15th
May
2009
Today we received the fourth and final colourway of CMC’s beautiful Porsche 901; blue (CMC067D).
IXO also announced five 1:43 replicas of the Seat Leons from the 2008 World Touring Car Championship. These will be for champion Yvan Muller (RAT012), runner-up Gabriele Tarquini (RAT011), Rickard Rydell (RAT010), Tiago Monteiro (RAT018), and Jordi Gene (RAT009). I’m definitely getting an Yvan Muller version, it will go well with my Minichamps 1:43 Andy Priaulx WTCC winning BMWs!
posted in Diecast, Other Cars |
14th
May
2009
There were a couple more price rises announced by AUTOart today, and they’re not exactly small. The one that is going to generate the most discussion on our forum is the Signature Collection 1:18 Koenigseggs, which will now be £139.99 (up from £114.99). This applies to all three colourways; orange (AA79001), black (AA79002), and silver (AA79003). As before, we will be fulfilling all of our customer pre-orders that were placed before the end of last year at £15 below the RRP, so £124.99.
The other increase is for the 1:12 Suzuki Katana (AA12151), which is going up from £54.99 to £69.99.
At the other end of the pricing spectrum, we have updated the sale pages on our website today. There are some new items in there, and most replicas that were already reduced have had at least another £5 taken off them to help expedite their disappearance from our warehouse! You can click here for sale 1:18 replicas, here for 1:43, here for 1:12, here for ‘other scales’, and here for AUTOart accessories. As ever, in some (indeed most) instances we only have tiny numbers remaining, so if there’s something you do want don’t wait too long!
posted in Diecast, Other Cars |
13th
May
2009
Today’s news is sponsored by Scale Model Technical Services – because it is all about Scale Model Technical Services!
There have been new releases and new announcements from them today. The new releases are two Graham Hill Lotus 49Bs and two Jim Clark Lotus Cortinas.
The Hill Lotuses are both from 1968, and are from the Monaco Grand Prix (SMTS114), which he won, and the Mexican Grand Prix (SMTS116), where he won the second of his two Formula One World Championships.
The Clark Cortinas are from 1964 and 1966. The 1964 example is from the Goodwood round of the British Saloon Car Championship (SMTS088), which he won on his way to the title. The 1966 version is his car from that year’s RAC Rally (SMTS089), where he won some special stages and impressed everyone with his pace before ultimately crashing out.
The new announcements are the Aston Martin DBR1 that Jim Clark and Roy Salvadori campaigned to third place at Le Mans in 1960 (SMTS250), the DBR1 that Stirling Moss and Jack Fairman drove to victory in the 1959 Nurburgring 1000km (SMTS251), and James Hunt’s 1973 March 731 (SMTS248). The second of these is particularly interesting, as many recognise it as one of Moss’s greatest ever drives. Fairman went off the road losing a big lead, while Moss fought back to take the win. This replica will come complete with a dent in the rear from where Fairman pushed it back onto the track!
posted in Due Dates, Diecast, Other Cars, Formula 1 |
12th
May
2009
Today Amalgam confirmed their line up of 2009 1:12 nosecones and 1:4 steering wheels. There will be nosecones for Brawn (AML924), Ferrari (AML925), McLaren (AML926), and BMW (AML927), and steering wheels for Ferrari (AML929), McLaren (AML928), and BMW (AML901). A Brawn steering wheel hasn’t been confirmed at the moment but this may be announced later.
We also received new releases from Minichamps, Spark and Mattel.
From Minichamps in 1:18 there was Kurt Thiim’s 1:18 1988 DTM BMW M3 (PG882031), and the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing in cream (PG039002). In 1:43 there was the 1973 Le Mans winning Matra of Henri Pescarolo and Gerard Larrouse (P731111), Timo Makinen’s 1966 Mini Cooper (P661345), and the Aston Martin V8 coupe in metallic grey (P137720).
Meanwhile, Spark released Jacques Laffite’s 1:43 1976 Ligier JS5 (SPK1631) and the 1:43 RUF CTR in yellow (SPK738).
Finally (also in 1:43), Mattel released Mike Hawthorn’s Ferrari from the 1954 Spanish Grand Prix (HW5586), and Gerhard Berger’s Ferrari from the 1994 German Grand Prix (HW5583).
posted in Diecast, Other Cars, Formula 1 |
11th
May
2009
All this talk of the other F1 teams catching Brawn, but Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello seemed to have an easier time of it than usual in Barcelona! And I wonder what Kimi Raikkonen did to Eddie Jordan in the past to upset him so much!
Today Minichamps confirmed the limited edition number of their 1:12 Valentino Rossi Assen Yamaha (PO73096), at 9,295 pieces, although this will not be printed on the side of the box as we have become used to.
Minichamps also confirmed some very limited (just 999 pieces each) 1:43 Le Mans replicas, in ACO themed packaging, which originally had been intended solely for the French market. You can click here to see them.
AUTOart announced a new 1:18 replica in the Lamborghini Gallardo LP5604. It will be available in yellow (AA74586), white (AA74587), blue (AA74588) and black (AA74589).
