Tony, I'm remaining in complete awe of these buried treasures you've unearthed. I hope there are hoards more of them yet to be found. THANK YOU for taking the time to share them with us.
You are "The Man of the Hour, too Sweet to be Sour".
Tony, I'm remaining in complete awe of these buried treasures you've unearthed. I hope there are hoards more of them yet to be found. THANK YOU for taking the time to share them with us.
You are "The Man of the Hour, too Sweet to be Sour".
LOL! Thanks George. I have quite a few more. I'll keep them coming!
Franklin Mint 1941 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet Custom- Independent Retailer- Ltd Ed of 500 E128
"January in Michigan is amenable only to the coldest of souls. Edsel Ford was not one of them. In preparation for a winter trip to Florida, Edsel asked one of his chief designers, Bob Gregorie, to construct a special convertible coupe from a Zephyr for his personal use. Edsel added many of his own styling ideas. It was the fall of 1938. Longer and lower, with a squared-off roof and trunk and an externally mounted spare - it carried a sporty air. Though millions of cars had had spares located here this one hallmark would garner the name "Continental Spare". In 1941 only one Continental came in this eggshell white paint scheme." - Mainstreet Products USA.
This is the FM’s fourth iteration of the highly popular 1941 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet image. In the tradition of rare and prized white Continentals this rendition follows the time honored edition limit of 500 that collectors find so alluring. As with the Sultana White Pebble Beach 1961 Lincoln Continental and the Starmist White 1956 Continental Mark II this little gem, in Eggshell White, is no less glorious. In fact, until seeing it in person, I would have thought white was a non-descript color for this particular Continental. Not so. To my eye it may be the nicest of the aforementioned white models. It defines the early forties period of stately, elegant, and sophisticated high-end motoring. With its deep navy blue interior and convertible boot, the model is an absolute stand-out due to its classically understated and simplistic manner.
Don’t look for updated technology; the model is based on the first iteration issued in 1992. What you will see, however, is a flawlessly shaped ’41 image of the quintessential Lincoln Continental, made highly collectible by the rare and low numbered production limit. The model sits as it should, and has perfect door, hood and trunk lid alignment and gap renderings plus faultless paint and workmanship. If you were fortunate enough to collect the white ’56 and ’61 Continentals, just display this one with them and tell me that your heart does not flutter as you look at the gathering. This model and that collection is what this hobby, ostensibly, is all about. I note the hood and trunk lid stay open without any props and you will find the limited edition number plate in the trunk.
Certainly not everyone’s cup of tea but should you desire a well done, classic forties-era piece, this one easily pushes those automotive buttons and stirs the juices of desire for a classic and opulent automobile.
Commissioned by Mainstreet Products USA, the issue price is $195, which includes shipping anywhere in the U.S. Order details may be found at: MainStreetProductsUSA.com.
Franklin Mint 1936 Ford Deluxe Cabriolet w/ Trailer- Nbr Ltd Ed of 1500 – E559
I give a massive dose of recognition and credit to TFM for modeling this car and trailer. Some may suggest that it was based on our Limited Edition Club Car (LECC-VII) and they’d be right. But it is a ’36 Ford instead of the ’39 model, and the color combo is wholly different. Add some camping supplies and keep the cost low and I applaud FM for giving us yet one more alternative and a varied color choice. And bravo to them for staying true to the great detail work they already built into the lovely ’36 DeLuxe diecast. No doubt about it, this color combination is head and shoulders over all of the previous ’36 Fords they have issued to date.
Adding the trailer and equipment grants the owner many ways to display this little gem. If you wish, you may make a diorama out of the system. Attaching the trailer and posing the camping gear around the vehicles conjures up all sorts of scenes that you will enjoy. The whole configuration works well within a standard 1:18th scale display case. It becomes a ready-made diorama in itself.
FM has great detail on this model in the form of photo-etch wipers, functioning suspension, perfect fit and alignment of the externally hinged doors, opening rumble seat and folding hood halves. The engine displays well with all today’s good attention to plumbing and wiring. The body is gorgeous in the two-toned grey center with dark blue paint below and above it. A thin red pinstripe separates the top body color from the grey and the wide whites add a measure of contrast. With your choice of ‘up top’ or ‘down boot’ you have differing views. The full top has a beautiful red border adding to the contrasting shades and the boot in place lends a good view to the interior work.
You will find good dash, floor and door panel detailing. The window cranks and door handles are nicely scaled and the wiper control on the inside windshield header are nicely carried out. The seats and rumble seat have good ‘feel’ and even the chassis view is loaded with detail niceties. But it’s the trailer that may steal the show and your detail-loving heart. TFM builds a nice wood veneer floor into the trailer. It opens from above and has a dual prop rod hold-up affair that looks real and really works. The rear tail gate folds down and is held by two miniature chains. Also supplied with the Ford is a tool chest, a fishing tackle box, two bed roll tarps, a genuine leather strapped picnic basket complete with wine bottle and a lantern.
