BigToyTalk: Cars

BigToyTalk Archives

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March 5, 2010: Corgi RAF Land Rover
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by David Smith The versatility of the Land Rover led to it being quickly snapped up by the RAF after it first launched in 1948. It was used in a variety of roles, including towing planes and ferrying personnel around...

March 3, 2010: Corgi Scammel Scarab – RAF Maintenance Command
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by David Smith Although the single front wheel of the Scammel Scarab made it an odd-looking creature, it also made it extremely manoeuvrable. Taking over from the ‘Mechanical Horse’, the Scarab had an automatic coupling system to make it easier...

February 22, 2010: Corgi three-piece Mini collection
Comments: 0 | Categories: Cars , Collectibles

by David Smith Three famous Minis from the 1960s have been brought together in a single three-piece set from Corgi. The Speedwell Blue is famous for being the first Mini released by Corgi, in 1960. The Radford Wicker Mini followed...

February 12, 2010: Corgi Triumph TR7
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by David Smith The TR7 is one of those iconic automotive designs, although it was as much derided as loved. Voted one of the ‘50 Worst Cars of All Time’ by Time Magazine, this sleek little number from Triumph debuted...

February 5, 2010: Corgi Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth, Colin McRae
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by David Smith Corgi’s 1:43 scale Colin McRae tribute collection now includes this Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 4x4, which Colin and Derek Ringer drove to a 6th place finish in the 1990 RAC Rally. McRae might have done better had...

January 14, 2010: Corgi Hauliers of Renown
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by David Smith Corgi’s Hauliers of Renown series has three new 1:50 scale additions – the Volvo FH12 Open Curtainside with Box Load (pictured, top), the DAF 105 Open Curtainside with Moffett Mounty (middle) and the Iveco Stralis Fridge Curtainside...

December 28, 2009: Corgi Green Goddesses
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by David Smith Readers of a certain age will remember the Green Goddess fire trucks that raced to the rescue during the firefighters strike of 1977. The venerable vehicles were called into service again in 2002 (in ‘Operation Fresco’) and...

December 18, 2009: Scalextric Chevrolet Impala, Dale Earnhardt Junior
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by David Smith The ‘Drive the Guard’ Chevrolet Impala was driven by two-time Busch Series champion Dale Earnhardt Junior in May 2009 during the Sprint Cup Series. Proudly bearing the US National Guard logo and decked out in patriotic red,...

December 17, 2009: Corgi James Bond Aston Martin DBS
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by David Smith Corgi has welcomed another James Bond vehicle into its range, the Aston Martin DBS from Quantum of Solace. In 1:36 scale, the car includes a high level of detail and Bond himself behind the wheel. Wing mirrors,...

December 7, 2009: Corgi Austin A40 Farinas
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by David Smith Corgi has released a pair of Austin A40 Farinas with very different pedigrees. The Austin A40 Farina Countryman, in Sutherland Green, owes its existence in part to the Duke of Edinburgh, whose comment on lacklustre styling during...

December 3, 2009: Scalextric Holden L34 Torana
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by David Smith Scalextric’s latest model is the 1976 Bathurst-winning Holden L34 Torana. The 1,000-kilometre race was fiercely contested, with the Ron Hodgson car featuring a driving team of John Fitzpatrick and Bob Morris. Despite serious difficulties with a dicky...

December 1, 2009: Corgi BMC Noddy Van, British Rail
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by David Smith When BMC developed what it hoped would be the perfect parcel delivery van, they probably didn’t intend for it to become known as the ‘Noddy Van’. First introduced in 1958, the van proved highly successful and stayed...

November 26, 2009: Revell Trabant 601 Limousine
Comments: 0 | Categories: Cars , Construction , Models

by David Smith If ever you were to compile a list of words that sit uneasily together, ‘Trabant’ and ‘limousine’ would be high on that list, yet the Trabant 601 Limousine did exist and was mass-produced to the extent that...

November 25, 2009: Corgi Daniel Craig Era Set
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by David Smith Corgi has released the final James Bond box set, celebrating Daniel Craig’s brief but (so-far) successful stint in the driving seat. The James Bond 007 Daniel Craig Era Set, like the others in the range, features a...

November 23, 2009: Revell Ferrari California
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by David Smith Even in 1:24 scale the Ferrari California is an irresistible vision, and Revell’s new kit will appeal to modellers and petrol-heads alike. The real California has a top speed of 310kph and while this 112-part kit can’t...

November 20, 2009: Scalextric Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR 1955
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by David Smith The 300 SLR came perilously close to being a Grand Prix car for road use. It had lightweight ‘electron’ skin and ‘desmodromic’ operated valves in the engine and also added an air-brake, tucked in behind the cockpit,...

November 17, 2009: Revell Corvette Coupé and Shelby GT 350 R
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by David Smith Two legendary American muscle cars can be yours in Revell kit form following the launch of the ’69 Corvette Coupé and the ’66 Shelby GT 350 R. The Chevy earned the nickname ‘Coke bottle-shape Corvette’ thanks to...

November 13, 2009: Corgi Olympic Handover Bus
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by David Smith Two buses have been added to Corgi’s Original Omnibus line. The Enviro 400 is better known as the Olympic Handover Bus and appeared at the closing ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. This 1:76 scale...

November 9, 2009: Corgi Guy Pantechnicon, Freeborn’s Removals
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by David Smith Freeborn and Sons was once one of the foremost removal companies in North London and the latest diecast from Corgi reproduces one of the company’s lorries. The Guy Pantechnicon was no doubt a welcome upgrade from the...

November 2, 2009: Corgi Bond Era sets
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by David Smith The first three sets in Corgi’s Bond Era range are hitting the shops today. Each box set celebrates a Bond actor and comes with two cars and a collection of miniature reproduction film posters. For many, Sean...