It's a shame that the collection is nearing the end!!..considering the positive upbeat activity of this forum,I hope the forum can continue,but with no new cars after 110, what will we talk about?????...maybe they will do a Bond Character Collection..That would be cool...-{ :007)
Nice idea - as long as we don't have to wait until issue 110 before getting the Honey Ryder swimsuit figure!!
It's a shame that the collection is nearing the end!!..considering the positive upbeat activity of this forum,I hope the forum can continue,but with no new cars after 110, what will we talk about?????...maybe they will do a Bond Character Collection..That would be cool...-{ :007)
Nice idea - as long as we don't have to wait until issue 110 before getting the Honey Ryder swimsuit figure!!
As regards the news of a possible Ford Anglia replacement model,I suppose this would only be available to subscribers and not collectors who still have their order from a newsagent,would it?
"As regards the news of a possible Ford Anglia replacement model,I suppose this would only be available to subscribers and not collectors who still have their order from a newsagent,would it?"
I would assume they would replace all models, to be honest.
It's a shame that the collection is nearing the end!!..considering the positive upbeat activity of this forum,I hope the forum can continue,but with no new cars after 110, what will we talk about?????...maybe they will do a Bond Character Collection..That would be cool...-{ :007)
Nice idea - as long as we don't have to wait until issue 110 before getting the Honey Ryder swimsuit figure!!
"As regards the news of a possible Ford Anglia replacement model,I suppose this would only be available to subscribers and not collectors who still have their order from a newsagent,would it?"
I would assume they would replace all models, to be honest.
When I spoke to my Newsagent (National) and they took it upto " Head Office" they said that they would neither replace or reorder this as it is not their problem. Subsequently I have withdrawn buisness from this chain of Newsagents and subscribed.
Nice idea - as long as we don't have to wait until issue 110 before getting the Honey Ryder swimsuit figure!!
How about this.
Er, yes, that one would be worth the wait!!
Actually, when you think about the idea of a figure collection, it could be a winner. With 22 Bond movies having an average of two villains each, plus two Bond girls each, that alone is potentially 88 figures. Add 6 bonds plus the different Qs, Ms and Leiters etc it could easily run to a 100 plus. I wonder if Fabbri are taking note......
Actually, when you think about the idea of a figure collection, it could be a winner. With 22 Bond movies having an average of two villains each, plus two Bond girls each, that alone is potentially 88 figures. Add 6 bonds plus the different Qs, Ms and Leiters etc it could easily run to a 100 plus. I wonder if Fabbri are taking note......
Corgi did a similar collection back in 2000 and at that time had 21 figures. Obviously Bond characters have increased since then. I wonder if they still have the moulds as the figure features were quite realistic.
"When I spoke to my Newsagent (National) and they took it upto " Head Office" they said that they would neither replace or reorder this as it is not their problem. Subsequently I have withdrawn buisness from this chain of Newsagents and subscribed."
I wonder if that in unto itself is a problem, then. Perhaps Ixo doesn't want to go through the trouble of only making cars for subscribers or is prolonging it?
Actually, when you think about the idea of a figure collection, it could be a winner. With 22 Bond movies having an average of two villains each, plus two Bond girls each, that alone is potentially 88 figures. Add 6 bonds plus the different Qs, Ms and Leiters etc it could easily run to a 100 plus. I wonder if Fabbri are taking note......
Corgi did a similar collection back in 2000 and at that time had 21 figures. Obviously Bond characters have increased since then. I wonder if they still have the moulds as the figure features were quite realistic.
It would be a good starting point if the Corgi moulds can be shared. However, there has recently been a partwork figure series based on comic superheroes where the standard of sculpting and painting has been incredibly high, so I'm sure it could be done from scratch using the same sources. Figures in dioramas (e.g. Bond fighting Oddjob in gold vault) would be even better, but I guess that might be pushing it a bit!
Actually, when you think about the idea of a figure collection, it could be a winner. With 22 Bond movies having an average of two villains each, plus two Bond girls each, that alone is potentially 88 figures. Add 6 bonds plus the different Qs, Ms and Leiters etc it could easily run to a 100 plus. I wonder if Fabbri are taking note......
Corgi did a similar collection back in 2000 and at that time had 21 figures. Obviously Bond characters have increased since then. I wonder if they still have the moulds as the figure features were quite realistic.
It would be a good starting point if the Corgi moulds can be shared. However, there has recently been a partwork figure series based on comic superheroes where the standard of sculpting and painting has been incredibly high, so I'm sure it could be done from scratch using the same sources. Figures in dioramas (e.g. Bond fighting Oddjob in gold vault) would be even better, but I guess that might be pushing it a bit!
They could make the dioramas like the Tomb Raider ones,rather than just pics in the background????? -{ :007)
I think we have all been treated unfairly over the last 3mths,what with constant delays,subscribers not receiving their issues and lack of straight answers when contacted.
If this had happened early on In the collection,I don't think many of us would still be here!I for one, will be pleased when
the collection ends,Its been going on far to long.They know we've all come this far and want to complete our collections,so they have got us by the Balls!!!
