JUNE - AUGUST 2005 ARCHIVE
31-August-2005 A couple of new Porsche promotional models have been released and are available at Porsche dealerships - their respective part numbers will appear if hover your mouse over the photos.
I'm glad to see Minichamps are making an effort to address the problem of fake and 'phantom' models by posting photographs on their website - it seems the list grows daily. If you do spot any items you suspect to be fake then email the relevant auction number to them at ebay@minichamps.de
29-August-2005 Our Japanese reporter visited the 2005 Miniature Car Fair in Tokyo yesterday and states that the special event models were readily available and could be purchased without any hassle so I would expect these to surface on eBay before too long.
The part number for the 1985 Audi Quattro Acropolis Rally model we mentioned yesterday is 503.05.002.03 - the car comes complete with 'HB International' tobacco livery and the additional 'Rothmans' event sponsored number panels on the bonnet (or hood depending where you are reading this!)
28-August-2005 A few interesting new Minichamps models have appeared on the market. The first is the AVD Oldtimer Grand Prix Nuremberg model of a Porsche 928 limited to 1,000 pieces.
The previous five AVD Old Timer models that have appeared in the past were all standard Minichamps models in known colours with a decal on the side and complete with base printing and were limited between 300 to 850 pieces and individually numbered. The models covered are the 356 Speedster, 356 Carrera 2 Coupe, 911 1965, 911 Carrera RSR 2.7 however this latest model appears to be a brand new exclusive colour. These items are part of a drivers package given to contestants at the Nuremberg Old Time Grand Prix however a few are left over and are about to be sold.
The next four models have been released by Auto Hebdo (the French Automotive Magazine) and are all Porsche 930 Turbos including the very rare red 911 Turbo of 1977 and are limited to between 599 to 999 pieces. The colours are the same as the standard Minichamps issues released a few years ago however so far we have only located the red and white versions. The intriguing thing about these models is that they have turned up in Japan in the same way as the McLaren F1 GTR's.
The final model released is an Audi Dealer Edition of the Audi Sport Quattro of Blomqvist/Cederberg which competed in the Acropolis Rally of 1985 and comes with tobacco livery. As soon as we have a part number we will let you know.
19-August-2005 A couple of Minichamps will be released in Japan to coincide with the 2005 Miniature Car Fair in Tokyo between the 24th-29th August 2005 at Shinjuka Takashimaya department store.
The first is a Minichamps 1/43 scale Toyota GT1 Street 1999 in red limited to 1,400 pieces.
The second is a 1/43 scale BMW M3 Autotech JGTC 1988 car again limited to 1,400 pieces.
It seems both these items will be sold via a 'reservation ticket' at the show with a maximum of two tickets per model per collector. Apparently when this was attempted last time with the Suzuka Circuit Takuma Sato models a riot broke out at the Suzuka shop and the police had to be called to calm the situation down !! Who said collectors weren't passionate about their hobby ?
15-August-2005 We've located a source for the Porsche gift box models we featured the other day, price is EUR 79.95 per model. Click Here!
13-August-2005 A couple groundbreaking new Porsche 911 gift box style models have surfaced on German eBay - both limited to 1,000 pieces each. The first is the #99 OASE PZK sponsored Porsche 911 (996) GT3 R car which ran at the 24hr Nurburgring 2000 race and was piloted by Uwe Alzen, Bernd Maylander, Michael Bartels and Alfried Heger and comes with a part number of 403 006 999.
The second model is the #1 Warsteiner sponsored car piloted by Emanuele Collard, Lukas Luhr, Christian Menzel and Christian Abt which ran at the same race but in 2001, this one has a part number of 403 016 991.
According to reports 250 models went direct to the sponsors for each model, 250 to Japan and the US which leaves 500 for everywhere else.
12-August-2005 A dealer promotional model of the Renault 2005 Fernando Alonso showcar in 1/43 scale is due out in about two weeks. According to Renault only 1,000 pieces have been produced of the Alonso version however there is nothing to indicate this on the packaging which will give them the opportunity to go back and order some more, however as this is the showcar it is unlikely this will happen.
