September - November 2005 Archive
25-November-2005 The 2005 little plastic Michelin men collection has arrived - Click Here! The first of nine to be sold will be the Trulli version with the remainder to follow by the end of the year however from what we are hearing these have already been sold via pre-order.
There also appears to be some confusion over the BMW Williams Nick Heidfeld promo model we featured the other day - this item is not produced by M-Creative but is an exclusive model to BMW. If anyone has one in their possession and has a product number then I'd like to hear from you.
The 1/43 Renault R25 race cars are due for release within the next week or so and Grand Prix Miniatures are already taking pre-orders - these are the same concept as in previous years i.e. authorised and made by Minichamps for Renault. The part numbers are 7711237939 Alonso and 7711237940 Fisichella.
It appears that Renault are also working on a two car boxed set however at this stage we aren't sure if this will be an Alonso World Champion set or a constructors set but it will be limited to 1,000 pieces and individually numbered. The part number for this is 7711239115 and the cars will be Minichamps but it's unclear if the packaging will be produced by Minichamps or Norev.
24-November-2005 We incorrectly assumed that due to the demise of the Williams BMW relationship it would bring an end to any BMW dealer promotional models this year however this Nick Heidfeld FW27 Michelin item has surfaced which is limited to 1,000 pieces.
It seems the three March 792 Suzuka Legend models released a few months back appear to be unpopular in Japan with a large number remaining unsold at both the Suzuka circuit and Kyosho. It seems the plan is to repackage these models into a normal chequered box as new models complete with a new and totally different product number so naturally these original Suzuka Legend editions may become highly collectable. In addition to the insert these models differ from the standard released models due to the absence of a front wing.
21-November-2005 Well it seems despite my best attempts to warn people about unscrupulous eBay sellers passing off repackaged Auto Hebdo red Porsche 911's seems to be falling on deaf ears. As we highlighted a couple of weeks ago the potential is there for someone to repackage the cheaper Auto Hebdo red Porsche 911 as the more sought after and expensive original version and sell it at a massive profit. At least two of these repackaged models have appeared to my knowledge in the last fortnight. The first on a Buy-It-Now didn't sell but the sticker and barcode had 'accidentally' been removed from the outer carton and the seller even had the cheek to point out that it wasn't the AH version! On on a current item up for auction the outer box is missing completely.
I can't really spell it out any simpler than I have done already but here goes again - if the model is missing the outer box or there is any suspicion relating to the barcode and model description sticker on the outer box then DON'T BID as it's 100% guaranteed to be a repackaged Auto Hebdo model. If the trend continues and these models keep popping up on eBay I'm going to start to name and shame the sellers by printing the auction number here for everyone to see in a rogues gallery so you have been warned.
A couple of new models have been announced in 1/43 scale
530 054320 - Juan Montoya McLaren MP 4-20 - First win for McLaren British GP 2005 Limited Edition
540 874399 - Ayrton Senna - McLaren MP 4-3 1987 Test Car
400 841312 - Jaguar XJ-S TWR Racing Heyer/Percy Winner ETCC Spa 1984
20-November-2005 The Porsche 911 Warsteiner model we featured last week comes with a part number of 403 026203. These models were produced exclusively for the recently opened model shop named 'World of Modelcars' and it seems on the opening day both Roland Asch and Wolf Henzler were there autographing the models.
Also the Mika Salo Toyota TF102 Japanese Grand Prix model is a standard issue model and not a promotional item, it seems from reports these items are not very popular in Japan with loads remaining unsold yet this still doesn't explain why none have appeared on eBay yet.
I can't for the life of me understand why so many of the Fernando Alonso Chinese Grand Prix models remain unsold on eBay at the moment - whilst the packaging may not be to everyone's taste these models in my opinion will become one of the most collectable models in years to come especially when you consider he is the current world champion. It often puzzles me when collectors would rather spend ridiculous amounts on 'phantom models' - by that I mean models of cars that never existed in either road or race form - perhaps they feel obliged to collect them because it seems the in thing to do ?
14-November-2005 Guess what I'm going to kick off with today ? Yes you've guessed it another Japanese promotional model to go with all the others released in the last few weeks !! This time it's a Mika Salo Toyota TF102 Japanese Grand Prix edition limited to 1,512 pieces. If anyone has any information on this item then please let us know.
Whilst on the subject of promotional models we have received some clarification on the Takuma Sato BAR 003 we featured last week from one of our reporters in Japan. He contacted Suzuka Circuit who confirmed the model was distributed free of charge to VIP's at the circuit and was never intended for sale hence the statement on the reverse of the box.
Also the Toyota dealer boxed TF105 race cars of both Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli have made an appearance on eBay however there is no sign of them anywhere on the Toyota F1 website. It seems the launch cars limited to 500 pieces each sold out within four days.
Another Porsche promotional model has surfaced, this one is a Porsche 911 GT3 Carrera Cup 2002 Warsteiner liveried car driven by Roland Asch limited we believe to 996 pieces. Our European HQ is awaiting delivery of the model so we will have more information when it arrives.
