting that truck with it and guessed you had some left. It's a nice colour and I remember a lot of 600s being gold. You can probably tell mine is Nightfire Red, my favourite Rover colour of the era.

Ah well remembered!

Rover had some cracking colours in the 90s, there is a dark metallic blue I really like but I can't recall the name.

[danthecapriman]

I remember a friend’s dad getting a brand new 600 in Nightfire red as his company car. I think it was a P or R reg. He only had it 3 or 4 years but it was a great car. Lovely beige interior too.

[Split_Pin]

I've just watched the old Top Gear review of these in 1993. This was a time when a 'new car' from a manufacturer was still an exciting event.

[quicksilver]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

Ah well remembered!

Rover had some cracking colours in the 90s, there is a dark metallic blue I really like but I can't recall the name.

They certainly did. Amaranth and Polynesian are my other favourites as seen on this line-up of Metros. I know the blue you mean but can't think of its name.

[Split_Pin]

8 hours ago, quicksilver said:

They certainly did. Amaranth and Polynesian are my other favourites as seen on this line-up of Metros. I know the blue you mean but can't think of its name.

I saw those Metros on the website, I might need to get one next. A good place to check for defunct colours is The Range. I might wander in at the weekend.

[sierraman]

Agreed, I found Ford Bermuda Blue in there recently. 

[flat4alfa]

[sierraman]

Do you reckon eventually they’ll do the 80’s ones? 

[ETCHY]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

I like that model.

I have an original "Man from UNCLE" version somewhere.

[MiniMinorMk3]

Here's an odd ball that was in my auction stuff, the Politoys E25 OSI Bisiluro.

It was another one to have suffered the scribblings of a young Picasso

The windows had the blue rinse treatment as well.

Half an hour with my thinners of choice and 99% of teh blue has gone.

The roof looked bent down to me, but after checking the interwebs, they are all like that.

Getting the blue off the screen is not possible with the thinners I use as it attacks the plastic almost straight away.

The wheels are badly worn and there are the remnants of the original side decal.

Here's one I found on the web in better condition. Why does it have Silver Fox on the roof?

Hello Foxey.

Meet the OSI Silver Fox, the Weird Italian Supercar You've Never Heard of - autoevolution

[flat4alfa]

Spotted that in your photos from last week and wondered when it would make an appearance!  Well, its shape is unmistakable.  What are you going to do with it?  Repaint it or sell it on?

The real thing survives, I saw it at Goodwood Festival ten years back (not my photo)

[flat4alfa]

I'm glad Politoys made those oddballs, although did make it look cheap and passable unfortunately, especially with those right down to a price era wheels

Some years earlier, Politoys did do a 1:66 in their Penny series.  Considerably more expensive to get hold of one of those though, with their cast wheels and blueness

 

Bisuluro translates to Twin Torpedo

TARF built a couple. This one from 1951 was powered by Maserati and broke the land speed record for the class

Nardi had a go to compete at Le Mans 24 in 1955.  This also survives

And Pegaso for 1953

Oh look engine on the left, driver on the right; all of them

My eyes are sprained.  I'm now haunted by the Blohm and Voss!

[MiniMinorMk3]

Bizzare did an excellent model of the Nardi.

The pieces on the grille were added during the Le Mans event to help with cooling.

 

The Pegaso remind me of the Peugeot 404 Diesel record car.

[MiniMinorMk3]

And talking of Peugeots, they was a party work one in my hoard.

It would make a great Colombo car.

Nice detail outside...

and inside.

Reg number is for Savoie (Department 73)

Checking the base shows that it was made by Norev.

 

[Datsuncog]

6 hours ago, sierraman said:

Do you reckon eventually they’ll do the 80’s ones? 

Maybe, but if they do it probably won't be until the 2040s!

The club seems to focus on Corgis of the mid to late 1960s right now - so, remanufacturing the toys that would have been owned by kids who are now people in their mid to late 60s.