A picture of the model is currently on Grand Prix Miniatures website - they are also taking pre-orders. If Alonso does go on to clinch this years F1 World Championship title this model will become one of the most sought after.
07-August-2005 There appears to be previously undiscovered version of the Mika Hakkinen Ford MP 4/8 in existence this time in the 'new style' McLaren Collection packaging.
As many of you will know the first three models in the McLaren Collection were originally released with a grey coloured 'chevron style' inlay card then Minichamps changed the packaging to the new style black and orange inlays from number four onwards. Now for some unknown reason they then re-released the Ayrton Senna MP 4/8 car in the new style box (#1 in the collection) however a second much rarer version of the car later appeared as #2 with the 'McLaren' livery on the airbox thereby replacing Andretti as #2 in the collection. The much rarer #2 Collection Senna car was released without a UPC code on the reverse of the box and all they all appear to have originated from Australia.
What makes this newly discovered #3 version strange is that it was purchased by an Italian collector on eBay from a UK seller last week - obviously the seller didn't know the significance of the model as the price was nothing out of the ordinary for the model. The big question is where did it come from ? Also have Minichamps ever produced the famous 'missing #18' but for whatever reason they were destroyed or are in a warehouse somewhere ? Does the same apply to the HHF Collection #4 model ?
Now onto the story of a model that never made it ! Our Belgian reporter attended the Spa 24 Hours last weekend and was chatting to a member of the Vitaphone team who is responsible for the team merchandise. As you may be aware they now drive a Maserati MC12 which IXO will be covering as a special release. Well it seems that last year they drove a Porsche GT3 prepared by a German tuner at the 24 Hrs of Nurburgring and they approached Minichamps to make 1,000 pieces of the car as a promotional item. Minichamps were prepared to produce the model however Vitaphone pulled out due to the fact that their car is a little different from other GT3's and Minichamps were planning to use the standard GT3 racing model and just apply decals over the top. If you would like to see what the model would have looked like in your collection then Click Here!
02-August-2005 We have some more information on the Takuma Sato EJ12 Jordan Suzuka model we featured yesterday - it is limited to 2,016 pieces and was only available at the Suzuka Circuit to people who had reserved one. The model was produced to commemorate the Suzuka Circuit motor sports fan thanks day on 12th March 2005.
Also the 02 Mini is available as a free gift to anyone who purchases a Sony Ericsson K700ibzw or K750i cellphone at a particular 02 outlet in Germany.
01-August-2005 It seems another version of the Takuma Sato EJ12 Jordan Suzuka model has surfaced on eBay. This particular item comes with a blue insert with the inscription 'The 5th Place Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka 11-12-13 October 2002' and is a limited edition however it doesn't say how limited that edition is.
On eBay yesterday I witnessed something truly phenomenal - an Ocher Bend Porsche 911 model selling for a whopping 1,232 Euros !! (that's £849.37 Sterling) I had spotted the auction in question #6970027295 earlier in the week with a 'Buy-It-Now' option of 999 Euros which I thought wouldn't sell however my jaw nearly hit the floor as the price crept up and up. What makes this even more remarkable are the other rare items the same buyer has managed to add to his shopping basket in the last seven days.
Porsche 911 Ocher Bend 1,232 Euros
Porsche 911 GT3 Racers Group 881 Pcs 232 Euros
Porsche 911 GT3 Wilkinson Sword Promo 404 Euros
Porsche 911 UPS Dirk Muller 653 Euros
The total bill for these four models an amazing 2,521 Euros or £1,736.66 Sterling and that is in addition to other 'normal' items ! Who was it said that the bottom had dropped out of the market and model prices were falling ?
31-July-2005 A BMW Mini Sony Ericsson O2 promotional model has surfaced on eBay - limited to 2005 pieces means it should be quite easy to find. The only downside is that it comes in the BMW clapper box. If anyone has any further information on this model please contact us at the address below.
