But Diecast007 - Lada Niva is an entirely different car - it's simply impossible to confuse the two!
Apologies meant Lada Riva not Niva. Obviously an entirely different car , if you can call a 'Lada' a car .....
However
Found this titled 'The world is not enough' , maybe just maybe an issue in the future
The Lada Niva in white is scheduled as the next release in this series, Issue 116 - and it's due for release this coming week in the UK. Available from newsagents from around Wednesday for £7.99 - assuming you are in the UK! If elsewhere, you can pre-buy on ebay through sellers like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180816721212
While I'm online I thought some of you might be interested to hear that I picked up the 3 subscriber specials on ebay UK recently (via a UK mate who did my bidding) as a lot for £18 all-in. All had been taken out of the original blister packaging, but the T-55 is undamaged while the Little Nellie has been mounted in a non-JBCC plastic box with appropriate background scene inserted. I will probably redo these two into more compatible boxes as I get spare "long" boxes.
When I bought my Renault half-taxi a couple of years ago for £12/13 I thought I was getting a bargain!
Back to the present, I collected Issue 94 this past week, the TB Binz ambulance, so that's where the progress of the collection is in South Africa.
Found this titled 'The world is not enough' , maybe just maybe an issue in the future
Nope. The Lada Niva in that pic is an Agat or Tantal model made in Russia. Code 3, and not that good a Code 3 because there are no decals. I'm REALLY itching to see the Ixo release this week, especially given that Ixo's moulds for the Lada Niva (they've made a whopping NINE of them if counts this one) are actually quite well done and true to the real thing. For reasons perhaps unsurprising, they're REALLY trying with the East Bloc cars and for the most part succeeding.
While I'm online I thought some of you might be interested to hear that I picked up the 3 subscriber specials on ebay UK recently (via a UK mate who did my bidding) as a lot for £18 all-in. All had been taken out of the original blister packaging, but the T-55 is undamaged while the Little Nellie has been mounted in a non-JBCC plastic box with appropriate background scene inserted. I will probably redo these two into more compatible boxes as I get spare "long" boxes.
When I bought my Renault half-taxi a couple of years ago for £12/13 I thought I was getting a bargain!
Back to the present, I collected Issue 94 this past week, the TB Binz ambulance, so that's where the progress of the collection is in South Africa.
Well done, sounds like a real bargain. However, it also shows that the JBCC models lose value rather than appreciate it. This is of course due to the fact that Fabbri/Eaglemoss have flooded the market. They must be making heaps of money out of this, but sadly, it will be a long time before our models are worth any more than what we paid for them.
hi.....here is a quick photo of the Lada Niva issue 116.....it will have to do until someone posts a better one.....actually quite good......and to confirm issue 117 will be the Mercedes 220s from Goldfinger
hi.....here is a quick photo of the Lada Niva issue 116.....it will have to do until someone posts a better one.....actually quite good......and to confirm issue 117 will be the Mercedes 220s from Goldfinger
Thanks for posting the excellent pic yourmovemrbond, the Niva looks like a nice little model complete with logos and 'spatter'. I see we're getting the good old gravel road again - it's a real shame IXO seem incapable of coming up with a few more 'generic' bases other than this and plain tarmac. A country road with grass edges or a piece of rough ground with rocks would be good. Another idea might be to print the caption on removeable stickers (like UH's '007' stickers) so we could at least swap boring IXO bases for more interesting UH bases. This little model definitely deserves something better to sit on, IMHO.
Good comments and ammendments D110 - I hope 'the powers that be' are taking note and that we get to see some or most of these.
I'm wondering if people are feeling more comfortable with the (possible) prospect of the collection continuing well beyond 130 now? As a non-subscriber, there's a great comfort in knowing you can pick and choose as and when you please, but how do subscribers feel?
I guess if enough people stay loyal and/or new enthusiasts keep the customer numbers healthy, it could feasibly run all the way to Bond 24. It would be nice to hear from EMFabbri if they are considering including Skyfall models and maybe taking the JBCC to 160 as a next step perhaps.
Personally and only speaking for myself. I originally signed up for the original 40. Not wanting to miss anything I have stuck with the collection but now feel after 7 years enough is enough (especially with only one model per month!) as 160 models would take this collection into 2017!!! and GE Fabbri / Eaglemoss should put this collection finally to rest. Again this is a personal opinion.
hi.....here is a quick photo of the Lada Niva issue 116.....it will have to do until someone posts a better one.....actually quite good......and to confirm issue 117 will be the Mercedes 220s from Goldfinger
GREAT model of a Lada Niva 1600L with realistic spatter! They got the truck mirrors right and added in plastic wiper blades! However, there's one problem AS IT RELATES TO THE FILM: no bullbar on the front bumper and no fog lights. The weird thing, though, is that it has a correct stock 1600L bumper (more plastic on the sides of the bumper and the bumper doesn't fit flush against the grille). The rest of it looks great, the logos are right, and I for one will certainly be getting it!
While I'm online I thought some of you might be interested to hear that I picked up the 3 subscriber specials on ebay UK recently (via a UK mate who did my bidding) as a lot for £18 all-in. All had been taken out of the original blister packaging, but the T-55 is undamaged while the Little Nellie has been mounted in a non-JBCC plastic box with appropriate background scene inserted. I will probably redo these two into more compatible boxes as I get spare "long" boxes.