Although diecast collectors of all ages are likely to be attracted to CMC releases, since the models are pretty good, I suspect recent retirees are their main target market; folks who are maybe looking for a new hobby, with a bit of spare cash, a lot of spare time, and open to nostalgia.

Should CMC continue to produce a new model each month, I'd guess that over time they'll find themselves having to cast their net a little wider than just the 1960s 'golden era' products. Going by the howls of protest on the CMC Facebook page, earlier 1950s re-releases are not that popular (too basic, not enough features) but at the same time any suggestion of 1970s Whizzwheels releases goes down badly too.

My suspicion is that as older collectors fall off the perch, the nostalgia window will inevitably move towards 1970s and 1980s releases - although there may be diminishing returns there, since the 1980s releases didn't sell in anywhere near the same numbers as those in the 1960s heyday, so I suppose fewer people remember them. And they possibly won't be that popular until the kids of the 1980s are in the 65+ bracket.

And crucially, I reckon CMC are trying to attract people who haven't collected diecast before. Corgi and Hornby's financial woes in the mid-2010s seemed to stem from the realisation that a fair chunk of their loyal customers are dying off each year, with no-one to replace them.

Arguably, this is what sunk Lledo PLC in the late 1990s - their Days Gone business plan from the mid-1980s involved selling affordable models of 1920s/30s vehicles to people in the same 65+ age bracket, through retail and promotional channels, and it worked marvellously until these folks pegged out and no-one wanted to buy Thorneycroft wagons and Ford Model Ts anymore (and they still don't). The original Vanguards line in the same Days-Gone size packaging was an effort to pull in new collectors by introducing 1950s and 60s vehicles, but Corgi were already in there with their Classics range producing largely the same models to a better standard (Minor vans, Minis) so it was too little too late.

I think that may be why CMC was recently brought into the Hornby Hobbies fold - at the point of last year's acquisition, it seems CMC had around 6,000 UK collectors subscribed to the club - and with recent expansion into the US, Canada, Australia and Europe this has probably gone up rather more. The club's a good way of putting their other product lines in front of people hankering for a bit of their childhood back; and might be open to rediscovering their other brands like Hornby trains, Scalextric, Airfix, Vanguards, Oxford.

One other thing I think CMC are good at is engaging with collectors, often using social media to ask for suggestions on models people would like to see introduced further down the line. The CMC head honcho, Guy Stainthorpe - now on Corgi's management team - has a background primarily in marketing but he and his team do seem genuinely interested in the toys they're bringing back. I understand Stainthorpe was involved in the short-lived Dinky Collection sold through newsagents in 2016; that wasn't very successful, which seems to be why they took a different route for Corgi - and they've been pretty transparent about what they're doing:

Quote

It's a tricky balance for the Corgi Model Club to produce editions of the best-selling 60s-era models alongside the rare and sought-after Corgi models that hardcore collectors desire. Without wishing to over-simplify the economics, the former help subsidise the latter. Which is also why we've been keen to take advantage of existing licenses and tooling so we can produce Club editions of models such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Yellow Submarine.

We of course recognise that these aren't for everyone ~ which is partly why we introduced the ability for Club members to skip those they don't fancy. And as the Corgi Model Club collection grows (the current Corgi 333 is our 44th issue ~ or 45th if you count the pre-collection Corgi 474 Wall's Ice Cream Van!) the chances of everyone liking every model we release get slimmer.

I think they're doing a pretty good job - a few of the releases coming up for 2025 don't really interest me and I'll probably skip them, but that's ok. I can see how selling loads of James Bond Aston Martins and Batmobiles through the shop makes it possible to produce more niche models with a narrower collector appeal.

Personally I'd love to see Whizzwheels and 1/36 scale models come into the CMC range - Marina, Cortina and Citroen SM would be on my personal wants list, and also the Isen Brothers' Wild Honey Austin gasser; all lovely models, though the current vibe seems to be that only the rubber-tyre models are 'real Corgis'.

