30th
June
2008
We received two Spark samples today, so hopefully that means that it won’t be long before we see them released.
The first is a 1:18 replica of the beautiful Matra Simca MS670 that won the 1973 Le Mans 24 Hours, in the hands of Henri Pescarolo and Gerard Larrouse (SPA180012).
The other sample is of Spark’s next 1:43 race transporter, in the famous Gold Leaf Team Lotus colours from 1970 (SPK286). This was the year that Lotus’s Jochen Rindt won the world championship posthumously after his fatal accident at Monza.
posted in Diecast, Other Cars |
27th
June
2008
Today was one of those rare days when not a lot happened in the diecast world! That’s not to say that we weren’t our usual incredibly busy selves however, as we started work on our upcoming in-stock diecast catalogue, which is always one of our most popular ones of the year. It should hit your doormats in about three weeks.
I do have one piece of news for you today though. I don’t want to suggest that my blog is so successful that it carries the rest of the sprawling Grand Prix Legends empire, but I have been asked to mention that we are offering a third off all of our Oakley sunglasses (even the brand new ranges) until the end of August. So, before you go off on your summer holidays, check out our Oakley Eyewear section!
posted in Uncategorized |
26th
June
2008
Sun Star announced four new 1:18 2007 Ford Focus WRC replicas today. They will come through at their new price point, £39.99, instead of the £29.99 that the four 2007 Focus WRC subjects that they have already announced are retailing at.
The new announcements are Companc’s car from Argentina (SS3922), Gronholm’s winning car from Finland (SS3923), Hirvonen’s winning car from Japan (SS3924), and Solberg’s car from Japan (SS3925).
We did have the already announced 2007 Gronholm car (SS3920) as his winning Focus from Finland, but this one will actually be his winning car from Norway. I hope that all makes sense!
posted in Uncategorized |
25th
June
2008
Today we received Minichamps’ release schedule for the next five weeks, taking us up to the end of July.
Next week is very Hamilton-heavy, just in time for the British Grand Prix! We will receive his 1:18 2006 McLaren MP4/21 testcar (DC2684), and 1:43 2008 showcar (DC28422P). We will also receive Kovalainen’s 2008 McLaren showcar (DC28423P).
The week after that we will see two 1:12 bikes that we have been looking forward to for a good couple of years; Troy Bayliss’s 2006 World Superbike Championship winning Ducati 999 (PO60221), and the 1975 Honda Goldwing (P161600).
The third week of the schedule (week beginning 14th July) sees the release of the next 1:12 Valentino Rossi figure, the 2006 sitting version (PO60046). This is the one in the ‘ritual’ pose before he gets onto the bike. There will also be the delayed Maserati Birdcage that won the Nurburgring 1000km in 1960 in the hands of Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney (PG601205), and Christian Albers’ 1:43 2007 Spyker (DC27421).
The following week the next 1:8 Valentino Rossi helmet will be released, his 1997 example (P970846), as well as the 1:12 2006 Rossi Materazzi standing figure, complete with spraying champagne (PO60296)! In addition to that there will be the second colourway of the 1:12 1973 Kawasaki Z1 900, green/yellow (P164101).
Things get a bit quieter in the last week of the schedule, although there is still plenty of time for new releases to be added to it. The highlights at the moment are Riccardo Patrese’s 1:43 1991 Williams FW14 (P910006), and the re-release of Ayrton Senna’s 1:12 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix winning Lotus 97T (AS852W).
posted in Uncategorized |
24th
June
2008
We’d received the new Minichamps delivery while I was away, which included the latest 1:12 Valentino Rossi replica, his 2001 Honda NSR 500 pre-season test bike (PO16946). It is a limited edition of 9,999 pieces.
Mattel were busy too, releasing their 1:18 replica of the 1960s TV Batmobile (HW7130). Supply is incredibly tight on this one though, so don’t take too long deciding whether to buy it or not or the decision will be made for you!