"I think we have all been treated unfairly over the last 3mths"
Initially, when I saw this post, I started typing up a rant about Ixo's multi-year delays regarding some of their models and near constant failure to meet deadlines. But then I sat back for a minute and realized that each of the three companies involved here...Universal Hobbies, Ixo, and yes, Fabbri...are all to blame for something and for causing this mess.
-Universal Hobbies is to blame for allowing their model quality to absolutely fall apart. Yes, the Rolls-Royce Phantom III Sedanca de Ville is beautiful, but it was the exception among UH's last models, not the rule. The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II was also well done enough to merit at least purchasing it on my part. But regarding the diorama, UH was slacking off; in no way shape or form giving full effort. This even reflected on the Sedanca de Ville, which lacked Goldfinger for no apparent reason. But let's examine the UH models before that...they seem to go well until we hit the Ford Anglia, Issue 89. They seemingly recovered with the Acrostar and Ford Edge, but then Ixo came in, made a terrific La Salle Miller Combination Coach hearse, and UH's Osprey hovercraft was a disappointment. Then the models started seeming to alternate; Ixo produced its magnificent Mercedes-Benz Binz Europ 1100 Ambulance and then we got the Kawasaki Z900 motorcycle from UH, probably as the result of mould-sharing. Ixo followed up with another terrific ambulance (the Brazilian Chevrolet C-10) and then UH gave its last real hurrah with the Phantom III. Issue 98, the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II, was poorly done as a result of the horrid-looking wheels. It was as if no effort at all was made to fit them correctly. And of course, there were no figures; surprising seeing as it was coming from Universal Hobbies. Ixo proceeded with another excellent model in the Range Rover Convertible; though it admittedly lacked the trailer hook of the movie version, the rest of the car was fine. Ixo followed up with yet another terrific model using its already-existing mould for a Ford Crown Victoria police car. But then Issue 101 rolled around. The Silver Cloud II was a pretty nice model...with an absolutely awful diorama. Also, as I examined the Silver Cloud II models on eBay, I began noticing a disturbing trend: the models seemed thrown together. Improperly moulded front bumpers, damaged grilles, bent axles, excessively-glued-on pieces...while yes, you do get what you pay for, I had never seen this from UH on this kind of scale. Then came Issue 108, released to the Hong Kong dealers early. The thrown-together, re-used Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II for LTK. They didn't care about the wheels or figures just like the last one...except now, they got the paint wrong, crudely moulded the antenna in the extreme, and basically turned out a car that I would expect to see in the $5 corner at a train show for cars to fill up your O Gauge layout's streets with. U.H.'s near complete lack of care and not even appearing to be trying to do something started this problem.
-Ixo is to blame for the time estimates they're giving Fabbri as to when their models are ready and their rather inexplicable and indeed inexplicably long delays as to ready models. Ixo collectors are familiar with this and can at least roll their eyes, wait until it comes out, and then be rewarded with an excellent product. JBCC collectors aren't used to Ixo's tremendous delays, near-random release order, focusing very heavily on model cars alone (thus ensuring the dioramas will be of lesser quality), and then having distribution problems when the models do indeed come out. With that said, they are actually pretty good models. I also see the ZIL-117, much as I'm looking forward to it, as an effort to buy time regarding the moulds for other cars. It's a shared mould with USSR AvtoLegende's Issue #61 ZIL-117 (which has an official release date of June 5, and actually, most of the USSR AvtoLegende cars tend to come in early, if anything). The black paint scheme will be identical as will likely much of the trim. The interchangeability of parts for the two models will likely be quite heavy.
-Fabbri is to blame for willful suspension of disbelief regarding Ixo's timetables. Instead of keeping buyers informed as to what's going on, they march lockstep with Ixo's release dates, distribution problems, and inexplicable delays. At least explain this stuff, too; if you explain it, people will be more willing to deal with the delays. Yes, as repeatedly pointed out, Fabbri is a profit-driven company, but most successful profit-driven companies at least make attempts to explain their delays. Look at Ixo (yes, IXO), Minichamps, Spark Models/DiP Models, Ebbro, Trax, Biante, Brooklin...these companies, when prompted, will generally tell you WHY their models are so late (hence why I know Ixo has distribution problems at their plant; they also tend to overextend themselves, which results in a slow-down of model production for certain areas and then a flurry of model production in others; they're also prone to last-minute mould alterations...I asked a distributor for Ist Models and he told me this stuff). If EVEN Ixo can do it when marketing their own stuff, why can't Fabbri?
I have to agree with every point you have raised,especially the poor quality of some of the later UH models.I had never took to much notice,until you pointed out the Anglia,Rolls&Kawasaki etc.By alternating the models they have managed to disguise this issue to some degree.The later UH models are not a patch on the earlier models ,which get me hooked in the first place.
I too agree with Dalkowski110 on every point. However as G E Fabbri is a member of this forum they I think they could have posted updates on here as they are quick to do with the Aston Mariin DB5 section. However saying that when I have emailed them they said they prefere the "Face Book" method as with the DB5. Not everyone and I include myself are on Face Book!
Yes, I too agree with Dalkowski110 (once again ) and also agree with Camera_Man's points - especially re Facebook. (This isn't the place to slag off Facebook although I would really love to do so :v )
Regarding the Ford Anglia and the 're-issue' of it, it is easy for subscribers to be sent a replacement as there (presumably) is a record of who has previously received the 'dodgy' one ... but for those who buy JBCC issues serially / anonymously from newsagents, who can be sure they actually bought the Anglia issue anyway? Or they could even have bought one via eBay!!