Patience... only another twenty years to go and then we might get a remanufactured Supra!

[eddyramrod]

6 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

the current vibe seems to be that only the rubber-tyre models are 'real Corgis'.

I wonder how difficult it would be to re-engineer models like the Marina and mk3 Cortina to take rubber-tyred wheels?  I have a Marina and a Hunter among my scrappers, and I'm looking at them with a view to making a Golden Jacks Marina.  This sort of thing would also open up the market for (for example) the Porsche 911 Targa and the Mercedes 350SL.  Hmmmmm...................

[sierraman]

I don’t know I mean plenty of guys when they have kids start to become quite sentimental, certainly a few who I know have become - myself included! Hankering for those things you saw in the catalogue but never got the chance. I’d heard the screams of derision around the 70’s and 80’s but I think @Split_Pin will be with me on this but I think that’s when the Golden Age of Corgi was! The 60’s stuff was starting to become collectible when I was a kid, so it was all mad money and difficult to relate to. The bashed up Escort 55 Vans at table top sales on the other hand! 

[Datsuncog]

9 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

I wonder how difficult it would be to re-engineer models like the Marina and mk3 Cortina to take rubber-tyred wheels?  I have a Marina and a Hunter among my scrappers, and I'm looking at them with a view to making a Golden Jacks Marina.  This sort of thing would also open up the market for (for example) the Porsche 911 Targa and the Mercedes 350SL.  Hmmmmm...................

I've often wondered that - probably not all that difficult, to be honest. Might involve some spacers to stop the narrower wheels floating inboard too much, but the axles seem to be the same rough length/ diameter.

The same idea's been floated on the CMC threads on Facebook, although the Club's stated that they're only going to be producing replicas as close to the originals as possible - not speculative 'might have beens'.

I can see their point, but as much as I like the Whizzwheels era models I'd also love to have seen the Marina Coupe or Cortina on cast sports wheels with a rubber tyre - I think they would look so much better.

One ultra-rarity I wonder if CMC might be considering is the #349 Pop Art Mini Mostest - which was intended as a variation of the standard Morris Mini Minor with the addition of 'psychedelic' stickers, but only a tiny number seem to have ever been made, and for reasons that remain unclear it never made it onto toyshop shelves more generally.

Or indeed the #212 Road Rover - secretly developed in conjunction with Rover to have ready for the launch of their forthcoming luxury Land Rover, which was then canned at an advanced stage when management got cold feet about the project - as if anyone would ever want a fancy 4x4! What nonsense!

The sole Corgi prototype was junked at the same time, and apparently later fished out of the bin.

Your only option to own one at the minute is what might be termed 'diecast fan fiction'...

I'd have one!

[sierraman]

The Road Rover… what drugs were they on that week at BMC? 😂

[Datsuncog]

27 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I don’t know I mean plenty of guys when they have kids start to become quite sentimental, certainly a few who I know have become - myself included!

Oh yeah, I agree guys absolutely become sentimental about childhood stuff pretty young - but at the same time, with nappies and nursery fees and rent/mortgage payments to find, they might not have the household budget stretch to £30 a month on toys for themselves! Giffers, on the other hand...

Absolutely agree that Corgi's '80s output was fantastic - the last time the kind of cars and vans you'd see on everyday British roads were modelled. Matchbox Superkings had their moments, for sure, but Corgi's Transit milk floats and British Telecom Escort vans with removable ladders have a level of detail and realism that we never quite saw again in kids' toys. I still love looking through those 1980s catalogues.

[Split_Pin]

40 minutes ago, sierraman said:

The 60’s stuff was starting to become collectible when I was a kid, so it was all mad money and difficult to relate to. The bashed up Escort 55 Vans at table top sales on the other hand! 

100%!

I started off trying to collect the 50s and 60s items to add to my inherited collection but it was too expensive.

