[Closed] Ultimate Testa Rossa

PIC - Last year, while visiting my spawning grounds (Michigan), D4C member Mark Millar...

... highly recommended I go to The AutoZone Hobbies on Woodward Blvd in Birmingham. Along with some other large scale models, an Amalgam Ferrari California was on display. It was the first Amalgam model I've ever seen. Magnificient just is the beginning of the description! It is just drop dead gorgeous! Amalgam must be considered the pinnacle in model collecting. Considering their enormous prices, they certainly are targeted to a very exclusive clientele.

Amalgam make some great models, but.......

they are NOT "...the pinnacle in model collecting." There were, and still are other high end specialists. Most all who existed before Amalgam ever made any car model.

Totally agree Marshall and for "...the pinnacle in model collecting" .....

here is one of mine:

How many of these plastic Tri-ang Minic's have lasted the test of play time?

This was introduced in 1948 and was made in England at Tri-ang's Merton, London Works.

Chris

Actually, I stand corrected! I should have said "mass produced." No doubt ...

... the art that is conceived at CMA has few if any equals! There are no superlatives that describe the extraordinary work you do!

Amalgam have a client base that must be the envy of any model manufacturer, they are highly professional, never fob their clients off with excuses and have a fantastic cross secction of models and scales.

Chris, now that's a rarity!

Thanks Marlowe. I was thinking about a number of other....

specialists aside from my own company. Mini Delta of Belgium with Patrice de Conto is one that immediately comes to mind. But, as I previously mentioned, there are And have been many others.

And for £24.99 you can get one of their 1:43rd scale models ......

link:

http://www.amalgamcollection.com/en/product/product_list.php?list_type=productSubGroup1&list_value=13&PHPSESSID=784fd15f347d456e803262d28ef0313f

Now I wonder where these are made?

Chris

Yes Paul, Amalgam does certainly have a great client list, but.....

so do some other model companies. As for selection; they do offer a very good cross section; and for the most part, they offer something for most tastes. That said, many of the editions are too high in volume for the price point, hence sales on the secondary market often tend to suffer. There have also been some quality issues with the later and current Chinese made pieces, and historical accuracy is not always as claimed. Some models are more accurate than others.

Chris, as you may know, they are now all made in China regardless of the scale.

Marshall, I am in shock! I thought with these high end prices .....

they were "Made in England"!

Guess I just have to stick with Marsh Models, Grand Prix Models Studio and SMTS if I want to obtain models made there!

Chris

Thank you Marshall.

Chris, I was quite surprised too when I found out a few years ago, that....

all of their production models, including all of the even higher priced ones for Ralph Lauren were coming out of China. Costs went down a lot, and profit per piece went up a lot.....

They weren't always made there, but a good number of years ago some production was shifted out of the UK to China, and now all Amalgam production has gone there. It is a shame.

By the way. All of my CMA Models editions are still made in the USA.