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[Sticky] Lost Reviews - Franklin Mint & Danbury Mint

Tony Perrone · 2024-03-15T17:50:32Z

Edit Note #1: As an editor to the Diecast Zone since 1997, the reviews and model photos I posted in the "Car Lists & Reviews" section have been lost during the transition process between web servers from the original website to this current one. I have recently found some of my later reviews on a memory stick, though not all of them. So far these seem to be from 2000/2001 to more current times. These are reviews only and not saved, are the corresponding photos of the time of the review. I'll attempt to pair as many reviews to photos that I have saved elsewhere, for the purposes of reviving these old descriptions of the model cars as they were introduced. Edit Note #2: As the pairing of separate photos & reviews wane I will post the reviews I have found, without photos. If it is of a model I own, I will take pics and add them as I can. 04/24/24 ***EDIT NOTE #3: For List of Franklin Mint Car Reviews, use this link:For list of Danbury Mint Car Reviews, use this link: In no chronological order - first up is the DM '56 Lincoln Premiere Convertible: Danbury Mint 1956 Lincoln Premiere Convertible - 1483 Even while enjoying the widespread success of Danbury’s ’56 Premiere coupe release, talk of a follow-up convertible almost instantly ensued amongst the diecast faithful. People reasoned that it was inevitable. Discussions of color began at the same time and some held that this particular paint shade would win out. It was all the rage back in the day so it would only be rational to use it on the drop top version. Pastels would probably not make as big of an impact cloaking the cars of today. Maybe a cute little mini-car targeting the younger generation of today’s buyers could get away with one or two pastel shades but the exceptionally broad array of cars painted in these colors back then was truly remarkable. For 1955 through 1957, there were several forms of pastoral greens, ocean shades and the pinkish-toned palette of hues offered by Lincoln. They were so representative of the land yachts of the fifties. There was Cashmere Coral, Taos Turquoise and Summit Green. Fast forward to ’57 and we saw Bermuda Coral, Flamingo, Willow Green-Blue and Seascape Blue. In the year this car was built, 1956, Lincoln used Island Coral (I had no idea there were so many shades of Coral), Champlain Blue, Amethyst and Wisteria. Amethyst has overtones of pink mixed with a modicum of blue. Wisteria, like the flowering vine that lends its name, is an off-shoot of pastel lavender. 1956 is the only year that I can find where Lincoln offered this color on one of their fifties machines. A perfect choice for this model, to represent this year? In my mind the answer is a resounding, “yes”. It so typifies the pastel era of that time in automotive manufacture. One last thing about the color. No other choice would ‘fit’ quite so well displayed next to Danbury’s hard top, in Island Coral. The drop top iteration shares all the goodies, the form, fit, detail and function, found on the hard top but adds a few distinctive touches as well. This car did not come with the air conditioning option; open air driving purists must have frowned on that frivolity, so DM refashioned the engine bay accordingly. So while you may miss the associated A/C gadgetry you will still appreciate the phenomenal model craftsmanship under the hood. You also benefit from new parts and pieces that come only with the rag top. DM not only fabricated the new soft top, (remind me to tell you about this little treasure) but they fashioned the boot and even a fabric simulation of the rear storage space behind the rear seats as well. The view into the open car, sans roof, is unblocked and spectacular. The dash is grand and so stylish, even for today. The sunvisors, a two-toned affair, flip up and down. The steering wheel has excellent detail, so do the door panels and floor. The seats fold forward to reveal separately fashioned grab-straps attached to the seat backs. The center arm rest folds down in the back seat and what’s that under the dash on the passenger’s side? Could it be one of those cool little period pieces that were all the rage back then? Why yes, yes it is; a tissue dispenser. DM made it so it swings out for the seat occupant to pull out a Kleenex or two. Moving rearward be sure to notice the gold metal foiled scripts. Delicately fashioned, they are scaled perfectly. You may remove the skirts, but the car doesn’t look half as good without them. The trunk opens wide to afford a cavernous look inside. The hinges are scaled right and the inside of the trunk lid shows off terrific detail. Weather stripping is simulated, a jacking instruction label is affixed, the floor mat is realistic and the spare and accessories are in place. On the higher shelf toward the rear seat back is a boot bag; another nice touch. The license plate flips open to give access to the gas cap. As with the hard top, the chassis is replete with details galore. The sus...