Yes, due credit and high marks go to Franklin for the thorough carry-through on this one. If you weren’t able to obtain the LECC-VII, this is a good alternative. And if you were able to get one, this makes an even greater addition to the fleet. Take one camping, take the other to work. You decide which is which and feel free to mix and match supplies. In this little miniature world, almost anything goes! TP 03/07/2008
Danbury Mint 1949 Oldsmobile 88 Station Wagon – DM1590
Usually, when Danbury releases such a tasty blockbuster as the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 Coupe, we do not see an associated follow-up tooling so soon. But here, within the same year, we have the station wagon woody to satisfy our sweet tooth. And while the gorgeous green coupe is still ‘wowing’ the masses, DM reconfigures the Oldsmobile body into a stretch-your-legs-in-comfort family conveyance. They delight many of us with their great color choices and Ivy Green was perfect for the coupe. But on the woody, Danbury’s selection of black adds a dimension of elegance that wonderfully fits the Olds’ style, the grace of the automobile and the age in which it represents.
For ’49, the Olds 76 wagon, with its “Big Six”, actually outsold the new 88’s Rocket V-8 station wagon; due, in part, to its increased cost. But those lucky few who bought the “Futuramic” styled 88 woody, had a lot to like. It came with a 4 speed Hydra-Matic automatic trans, gorgeous mahogany wood on the inner door panels and all the opulence that Olds had to offer post WW-II. The wagon could be driven with its tailgate down as the tail lamps pivoted to always face rearward. The cargo floor remained flat and offered lots of space since the spare tire was mounted below it.
Aside from the display elegance, the model holds many operational features. All four doors open on realistic internal hinges. The tailgate folds down on a piano hinge mounted across the bottom. It is held in check by dual metal arms that bend at the elbow. It allows a view of the real wood that lines the inside. The cargo floor is carpeted and the spare hatch opens. The spare is removable. The upper rear window opens outward on twin metal telescoping rails. Like the 1:1 the tail lamps pivot when the gate is lowered. It is a feature that DM first offered us on the Mercury Woody Wagon of like vintage.
The fuel filler door is functional while the rear windows are posed partially up. DM’s interior interpretation is faultless. Each door panel is lined in wood veneer; the window and door pull hardware are excellently scaled and the dash, steering wheel, floor pedals and seat attachments are perfectly detailed. The chassis is the typical Danbury masterfully crafted and don’t overlook the paint perfection. It shines as if professionally waxed ten minutes ago. Two detail standouts on the model come from the engine bay and the chrome metal-foiled scripts and emblems. I know, what a shock that the engine is so detailed. We’ve come to expect that in our precision models. But DM’s continued use of materials to simulate the real item is constantly evolving. The fuel line and throttle linkage, wiring and plumbing are masterful and lest we forget the scissors sprung hood.
The “Oldsmobile” and “88”scripts and the badgings are incredible. Get out a magnifying glass to fully appreciate it all. The stance is period-perfect and the overall fidelity to form is spot on in my eye. The Olds fans are going to love this but so, too, will the wagon crowd, oh, and so will the detail and operational model fans and, oh, you get the point – a must have! TP 06/03/2009
By the time I wrote my millionth diecast review, or so it seemed at the time, I was referring to those halcyon days and the phrase I coined as, “The Golden Age of Diecast.” But alas, the Golden Age is dead; long live the Golden Age. Well, pull up the reins Molly and whoa down your horses, ‘cause it seems that they are back! For a fleeting moment or here to stay, I can’t answer, but we can enjoy the good old days once more with Danbury’s finest moment in quite some time.
In ‘Packard Blue’, this long, impressive automobile is instantly opulent and monumentally momentous! For this issue, DM put back all the little niceties that were obvious in the dawn of that by-gone era of precision model making. Details and operating features burst forth in a flood of nostalgic excitement and at a price point that is also reminiscent of the Golden Age. For example; we get both an up top and a boot to allow different display options. The luggage rack folds up and down. The trunk opens on a telescoping prop rod. All four doors open on external hinges and snap shut tightly. DM made the dual cowl, in back, functional with twin prop rods. We can display it up or down, with or without the windscreen up or down.
When the cowl and windscreen are down, the wind wings can be folded flat. The rear arm rest folds up or down. The front windshield opens outwardly while the wind wings are posable. That Golden Age feeling coming back to you yet? I was immediately struck by the model’s classic look. It was probably due to the dark, nearly black, paint finish. It is exceptionally glossy and evenly applied.
DM also added the astonishingly thin red pinstripe accent; maybe the thinnest-scaled such application I have seen in a 1:24th replica. The wheels carry realistic valve stems, trim rings and painted logo hub caps. Check out the minute springs that simulate coiled wiring on the windshield lights. Then examine the phenomenal dash, floorboards and the rear passenger’s footrests.
The V12 is massive. It fills up the engine bay leaving room only for DM’s masterful detailing. Would we expect anything less from them? This model is an exact replica of the 1:1 car owned by Mr. Robert McCormick of newspaper publishing fame. I am extremely happy to see this choice of auto appear as a new tooling. Hopefully, more pre-war vehicles will make their way into the New Age of Appreciation. TP 02/02/2011