04-November-2005 Once again the news today is dominated by Japanese releases. According to our Japanese HQ the first two models in the 'Japan Power' series have gone on sale in the shops but without any edition numbers on the packaging so we suspect there to be around 3000 pieces for each model, so my advice is don't go paying silly prices on eBay. At present only the Sato and Trulli models are available however the Button and Schumacher cars will follow shortly.
Also rumour has it that one Japanese collector attended the Chinese Grand Prix and came away with no fewer than 30 of the Alonso Chinese GP models we featured a few days back, one has already sold on the Yahoo! Auction website so we expect a few more to appear in the not too distant future.
You may remember a couple of years back a Takuma Sato BAR 003 Testcar model was produced by the Suzuka Circuit in Japan only to be pulled at the last minute due to some licencing problem - well it looks like the model has finally been produced for 2005. As it comes with a 'Not For Sale' instruction on the reverse of the packaging we suspect these were handed out as corporate gifts at this years race.
If you want a real good laugh then read our update of the 22 October 2005 then check out this eBay auction item #6986006783 !
31-October-2005 I must say it's not the way I normally spend my Sunday evenings but watching a particular eBay auction provided great entertainment value in itself. The auction in question was for the JP Montoya Williams Intel model we featured a few days back which broke all previous records last night for a promotional model finally selling for a whopping £870 !! What makes this particular auction even more exceptional is the fact that the model in question isn't even an official promotional item.
Also the same buyer 'Prost1955' is also bidding on the Ralf Schumacher car in a separate auction which is currently standing at £560 with three days to go.
25-October-2005 This must be some sort of record - four promo models in two days ! This time it's a Fernando Alonso Renault R25 limited to 1,008 pieces and was sold at the Chinese Grand Prix. I have contacted Minichamps about this item and they confirm it's an official product.
24-October-2005 We have no less than three newly discovered promotional models for you today and all are for sale on eBay at the moment ! The first is this Porsche 911 GT3 Carrera Cup 2005 car from the Mamelow Racing stable and is limited to 996 pieces and was piloted by Chris Mamelow.
The second model is Intel Williams promotional model of JP Montoya - some of you may remember that we discovered the Ralf Schumacher version last year which came in the short box. Now from what we have discovered the promotional company who were responsible for the model approached a UK dealer to purchase the full 550 model allocation however he was unable to meet the full order so the remainder of the models were supplied by Damon Hill BMW. It seems the full 550 production run includes both the Ralf Schumacher and JP Montoya cars - it's not 550 models for each driver.
Last but by no means least is the latest edition to the 'Flavours of Asia' series and this time it's the BMW E46 M3 cabriolet 'Japan' version limited to 2005 pieces.
22-October-2005 We would like to draw your attention to a possible scam before anyone gets caught out by it. Whilst we have no evidence to suggest this has happened yet the potential is there for some unscrupulous individual to make several hundred Euros profit from it and we would therefore like to prevent someone being caught out.
Our European HQ has just received a red Porsche 930 Turbo Auto Hebdo edition model limited to 999 pieces from eBay for around 150 Euros. The original first edition of this model in red (estimated 2500 pcs) still sells for between 400-600 Euros and having examined both models there doesn't appear to be any difference between the two. It's only a matter of time therefore before someone repackages the Auto Hebdo version in a neutral black Minichamps box, prints off a new scan of the original label and makes a profit in the region of 200 Euros.
Our friends at Triple R Models (formerly Hadrians models) have been busy redesigning their website in order to make it more user friendly
14-October-2005 Well as you can gather it's been another slow couple of weeks however you will be pleased to know we have a whole heap of news for you today ! A new Porsche GT3 'Porsche Engineering' promotional model has been released in what we have been advised is a 400 limited edition production run - apart from the picture below this is the only information we have at this time.
There have been some new model announcements from Minichamps today -
400 050139 Jordan Toyota EJ15 Sakon Yamamoto Friday Practice Driver Japanese GP Ltd Edition
400 050205 Renault R25 Fernando Alonso 2005 French Grand Prix 'Phoenix Livery' Ltd Edition
530 054319 McLaren Mercedes MP 4/20 Kimi Raikkonen Winner Monaco GP 2005 Ltd Edition
540 943202 Ayrton Senna 1/2 Scale 1994 Replica Helmet
In addition to the above the Edition 3 catalogue is due for release in the next week or two. Also Minichamps have decided to cancel six previously announced Ducati motorbikes and the Toyota F1 driverless launch car too.
On Sunday I traveled down to the NEC toyfair in Birmingham which is usually one of the highlights of the diecast calendar however whilst the collectors were out in force several of the regular Minichamps dealers were conspicuous by their absence. I don't know whether it's the advent of the internet but as time has passed these events appear to be getting smaller and smaller. It makes me wonder if in five years time there will be any events of this nature at all so the message to anyone out there is if you don't want to lose it use it !
I can't let today pass without wishing Derrick and the guys at Toronto Motorsports a Happy 10th Birthday - well done guys and here's to the next 10, keep up the good work.