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Tony Perrone

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Topic starter 26/03/2025 7:03 am

Posted by: @marty-johnson

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@carcass1996 - Are you saying the links to the reviews are active? If so, I tried accessing and could not. I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong.

Only on the Zip'ed files - his third link. It does, as he suggest, take a minute to fully open up but I was shocked to see photos. I didn't do all or even many but the few I tried, opened.

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John Napoli

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26/03/2025 10:07 am

I tried the zip file as well and all I get is 1 page of a pdf with about 26 cars listed. Cannot open any of the files.

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Tony Perrone

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Topic starter 26/03/2025 10:21 am

Posted by: @carsman1958

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I tried the zip file as well and all I get is 1 page of a pdf with about 26 cars listed. Cannot open any of the files.

I'm having trouble opening today too. Photos were there on the few I opened yesterday - not today. No idea why.

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Marty Johnson

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28/03/2025 7:22 am

FYI to all, the links are active and working.

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Viacheslav Chesnovsky

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01/04/2025 12:29 am

@carsman1958 the PDF got 26 pages in length, not 26 models. Are you sure you opened the PDF file, not the preview image below it?

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Viacheslav Chesnovsky

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01/04/2025 12:51 am

I've tried today to use the files I've recently uploaded as a DM catalogue. I wanted to look up the color of 1957 blue New Yorker (Regatta Blue & Grey Mist), and couldn't find the model. Then I've realized that the web archive copy I accessed is from 2008, and DM existed well after that (2013 is the year the last model was issued, AFAIK), so models issued after 2008 are simply not there yet.

Below is the link to the Zone web archive from 2015. It is probably not cached as thoroughly as the 2008 year link, but the catalogue is definitely more complete as the 2008 version.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150404002254/http://www.diecast.org/diecast98/html/asp/list_reviews/xq/ASP/manufacturer.Danbury+Mint/classification.Danbury+Mint/searchScale.1:24/qx/reviewresults.htm

I'll try to compile a new file with reviews from different copies, it will take some time. Then I'll come back here and re-upload the files.

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John Napoli

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02/04/2025 8:29 am

@carcass1996 Thank you so much. I have missed this for a long time. The pages do open, but none of the photos show up, unless I am doing something wrong.

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tma1939

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18/07/2025 6:52 pm

@john-barry

Hey Tony Perone I was in a car accident. Please allow me to send money as soon as possible. Just out of the hospital. It will be a few days before I can. Thank you tma 1939.

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Tony Perrone

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Topic starter 19/07/2025 6:19 am

@tma1939 You have plenty of time; please recuperate, rest and take care. So sorry to hear what happened! God bless!

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Tony Perrone

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Topic starter 11/06/2026 6:18 am

Time to make sticky again.....

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Tony Perrone

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Topic starter 11/06/2026 6:27 am

For links to FM and DM Car Reviews, see links on first post of this thread in Note #3. Many thanks to John Napoli and Chav!

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John Napoli

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11/06/2026 9:12 am

@perrone1 Thanks Tony!

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Tony Perrone

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Topic starter 11/06/2026 10:29 am

@carsman1958 Wink

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Thomas

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18/06/2026 9:25 am

I was wondering the same thing. I tried a few of the links and couldn't get them to open either. It would be helpful if someone could confirm whether the reviews are still available or if they were moved elsewhere.

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Tony Perrone

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Topic starter 18/06/2026 9:53 am

@thomas

Check out Edit Note #3 on first page of this thread - here:

https://diecast.org/community/1_24/lost-review-danbury-mint-1956-lincoln-premiere-convertible-1483/

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