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Majorette were my favourite as they seemed to concentrate on everyday cars, but I also remember being quite excited at finding a Matchbox-scale Mk2 Granada by some Chinese firm on my local market :D .

That'll probably be one of these then

IM000233a.jpg

 

There's also a Mira MK 2,here with a Siku Mk 1 & Audi

IM000235.jpg

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I've not read all of this thread but I'm standing outside the local model shop.

 

The bargain bin has good 1:43 echelle models from a series of French cars and commercials from 1950-1960, Peugeot j7, h van, police 4cv, fire brigade estafette. They're mounted into a plastic board, have a five sided clear plastic box around them and a cardboard sleeve around that. They're priced at between £3 and £6 pounds.

 

Does anyone want any of these?

I'd buy and you can pay me for the model and postage.

 

Any takers?

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Ace collection! I LOVE those Polistil 504's! I think in the mid-70's Polistil made the best 1/24 scale models before they changed their bases to plastic.

 

The large Guiloy models are queer ones. Is that a Pug 306? I've got a 1/18 scale Sierra XR4i from that manufacturer. Its got velour on the interior floor lol.

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Ace collection! I LOVE those Polistil 504's! I think in the mid-70's Polistil made the best 1/24 scale models before they changed their bases to plastic.

 

The large Guiloy models are queer ones. Is that a Pug 306? I've got a 1/18 scale Sierra XR4i from that manufacturer. Its got velour on the interior floor lol.

 

They were just the boxed ones... all sold now. The large Guiloy is a 205 GT.

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That looks pretty good... unlike mine which is in two cupboards, one in N.Ireland and one in Oxfordshire. But when they unite BR Blue based terror will descend upon some poor piece of wood. (If you like fiddly stuff there's a brilliant looking "Western" coming out this year from Dapol)

 

Completely random question.... has there ever been an Ital model/toy? There's been plenty of Marinas in various scales but I can't find any Itals (probably for a good reason).

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Completely random question.... has there ever been an Ital model/toy? There's been plenty of Marinas in various scales but I can't find any Itals (probably for a good reason).

 

Roxley Models who specialise in post office vehicles made a white metal kit of an Ital van about 15 years or so ago. I have one I made as a Telecom van years ago - I'll dig it out and take a pic for you. They did a Marina and Sherpas too.

 

It's not brilliant and is to an odd 1:48 scale but it's the best you'll get!! Might still be available in fact.

 

EDIT:

 

Here you go, I forgot there was a Maestro too!! Can't find the Marina - I did that as Royal Mail.

 

IMG_8136.jpg

IMG_8140.jpg

IMG_8141.jpg

IMG_8142.jpg

IMG_8139.jpg

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Paging Corgi Vanguards!!!

 

I suspect they wouldn't be listening!

 

I'm a bit surprised they are doing another Allegro tbh. A lot of the British stuff they did a few years back - Viva, Marina etc was an absolute disaster for them and there was A LOT of unsold stock around for a good few years. Shame as there were some nice models but for a few reasons they just didn't sell until they were considerably reduced in price.

 

If you want a Ital or somesuch, I'd look hopefully at Oxford Diecast or possibly NEO really though even then I'm not sure it'll happen.

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They're excellent! I might have a look.

 

[Please don't judge me] I've got a commission with someone to make a 1/32 Marina bodyshell master being made which will let me produce a number of grill versions and an ital. We'll see how it goes, I'll bung a load of resin shells on ebay for some other absolute nutjobs to buy once I've finally agreed a price with the guy who's going to cast 'em! I'll probably knock up a couple as runners with Pianos on the top for OMG TOPGER people to buy at a premium. [/judge away]

 

It is strange the the Ital never made it into the ranks of mainstream models but I suppose they were truly pants.

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But would 7500 other people ? (assuming three different issues, each in a different colour of 2500 pcs each and I'm not sure if that would actually be profitable for them)

 

They might, stranger things have happened but I'd be surprised.

 

Look at it this way - the greenish Marina was released in about 2003 and yet is still available from wholesalers in significant quantities at a long way below original trade price. The 2011 released Mk IV Cortinas sell out virtually immediately - the silver one released in October is NLA and the forthcoming Capri 280 Brooklands is virtually sold out two months before it is released. Same for most of the recent Vanguards stuff.

 

I just can't see them doing something like an Ital. Its a pity really 'cos certainly a small number would sell.