When I bought my Renault half-taxi a couple of years ago for £12/13 I thought I was getting a bargain!
Back to the present, I collected Issue 94 this past week, the TB Binz ambulance, so that's where the progress of the collection is in South Africa.
Well done, sounds like a real bargain. However, it also shows that the JBCC models lose value rather than appreciate it. This is of course due to the fact that Fabbri/Eaglemoss have flooded the market. They must be making heaps of money out of this, but sadly, it will be a long time before our models are worth any more than what we paid for them.
There seems to be opposite poles with JBCC values - mint early ones or specials don't always achieve much more than £8 (not including pp) on eBay UK on a good day, whereas later models or 'pre-orders' are often at ridiculous asking prices, £25 or more before postage in some cases. It got me wondering, what's the most anyone here has had to pay for a model, or seen one advertised at? - and what model was it?
The Lada Niva looks great ! Its a pity my delivery today did not meet expectations. A bit late to the party with this but I have just received Austin Cambridge and Austin FX4.
The Austin Cambridge is all wrong. Just doesn't look like an Austin Cambridge. I used to own a Wolseley 16/60 and was a member of the Cambridge Oxford Owners Club for all farina styled cars of the period. I also frequented stock car racing where sadly most of these great cars ended their driving career in demolition derby. Even today at my local track the odd one appears and can still give more modern cars a run for their money. The model on first impressions looks ok but closer its not in proportion. The car is sitting wrong , too wide, wheels are wrong, paint work is wrong, chromework wrong rear lights wrong , its just wrong! . In fact it reminds of the similar Peugeot farina styled 404. Or dare i say its like the a cross between the two. I would even argue its another 'Audi 200' all the there but not quite right. In short disappointed. For a better example the Vanguard offering in my opinion is far superior.
In contrast the FX4 dare i say looks quite good especially as I was not looking forward to this at all. However as i think was already mentioned what is the ridiculous AUSTIN badge on the back all about !! How , why and who signed this off ! It undermines the model and makes it more toy like. Oh well another two issues and I am not impressed. Come on GEfabbri ! You can do much better, in fact we know you can!
For a better example the Vanguard offering in my opinion is far superior.
The Vanguards model represents the A60 version of the Cambridge though, the generation which followed that of the car that was used in Dr. No. It is a neat model, made by Corgi as one of the first moulds that was going to form their "Motorcade" range to be launched in 2000 - but as things turned out, Lledo went bust in October 1999 and Corgi was able to buy the Vanguards name and tooling from the receivers and the rest is history ...
Hongwell/Cararama also have the A60 Cambridge in 1/43, as well as several other British cars of that era - apparently the story goes that Hongwell was commissioned to make the moulds for the initial models of a partwork that was later cancelled, leaving Hongwell with the unused tooling.
I recently bought via online auction several Lledo Days Gone vans & magazines from a partwork series by Hachette called Classic Trucks & Vans which apparently ran in the 2003/2004 period. The JBCC was the first partwork that caught my attention and which I started collecting in full, but I've seen from internet research that there have been several earlier ones which I would probably have collected if I'd been aware of them.
But collecting the JBCC has taught me a key guideline for collecting partworks - never subscribe, always cherry-pick!
For a better example the Vanguard offering in my opinion is far superior.
The Vanguards model represents the A60 version of the Cambridge though, the generation which followed that of the car that was used in Dr. No.
yes I realise that, but my point still stands the JBCC Cambridge is a real disappointment. I agree with your part work comment if anything i dont think i will sign up to any other partwork. I will stick with this though, got too as i have invested so much time and money .
Maz was right about the fenders having some issues, namely being too chunky and not being rounded or slanted inward enough. The tires are also a bit oversized. As we move aft, however, I don't see anything that really stands out as horribly wrong with the Cambridge. Nor do I see any serious issues with the wheels. Screwing up the fenders is one thing, as is getting part of the paint scheme wrong, but I think you're coming down a bit hard on this car.
Ironically, yes, I came down far harder on the FX4! Still, we do have the Niva to look forward to. The odd thing is that the 1600L (with truck mirrors) was not actually offered in the USSR, I don't believe. I've seen them in the service of Czechoslovakian (especially) VB/Policie and Pozharni Ochrana (fire), but cannot recall ever seeing those truck mirrors on a Russian or a Soviet vehicle. It's about as correct as you can get to the real thing (EDIT: is it just me, or having looked at a screen shot, are the actual license plates Czechoslovakian? That would explain a few things...), but it makes me wonder why EON chose it when they clearly had other options such as an UAZ-469B.
Just out of interest, I flipped one of D110's (excellent) pix and dropped it next to the 'Route Bleue' model which I believe is the same casting:
Click to enlarge
The model looks fairly close to me although I think Diecast007 has something, the taxi doesn't look quite right. I think the model IS fractionally too wide, but it doesn't look as pronounced on the regular version in the pic as it does on the DN taxi. I'm just wondering if the taxi's paint scheme is accentuating the problem, like an optical illusion - in other words the yellow 'width' is more apparent to the eye than the black 'height'? Or am I talking cobblers again? Maybe somebody should do some careful measuring of the model to compare with the real car's stats...........