AUTOart also announced their latest set of price rises today. I say ‘latest’, as it seems that whenever we get a new delivery from AUTOart these days, something has gone up in price. The new Alfa Romeo Alfettas and Lamborghini Espadas will now be £89.99, which we think will be the new ‘standard price’ for their 1:18 open-bodyshell road car replicas.
posted in Diecast, Other Cars, Moto GP, Formula 1 |
11th
May
2009
Welcome to the seventy sixth Leigh’s Diary Vidcast. A ‘Knight Rider’ theme introduces us to the Shelby Collectibles Knight Rider Mustang from the recent TV shows, Leigh and Sean are locked in an argument over opening replicas and sealed body shells, and the staff make their predictions for the 2009 Spanish Grand Prix, using some rather unusual techniques! The April Model Of The Month is announced and the latest Diecast Monthly is revealed…literally!
Keep the comments rolling in. You’ll need quicktime installed to view the video on this post.
Leighs Diary Vidcast Episode 76 [6:25m]:
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You can also view this podcast on youtube by clicking here
The replicas featured on this weeks podcast are;
1/18 Shelby Mustang GT500KR Knight Rider - Shelby Collectibles
1/43 Mercedes B Class 2007 Silver - Minichamps (SOLD OUT)
1/43 Lancia Beta HPE 1980 White - Minichamps
1/43 BMW M6 Cabriolet 2006 Silver - Minichamps
1/43 Aston Martin DBRS9 FIA GT3 Spa 2006 #24 Groppi/Seiler - Minichamps
1/43 Aston Martin DBRS9 FIA GT3 Spa 2006 #22 Alexander/Needell - Minichamps (SOLD OUT)
1/43 Fiat 500 Nurburgring 24hr 2008 #168 - Minichamps
1/43 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Macau 2007 #9 D. Watts - Minichamps
1/43 Porsche 911 GT3 IMSA Challenge 2008 #97 T. Rivera - Minichamps
1/43 Ferrari 412 1985 Red - Mattel Elite
1/43 Ferrari 412 1985 Silver - Mattel Elite
1/43 Ferrari F430 Scuderia 2007 Yellow - Mattel Elite
1/43 Ferrari F430 Scuderia 2007 Red - Mattel Elite
1/43 Ferrari F430 Scuderia 2007 Avio Blue - Mattel Elite
1/43 K08 2008 Red - Spark
1/43 Triumph Spitfire Le Mans 1964 #50 - Spark
1/43 Porsche 911R 1st Tour De Corse 1969 #70 G. Larrouse - Spark
1/12 Honda Fireblade WSB 2007 #44 R. Rolfo - Minichamps
1/12 Ducati Desmosedici 2007 #27 C. Stoner - Minichamps
Remember you can subscribe to the podcast by clicking the purple podcast icon at the top right or use this link if you wish to subscribe via itunes.
I hope you enjoyed watching or listening to the podcast. Please feel free to leave any comments on what you thought of it or anything you would like me to feature in future shows below.
posted in Podcast, Due Dates, Diecast, Other Cars, Moto GP, Formula 1 |
8th
May
2009
Last thing today we received our first Truescale Miniatures 1:18 replica, the #71 Porsche 935 K3 from Le Mans 1980 (TSM09181). Finished in the colourful livery of Apple Computers, it was campaigned by Bobby Rahal, Allan Moffat and Bob Garretson. We are very impressed with the level of detail you get for your £129.99.
Our office copies of the May edition of ‘Diecast Monthly’ (i.e. our next diecast catalogue!) also arrived today, so those of you on our mailing list should be receiving yours next week.
Have a good weekend, and enjoy the Spanish Grand Prix! Will Ferrari’s double diffuser bring them back to the top? Looking at today’s practice times, they’ve got some more work to do yet…
posted in Diecast, Other Cars |
7th
May
2009
Today it was confirmed that the Suzuki Katana will be the third 1:12 bike from WIT’s that we will be importing into the UK (WH003). AUTOart are also replicating the Katana (AA12151), but we have been waiting on their version for some time now, and still have no confirmed release date.
We also received a sample from Shelby Collectibles of their 1:18 replica of the ‘Knight Rider’ Shelby GT500KR (DC501). As with their ‘Eleanor’ replica from ‘Gone In Sixty Seconds’ (DC500), the box does not have any themed packaging, but it is perfectly obvious which model it is! The replica is in ‘pre-morph’ state (apparently a lot of morphing happens in the updated TV series!), without the rear spoiler up.
posted in Diecast, Other Cars |
6th
May
2009
Today we received a sample image from IXO of their 1:43 replica of Valentino Rossi’s Ford Focus WRC from the 2008 Rally GB (RAM351). It looks pretty much finished, and we hope to receive it in July.
Amalgam also announced more of their 2009 line-up in 1:8 scale. From this year’s Formula One grid, there will be the McLarens of Lewis Hamilton (AML908) and Heikki Kovalainen (AML909), the Ferraris of Felipe Massa (AML904) and Kimi Raikkonen (AML905), and the BMWs of Robert Kubica (AML906) and Nick Heidfeld (AML907).
From classic F1 there will be the 1978 Lotus 79s of Mario Andretti (AML910) and Ronnie Peterson (AML911), and from road cars there will be gems such as the Lamborghini Reventon (AML922), McLaren XP1 LM (AML917), and Nissan GTR R35 (AML923).
posted in Due Dates, Diecast, Other Cars, Formula 1 |
