A Model Dose... Monday 1/30/23

When I started collecting Precision Scale models in 1989 & 1990, my exposure to what was available was limited. I had received a couple of catalogs and seen others offered in magazine ads. The FM store in the mall displayed plenty of great models and offered the possibility of seeing these in person. When I discovered the D4C Forums in 1996, a whole new world opened up, and I learned of many other options from companies I'd never heard of before. As well as more models from the ones I had. My collection was moving into a whole new arena and the possibilities seemed numerous.

It was in the FM mall store that I discovered this '34 Packard, the mall had none in stock at the time of my visit, so they placed an order for me. When it arrived, I was impressed by the size of the model and the overall look. I had only seen a few Packard cars in 1:1 form at car shows at this point. I hadn't yet begun that phase of my life where I visited car shows on a regular basis, and growing up, these were cars that I seldom saw in my neighborhoods, especially since Packard had gone out of business several years before I was born.

Now back to this model, years later, this is an old-tech model that while I like it a lot, I think it could have been a bit better in the execution. With that, I am still very pleased with it as well as the other two colors FM produced in later years. 

I've seen a couple of these convertible sedans at shows within the last few years, although none in the bold shade FM used on this model.  They show all of the Packard majesty and luxury presence that had established this fine marque in the 30s as the "Best of the Best." 

1934 Packard Twelve Model 1108 Convertible Sedan by Dietrich - Franklin Mint, issued in 1996. The model is in Lipstick Red w/a cream colored simulated canvas top.

Here's a couple of 1:1s I've seen at car shows.