[Sticky] Lost Reviews - Franklin Mint & Danbury Mint

@perrone1 I believe the fire truck is a Diamond T but don't know the year but would guess in the late forties.

@bob-jackman I’ve always kind of thought that the front end has that Diamond T look, but when I research them, the T’s are much more styled than this one.

Posted by: @bob-jackman

@perrone1 I believe the fire truck is a Diamond T but don't know the year but would guess in the late forties.

Thank you Bob!  I'm happy for a right answer and defer to you. I'm no where even close to a fire truck expert. My confusion starts with the symbol on the very top of the grille that, to me, looks an awful lot like the Chevrolet bowtie.

Posted by: @kevins

@bob-jackman I’ve always kind of thought that the front end has that Diamond T look, but when I research them, the T’s are much more styled than this one.

That's true, but looking at Diamond T fire truck pics, the wheels look identical. Many similarities on both. I even looked up the North Canton, Ohio Fire Department to see if there were any archive photos or info on 4th of July Parades. Nothing I could unearth unfortunately.

Franklin Mint Ford  Model T 1:16^th – F080

There’s something fascinating about this scale, 1:16^th.  It is larger than 1:18^th and perfectly suited to certain cars, like the Model T. A car this size in 1:24^th scale would be on the delicate side and maybe even for 1:18^th as well.  Franklin has issued a number of these “T’s” in variations of standard production to work liveried. But this issue is basic, black and initial Ford production, in a small limited edition run of 1500 units.

TFM officially calls this a convertible. How cool would it have been to own this four-door vehicle that came equipped with a drop top roof? The name, “Tin Lizzie” stuck with the automobile but never conjured up visions of a convertible touring sedan. But that’s just what FM conjured up and made with a good deal of precision and notable features.

There’s genuine leather in the seating and wood veneer on the dash board. Of course the wheels steer; but be careful though, use caution as you turn the steering wheel. The white, period-correct tires are striking in contrast and the material used in the down top is fabric and feels realistic. There’s good detail under the hood, or should I say hoods? Either side opens. You will also see good use of detailing in the chassis and interior.

If you have a place for this large Lizzie, it makes a really nice display piece. Older folks recall it fondly and the younger set will make you smile when they ask, “What is that?” TP 09/24/2009

Franklin Mint 1911 Rolls Royce – F079

My goodness, did THIS take a while! TFM first released their 1911 vintage Rolls in 1994. Presented as a Limited Edition Roi des Belges, it was painted the classic white with gold and featured plenty of wood, brass and detailing. After all these years the Mint treats us to another gorgeous image of the Tourer, this time as a limited edition of 1500 pieces.  We can forget the high society white paint and gloat in public with the flashy red exterior paint trimmed with delicate pinstriping and contrasting beige fabric top and saddle interior.

The big spoked wheels (prior to Dub designation) are also painted in red and there is a ton of brass and wood refinement all over the large automobile. The steering is operative and doors open on beautiful brass-like hinges. The top is static and covered in a great feeling fabric material. Inner door details include embossed Rolls-Royce monograms and sumptuous red carpeting. The dashboard houses a nice gauge package and even the engine looks ‘rich’ in golden brass-like treasure.

The model recreates an automotive icon rich in history from its Spirit of Ecstasy radiator mascot to the exterior trunk that really WAS a trunk carried at the back of the vehicle. The opulence comes through as Franklin finally reprises a magnificent automobile long ago due for a remake in this color configuration and detailing. Job well done. TP 09/22/2009

Franklin Mint 1:16 1911 Stanley Steamer 62 Runabout - Nbr Ltd Ed of 1500 - E513

In this larger scale, Franklin has excelled. We’ve seen a plethora of images released in this scale over the years. TFM has done well with their early Ford and Rolls Royce models. They issued the first 1:16^th 1911 Stanley Steamer in March of 1993. It was red with black top and accents and sold for $145. Here, in limited edition form, it still sells for that same price 15 years later – way to go FM!

We are still treated to an amazingly realistic use of authentic fabric, genuine wood veneers and actual leather. The top raises and lowers and of course the steering works. The use of brass is carried out beautifully and contrasts well with the use of real wood veneer. The paint is gorgeous in a deep green and is striped handily throughout the model. You may open the front hood to see the detail work on the steam plant.