There was also a new announcement from Mattel, in the form of a new 1:18 Kimi Raikkonen special from this year’s Spanish Grand Prix (DC2801B). It is called ‘The Perfect Race’, which is how Kimi described the event after saying that he had not had a single problem all weekend. Problem is, he hasn’t had a weekend like it since!
It will consist of Raikkonen’s F2008 from the race (complete with ‘hole in the nose’ aero) mounted on a special base with a carbon fibre effect plaque detailing the achievement of pole position, fastest lap, and the win. It will be a limited edition of just 3,333 pieces worldwide.
As for the French Grand Prix, it was a case of ‘could have been better, but also could have been a lot worse!’ I couldn’t believe it when Raikkonen’s exhaust started disintegrating, I can now add that to the list of bizarre stuff that has happened to him at races I have attended; rear wing flying off, last lap suspension failure while leading, rammed by own team-mate, and crashing into a stalled car on the starting grid in front of him! What next, a meteor strike?!
But at least he still managed to finish second; his Ferrari sounded so rough I kept wondering if each lap was going to be his last. The McLarens probably would have had him as well as Massa if they hadn’t had their grid penalties, so I can’t complain too much. I probably still will though!
posted in Diecast, Other Cars, Moto GP, Formula 1 |
23rd
June
2008
posted in Podcast, Diecast, Other Cars, Formula 1 |
19th
June
2008
Trofeu released their latest 1:43 replica today, Win Percy’s 1987 Ford Sierra Cosworth that won the Silverstone round of the British Touring Car Championship in 1987 (TR121).
We also received a new 1:18 release from Ricko in the latest colourway of their popular Austin Seven Box Saloon, black (RK32130BK). The green version (RK32130G) has recently sold out.
This will be my last diary entry until Tuesday, as this weekend I have my first F1 trip of the year, to the French Grand Prix. So, apologies in advance to my fellow Raikkonen fans, as regular readers of the diary will know that he doesn’t tend to have the smoothest weekends when I turn up! I’ll be sat at the Adelaide hairpin, so if some disaster befalls him there, you will know why! Oh well, what can you do?
posted in Diecast, Other Cars, Formula 1 |
18th
June
2008
Today we received a huge delivery from Guiloy, with all of their new 1:18 releases on it.
These included the two McLaren F1 GTRs from the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours, both the Harrods entry (GY67502) and the West FM one (GY67508).
There were also the 1964 Le Mans Ferrari 250 GTOs, #24 (GY67505) and #26 (GY67511).
Finally, there were all their 2007 WTCC subjects; Priaulx (GY67503), Muller (GY67510), Gene (GY67506) and Corthals (GY67512).
We have also now started offering a selection of 1:24 Franklin Mint replicas at half price. You can see our Franklin Mint section to see what is currently available.
posted in Diecast, Other Cars |
17th
June
2008
We received the new Minichamps delivery today. For me the highlight was unquestionably the latest release in the 1:43 Ayrton Senna Racing Car Collection, his 1983 British Formula Three Championship winning Ralt-Toyota RT3 (AS028).
Interestingly, although it is the 28th car so far released in the series, it is actually numbered #29 in the collection. Hopefully this means that his 1983 Macau Grand Prix winning F3 car (AS029), which we saw a sample of at Nuremberg, will be #28 and will be released shortly.
The other significant releases were Valentino Rossi’s 1:43 2006 DTM Mercedes testcar (P063646), which is limited to 4,946 pieces worldwide, and Nico Rosberg’s 1:43 2008 Williams FW29B testcar (DC28407T), which is one of just 1,440 pieces.
There was also a new delivery from AUTOart. There were two very colourful new 1:18 replicas on it; the 2007 Le Mans GT2 winning Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (AA80771), and a menacing car from the Japanese GT Championship, the 2004 Raybrig Honda NSX (AA80497).
posted in Diecast, Other Cars, Formula 1 |