For a better example the Vanguard offering in my opinion is far superior.
The Vanguards model represents the A60 version of the Cambridge though, the generation which followed that of the car that was used in Dr. No.
yes I realise that, but my point still stands the JBCC Cambridge is a real disappointment. I agree with your part work comment if anything i dont think i will sign up to any other partwork. I will stick with this though, got too as i have invested so much time and money .
I got the Lada Niva and it's not bad for a box on wheels! It has realistic mud smudges on the bodywork.
Had an idea that if you had photos of all the Bond Car models someone could produce a set of trading cards as a
collection to identify them all. (I know there are some pics on websites, but not all together, that you could hold in your hands. I wonder if Rittenhouse or Cartamundi would do such a series?
The JBCC and Route Bleue model are the same casting having both I have compared. I discussed this vehicle with another collector the other day and he too pointed out that in addition to front wings being wrong the IXO A55 is too wide. In real life it was a thin vehicle compared to the other Farina takes on the same theme (Peugeot 404 and Fiat 1800/2300).
Despite its faults I still quite like it since at £7.99 it is a good try but it is a shame it is not better done.
The FX4 taxi I will keep as an example of just how rubbish IXO can be when they don't try.
I look forward to the Lada Niva. Yes it is a box on wheels but it was designed that way. Lots of farmers here in the UK loved them since the 4x4 system was very, very capable and the cars were cheap - well very cheap compared to a Land Rover. Sadly though mechanically very tough they were built with Russian Steel which meant that they rusted like crazy.
Maz was right about the fenders having some issues, namely being too chunky and not being rounded or slanted inward enough. The tires are also a bit oversized. As we move aft, however, I don't see anything that really stands out as horribly wrong with the Cambridge. Nor do I see any serious issues with the wheels. Screwing up the fenders is one thing, as is getting part of the paint scheme wrong, but I think you're coming down a bit hard on this car.
Sorry, I must stand my ground on this. The car is a poor model of a cambridge. As an owner of a BMC Farina styled car and a once member of the owners club. The car just does not look right. The real car stood tall and was quite narrowfor its size. This model is another 'Audi' a characture of the car not an accurate model. As Moviecarfan says maybe this is not helped by the poor paintwork. It is such a pity as this would have been a gem if done correctly. The car looks more like a peugeot 404 than an Austin Cambridge. Looking at the flipped photo of the real car compared to the model , they don't even look like each other .
Maz was right about the fenders having some issues, namely being too chunky and not being rounded or slanted inward enough. The tires are also a bit oversized. As we move aft, however, I don't see anything that really stands out as horribly wrong with the Cambridge. Nor do I see any serious issues with the wheels. Screwing up the fenders is one thing, as is getting part of the paint scheme wrong, but I think you're coming down a bit hard on this car.
Sorry, I must stand my ground on this. The car is a poor model of a cambridge. As an owner of a BMC Farina styled car and a once member of the owners club. The car just does not look right. The real car stood tall and was quite narrowfor its size. This model is another 'Audi' a characture of the car not an accurate model. As Moviecarfan says maybe this is not helped by the poor paintwork. It is such a pity as this would have been a gem if done correctly. The car looks more like a peugeot 404 than an Austin Cambridge. Looking at the flipped photo of the real car compared to the model , they don't even look like each other .
Which I respect, of course, but I think MovieCarFan brought up a great point...
I'm just wondering if the taxi's paint scheme is accentuating the problem, like an optical illusion - in other words the yellow 'width' is more apparent to the eye than the black 'height'?
Since I have most of the LRB cars and dioramas (including the absolutely terrific model of the pre-WWII Voisin released earlier this year as an Ixo Museum model before it was an Ixo Museum model...if you want a GOOD Ixo model, I would recommend this car...), I agree with this assessment. It's the same mould, it IS subpar, yet where were the people saying how absolutely awful (as opposed to mediocre or subpar) the LRB model was? The yellow paint on the JBCC car, since it's all connected as opposed to broken up, makes the car look more "bunched together" and accentuates the car's problems, especially being very slightly off in the rear. The monochromatic wheels and tires also skews that quite a bit. Combine that with the model being a tad too wide and the errors with the front of the fenders and I think MCF really has something with the "illusion enhancing the problems" thing.
Well, I got the Lada Niva 1600L and I really like it (surprise, surprise...). There were no badging errors unlike with the VAZ-2106, although the "1600" was too small to tampo-print on there (to be honest, that's not a big deal and I don't blame them). The mud is quite well done and tampo-printing is overall really nice. Since I bought two examples, I was a bit confused by one feature: the rear axle. It seems that if you turn it JUST so, you can pop the left rear wheel up into the wheel well. This is true of no other Lada Niva model that Ixo has made; I wonder if they planned it with a different diorama? I also wonder if the Romanian Masini de Legenda Lada Niva that Ixo will have out by early April will have this bizarre feature.
Interior details are quite nice, although if you'll notice, the rear seat is folded upward, not down as it was in the movie. Still, it's the same vehicle, albeit minus the bull bar and fog lights on the front of the bumper. The paddle-shaped truck mirrors were superbly done and make the Lada Niva 1600L a Lada Niva 1600L! Hopefully we eventually see a Czechoslovakian Verejna Bezpecnost model from Ist with the same mirrors.