We could use this car today. It runs on water. It held 28 gallons of H2O and used three-quarters of a gallon per mile. That’ll get you between 35 to 45 miles per tank depending on wind resistance and the vehicle’s relative speed. The little motor vehicle developed about 10 hp at 550 pounds PSI of pressure. Back then the car cost a grand! FM’s model is much less, yet still evokes a grand memory of what things were like in 1911 and maybe what could have been. The model promotes smiles wherever it is displayed.  TP 03/07/2008

Franklin Mint 1:16 1913 Ford Model T Lumber Truck- Nbr Ltd Ed of 2500 – E255

Yeah buddy; the brass era is still alive! Okay, so it’s in the form of a 1913 Ford of humble origins and presented as a lowly work truck. Maybe that’s why I love it so much; it’s a hard laboring, lumber hauling, open-air throw-back to my parent’s days. Deep within the maroon exterior is the gold paint exclaiming, “Franklin Co. Lumber” circling a large letter, “F”. Then alongside the vehicle, in lovely wood veneer, is the trucks name again, “Franklin Co. Lumber”.

Beside the brass, there is a lot of real wood in use here. Guess the business is good in the lumber market these days. The firewall and windshield frame are wood, the business end of the truck, the hauling truck bed and tail gate, are wood. The step up onto the running boards is crafted in genuine wood. The brass adornment to the large scale 1:16^th model finds its way into use on radiator shell, lights, front and rear, twin outboard lanterns, horn, emergency brake, wheel hub covers and steering wheel center and controls.

Little niceties are found on the tail gate chains, upper opening windshield half and operational engine crank. The steering is very precise and the chassis detail is very well crafted and carried out. Ten ceramic logs accompany the model and load for a nostalgic look onto the bed; this is a working truck after all.

The diecast is limited to 2500 pieces and sell for a very reasonable $135 considering the size and heft of the great little truck!  TP 01/23/2007

Franklin Mint 1925 Hispano Suiza Kellner- Nbr Ltd Ed of 1500 – E413

So, just what is a Hispano-Suiza, and why do we car collectors have so precious few of them? Well, it was a combined automotive engineering and building effort of Spain and Switzerland; sort of. A little bit of France was thrown into the mix too, but more on that later. Born in Geneva in 1878, auto designer, Marc Birkigt was behind this marque that would later become the finest automobile of its kind in the world; to become the choice of kings, film stars and the very well-to-do. He was a Swiss national. Damien Mateu, a Spanish entrepreneur of great wealth, backed his admiration of Birkigt’s auto genius with financial capital to start building cars in 1904. This Spanish-Swiss conglomerate became known as, “Fabrica La Hispano-Suiza de Automobiles”. The quality of the cars built by the factory became legendary in short order.

Renowned journalist, Charles Faroux, drove a new Hispano-Suiza V-12 from Paris to Nice and then back again, finishing the trip by parking in a clean showroom over new white paper sheeting and displaying not one single drop of oil, gave credence to his printed claim that the H-S was the best car in the world, bar none. Oh, and that French connection? In 1918, Hispano-Suiza cars first displayed a flying stork as a radiator mascot. Georges Guynemer, a French flying ace, very close to Birkigt, was killed in WWI in 1917. To commemorate the death of his dear friend, he adopted the ace’s squadron’s emblem, the flying stork.

FM first created the 1925 Hispano-Suiza as a Kellner-coach bodied replica. Issued in maroon in 1993, the model had solid white tires and a brown-colored body with white top. The top is non-removable by the way. It was an elegant car but not suited to my taste. But re-spray this opulent auto in a gorgeous pewter-silver shade; it has just a hint of gray in it, and make it perfectly scaled, metallic-wise, and you have a beautiful image of yesteryear’s conveyance for the rich and famous. FM blended in a knock-out deep red in the form of front seating, interior door paneling and rumble seat and the accents on upper doors and fenders and on each wheel center to pull off the elegant FM repaint of the year-to-date to my eyes. For an older-tech image, the car displays nice detail in the engine compartment, has excellent door, trunk and engine cover gapping, or should I say lack thereof. The radiator guard is done in a delicate photo-etch metal criss-cross grille and the top texture has a great fabric feel to it. I so like the change to conventional black rubber tires while still employing the wide whites for contrast.

The edition is small at 1500 pieces and should go fast once the quality of the piece is realized. Issue price is $135.