28-July-2005 We have some more information on the Vanina Ickx Porsche we featured the other day. Our German HQ is now in possession of his model and reports a few peculiarities - firstly the part number is WAP 020 XXX 15 (the 2004 Supercup car has a part number of WAP 020 121 15) Also the reverse of the cardboard box is completely different to the normal Porsche box - it has 'Porsche Design Drivers Selection' printed on it instead of the normal Porsche shield and even the Porsche dealers have no information about the origins of the car.
As normal Porsche dealer issues are around the 5,000 mark this 1,500 piece issue could become extremely sought after.
25-July-2005 A new Porsche 911 dealer promotional model has surfaced on German eBay. It's the #2 VIP car of the Spa 2004 Porsche Supercup driven by Vanina Ickx. If you remember the #1 car came with the orange headlights however the new one with black headlights is limited to 1,500 pieces and is printed on the base like a normal Minichamps model.
20-July-2005 I've received some further information on those Renault boxed sets we featured the other day from a collector in France. After some research it appears both the Alonso French Grand Prix model and the Montagny/Alonso/Trulli three car set are in fact Minichamps models in Norev boxes and are not official Minichamps products.
We have a part number on that BMW FW26 pit stop diorama, it's 80 420 391 414 - apparently they have been on sale for around three months on the BMW website - how we missed that I'll never know !
18-July-2005 A BMW boxed Williams FW26 'Walrus nosed' pit stop diorama has been released and is currently for sale on eBay. We don't have any details on part numbers at present but as soon as we do we will post the information.
It was quite slow at the Donington Park swap meet yesterday ('like pulling teeth' were one dealers words') which was due mainly to the hot weather and a large number of collectors and dealers alike being on holiday. It always baffles me the effect the weather has on collectors at events like this - the sun shines and it's empty yet there can be a blizzard and you get a couple of hundred queuing outside ! I did however see something that I thought I would never see at a swap meet let alone altogether on one stall - all four 'Total' boxed Jordan promotional models which had been sold to one collector for a combined price of £500.
16-July-2005 It's been another slow week however we've now got something for your regular diecast 'fix'. I've received some information from one collector who picked up this Fernando Alonso 'pole position' model in France last week.
He says that the model is definitely a Minichamps model however there is no reference to this anywhere on the packaging which seems strange even for a 'promotional' item. It does however refer to 'Renault Merchandising' which could mean that this item was made after the event ie the packaging was not made by Minichamps and the model was added at a later date by Renault. Apparently of the 1200 models produced 700 formed part of a prize draw by Renault and the remaining 500 were sold exclusively at French Renault dealerships. It has been claimed that there is also a three car Renault set featuring Alonso, Trulli & Montagny at the French Grand Prix in 2004 however there is no evidence of this yet. I've tried to locate these models but all my efforts have so far drawn a blank - there is no trace of them anywhere on French eBay which I find strange for a 1200 piece issue so until we hear otherwise we will assume this is a collector modified model.
One model we can confirm is genuine is the Da Matta Panasonic Toyota model we featured a few weeks ago. This 1,000 piece item was produced by Minichamps for either Toyota or Kyosho however there is definately NO Panis version.
If you visit this site on a regular basis then you will know I'm no big fan of the BMW style 'Clapperbox' as in my opinion they are cumbersome and make it difficult to display the model inside. As I'm also one of those people who refuse to unscrew models from their plinths then you are probably thinking my only alternative is the special BMW produced 'vitrine' that fits over the top but when you are limited for space then it makes life even more difficult. Well I've finally managed to solve the problem thanks to a friend who sorted me out with some Minichamps vitrines, plinths, and outer cardboard boxes so this weekend I'm going to spend some time swapping my models over. These can be purchased via this website in Germany Click Here! He is also selling the 'Flavours of Asia' series cheaper than UK BMW dealerships.
If anyone had planned to go to the Donington swapmeet next week then don't as it's been moved forward to THIS Sunday in order to avoid clashing with the Superbike meeting.