I know that point doesn't really apply if there is an order in place with the newsagent but then there is no specific 'contract' in place with GE Fabbri and therefore no record of receipt.
Maybe they could make a small stock of Anglia issues for purchase ... even, dare I suggest, at a reduced cost?? I should think by now that they have a pretty good idea of how many they would need to commission from the manufacturer.
Cheers
Rhinoman B-)
PS No Bondola arrived yet, another week to wait I think.
PPS No one has mentioned the fabled '4th free gift' for a while. I think that is highly unlikely now, although I'd love it to be the milk float. Or that roof-top motorbike flying through the washing lines. Or the fuel tanker truck ... think we've listed all these before!
There have been discussions over that scene cince it cam out in te cinema and they are still not 100% sure from what i've heard. I suggest you look it up on imcd.org, íf there is an answer it should be there
"does anybody know what the actual hearse was that went over the cliff in Dr No after the La Salle & Alpine chase?"
After reviewing the evidence frame-by-frame on DVD, I'm almost positive it was a 1940's-early 1950's Austin of some kind, possibly an A135 Princess.
EDIT:
Upon reflection, I changed my mind. I was right on about the make (Austin) and year range (late '40's to early '50's), but I'd bet money it was a heavily mocked-up Austin A40 Devon rather than an Austin Princess...
-Identical front bumper.
-The Austin Devon's grille with what looks like a totally seperate piece of false grille on the top of the hood.
-Identical windshield (note how the fake bar to make it look like a split windshield falls off very quickly)
-An Austin hood ornament.
-The positively strange look of the roof in the second hearse photo.
-The obviously-"filed down" front fenders in the same photo, with the rear fenders also having some obvious alteration performed on them (can't tell you if they were just chopped or if they were filed).
-The rear fenders are CLEARLY solid and not two-piece (same photo). We can tell because the undercarriage is visible in such a way that it would literally be impossible to open the rear doors, leading me to suspect they've been mocked up. The strange thing, though, is that the Devon never had suicide doors (i.e. those hinged at the rear and opening backward rather than hinged at the front and opening forward). Why they would mock up the door handles is pretty strange, unless the mocked-up hearse body interfered with the look of the correctly-mounted door handles, which is certainly possible.
I thought it was pretty much confirmed that the crashing hearse was a Humber. The pictures you posted are from imcdb, and there too a member wrote "based on an early 50s Humber". He talks as if this was established fact, and that only the hearse coachbuilder is still unknown. Somewhere else I've read specifically Humber Super Snipe, but can't find where. I don't say that it is definately a Humber as late 40's/early 50's cars all look pretty much the same to me, but the front fender shape bears much more resemblance to the hearse than the Austin of your advertisement. The fender does not continue into the door on the film car.
Nope, RW, you're right...it's a Humber Super Snipe. However, I still believe that there was no coachbuilder and it was just mocked up to be a hearse for the film. Why? The altered top part of the grille, the removed running boards, the strange-looking top (which is matte black, but also clearly metal), the reshaped fenders, the faked bar between the windshield that falls off almost immediately, and I still maintain the door handles were mocked up as well. Although the Humber Super Snipe's front doors were optionally either suicide doors or standard doors, the only option for the rear doors was standard doors. All of this points to heavy alterations on the part of the propmakers to at least attempt to have it look like the La Salle. In fact, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they just used a Humber Super Snipe Saloon and dummied it up into a hearse.
I think the filmmakers used an old, probably damaged car, but the car was indeed a former hearse. The Humber was a 4-door saloon and not available as an estate car straight from the factory. I doubt that the propmakers would add a functional rear door to a saloon body, instead keeping the modifications as simple and cheap as possible, like the windshield divider and the repositioned doorhandles.
"The Humber was a 4-door saloon and not available as an estate car straight from the factory."
No, it was, actually. Sort of, as it was done by a coachbuilder but marketed as Humber. The Humber Pullman Warwick, although it admittedly had wood body panels, would be easy enough to just slap metal coverings over it (since they did pay attention to the door handles and the the windshield bar).
Yes I have seen the Warwick on Google, too - that's why I wrote "not straight from the factory". But the body lines on this are completely different to the film hearse, the C-pillar is angled forward and not vertical. That's why I think it is a hearse based on the saloon and not a Warwick estate car.
"But the body lines on this are completely different to the film hearse, the C-pillar is angled forward and not vertical."
I'm willing to conceed it was a Humber Super Snipe-based hearse, but can't eliminate the Warwick estate. Why? For the following reasons...
1. Look at the top of the car. It's clearly black matte finished while the rest of the car is polished black. Also note a straight line transversing the car's roof just aft of the B-pillar, a little short of being midway between the B-pillar and C-pillar. This could imply that a completely new section of the car was added on (and indeed, in the post-explosion photos, the roof and back of the car seem to splinter completely immediately aft of this line). In theory, the prop people could just have placed a mocked-up hearse "cocoon" over a Warwick Estate.