I then realigned to collecting European diecast of all scales and haven't looked back! In the last 20 years I've also tried to replace the 1/36 and Juniors that were lost to time.

Great times!

[Split_Pin]

I'd also add that those elusive 1960s items fell within my reach when a slight fall in their value in the mid 1990s coincided with me getting my first job . I wasted no time in hoovering up stuff like the Triumph 1300 Fiat 2300 Estate and Vauxhall Viva HA.

[sierraman]

I have a few things that were my dads but they’re difficult to relate to. What will be the valuable stuff in the future? My youngest likes these miniature items that go on shop shelves, I don’t know the specifics - I’m too busy breaking my neck working paying for them 😂. Mini brands I think they’re called, easily lost and popular. Can see people in years to come spaffing a good figure trying to collect them all again in years to come. It’s all a big cycle eh? 

[danthecapriman]

I remember when I was a kid, me and my school friend used to be into diecast vehicles. As well things like Matchbox and Corgi’s current/recent (at the time) stuff we used to hit all the local boot sales, school/church fetes etc etc hunting down older stuff. The absolute prized finds were always the 60’s very early 70’s models. 
Anything that had that quality feel (you know what I mean) with the lovely cast or spun metal wheels and rubber tyres was considered a good score between us. So even then we knew what they were, how good they were and they were desirable. 
Later 70’s stuff was good provided it wasn’t the fantasy type stuff. If you came away with a Whizzwheels Capri mk1 or something like that you’d not done bad. 
Matchbox Kingsize were also a reasonably easy to find win, particularly if it was the early separate tyres types.

At the time you could still buy 1:36 Corgi stuff new, and also the Matchbox Superkings range. So they didn’t show up as much second hand.

Days Gone type stuff was, even then, the absolute pits! We had no interest whatsoever in them.

Now I’m older and wiser(!?) I can still see why those 60’s so called golden era models are the most desirable. They really were absolutely brilliant and so well made in most cases. You got the full range of features, opening doors, boot, bonnet, on the trucks you got various other things like the tilt cab Ford H with its detailed engine and rotating fan. The wheels looked fantastic in metal with rubber tyres. 
Then as the 70’s progressed things got cheap and started to get a bit tacky. 
The Whizzwheels/Speedwheels era castings themselves were generally pretty good, but it was clear the cost cutting was taking hold as features started to disappear. But the biggest pisser on these era models, and they all did it, were the absolutely awful plastic wheels. I hated them as a kid, and I still think they’re awful now. If I ever do a restoration or custom with one the wheels are first for the chop and they won’t be going back on!

As things got to the 80’s with the 1:36 range for Corgi I didn’t take a huge amount of interest really. Some were great but I just never really took to them as a youngster. Even now, I’m not all that bothered. It’s nice to see them, either as originals or custom’s but I just can’t bring myself to hold on to them. There something lacking somehow I just can’t put my finger on. 
There scale Corgi used annoys me too because it’s not an accepted common scale like a lot of other things.

As far as reproducing them goes for the CMC, although I don’t buy any of them, I think they are missing a trick by not expanding into the 70’s range too. 
Look at what’s hot in real 1:1 scale cars - 70’s and 80’s stuff. I’m positive if they did a reproduction Cortina GXL or Capri mk1 for example they’d sell well, to the same people buying the real cars. Vanguard’s are selling well trading on Escorts, Cortina’s etc so the market is there.  
Im not so sure the 1:36 range is quite at that point yet though. As I said, something changed in the time they came from. Maybe in another decade or two they might get their time to shine though.

I think the custom ones are a great idea though. Maybe developing the Whizzwheels range a bit to accept Golden Jacks wheels, and/or just altering them to take the more classic cast or spun wheels. If they design completely new styles of wheels in the spirit of the original ones but that suit the Whizzwheels era models would work in my opinion.