08-July-2005 It's been another quiet week on the diecast front however we have some information on the McLaren Team Edition models. It appears they have not ordered any of the McLaren MP4/19B's or the De La Rosa or Wurz MP 4/20's as 'Team Editions'
They have however confirmed that the usual duo of first choice driver cars of Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya in both 1/43 and 1/18th scale although the first deliveries are not expected until December. At present they are not taking pre-orders so there is little point emailing them at the moment however as soon as we have some cast iron information we will let you know.
01-July-2005 Well guys all I can say is brace yourselves and get the credit card ready ! Minichamps have announced a whole host of models which will be appearing imminently in the soon to be released Edition 2 catalogue.
30-June-2005 I've received some more information on that black McLaren F1 GTR with the gold wheels we featured earlier in the week. The model is available directly from bmw1zu43, apparently if you click on 'Sondermodelle' in the left of the menu you should find it there. It has a part number of 533 133440.
It seems BMW have also been busy with the release of their 'Flavours of Asia' series which features a BMW model set against a background scene from the relevant Asian country. As far as we are aware three have surfaced so far -
28-June-2005 A black limited edition McLaren F1 GTR roadcar has surfaced on eBay, limited to 999 pieces the model comes with gold rims.
The auction states that the model was and I quote "produced exclusively for Hanschke & Harsch BMW dealership in Pirmasens. Distribution & Sales will be handled exclusively through KJS.Miniaturen Zweibruecken and HEKORSA Rehlingen - Siersburg." At the moment this is all the information we have but if anyone out there has anything further to add we would be pleased to hear from you.
21-June-2005 I've finally returned from my weeks holiday to a bulging mailbox which has taken the best part of an afternoon to sort through. First things first, as you may recall last week a set of Canadian GP promotional models surfaced and that Toronto Motorsports were taking preorders. Well we now have some further information on them - it seems there are seven models in the series and they were never intended to be available anywhere other than for a promotion at the track so as you can imagine they are very sought after and difficult to obtain.
The big event of the weekend was of course Le Mans and as expected one of our reporters was on duty - initially he was unable to locate any of the #35 Shell Dauer Porsche special edition models on Friday however after locating the Collection Passion stand it was confirmed that the models were delayed and had only arrived at their shop the previous day, needless to say they had them for sale on Saturday. As expected these are now showing on eBay.
11-June-2005 At the moment I'm still awaiting further news on the list of drivers and cars issued in the special Canadian Grand Prix limited edition liveried boxes we featured yesterday, hopefully we will have something concrete by the end of today.
The Toyota TF105 launch cars have been released in Toyota promotional boxes and are available to order from their website Click Here! limited to 500 pieces each.
10-June-2005 LATE NEWS UPDATE........ Since we posted our news item earlier this evening it has come to light that Toronto Motorsports are attempting to secure a supply of the Canadian Grand Prix models as we speak. If you would like to be in with a chance to purchase some if they are successful then you will need to email them as soon as possible.
It's usually the case - a news drought for a couple of weeks then a flood all at once. A set of Canadian Grand Prix promotional models have been released to coincide with this weekends race - now it's early days on the news front at the moment but so far rumour has it that models of the following drivers have been doing the rounds at corporate events in Montreal, Ralf Schumacher, Villeneuve, Button, Alonso, Fisichella & Coulthard.The facts so far are that Ralf Schumacher and Villeneuve are confirmed and that there are definately six models in the set which are evident from these photographs.
I will post further updates over the weekend as they become available however from Monday I will be taking a weeks (well earned I might add) vacation so there will be no further updates after Sunday evening.
08-June-2005 It seems the release of the Shell liveried Dauer Porsche 962 #35 car which we featured a few weeks back is imminent due to the fact that there are a couple appearing on eBay at the moment - I use the word 'imminent' as the auctions in question only feature a photograph of a magazine article and not the actual model so we would expect them to coincide with Le Mans.
