Ron’s model spot
Words: Ron Ford
A new release from the 1:43-scale series of the Oxford Automobile Company is a little unusual, as it is of a Continental car, although the subject must have been quite common on UK roads at the time, as both Dinky Toys and Spot- On Models made contemporary versions of it.
VA001 is a four-door Volvo Amazon, and Oxford has captured its lines very well. The shut and panel lines are well defined without being overdone. Separate plated parts are used for the grille, bumpers, headlight bezels, and windscreen wipers. The rest of the bright work is represented by tampo-printed silver. The twosection grille has been given a backwash of black to emphasise the detail. In addition, the vent grilles ahead of the windscreen are picked out in black.
The clear glazing is almost flush fitting. The interior is well detailed and configured for right-hand drive, which, along with the UK number plates and ‘GB’ badge on the back, confirms this is a car used on UK roads. The underside is reasonably well detailed, and the plain silver wheels have their ventilation holes punched through. The plain-painted hubcaps carry the Volvo logo at their centre.
This version of the Volvo Amazon is painted very pale green, with a mid-green and grey interior, and black dashboard and rear parcel shelf. There is also body-coloured trim on the top of the door panels and under the dashboard. Oxford has really put effort in in this area — there is even a separate internal rear-view mirror, painted silver, mounted above the windscreen.
Mercedes-benz CLS Class
As a bit of a diversion from the classic car genre, it is worthwhile looking at some other makes of models. Minichamps of Germany produces a vast array of models of modern cars, vintage cars, and commercial vehicles. An example from its modern car range is the Mercedes-benz CLS Class.
It is a good model built to modern standards, with nice detailing, such as the plated trim around the door windows, as well as all the other parts like the grille bars, boot trim, and even the twin-exhaustpipe ends. The headlights and taillights are glazed in suitable colours, and even the wing mirror–mounted indicator repeaters are separately glazed.
Interior detail is excellent, with multi-coloured inserts. The underside is also detailed, and the wheels and tyres are authentic. The Merc is flawlessly painted black. Check online for availability. AWZ P70 Limousine. It is a great model and captures the lines well. There are some plated parts, and the lights are glazed. Windscreen wipers are photo-etched. The AWZ is also modelled as a station wagon and a coupé. The ‘limousine’ is painted green with a cream roof and beige interior.
I hoped to have been able to review Oxford’s Vauxhall Firenza this month but have been unable to get my hands on one, as the first version seems to have sold out. Ehattons.com is a good source of Oxford diecasts.
On the subject of Oxford, here are some goodies coming in the second half of 2016: in 1:43 scale, there will be — the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S, Rolls-royce Corniche Convertible, and Land Rover Lightweight; while, in 1:76 scale, there will be a whole slew of Aston Martins — the DB9 Coupe, Vanquish Coupe, V12 Vantage S, the DB4 GT Zagato, and Jaguars — the C-X75, F-pace F-type Project 7, and XE.