2. The C-pillar on the crashing Humber is neither angled forward NOR vertical. It is instead triangular. This could mean a completely new C-pillar was added, but it could also mean that the Warwick Estate's C-pillar was just filled in with another piece of wood that frankly just had to be glued on.
3. The odd, non-functional rear door handles (no Humber during this time period came with rear suicide doors) point to the replacement of either the doors in their entirety or, more likely, the door panels. I strongly doubt that the coachbuilder literally reversed the rear doors on a hearse. This would therefore indicate new door panels. Whether the prop maker simply ripped off a hearse's door handles and re-attached them to make them fit more closely with the La Salle's suicide doors or just covered up wooden door panels from a Warwick Estate is tough to say. Also note that the door handles seem to match the ones on the front doors. This would be indicative of panelling over the front doors, too.
4. The rear door almost immediately not only comes unlatched, but also starts twisting and shaking every which way, yet somehow manages to stay attached to the car. This means that the rear door could even be a mock-up.
5. Regardless, the trim seems to be mocked up, as well. The Warwick Estate's different trim would thus not eliminate it being a candidate.
Well, turns out we have one more Universal Hobbies model that surfaced, and to be perfectly honest, if there WAS another U.H. model that came out, I believed it would be this one due to mould reusability...
Yep, Issue 110. The last one, which we weren't actually supposed to see until the end of the collection. The Aston-Martin DBS with crash damage, no door...and no figures, either. Also note the REALLY, REALLY plain base. It's just a near-completely flat surface with a road painted on. U.H.'s DBS mould was a good one, so to be honest, I'm not at all surprised that this looks pretty solid. With Issues 108 and 110 having shown up, I am now absolutely convinced that Issues 104 (ZIL-117), 105 (Ford Consul?), 106 (Ford Econoline?), 107 (Ford Galaxie Country Squire?), and 109 (Chevy Impala Custom Coupe?...question marks due to Ixo's seemingly VERY fluid order) will ALL be Ixo. Think of it this way: the current delays are based on Ixo's relatively poor distribution and slow mould-making. So our next issues are going to, IMO, look something like this (in pairs, since the issues seem to come in pairs)...
-Issue 104 ZIL-117 (Ixo...Shared mould with the Ixo-for-DeAgostini partwork USSR AvtoLegende and which likely already exists buys time for Ixo.)
-Issue 105 Ford Consul (Ixo...They have the time to work on the moulds for this one while the ZIL-117 is already basically done.)
-Issue 106 Ford Econoline (Ixo...combined with the Country Squire, I have a feeling that issues 106 and 107 will be the longest-delayed models UNLESS Ixo does the moulds for the Econoline right after they do the Consul)
-Issue 107 Ford Galaxie Country Squire (Ixo...see "Ford Econoline," but add in the complexity of making the car's "vinylwood" panels.)
-Issue 108 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II (U.H....filler to buy time for Ixo to do Issue 109. As a matter of fact, it may even be moved up to split the Econoline and the Galaxie Country Squire to avoid extreme delays.)
-Issue 109 Chevrolet Impala Custom Coupe (Ixo...may actually be released on time due to Ixo having to make the moulds for only one model, though we'll pointlessly wait for the horrendous Issue 108, too.)
Issue 110 Aston-Martin DBS with Crash Damage (U.H....As I've said all along, this was the one car I truly didn't expect Ixo to make. I'm surprised U.H. stepped in to make it, but then they barely had to alter existing moulds. As we can see from the diorama, it's not half bad, but continues the bizarre UH trend of figureless Daniel Craig-era cars.)
Well, turns out we have one more Universal Hobbies model that surfaced, and to be perfectly honest, if there WAS another U.H. model that came out, I believed it would be this one due to mould reusability...
Yep, Issue 110. The last one, which we weren't actually supposed to see until the end of the collection. The Aston-Martin DBS with crash damage, no door...and no figures, either. Also note the REALLY, REALLY plain base. It's just a near-completely flat surface with a road painted on. U.H.'s DBS mould was a good one, so to be honest, I'm not at all surprised that this looks pretty solid. With Issues 108 and 110 having shown up, I am now absolutely convinced that Issues 104 (ZIL-117), 105 (Ford Consul?), 106 (Ford Econoline?), 107 (Ford Galaxie Country Squire?), and 109 (Chevy Impala Custom Coupe?...question marks due to Ixo's seemingly VERY fluid order) will ALL be Ixo. Think of it this way: the current delays are based on Ixo's relatively poor distribution and slow mould-making. So our next issues are going to, IMO, look something like this (in pairs, since the issues seem to come in pairs)...
-Issue 104 ZIL-117 (Ixo...Shared mould with the Ixo-for-DeAgostini partwork USSR AvtoLegende and which likely already exists buys time for Ixo.)
-Issue 105 Ford Consul (Ixo...They have the time to work on the moulds for this one while the ZIL-117 is already basically done.)
-Issue 106 Ford Econoline (Ixo...combined with the Country Squire, I have a feeling that issues 106 and 107 will be the longest-delayed models UNLESS Ixo does the moulds for the Econoline right after they do the Consul)
-Issue 107 Ford Galaxie Country Squire (Ixo...see "Ford Econoline," but add in the complexity of making the car's "vinylwood" panels.)