[MiniMinorMk3]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

Or indeed the #212 Road Rover - secretly developed in conjunction with Rover to have ready for the launch of their forthcoming luxury Land Rover, which was then canned at an advanced stage when management got cold feet about the project - as if anyone would ever want a fancy 4x4! What nonsense!

 

 

That looks like an A40 that's made too many trips to Greggs for some sausage rolls and a steak bake chaser.

[MiniMinorMk3]

I think the 1980s Corgis are rubbish compared to the weighty solid feel of a 1960s Corgi. Even the 1970s Whizzwheels feel much better and more solid than the 80s stuff because they still had a metal base, not some flimsy plastic base that usually cracked if you stood on it. As for the 1/36th scale, why did they choose it, no one else making diecasts did. It is the standard for slot cars. Now there's an idea, just imagine the damage you could inflict on the skirting boards by sellotaping a Scalextric chassis to the bottom of a Mk3 escort van and not letting up when you get to the bend in the track. That's made me think how you can make rubber tyred 1980s Corgis, use the wheels and tyres from Scalextric cars.

By the way, when most 1980s kids get old they will want to buy Star Wars stuff. Who ever owns the rights to them will keep cashing in on making replica Palitoy and Kenna figures.

Check out the estimates on this Star Wars auction that Vectis are holding today, some make the price of an original mint and boxed Corgi look resonable.

Vectis Auctions | Star Wars Spectacular

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

Anyone want to see a Siku coach?

Talking of weighty models, this thing weighs almost 600 grams.

Lots of opening parts, pity about the cracked window

Nice detail on the back showing the passenger facilities and max speed, only 4 stars on Trip Advisor though.

Specifications cast into base, 11.4 litre, 6 cylinder. 206 kw at 2,200 rpm. Max power 280 ps.

It also has a consistant scale with a Siku VW LT28.

Pity the LT28 has lost a door.

 

[sierraman]

53 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Anyone want to see a Siku coach?

Talking of weighty models, this thing weighs almost 600 grams.

Lots of opening parts, pity about the cracked window

Nice detail on the back showing the passenger facilities and max speed, only 4 stars on Trip Advisor though.

Specifications cast into base, 11.4 litre, 6 cylinder. 206 kw at 2,200 rpm. Max power 280 ps.

It also has a consistant scale with a Siku VW LT28.

Pity the LT28 has lost a door.

 

Glorious that is. Proper quality thing. 

[FakeConcern]

Lots of interesting points made about CMC and @Datsuncog is I think right on track with the target market which is people my age (& @eddyramrod) who've just retired. I was lucky enough to retire eight years ago, but I've only just got my first installment of state pension. My kids are grown up and I have money to spend on myself. I like the CMC reproductions, but resisted doing a subscription as quite a few didn't interest me much as a kid and still don't. I have got the Monte Carlo Mini, Mini Countryman, Mangusta and E Type 2+2, all toys I had as a kid and still have, but I wanted brand new as well. I still want to get the Mini Magnifique. Also I don't really like subscriptions generally even for magazines I buy every month, I'd rather have the option to decide.

As regards the larger scale Corgis I always felt that 1/36 was just a bit too big for a toy as they don't fit snugly in a kid's pocket and as said they are not so weighty with a plastic base. As an aside, I always thought the Scalextrics were 1/32?

When Golden Jacks came out, I thought they were great! I was not really a fan of the original spun type wheel with rubber tyres which always looked too narrow and rounded and inset on the model to my eyes. Corgi did start using a much better square shouldered tyre in the late 60s though. I also preferred the plastic Whizzwheels to the spun wheels when they came out, by then I was a bit older and realism probably meant more to me and I thought the wheels on the Cortina GXL looked like Rostyles as they should do! I wasn't even slightly fussed about the speed of the wheel as I never liked racing the cars and always held them as I drove them on the carpet at improbable angles around the bends like a rally car. I thought the Red Spot wheels that predated the plastic ones as first seen on my Roger Clark 3.0 Capri were rubbish, great tyres, but red hub and gold wheel, just why?