The article "Workhorse for the Working Man" is a vast improvement over the error-filled description of the VAZ-2106, but I've still got a few nitpickings with it...
-AvtoVAZ (not "AutoVaz") did not exist in 1977, when the VAZ-2121 Niva was released. Instead, it was the Volzhskiy Avtomobilni Zavod, or Volga River Automobile Plant (not to be confused with the GAZ-21 and GAZ-24 cars [among others] that were sold under the commercial name of "Volga"). But they are correct in that it was the largest automobile plant in the USSR.
-The name "Niva" simply means "crop field" (literally) and was released along with the Soviet version, the VAZ-2121. The earliest examples were simply badged "NIVA", except in Cyrillic. I'm not sure where they got "darling of the cornfields".
-The Niva was NOT the first car built at VAZ that wasn't a rebadged Fiat. The VAZ-2101 and VAZ-2102 were license built, but the VAZ-2103 Zhiguli (sold as the Lada 1500 in the west) was a different design. Granted, it was Fiat-based in the sense that the Soviets literally had to pay royalty fees because so many parts it used were Fiat-based, but it was a completely different car than anything Fiat was making. In other words, it was not rebadged.
Still, the rest of the article is very good! Can't wait for the Mercedes-Benz 220S!
Here's a pic of the 117 mag cover - using pics of the 'bad guys' 180D from the look of it!
Anybody got a better photo/scan of this they can post?
I'm afraid not, but I have Minichamps models of both the 180D and the 220S. Looking at the front of the CGI image of the car (which is the one that's typically closest to the actual model), the fenders, and the chromework, I almost think they're going to give us a 220S (which will be nice) but in black (oh well...at least there WERE black 220S's, if not that particular one!).
Really looking forward to this car - if we're ever going to see a decent diarama and figures again in the collection (as Fabbri have apparently promised) then surely this is an ideal opportunity for them to deliver.
Here's a pic of the 117 mag cover - using pics of the 'bad guys' 180D from the look of it!
Anybody got a better photo/scan of this they can post?
I'm afraid not, but I have Minichamps models of both the 180D and the 220S. Looking at the front of the CGI image of the car (which is the one that's typically closest to the actual model), the fenders, and the chromework, I almost think they're going to give us a 220S (which will be nice) but in black (oh well...at least there WERE black 220S's, if not that particular one!).
I have an awful feeling that if it's definitely a 220S, but turns up in black when it's meant to be grey (as Oddjob's 220S was) this could be another 'Blunderbird' moment for the Bond-centrics. I guess we'll find out in a few weeks....................
I have an awful feeling that if it's definitely a 220S, but turns up in black when it's meant to be grey (as Oddjob's 220S was) this could be another 'Blunderbird' moment for the Bond-centrics. I guess we'll find out in a few weeks....................
Speaking as a car-centric, I'd honestly love a black 220S, but definitely see this due to raised expectations. However, I should add that when I said "there WERE black 220S's", I was referring to other cars in the actual chase scene with the DB5. While we probably will NOT wind up getting Oddjob's car, we will wind up getting a Bond chase car from that famous scene, I'm convinced.
I have an awful feeling that if it's definitely a 220S, but turns up in black when it's meant to be grey (as Oddjob's 220S was) this could be another 'Blunderbird' moment for the Bond-centrics. I guess we'll find out in a few weeks....................
Speaking as a car-centric, I'd honestly love a black 220S, but definitely see this due to raised expectations. However, I should add that when I said "there WERE black 220S's", I was referring to other cars in the actual chase scene with the DB5. While we probably will NOT wind up getting Oddjob's car, we will wind up getting a Bond chase car from that famous scene, I'm convinced.
Ah I get you - I thought Oddjob was the only one in a 220S. Obviously the black Mercs were far more important in the chase than the grey one, so a late change to issuing a black example makes sense.
I have an awful feeling that if it's definitely a 220S, but turns up in black when it's meant to be grey (as Oddjob's 220S was) this could be another 'Blunderbird' moment for the Bond-centrics. I guess we'll find out in a few weeks....................
Speaking as a car-centric, I'd honestly love a black 220S, but definitely see this due to raised expectations. However, I should add that when I said "there WERE black 220S's", I was referring to other cars in the actual chase scene with the DB5. While we probably will NOT wind up getting Oddjob's car, we will wind up getting a Bond chase car from that famous scene, I'm convinced.
Ah I get you - I thought Oddjob was the only one in a 220S. Obviously the black Mercs were far more important in the chase than the grey one, so a late change to issuing a black example makes sense.
Oddjob probably SHOULD have been the only one in 220S, but right after watching the car chase, it was RIDDLED with continuity errors. Basically, it goes like this...
-Bond and Tilly encounter the bad guys (who've found the DB5) and Bond slams one guy against a Merc fender. Both cars are 180D's. License number NE-5961 is the lead car...but then we get a continuity error of the SAME car starting up AGAIN! This was meant to be the second car, license number NE-9641.