-Issue 108 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II (U.H....filler to buy time for Ixo to do Issue 109. As a matter of fact, it may even be moved up to split the Econoline and the Galaxie Country Squire to avoid extreme delays.)
-Issue 109 Chevrolet Impala Custom Coupe (Ixo...may actually be released on time due to Ixo having to make the moulds for only one model, though we'll pointlessly wait for the horrendous Issue 108, too.)
Issue 110 Aston-Martin DBS with Crash Damage (U.H....As I've said all along, this was the one car I truly didn't expect Ixo to make. I'm surprised U.H. stepped in to make it, but then they barely had to alter existing moulds. As we can see from the diorama, it's not half bad, but continues the bizarre UH trend of figureless Daniel Craig-era cars.)
The trashed DBS is the only one left in the series that I've personally been looking forward to with any great enthusiasm apart from maybe the Country Squire. If it's going to be made without a figure, yet so obviously needs one, can I make a suggestion? Perhaps someone on this forum (or a casual reader) might want to think about supplying a figure kit specially for it, painted or unpainted. This could be done with a 'buy it now' purchase link to eBay or by some other contact detail. I don't know how many people worldwide collect this series but I'm guessing an awful lot would want this model to have a figure in it.
The news is coming fast and furious...the ZIL-117 was released just two days ago!!! I should mention that the guy who had these blew through eight cars in under two days (with two going to me...one for me, and one I'd promised for a buddy who collects Russian cars)!!!
Sadly, I can't get a picture better than this, plus I have no idea what 105 is going to be. That indicates the following to me...
-USSR AvtoLegende #61, err, I mean JBCC Issue 104 is what was causing the delay in sending out the Bondola and the Bronco. You're going to get THREE models.
-The Consul and Econoline will come next as a pair and likely result in a long delay, since both will almost certainly be Ixo.
-The Country Squire and LTK Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II come next after that. This gives Ixo time to mould a very tough model...like I've said, getting the look correct for "vinylwood" is NOT easy.
-Issue 110, the minus-a-door DBS, buys time for Ixo to make the Chevy Impala Custom Coupe as they will be dispatched in pairs.
Okay, so I know you're going to ask me: "Mr. East Bloc Car Guy, what is your opinion of the ZIL-117?" With the exception of the colored interior, it absolutely SCREAMS "USSR AvtoLegende." The wheels, tires, radio antenna, wiper blades, and mudflaps are hallmarks of that series (with the antenna, wiper blades, and mudflaps being correctly identical to those we saw on the ZIL-114; nothing more than a ZIL-117 with a longer wheelbase) and the wheels are identical to those found on USSR AvtoLegende's ZIL-114 (which makes sense in the context of USSR AvtoLegende and indeed would have been correct for 1978-and-later ZIL-117's). The problem, of course, is that the ZIL-117 in the film is an early model (1971-1977 type, although beyond hubcaps, tires, and possibly turn indicators, there's no difference), which is confirmed by the movie limo's whitewalls and solid hubcaps. Another issue is that while virtually all ZIL-117's (both pre-1978 and 1978-and-later) had mudflaps behind the rear wheels, the movie car, for some strange reason, lacks them altogether. The diorama also doesn't seem very promising. Take a close look under the front door in the pic I've provided and you'll see a piece of black plastic...the trademark Ixo display stand...and you'll also see the front wheels appearing to hover off the ground. The ZIL-117 sits VERY low to the ground (google some images of the real car; you'll think the suspension was chopped) and indeed, I couldn't see how they WEREN'T going to have it "floating". So, to recap...
Pros:
-A superb model of a late ZIL-117.
-Antenna is not "overmoulded" like we see on the LTK Roller.
-Wheels and tires are correct for the later model.
-Sits correctly/has correct ground clearance.
-Dimensions, as best I can tell from that tiny photo, are spot on.
-Will be better quality than the USSR AvtoLegende. This is because AvtoLegende does not include painted interiors. They may decide to give it early-style wheels in the end, but that's really the only difference I can see the two models having (not counting the number plates and interior).
Cons:
-Poor diorama
-Trunk is closed (although since I don't think anyone expected an Obanno figure in the first place AND expected the mould-sharing with USSR AvtoLegende, having the trunk open would be pretty pointless as well as unfeasible)
-The car, while a superb ZIL-117 model as mentioned above, is a later generation variant that has quite a few discrepancies with the movie car.
-Like the Ford Bronco II, this car is in the "short case," but is also clearly Ixo since we can see the display stand. Considering the ZIL-117 is a whopping 5" long in 1/43 scale, I don't exactly think this is the greatest idea in terms of display and "crowds" the car pretty badly.
Comments
Nice idea - as long as we don't have to wait until issue 110 before getting the Honey Ryder swimsuit figure!!
How about this.
I would assume they would replace all models, to be honest.
Er, yes, that one would be worth the wait!!
When I spoke to my Newsagent (National) and they took it upto " Head Office" they said that they would neither replace or reorder this as it is not their problem. Subsequently I have withdrawn buisness from this chain of Newsagents and subscribed.
new Collection
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260751935257&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT
Corgi did a similar collection back in 2000 and at that time had 21 figures. Obviously Bond characters have increased since then. I wonder if they still have the moulds as the figure features were quite realistic.