02-October-2005 This year sees three Suzuka Legend packaged models released and they are all March BMW 792's, piloted by Nakajima, Hoshino & Hasemi respectively. The models are each limited to 3000 pieces each and cost JPY 5,500 Click Here!
Also the McLaren Team Edition MP 4/20 models are now available to order via the McLaren website expected to be delivered to your door by early December.
01-October-2005 We have some news on those "Japan Power" models we featured earlier. The pictured models are in fact the 2004 cars and not 2005 models which are yet to be shipped - it seems Kyosho wanted to show off the new packaging but had to use last years models as these were the only ones available at the time of the photo shoot (the Ralf Schumacher model is actually Ricardo Zonta) When the models finally go on sale they will of course contain the correct 2005 cars.
29-September-2005 The first pictures of the Japan Power models we reported last week have appeared Click Here!
Also both the BMW M3 AutoTech and the Toyota GT1 Road Car Japanese toyfair models we reported (see update 19 August) have been released in by Kyosho in normal packaging, the BMW is now a 4,512 piece issue and the Toyota a 3,024 piece issue.
The 1/18th Minardi 2004 Showcars of Bruni and Baumgartner and their PS04B race cars have all been scrapped and will not now be produced.
26-September-2005 We've received confirmation from Minichamps today that the Certina promotional model we featured over the weekend is the genuine article and comes with a part number of 403 050181 - it seems they were delivered to Sauber earlier this year.
24-September-2005 I've always advocated that any sponsor of an F1 team is a potential source of promotional models and this one proves that point. One of our eagle eyed readers spotted this item whilst on holiday in Switzerland in a jewellers - it's a Certina Watches Sauber C24 showcar promotional model which is given away free if you buy one of their watches for 545 Swiss Francs ! Although I couldn't find any reference to Certina on the car itself it turns out the company have been a sponsorship partner of Sauber since last year.
We've also had reports that there may be a problem with some of the Minichamps 1/43 Team Veloqx Le Mans 2004 Audi R8 car of Davies/Herbert/Smith product number 400 041388. It appears some models may carry the incorrect names of Beila/Kaffer/McNish on the roll hoop so it pays to inspect the model closely if you are thinking of buying one.
21-September-2005 We have some news hot off the press from our Japanese HQ. A range of Minichamps 'Japan Power' models have been produced exclusively for Kyosho and will go on sale shortly. We don't have any idea on production numbers but these items will be exclusively for the Japanese market
I'd also like to take this opportunity to point out that tobacco markings on the Audi Sport Quattro Akropolis Rallye 1985 model we reported a few weeks back only apply to the dealer edition and NOT the standard Minichamps issue.
16-September-2005 The first of the IAA 2005 models has surfaced and this year it's an Aston Martin V8 Vantage limited to 500 pieces, it comes with a part number of 403 137423.
Also Minichamps will be releasing an English version of a Passion For Model Cars Vol 3 with a Q4 release date, obviously aimed at the Christmas market.
11-September-2005 Once again the news is dominated by Porsche with more new arrivals at Porsche dealers which are accompanied with a brand new glossy model car catalogue.
One of the latest models released is a UPS liveried item the quality of which is reported to be far superior to any of the earlier Minichamps GT3 cars we've seen previously. The new 997 GT3 Cup Porsche even has separate seat belts compared to earlier models where it is simply printed onto the seat - also the air vents in the rear side windows are open compared to the older GT3 cars where they are just printed black. The catalogue also features some interesting models including a Cayenne RSR Trailer set however we are not sure if the trailer is a Minichamps item.
Also the latest issue (#10) of the fantastic Japanese publication Minicar Fan is available as a pre-order from the Hobbylink Japan website. Included in this latest issue will be a lottery postcard with a difference - you can nominate the model you would most like to see produced that hasn't been covered before.
05-September-2005 It's apparent from the number of emails I've received over the weekend that the majority of you are now well aware that the Canadian Grand Prix promotional models have been withdrawn from sale by Toronto Motorsports - the people who were instrumental in securing these items and offering them for sale via their website in the first place.
Now it's clear to see from several of the diecast message boards that some of the discussions are beginning to get a little heated to say the least and it's quite easy in a situation such as this to start pointing the finger of blame. Therefore I thought it was about time we studied a few facts.
Obviously I have to be careful what I print here but from analyzing all the facts and taking into account Minichamps view on the subject the blame for this fiasco seems therefore to lie away from the several retailers who were selling these models and at someone in the middle. I suppose we will never find out.
01-September-2005 It wasn't until I looked at the date this morning that I realised that today is our fourth anniversary so I've decided to celebrate with a pint of England's finest ! I must point out that much of the success of this site is down to the hundreds of collectors out there who have taken the time to send me news items over the last few years so I must say a big 'thankyou'.
I've just received confirmation from my contact at BMW who confirms that the BMW dealer edition of the M3 GTR in Imola Red is in fact a Kyosho model and has NOT been made by Minichamps as indicated on some message boards.