-The car chase starts up with the DB5 and two black 180D's pursuing it. However, when the first automatic weapons fire comes from one of the henchmen (in the lead car, NE-5961), look carefully at the car when it's zoomed in on: it's not a 180D. It's actually very clearly a 220S, though we can't tell its license number. However, as soon as we cut back to the car itself from the guy firing the MP-40 submachine gun, it magically turns into a 180D (again).
-We then see 180D license number NE-9641, the second car, chasing the DB5. But all of a sudden, in a lesser continuity error since the car and color stay the same, it's suddenly wearing license number NE-5961...or in other words, the lead car that winds up surviving the whole chase! WHOOPS!
-No more continuity errors until the second car goes off the cliff. Although we "see" a 180D start off the cliff, the car that goes off and explodes has a much higher level of trim, though no fog lights and has chromed vents on each side of the grille (something the 220S lacks). I've found that this car, which only makes one appearance, was the mid-range 190.
-It's smooth sailing until Bond stops the DB5 and lets Tilly out. But the continuity errors start up IN SPADES after this.
-I couldn't believe I'd missed this, but doublecheck it and see for yourself: the car Oddjob steps out of to demonstrate his hat-throwing prowess on Tilly's neck is a black 220S with fog lights and whitewall tires!!! In a freeze-frame, the license number is pretty blurry, but appears to be the same as the one found on Oddjob's gray 220S, license number NE-5384 (albeit with a larger font and less space on either side of the actual license number)!
-NE-5384 #1, a BLACK 220S, continues to be Oddjob's until we finally see both surviving Mercs again once Bond reaches the old lady's house. Then, the car finally switches colors to blueish gray, becoming NE-5384 #2. The second Merc (license NE-5961) strangely doesn't suffer from the same continuity error; it appears to be the same 180D used for the closeup shots of the car that hits the tree and was about to go over the cliff.
I would estimate that there were at least three 180D's used in the entire chase sequence, three 220S's, and a 190 with a very minor role. All to represent THREE cars. While by no means as chaotic as the military truck convoy that changes at LEAST three times with none of the trucks even resembling the others later seen in the same film, continuity badly hurts this one.
Therefore, now that we know Oddjob HAD a black 220S that featured prominently in the chase scene (even though I'm guessing they subsequently picked out a gray one to show the viewer which car Oddjob was in...after all, the viewer is supposed to be surprised when Oddjob gets out of the Merc that I've ID'ed as a 220S), is the car suddenly no longer wrong?
EDIT: To clear up some of the confusion and help you keep track of the cars, here are their license numbers...
--NE-5961 (Black 180D/220S [briefly]/180D again). This is the lead black car.
--NE-9641 (Black 180D/190 [briefly]). This is the second car we see, which goes over the cliff/explodes as a 190. However, in a totally different continuity error, this car's license number appears when it's enveloped in smoke as "NE-5961".
--NE-5384 (Black 220S/Gray 220S). Oddjob's car. I THINK the license number actually changes on this car, since this is NOT what the license number looks like when Bond ejects his rather unwelcome passenger out the ejector seat/the first digit appears to be a "1".
EDIT YET AGAIN: I cannot make out the license number on the CGI car on the magazine, which is most likely to match whatever Ixo winds up releasing. Therefore, there's no way to tell what license number the model has until it's out. HOWEVER, I do have reason to believe that it is in fact a 220S and not a 180D. The front bumper on Ixo's 180D moulds ALWAYS features the license plate below the bumper, not straight on it (as is the case with the CGI car). Further, none of the Ixo cars has fog lights.
Wasted another hour of my life checking GF number plates ... but as Dalko had a different Oddjob plate I had to check again. As I posted on p. 163, Oddjob's 220S is NE 3184 - it is clearly legible after the Aston Martin crashes. But I am not sure if the plates are the same at the gate. Time to upgrade to Blu-ray to check number plates again.
I don't see the black 220S, and I also don't see anything other than a 180 going down the cliff. (And please don't call it a 180D - no one except taxi drivers drove Diesels back then. The 180 with its 85 HP was sluggish enough ... but still fast enough to successfully chase an Aston Martin DB5 with deadly modifications. )
But there must be a third black 180 with foglights somewhere (this is the one which passes the still standing NE 9641). Well, this scene was shot partly in Switzerland and partly in the studio ... which also explains the change of number plates on NE 9641. There are Neuchatel and Swiss crests on the front plate - but not in every shot. Swiss plates only have the crests on the rear so the scenes where they are missing are correct and probably shot in Switzerland rather than England. Must still be fake plates as the real front plates are much smaller than shown in the film.
Comments
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180816721212
When I bought my Renault half-taxi a couple of years ago for £12/13 I thought I was getting a bargain!
Back to the present, I collected Issue 94 this past week, the TB Binz ambulance, so that's where the progress of the collection is in South Africa.
Nope. The Lada Niva in that pic is an Agat or Tantal model made in Russia. Code 3, and not that good a Code 3 because there are no decals. I'm REALLY itching to see the Ixo release this week, especially given that Ixo's moulds for the Lada Niva (they've made a whopping NINE of them if counts this one) are actually quite well done and true to the real thing. For reasons perhaps unsurprising, they're REALLY trying with the East Bloc cars and for the most part succeeding.