I wonder if that in unto itself is a problem, then. Perhaps Ixo doesn't want to go through the trouble of only making cars for subscribers or is prolonging it?
It would be a good starting point if the Corgi moulds can be shared. However, there has recently been a partwork figure series based on comic superheroes where the standard of sculpting and painting has been incredibly high, so I'm sure it could be done from scratch using the same sources. Figures in dioramas (e.g. Bond fighting Oddjob in gold vault) would be even better, but I guess that might be pushing it a bit!
They could make the dioramas like the Tomb Raider ones,rather than just pics in the background????? -{ :007)
anyone had theirs yet ?? ( i'll be glad when this is all over !!! )
If this had happened early on In the collection,I don't think many of us would still be here!I for one, will be pleased when
the collection ends,Its been going on far to long.They know we've all come this far and want to complete our collections,so they have got us by the Balls!!!
Initially, when I saw this post, I started typing up a rant about Ixo's multi-year delays regarding some of their models and near constant failure to meet deadlines. But then I sat back for a minute and realized that each of the three companies involved here...Universal Hobbies, Ixo, and yes, Fabbri...are all to blame for something and for causing this mess.
-Universal Hobbies is to blame for allowing their model quality to absolutely fall apart. Yes, the Rolls-Royce Phantom III Sedanca de Ville is beautiful, but it was the exception among UH's last models, not the rule. The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II was also well done enough to merit at least purchasing it on my part. But regarding the diorama, UH was slacking off; in no way shape or form giving full effort. This even reflected on the Sedanca de Ville, which lacked Goldfinger for no apparent reason. But let's examine the UH models before that...they seem to go well until we hit the Ford Anglia, Issue 89. They seemingly recovered with the Acrostar and Ford Edge, but then Ixo came in, made a terrific La Salle Miller Combination Coach hearse, and UH's Osprey hovercraft was a disappointment. Then the models started seeming to alternate; Ixo produced its magnificent Mercedes-Benz Binz Europ 1100 Ambulance and then we got the Kawasaki Z900 motorcycle from UH, probably as the result of mould-sharing. Ixo followed up with another terrific ambulance (the Brazilian Chevrolet C-10) and then UH gave its last real hurrah with the Phantom III. Issue 98, the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II, was poorly done as a result of the horrid-looking wheels. It was as if no effort at all was made to fit them correctly. And of course, there were no figures; surprising seeing as it was coming from Universal Hobbies. Ixo proceeded with another excellent model in the Range Rover Convertible; though it admittedly lacked the trailer hook of the movie version, the rest of the car was fine. Ixo followed up with yet another terrific model using its already-existing mould for a Ford Crown Victoria police car. But then Issue 101 rolled around. The Silver Cloud II was a pretty nice model...with an absolutely awful diorama. Also, as I examined the Silver Cloud II models on eBay, I began noticing a disturbing trend: the models seemed thrown together. Improperly moulded front bumpers, damaged grilles, bent axles, excessively-glued-on pieces...while yes, you do get what you pay for, I had never seen this from UH on this kind of scale. Then came Issue 108, released to the Hong Kong dealers early. The thrown-together, re-used Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II for LTK. They didn't care about the wheels or figures just like the last one...except now, they got the paint wrong, crudely moulded the antenna in the extreme, and basically turned out a car that I would expect to see in the $5 corner at a train show for cars to fill up your O Gauge layout's streets with. U.H.'s near complete lack of care and not even appearing to be trying to do something started this problem.
-Ixo is to blame for the time estimates they're giving Fabbri as to when their models are ready and their rather inexplicable and indeed inexplicably long delays as to ready models. Ixo collectors are familiar with this and can at least roll their eyes, wait until it comes out, and then be rewarded with an excellent product. JBCC collectors aren't used to Ixo's tremendous delays, near-random release order, focusing very heavily on model cars alone (thus ensuring the dioramas will be of lesser quality), and then having distribution problems when the models do indeed come out. With that said, they are actually pretty good models. I also see the ZIL-117, much as I'm looking forward to it, as an effort to buy time regarding the moulds for other cars. It's a shared mould with USSR AvtoLegende's Issue #61 ZIL-117 (which has an official release date of June 5, and actually, most of the USSR AvtoLegende cars tend to come in early, if anything). The black paint scheme will be identical as will likely much of the trim. The interchangeability of parts for the two models will likely be quite heavy.
-Fabbri is to blame for willful suspension of disbelief regarding Ixo's timetables. Instead of keeping buyers informed as to what's going on, they march lockstep with Ixo's release dates, distribution problems, and inexplicable delays. At least explain this stuff, too; if you explain it, people will be more willing to deal with the delays. Yes, as repeatedly pointed out, Fabbri is a profit-driven company, but most successful profit-driven companies at least make attempts to explain their delays. Look at Ixo (yes, IXO), Minichamps, Spark Models/DiP Models, Ebbro, Trax, Biante, Brooklin...these companies, when prompted, will generally tell you WHY their models are so late (hence why I know Ixo has distribution problems at their plant; they also tend to overextend themselves, which results in a slow-down of model production for certain areas and then a flurry of model production in others; they're also prone to last-minute mould alterations...I asked a distributor for Ist Models and he told me this stuff). If EVEN Ixo can do it when marketing their own stuff, why can't Fabbri?
