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Topic starter
25/06/2009 2:50 pm
For Smart Car enthusiasts, Minichamps has just released a second model, the Passion Cabriolet following the Passion Coupe. My Cabriolet arrived from Alpimodel today to park beside my Passion Coupe. These are excellent replicas of the 1:1 scale car. Both are black but on the Cabriolet the tridion frame is silver. Minichamps is producing only 1536 copies of the black coupe and 1248 copies of the black/silver cabriolet. Let's hope they will release additional models in other colors.
Parking one of these Smart Fortwo cars beside my '59 Brooklin Chevy wagon gives you an idea of how small these cars really are! Last week I rode in a friend's new Smart Cabriolet. It's an amazing little car with plenty of room inside. There's just nothing fore and aft...nada, nothing! There is, however, luggage space behind the seats over the engine, but if you put your groceries back there, the sorbet will melt as heat from the engine is transferred through the luggage floor.
I could easily go for one of these so the Minichamps models may just have to do the job for me. These models are very well done. And from Alpimodel in Italy, it took less than 72 hours from hitting the "Add to cart" button to delivery on my doorstep in Virginia. And the shipping charges were almost as much as the price of the car, but there are times when a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.
David Knight
Richmond, Virginia. USA
25/06/2009 3:34 pm
I got smart models about 8-9 months ago from the local smart car dealer.
BTW Alpimodels will ship via postal for considerably less, I think I paid $12.50 for a recent model. Their Website doesn't show it, you just have to ask. It took less than two weeks.
Topic starter
25/06/2009 4:19 pm
Dick, were these Minichamps, or some other manufacturer?
David Knight
Richmond, Virginia. USA
25/06/2009 4:30 pm
Minichamps, sold as Fortwo dealer promos.
Part numbers were 1C75Q00 for a Silver Coup? and 1C81Q00 for a Red Cabriolet, other colors were available.
Topic starter
25/06/2009 4:39 pm
I wonder if Minichamps will make more of these available through sources like EWA and Alpimodel?
David Knight
Richmond, Virginia. USA
25/06/2009 5:09 pm
You know Minichamps, they keep on issuing colors and variations of everything.
Have they ever really retired a model?
25/06/2009 5:17 pm
Dellergo Imports also has the smart's available.
They are always a good source for European 1:43 promos if you do not have a local car dealer carrying them.
Actually, promos generally carry a factory parts number and a decent parts manager or counterman should be able to find them for you from his parts catalog.