TP 02/03/2007

@kevins  mY opinion was based on the headlights and how they are mounted and the crease in the front fenders along with the shape and design of the grill.

@bob-jackman I concur.

Franklin Mint 1929 Bugatti Esders - Ltd Ed of 1500 E794 (Gray & Red)

Franklin Mint’s original rendering of this long and lanky classic stood out boldly in any diecast automobile collection. The car itself was legend. When the remake was announced, many folks cried, “foul”; the car was a one-off and only came in two-toned green. Franklin Mint’s design manager/D4C contributor, Raffi Minasian, weighed in on the Bulletin Board and gave this brilliant account, “As most of you probably know, the full sized green and green car is a replica. The original car had the stunning two door coachwork removed and the chassis was rebodied creating one of the now extant 6 Royales. After the change of ownership at the former Schlumpf Museum in France, the one remaining Royale chassis underwent an extensive development program for rebody under the direction of noted designer Paul Bracq.”

He went on to say, “Using some of the most sophisticated computer modeling, Bracq was able to reconstruct the massive body while still maintaining the majestic lines of Jean Bugatti’s masterpiece. While the body was under development, Bracq worked with a series of rendering proposals for the final execution and rendered the two-tone red and gray proposal based on design considerations from historic Bugatti records. There is no supporting documentation that remains for the exact two tone green colors used on the contemporary Esders rebody. Many other color considerations were offered at the time, including one with the headlights installed as well as the traditional blue and red Bugatti color scheme. This repaint offered by FM is a representation of Paul Bracq’s rendering proposal.” There’s even more history about the car in the back of FM’s Collector’s guide, furnished with the model.

In hand, the new replica is simply stunning! This issue was ahead of its time when initially offered in June of 1995. It came with working suspension, elegantly hinged doors with jamb spacers that hold the doors tightly closed, a fabric-covered top, working arm rests and opening rumble seat. The craftsmanship of the model is solid and the finish beyond compare. Between the metallic gray and red paint is a minutely thin red pin stripe that runs the length of the coachwork. Then just as beautifully done is another that borders the lower end of the long and swooping fender line. Completing the gorgeous presentation is a red stripe surround of each of the five wheel centers. There’s a real wood dash, great detail to the interior, excellent reproduction under each hood half and a perfectly fitting top. 

This is an absolutely exquisite Royale Roadster and equally spectacular modeling; well done FM, I am very grateful for this re-issue.  TP 02/23/2008

Franklin Mint 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe Rockin' Rod – E832

This little thirty-two-deuce is just plain Cool! Born from the American Graffiti tooling, this is a wonderful rendition of something new from something old. Franklin has made Ford three window coupes and five window coupes in 1932 vintage. They have built a ‘rat rod’ from the stock three window coupe and the Boyd Coddington version as well as the original American Graffiti car to honor the famous movie star car. They later took that same three window tooling and made it into a limited edition in purple with flames. But this variant pushes my buttons for some reason.

Maybe it is the color scheme that is so uniquely different while being executed so well. The top half features charcoal gray metallic over a deep candy burgundy separated by jazzy graphics in blue, red, orange and yellow. Did I just say, ‘jazzy’? Well, hey, wasn’t that the jargon just about the time frame that this hot rod encapsulates? TFM switched out a ton of things from the AG car and added some newbie items.

There are no longer exhaust extensions and tail pipes. The side headers dump into a collector and don’t you know how sweet THAT sound is! The wheels have been changed to custom chromies with color-coordinated spinners. The tires have become more substantial and the engine modified. The valve covers are new, so is the air scoop and wiring. The headlights are now bullet versions and the coupe sports small motorcycle outside rearview mirrors. The front chassis rails are cropped, there’s no rear bumper bar, and a completely new interior and trunk display has been fashioned.

The rear suspension works and the outside door hinges are now body colored. Call this a repaint if you must, I certainly cannot; so much has changed and been updated and the total appearance of the hot rod is new, fresh and clean. In today’s parlance, the model rocks!  TP 08/22/2008

Franklin Mint 1932 Ford Rat Rod- Nbr Ltd Ed of 2500 E249

“Hot rods” have been around for a long time. And there have been as many interpretations of the theme as there have been builders of each individual machine. Isn’t that the definition of “hot rod”? A recent trend embraces a nostalgic look back to the low-cost, grass roots versions that guys with shallow pockets started in the early years of hot rodding. This is such a machine. Franklin Mint has issued 1932 Fords in more than one configuration. There have been three-window coupes, five-window coupes, a high-boy roadster and convertible sedans. Their hot rod variants came in both three and five window coupe offerings. This three-window deuce is based on the low budget home garage project, pieced together with easily accessible parts, that nearly anyone could afford to build. These bargain bin cars came to be known as, “rat rods”. The terminology bears witness to the lack of refinement and its overall ‘ratty’ appearance.