Regarding the Ford Anglia and the 're-issue' of it, it is easy for subscribers to be sent a replacement as there (presumably) is a record of who has previously received the 'dodgy' one ... but for those who buy JBCC issues serially / anonymously from newsagents, who can be sure they actually bought the Anglia issue anyway? Or they could even have bought one via eBay!!
I know that point doesn't really apply if there is an order in place with the newsagent but then there is no specific 'contract' in place with GE Fabbri and therefore no record of receipt.
Maybe they could make a small stock of Anglia issues for purchase ... even, dare I suggest, at a reduced cost?? I should think by now that they have a pretty good idea of how many they would need to commission from the manufacturer.
Cheers
Rhinoman B-)
PS No Bondola arrived yet, another week to wait I think.
PPS No one has mentioned the fabled '4th free gift' for a while. I think that is highly unlikely now, although I'd love it to be the milk float. Or that roof-top motorbike flying through the washing lines. Or the fuel tanker truck ... think we've listed all these before!
After reviewing the evidence frame-by-frame on DVD, I'm almost positive it was a 1940's-early 1950's Austin of some kind, possibly an A135 Princess.
EDIT:
Upon reflection, I changed my mind. I was right on about the make (Austin) and year range (late '40's to early '50's), but I'd bet money it was a heavily mocked-up Austin A40 Devon rather than an Austin Princess...
Link to pictures of crashing hearse...
http://img254.imageshack.us/i/drnohearsecrash3wb1.jpg/
http://img172.imageshack.us/i/drnohearsecrash1kc7.jpg/
Link to picture of Austin Devon advertisement...
http://www.philseed.com/images/au-a40-devon.jpg
We see the following...
-Identical front bumper.
-The Austin Devon's grille with what looks like a totally seperate piece of false grille on the top of the hood.
-Identical windshield (note how the fake bar to make it look like a split windshield falls off very quickly)
-An Austin hood ornament.
-The positively strange look of the roof in the second hearse photo.
-The obviously-"filed down" front fenders in the same photo, with the rear fenders also having some obvious alteration performed on them (can't tell you if they were just chopped or if they were filed).
-The rear fenders are CLEARLY solid and not two-piece (same photo). We can tell because the undercarriage is visible in such a way that it would literally be impossible to open the rear doors, leading me to suspect they've been mocked up. The strange thing, though, is that the Devon never had suicide doors (i.e. those hinged at the rear and opening backward rather than hinged at the front and opening forward). Why they would mock up the door handles is pretty strange, unless the mocked-up hearse body interfered with the look of the correctly-mounted door handles, which is certainly possible.
No, it was, actually. Sort of, as it was done by a coachbuilder but marketed as Humber. The Humber Pullman Warwick, although it admittedly had wood body panels, would be easy enough to just slap metal coverings over it (since they did pay attention to the door handles and the the windshield bar).
I'm willing to conceed it was a Humber Super Snipe-based hearse, but can't eliminate the Warwick estate. Why? For the following reasons...
1. Look at the top of the car. It's clearly black matte finished while the rest of the car is polished black. Also note a straight line transversing the car's roof just aft of the B-pillar, a little short of being midway between the B-pillar and C-pillar. This could imply that a completely new section of the car was added on (and indeed, in the post-explosion photos, the roof and back of the car seem to splinter completely immediately aft of this line). In theory, the prop people could just have placed a mocked-up hearse "cocoon" over a Warwick Estate.
2. The C-pillar on the crashing Humber is neither angled forward NOR vertical. It is instead triangular. This could mean a completely new C-pillar was added, but it could also mean that the Warwick Estate's C-pillar was just filled in with another piece of wood that frankly just had to be glued on.
3. The odd, non-functional rear door handles (no Humber during this time period came with rear suicide doors) point to the replacement of either the doors in their entirety or, more likely, the door panels. I strongly doubt that the coachbuilder literally reversed the rear doors on a hearse. This would therefore indicate new door panels. Whether the prop maker simply ripped off a hearse's door handles and re-attached them to make them fit more closely with the La Salle's suicide doors or just covered up wooden door panels from a Warwick Estate is tough to say. Also note that the door handles seem to match the ones on the front doors. This would be indicative of panelling over the front doors, too.
4. The rear door almost immediately not only comes unlatched, but also starts twisting and shaking every which way, yet somehow manages to stay attached to the car. This means that the rear door could even be a mock-up.
5. Regardless, the trim seems to be mocked up, as well. The Warwick Estate's different trim would thus not eliminate it being a candidate.
Yep, Issue 110. The last one, which we weren't actually supposed to see until the end of the collection. The Aston-Martin DBS with crash damage, no door...and no figures, either. Also note the REALLY, REALLY plain base. It's just a near-completely flat surface with a road painted on. U.H.'s DBS mould was a good one, so to be honest, I'm not at all surprised that this looks pretty solid. With Issues 108 and 110 having shown up, I am now absolutely convinced that Issues 104 (ZIL-117), 105 (Ford Consul?), 106 (Ford Econoline?), 107 (Ford Galaxie Country Squire?), and 109 (Chevy Impala Custom Coupe?...question marks due to Ixo's seemingly VERY fluid order) will ALL be Ixo. Think of it this way: the current delays are based on Ixo's relatively poor distribution and slow mould-making. So our next issues are going to, IMO, look something like this (in pairs, since the issues seem to come in pairs)...