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Out of interest who was it on here who made the old american slot cars with the 3d printed chassis...? looked TEH BIZ. I'm going to try and make my Ital so you could chop up an Airfix Ford Escrot to get a static model. It'll probably bomb but hey ho.

 

The Ital would seem to be a really easy way for Vanguards to add to their collection but if the Marina didn't sell well enough I'd suspect that the Ital would be, like the real thing, a nightmare to shift on as they don't even "benefit" from the media attention that the Marina has.

 

I'll talk to my man IDC about get a 1/43 conversion kit to produce Itals, it all depends on how hard it would be to get an Ital's plastic monstrocities over the Marina gear. However I'm breaking the bank with the 1/32 one ATM so it'd have to wait.

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See what you mean MrL.

 

I didn't realise the Marina sold so poorly.

 

I'm not surprised the Cortina sold out. My wife gave me the silver 2.0s as a Christmas present and its a refined and handsome piece :)

 

BTW, did they ever do a Dolomite 1300 with the square headlamps? I couldn't find any on eBay today, just the Sprint ones.

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M_I_L - It was GarethJ who built the yankee cop car slot thingy.

 

Here's another view of one of those Mira Alpines. I think this shows just what a shoddy model it really is, but it is TINY so one can't really complain. 1:42 Joal version in the background for comparison purposes.

DSCN2458.jpg

 

And here's a better view of the Joal. Really lovely model this.

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I think some of these have been seen here before, but here's a small selection of my other small-scale tat

 

Tomica Dandy Cosmo

mazda.jpg

 

Odd Russian knock-off RO80.

DSCN0595.jpg

 

Solido R14

r18.jpg

 

And a Mebetoys Ritmo

DSCN0227.jpg

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Look at it this way - the greenish Marina was released in about 2003 and yet is still available from wholesalers in significant quantities at a long way below original trade price. The 2011 released Mk IV Cortinas sell out virtually immediately - the silver one released in October is NLA and the forthcoming Capri 280 Brooklands is virtually sold out two months before it is released. Same for most of the recent Vanguards stuff.

 

I just can't see them doing something like an Ital. Its a pity really 'cos certainly a small number would sell.

 

Exactly. The model car market in this country in my opinion mirrors the actual "classic" car movement and OSF is the in thing at present. The only way obscure stuff gets made is by low volume manufacturers and they're way out of most people's price range as 1/43rd scale models. It's one thing to pay 70 quid for a 1/18 car of that quality but one a third of the size is another matter. The German, French and Japanese makers seem to do more domestic market cars than here in the UK but then they still concentrate on the more saleable stuff.

 

We're lucky in some respects that over recent years we've had the partwork stuff marketed by DeAgostini, Hachette, Ixo and all those. At least through these series we've had some subjects that otherwise wouldn't have made it to market. It's just unfortunate that here in the UK we only have Vanguards and now Oxford making British car models at affordable prices. It is annoying that there are so many duplicates like the 205 GTi but then that is a popular car here and 17 quid for a Vanguards one is better than 30 quid for a Minichamps or Norev so it will find buyers. The same could not be said for a Montego or Mk 1 Cavalier much as we'd like to see them.

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BTW, did they ever do a Dolomite 1300 with the square headlamps? I couldn't find any on eBay today, just the Sprint ones.

 

No afraid not. There is a non Sprint version with quad lamps in white (or maroon as part of the Triumph set) but not a low spec one.

 

K & R Replicas do a white metal kit which you can specify as a 1300 however. I have one which I never got round to finishing (like so many others!) I might do it in Pageant Blue. It's actually a much nicer casting than the Vanguards one, definitely the best of all the Dolomites that have been made.

 

I was hoping they would modify it the do the Toledo and 1300 FWD but it never came to it.

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Its a shame really that the only partwork series to focus on British cars didn't go beyond the usual Jaguar E Type / MGB / Mk2 Jag school of British car models really, That could have been so interesting.

 

That said, there are some models of cars along the same lines as the Ital that are doing quite well - FSOs, Yugos and whatnot although they are perhaps far better known in Europe than the Ital which is probably largely forgotten / unknown outside the UK.

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Let's have a look at some Autoshite favourites in miniature form! Chrysler 180s first:

 

Ixo:

 

IMG_8153.jpg

 

Norev (all plastic):

 

IMG_8151.jpg

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Small Majorette:

 

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And the best one, French Dinky, a lovely crisp and well proportioned model:

 

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Line-up:

 

IMG_8154.jpg

 

Plenty more where these came from :mrgreen:

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