In the tradition of their 1940 Ford, “Old Reliable”, Franklin Mint has created a bit of whimsy with this older ’32 tooling. Some nice thought went into this little cutie. Although it does not represent the same state of disrepair and neglect as the Old Reliable, it intentionally has some rust around the edges. Life as a rat rod started out with a sound frame, aluminum pan flooring and internal door paneling, rebuilt rear, axles and tranny and a period-perfect flathead V-8. FM added new tires, with plenty of tread detail and wide whites and popped on some cool and shiny baby moon caps to accent the red-painted wheels. Twin pots provide the gas/air mixture and they plumbed in twin fuel lines to boot. Some nice little shorty-stack headers do the exhaust work for the rat and the steering box gets routed within the suspension work.

The interior gets a nostalgic bounce from the odd blanket that no one wanted or apparently missed, and it got tossed over, what is sure to have been torn upholstery with the errant spring or two stinking out. Then to be thorough, FM added a second matching piece to the rumble seat bottom cushion. How cool is that? What carries the ‘look’ to fruition here is the nice way FM painted the little buggie. We see splatter paint, in gray, on the headlight surrounds, a coat of rust on the firewall, over a base coat of red primer and the rusty primer exterior on the balance of the bodywork. It looks like some surface rust may be poking its little noggin out here and there too. But to signal the build’s finish, our local garage mechanic added old-time pinstriping to the car. We find it on the radiator shell, trunk lid and gas tank and a small stripe that runs the length of the beltline. “Ben’s Rods & Customs” adds a touch of nostalgia to the doors and even displays an old-fashioned phone number, when letters were used as prefixes.

There are cool little touches that are unexpected but lend great credence to the nostalgic theme. Remember the small skull on a tall gearshift lever? The rat’s got it. Tiny arm rests were crafted by slitting open a section of aluminum door paneling; cheap way to go, and the chassis is braced and braced again for a cool ‘rod’ look. The radiator grill is darkened and the chopped appearance of the engine bay, sans the hood and its sides, gives the car the right look.

FM has made a nice little presentation here and limited it to 2500 units. At issue price of $105, I am happily impressed.

TP 01/24/2007

Danbury Mint 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner - DM1602 (Dresden Blue)

Mint-wise, The Franklin Mint was the first to make the fifty-seven retractable hardtop in 1:24^th precision diecast. It was done in 1992 and refined somewhat in 1997. The ninety-two model had paint accuracy issues (line break problems) and the later version corrected those and changed the working mechanism to a much better quality craftsmanship. It wasn’t until 2002 and 2006 that they were reissued in different paint schemes. The Danbury folks entered the fifty-seven retractable scene with a Skyliner of their own in 2003. Clad in an awesome Cumberland Green and Colonial White exterior, it showed the model world how intricate a replica could be while still providing a fully working hardtop in either up, down or in between positioning.  It had the internal door hinges and completely operational retracting top but also added vacuum hoses and all the workings to mirror the real deal.

It was four years later before they reissued a red and black iteration and now this solid color Dresden Blue version makes its beautiful debut. I like the non-two-tone treatment on this car, especially in its rich, medium-dark Dresden Blue. It shows off the overall lines of the car’s design. Still inherent are the working functions of the model; removable skirts, internally hinged doors and the magnificent retractable top with all its paraphernalia to make you believe that it was designed and built with actual Ford schematics. This may be one time that DM’s fantastic engine bay display, with all its color-coded intricacies and details are a little overshadowed by another part of the car. Opening the trunk lid and gazing at the hydraulic hoses and mechanicals will vie for the engine’s attention.

DM’s flawless paint and attention to detail in building the car is never more evident than with this model. Each panel fits faultlessly together and the fidelity of build, stance of the machine and working operations are sheer perfection. The previous models are no longer available, so don’t miss out on this little beauty.   TP 12/21/2009