-Issue 104 ZIL-117 (Ixo...Shared mould with the Ixo-for-DeAgostini partwork USSR AvtoLegende and which likely already exists buys time for Ixo.)
-Issue 105 Ford Consul (Ixo...They have the time to work on the moulds for this one while the ZIL-117 is already basically done.)
-Issue 106 Ford Econoline (Ixo...combined with the Country Squire, I have a feeling that issues 106 and 107 will be the longest-delayed models UNLESS Ixo does the moulds for the Econoline right after they do the Consul)
-Issue 107 Ford Galaxie Country Squire (Ixo...see "Ford Econoline," but add in the complexity of making the car's "vinylwood" panels.)
-Issue 108 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II (U.H....filler to buy time for Ixo to do Issue 109. As a matter of fact, it may even be moved up to split the Econoline and the Galaxie Country Squire to avoid extreme delays.)
-Issue 109 Chevrolet Impala Custom Coupe (Ixo...may actually be released on time due to Ixo having to make the moulds for only one model, though we'll pointlessly wait for the horrendous Issue 108, too.)
Issue 110 Aston-Martin DBS with Crash Damage (U.H....As I've said all along, this was the one car I truly didn't expect Ixo to make. I'm surprised U.H. stepped in to make it, but then they barely had to alter existing moulds. As we can see from the diorama, it's not half bad, but continues the bizarre UH trend of figureless Daniel Craig-era cars.)
The trashed DBS is the only one left in the series that I've personally been looking forward to with any great enthusiasm apart from maybe the Country Squire. If it's going to be made without a figure, yet so obviously needs one, can I make a suggestion? Perhaps someone on this forum (or a casual reader) might want to think about supplying a figure kit specially for it, painted or unpainted. This could be done with a 'buy it now' purchase link to eBay or by some other contact detail. I don't know how many people worldwide collect this series but I'm guessing an awful lot would want this model to have a figure in it.
Sadly, I can't get a picture better than this, plus I have no idea what 105 is going to be. That indicates the following to me...
-USSR AvtoLegende #61, err, I mean JBCC Issue 104 is what was causing the delay in sending out the Bondola and the Bronco. You're going to get THREE models.
-The Consul and Econoline will come next as a pair and likely result in a long delay, since both will almost certainly be Ixo.
-The Country Squire and LTK Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II come next after that. This gives Ixo time to mould a very tough model...like I've said, getting the look correct for "vinylwood" is NOT easy.
-Issue 110, the minus-a-door DBS, buys time for Ixo to make the Chevy Impala Custom Coupe as they will be dispatched in pairs.
Okay, so I know you're going to ask me: "Mr. East Bloc Car Guy, what is your opinion of the ZIL-117?" With the exception of the colored interior, it absolutely SCREAMS "USSR AvtoLegende." The wheels, tires, radio antenna, wiper blades, and mudflaps are hallmarks of that series (with the antenna, wiper blades, and mudflaps being correctly identical to those we saw on the ZIL-114; nothing more than a ZIL-117 with a longer wheelbase) and the wheels are identical to those found on USSR AvtoLegende's ZIL-114 (which makes sense in the context of USSR AvtoLegende and indeed would have been correct for 1978-and-later ZIL-117's). The problem, of course, is that the ZIL-117 in the film is an early model (1971-1977 type, although beyond hubcaps, tires, and possibly turn indicators, there's no difference), which is confirmed by the movie limo's whitewalls and solid hubcaps. Another issue is that while virtually all ZIL-117's (both pre-1978 and 1978-and-later) had mudflaps behind the rear wheels, the movie car, for some strange reason, lacks them altogether. The diorama also doesn't seem very promising. Take a close look under the front door in the pic I've provided and you'll see a piece of black plastic...the trademark Ixo display stand...and you'll also see the front wheels appearing to hover off the ground. The ZIL-117 sits VERY low to the ground (google some images of the real car; you'll think the suspension was chopped) and indeed, I couldn't see how they WEREN'T going to have it "floating". So, to recap...
Pros:
-A superb model of a late ZIL-117.
-Antenna is not "overmoulded" like we see on the LTK Roller.
-Wheels and tires are correct for the later model.
-Sits correctly/has correct ground clearance.
-Dimensions, as best I can tell from that tiny photo, are spot on.
-Will be better quality than the USSR AvtoLegende. This is because AvtoLegende does not include painted interiors. They may decide to give it early-style wheels in the end, but that's really the only difference I can see the two models having (not counting the number plates and interior).
Cons:
-Poor diorama
-Trunk is closed (although since I don't think anyone expected an Obanno figure in the first place AND expected the mould-sharing with USSR AvtoLegende, having the trunk open would be pretty pointless as well as unfeasible)
-The car, while a superb ZIL-117 model as mentioned above, is a later generation variant that has quite a few discrepancies with the movie car.
-Like the Ford Bronco II, this car is in the "short case," but is also clearly Ixo since we can see the display stand. Considering the ZIL-117 is a whopping 5" long in 1/43 scale, I don't exactly think this is the greatest idea in terms of display and "crowds" the car pretty badly.