Well done, sounds like a real bargain. However, it also shows that the JBCC models lose value rather than appreciate it. This is of course due to the fact that Fabbri/Eaglemoss have flooded the market. They must be making heaps of money out of this, but sadly, it will be a long time before our models are worth any more than what we paid for them.
Thanks for posting the excellent pic yourmovemrbond, the Niva looks like a nice little model complete with logos and 'spatter'. I see we're getting the good old gravel road again - it's a real shame IXO seem incapable of coming up with a few more 'generic' bases other than this and plain tarmac. A country road with grass edges or a piece of rough ground with rocks would be good. Another idea might be to print the caption on removeable stickers (like UH's '007' stickers) so we could at least swap boring IXO bases for more interesting UH bases. This little model definitely deserves something better to sit on, IMHO.
Personally and only speaking for myself. I originally signed up for the original 40. Not wanting to miss anything I have stuck with the collection but now feel after 7 years enough is enough (especially with only one model per month!) as 160 models would take this collection into 2017!!! and GE Fabbri / Eaglemoss should put this collection finally to rest. Again this is a personal opinion.
GREAT model of a Lada Niva 1600L with realistic spatter! They got the truck mirrors right and added in plastic wiper blades! However, there's one problem AS IT RELATES TO THE FILM: no bullbar on the front bumper and no fog lights. The weird thing, though, is that it has a correct stock 1600L bumper (more plastic on the sides of the bumper and the bumper doesn't fit flush against the grille). The rest of it looks great, the logos are right, and I for one will certainly be getting it!
There seems to be opposite poles with JBCC values - mint early ones or specials don't always achieve much more than £8 (not including pp) on eBay UK on a good day, whereas later models or 'pre-orders' are often at ridiculous asking prices, £25 or more before postage in some cases. It got me wondering, what's the most anyone here has had to pay for a model, or seen one advertised at? - and what model was it?
The Austin Cambridge is all wrong. Just doesn't look like an Austin Cambridge. I used to own a Wolseley 16/60 and was a member of the Cambridge Oxford Owners Club for all farina styled cars of the period. I also frequented stock car racing where sadly most of these great cars ended their driving career in demolition derby. Even today at my local track the odd one appears and can still give more modern cars a run for their money. The model on first impressions looks ok but closer its not in proportion. The car is sitting wrong , too wide, wheels are wrong, paint work is wrong, chromework wrong rear lights wrong , its just wrong! . In fact it reminds of the similar Peugeot farina styled 404. Or dare i say its like the a cross between the two. I would even argue its another 'Audi 200' all the there but not quite right. In short disappointed. For a better example the Vanguard offering in my opinion is far superior.
In contrast the FX4 dare i say looks quite good especially as I was not looking forward to this at all. However as i think was already mentioned what is the ridiculous AUSTIN badge on the back all about !! How , why and who signed this off ! It undermines the model and makes it more toy like. Oh well another two issues and I am not impressed. Come on GEfabbri ! You can do much better, in fact we know you can!
The Vanguards model represents the A60 version of the Cambridge though, the generation which followed that of the car that was used in Dr. No. It is a neat model, made by Corgi as one of the first moulds that was going to form their "Motorcade" range to be launched in 2000 - but as things turned out, Lledo went bust in October 1999 and Corgi was able to buy the Vanguards name and tooling from the receivers and the rest is history ...
Hongwell/Cararama also have the A60 Cambridge in 1/43, as well as several other British cars of that era - apparently the story goes that Hongwell was commissioned to make the moulds for the initial models of a partwork that was later cancelled, leaving Hongwell with the unused tooling.
I recently bought via online auction several Lledo Days Gone vans & magazines from a partwork series by Hachette called Classic Trucks & Vans which apparently ran in the 2003/2004 period. The JBCC was the first partwork that caught my attention and which I started collecting in full, but I've seen from internet research that there have been several earlier ones which I would probably have collected if I'd been aware of them.
But collecting the JBCC has taught me a key guideline for collecting partworks - never subscribe, always cherry-pick!
yes I realise that, but my point still stands the JBCC Cambridge is a real disappointment. I agree with your part work comment if anything i dont think i will sign up to any other partwork. I will stick with this though, got too as i have invested so much time and money .
Having looked at the A55 Mk. II and the A60, they're quite different. It's NOT a perfect model but is, as Maz wrote earlier, an "acceptable" one...
Here's a few pictures of the A55 Mk. II...
http://www.motorbase.com/uploads/2008/06/13/fs_mixed_367.jpg
http://www.supercars.net/gallery/99957/1385/607265.jpg
Maz was right about the fenders having some issues, namely being too chunky and not being rounded or slanted inward enough. The tires are also a bit oversized. As we move aft, however, I don't see anything that really stands out as horribly wrong with the Cambridge. Nor do I see any serious issues with the wheels. Screwing up the fenders is one thing, as is getting part of the paint scheme wrong, but I think you're coming down a bit hard on this car.
Ironically, yes, I came down far harder on the FX4! Still, we do have the Niva to look forward to. The odd thing is that the 1600L (with truck mirrors) was not actually offered in the USSR, I don't believe. I've seen them in the service of Czechoslovakian (especially) VB/Policie and Pozharni Ochrana (fire), but cannot recall ever seeing those truck mirrors on a Russian or a Soviet vehicle. It's about as correct as you can get to the real thing (EDIT: is it just me, or having looked at a screen shot, are the actual license plates Czechoslovakian? That would explain a few things...), but it makes me wonder why EON chose it when they clearly had other options such as an UAZ-469B.
The model looks fairly close to me although I think Diecast007 has something, the taxi doesn't look quite right. I think the model IS fractionally too wide, but it doesn't look as pronounced on the regular version in the pic as it does on the DN taxi. I'm just wondering if the taxi's paint scheme is accentuating the problem, like an optical illusion - in other words the yellow 'width' is more apparent to the eye than the black 'height'? Or am I talking cobblers again? Maybe somebody should do some careful measuring of the model to compare with the real car's stats...........
I got the Lada Niva and it's not bad for a box on wheels! It has realistic mud smudges on the bodywork.
Had an idea that if you had photos of all the Bond Car models someone could produce a set of trading cards as a
collection to identify them all. (I know there are some pics on websites, but not all together, that you could hold in your hands. I wonder if Rittenhouse or Cartamundi would do such a series?
Bleuville.
Despite its faults I still quite like it since at £7.99 it is a good try but it is a shame it is not better done.
The FX4 taxi I will keep as an example of just how rubbish IXO can be when they don't try.
I look forward to the Lada Niva. Yes it is a box on wheels but it was designed that way. Lots of farmers here in the UK loved them since the 4x4 system was very, very capable and the cars were cheap - well very cheap compared to a Land Rover. Sadly though mechanically very tough they were built with Russian Steel which meant that they rusted like crazy.
Sorry, I must stand my ground on this. The car is a poor model of a cambridge. As an owner of a BMC Farina styled car and a once member of the owners club. The car just does not look right. The real car stood tall and was quite narrowfor its size. This model is another 'Audi' a characture of the car not an accurate model. As Moviecarfan says maybe this is not helped by the poor paintwork. It is such a pity as this would have been a gem if done correctly. The car looks more like a peugeot 404 than an Austin Cambridge. Looking at the flipped photo of the real car compared to the model , they don't even look like each other .
Which I respect, of course, but I think MovieCarFan brought up a great point...
Since I have most of the LRB cars and dioramas (including the absolutely terrific model of the pre-WWII Voisin released earlier this year as an Ixo Museum model before it was an Ixo Museum model...if you want a GOOD Ixo model, I would recommend this car...), I agree with this assessment. It's the same mould, it IS subpar, yet where were the people saying how absolutely awful (as opposed to mediocre or subpar) the LRB model was? The yellow paint on the JBCC car, since it's all connected as opposed to broken up, makes the car look more "bunched together" and accentuates the car's problems, especially being very slightly off in the rear. The monochromatic wheels and tires also skews that quite a bit. Combine that with the model being a tad too wide and the errors with the front of the fenders and I think MCF really has something with the "illusion enhancing the problems" thing.
expected date of release in uk is 21 march
Interior details are quite nice, although if you'll notice, the rear seat is folded upward, not down as it was in the movie. Still, it's the same vehicle, albeit minus the bull bar and fog lights on the front of the bumper. The paddle-shaped truck mirrors were superbly done and make the Lada Niva 1600L a Lada Niva 1600L! Hopefully we eventually see a Czechoslovakian Verejna Bezpecnost model from Ist with the same mirrors.
The article "Workhorse for the Working Man" is a vast improvement over the error-filled description of the VAZ-2106, but I've still got a few nitpickings with it...
-AvtoVAZ (not "AutoVaz") did not exist in 1977, when the VAZ-2121 Niva was released. Instead, it was the Volzhskiy Avtomobilni Zavod, or Volga River Automobile Plant (not to be confused with the GAZ-21 and GAZ-24 cars [among others] that were sold under the commercial name of "Volga"). But they are correct in that it was the largest automobile plant in the USSR.
-The name "Niva" simply means "crop field" (literally) and was released along with the Soviet version, the VAZ-2121. The earliest examples were simply badged "NIVA", except in Cyrillic. I'm not sure where they got "darling of the cornfields".
-The Niva was NOT the first car built at VAZ that wasn't a rebadged Fiat. The VAZ-2101 and VAZ-2102 were license built, but the VAZ-2103 Zhiguli (sold as the Lada 1500 in the west) was a different design. Granted, it was Fiat-based in the sense that the Soviets literally had to pay royalty fees because so many parts it used were Fiat-based, but it was a completely different car than anything Fiat was making. In other words, it was not rebadged.
Still, the rest of the article is very good! Can't wait for the Mercedes-Benz 220S!
Anybody got a better photo/scan of this they can post?
I'm afraid not, but I have Minichamps models of both the 180D and the 220S. Looking at the front of the CGI image of the car (which is the one that's typically closest to the actual model), the fenders, and the chromework, I almost think they're going to give us a 220S (which will be nice) but in black (oh well...at least there WERE black 220S's, if not that particular one!).
Thanks very much!!
I have an awful feeling that if it's definitely a 220S, but turns up in black when it's meant to be grey (as Oddjob's 220S was) this could be another 'Blunderbird' moment for the Bond-centrics. I guess we'll find out in a few weeks....................
Speaking as a car-centric, I'd honestly love a black 220S, but definitely see this due to raised expectations. However, I should add that when I said "there WERE black 220S's", I was referring to other cars in the actual chase scene with the DB5. While we probably will NOT wind up getting Oddjob's car, we will wind up getting a Bond chase car from that famous scene, I'm convinced.
Ah I get you - I thought Oddjob was the only one in a 220S. Obviously the black Mercs were far more important in the chase than the grey one, so a late change to issuing a black example makes sense.
Oddjob probably SHOULD have been the only one in 220S, but right after watching the car chase, it was RIDDLED with continuity errors. Basically, it goes like this...
-Bond and Tilly encounter the bad guys (who've found the DB5) and Bond slams one guy against a Merc fender. Both cars are 180D's. License number NE-5961 is the lead car...but then we get a continuity error of the SAME car starting up AGAIN! This was meant to be the second car, license number NE-9641.
-The car chase starts up with the DB5 and two black 180D's pursuing it. However, when the first automatic weapons fire comes from one of the henchmen (in the lead car, NE-5961), look carefully at the car when it's zoomed in on: it's not a 180D. It's actually very clearly a 220S, though we can't tell its license number. However, as soon as we cut back to the car itself from the guy firing the MP-40 submachine gun, it magically turns into a 180D (again).
-We then see 180D license number NE-9641, the second car, chasing the DB5. But all of a sudden, in a lesser continuity error since the car and color stay the same, it's suddenly wearing license number NE-5961...or in other words, the lead car that winds up surviving the whole chase! WHOOPS!
-No more continuity errors until the second car goes off the cliff. Although we "see" a 180D start off the cliff, the car that goes off and explodes has a much higher level of trim, though no fog lights and has chromed vents on each side of the grille (something the 220S lacks). I've found that this car, which only makes one appearance, was the mid-range 190.
-It's smooth sailing until Bond stops the DB5 and lets Tilly out. But the continuity errors start up IN SPADES after this.
-I couldn't believe I'd missed this, but doublecheck it and see for yourself: the car Oddjob steps out of to demonstrate his hat-throwing prowess on Tilly's neck is a black 220S with fog lights and whitewall tires!!! In a freeze-frame, the license number is pretty blurry, but appears to be the same as the one found on Oddjob's gray 220S, license number NE-5384 (albeit with a larger font and less space on either side of the actual license number)!
-NE-5384 #1, a BLACK 220S, continues to be Oddjob's until we finally see both surviving Mercs again once Bond reaches the old lady's house. Then, the car finally switches colors to blueish gray, becoming NE-5384 #2. The second Merc (license NE-5961) strangely doesn't suffer from the same continuity error; it appears to be the same 180D used for the closeup shots of the car that hits the tree and was about to go over the cliff.
I would estimate that there were at least three 180D's used in the entire chase sequence, three 220S's, and a 190 with a very minor role. All to represent THREE cars. While by no means as chaotic as the military truck convoy that changes at LEAST three times with none of the trucks even resembling the others later seen in the same film, continuity badly hurts this one.
Therefore, now that we know Oddjob HAD a black 220S that featured prominently in the chase scene (even though I'm guessing they subsequently picked out a gray one to show the viewer which car Oddjob was in...after all, the viewer is supposed to be surprised when Oddjob gets out of the Merc that I've ID'ed as a 220S), is the car suddenly no longer wrong?
EDIT: To clear up some of the confusion and help you keep track of the cars, here are their license numbers...
--NE-5961 (Black 180D/220S [briefly]/180D again). This is the lead black car.
--NE-9641 (Black 180D/190 [briefly]). This is the second car we see, which goes over the cliff/explodes as a 190. However, in a totally different continuity error, this car's license number appears when it's enveloped in smoke as "NE-5961".
--NE-5384 (Black 220S/Gray 220S). Oddjob's car. I THINK the license number actually changes on this car, since this is NOT what the license number looks like when Bond ejects his rather unwelcome passenger out the ejector seat/the first digit appears to be a "1".
EDIT YET AGAIN: I cannot make out the license number on the CGI car on the magazine, which is most likely to match whatever Ixo winds up releasing. Therefore, there's no way to tell what license number the model has until it's out. HOWEVER, I do have reason to believe that it is in fact a 220S and not a 180D. The front bumper on Ixo's 180D moulds ALWAYS features the license plate below the bumper, not straight on it (as is the case with the CGI car). Further, none of the Ixo cars has fog lights.
I don't see the black 220S, and I also don't see anything other than a 180 going down the cliff. (And please don't call it a 180D - no one except taxi drivers drove Diesels back then. The 180 with its 85 HP was sluggish enough ... but still fast enough to successfully chase an Aston Martin DB5 with deadly modifications.
But there must be a third black 180 with foglights somewhere (this is the one which passes the still standing NE 9641). Well, this scene was shot partly in Switzerland and partly in the studio ... which also explains the change of number plates on NE 9641. There are Neuchatel and Swiss crests on the front plate - but not in every shot. Swiss plates only have the crests on the rear so the scenes where they are missing are correct and probably shot in Switzerland rather than England. Must still be fake plates as the real front plates are much smaller than shown in the film.