New models and exciting new developments
Welcome to the latest edition of Corgi Die-cast Diaries, your regular blog review of all the news, updates and topical stories from the captivating world of Corgi die-cast model collecting.
We’re definitely speeding headlong toward Autumn now, because last Friday saw the announcement of the final new model range launch for this year, a collection which includes models which will surely be serving as die-cast gifts on a certain BIG day in the not-too-distant future. As is now traditional in the first edition of Die-cast Diaries following the announcement of a new range, we will be taking this opportunity to provide an overview of the new collection, whilst also including David’s recently posted range launch video for those who have yet to watch it.
In addition to this, we have details of some interesting recent goings on in the world of Corgi, including a visit to the British Motoring Museum and a model collaboration with one of the best loved motoring journalists and presenters of recent times. Over the past few days, one of the team has even taken part in an online Question and Answer session with committed Aviation Archive collectors. As you can see, it really has been all systems go!
It also won’t have escaped the attention of committed Corgi fans that we have also announced the range inclusion of a model which is unquestionably one of the most popular in the history of die-cast model production, and one which will surely warm the die-cast cockles of any Gotham City resident’s heart. For now, we’ll just refer to it by its iconic number – 267.
We have much to get through as we introduce our latest collection of models, so with a ZAP, a POW and a SOCK, let’s hit this edition super hard!
From Harriers to Henry Ford
Since our move to the current Corgi range announcement format approaching three years ago now, Corgi collectors have the opportunity to get excited about a new collection of models every four months and although none of us really like change if we’re being honest with ourselves, this is one change which appeared to be embraced by the vast majority of collectors almost immediately. As we now have three opportunities to inspect a new range of models each year, those ranges may be a little smaller, but we now have a firm expectation that most of them will be available during the period covered by the range in which they are announced.
As we all rush to see if the model we were hoping for has made it into the latest collection, this latest range launch was somewhat usurped by another exciting Corgi announcement made earlier this week, a collectable collaboration which will see an appealing collection of models joining our Vanguards range. Please allow us to share an official announcement with you, one which was only made to the modelling trade on Monday this week.
CORGI® Partners with Richard Hammond's ‘The Smallest Cog’ to Launch Exclusive Model Range
With collectability written all over it, we’re proud to be bringing this new model to the range in the run up to Christmas.
2 September 2024 – Hot off the heels of its appearance on Richard Hammond’s Workshop on Discovery+ UK, CORGI®, the iconic British model manufacturer, is proud to announce a new partnership with Hammond’s renowned classic car restoration business, ‘The Smallest Cog.’ Together, they will release an officially licensed selection of 1:43 scale die-cast vehicles in CORGI®’s Vanguards range. This collaboration merges the craftsmanship of CORGI® with the automotive expertise of ‘The Smallest Cog’ to bring enthusiasts a unique collection of models that celebrate the art of car restoration.
The inaugural model to emerge from this partnership will be a 1:43 scale replica of the iconic Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000 in Midnight Blue. This particular vehicle holds special significance as it was the first car restored by ‘The Smallest Cog’ and now serves as the business's flagship show car. The model will be presented in exclusive dual-branded packaging featuring both ‘The Smallest Cog’ and Vanguards logos, making it a must-have for collectors and fans alike.
In addition to producing the scale model, CORGI® provided vital research support to aid in the continued restoration of the real Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000. CORGI®’s team delved into the car's history, uncovering its original specification before it was modified for road rallying on the Isle of Man. These findings not only enhanced the accuracy of the scale model but also offered Hammond and his team valuable insights for the ongoing restoration of the vehicle.
The first car restored by ‘The Smallest Cog’, the real car is due to be displayed in The Wonderworks at Margate later in the year.
The fully restored RS2000 is set to be displayed at The Wonderworks in Margate later in 2024, giving car enthusiasts the chance to see this piece of automotive history up close. Furthermore, CORGI® was thrilled to sponsor ‘The Smallest Cog’ race team for the 2024 season. The CORGI® brand logo proudly featured on the team’s MGB GT as they competed in races throughout the year.
“Collaborating with CORGI has been a fantastic experience for us at ‘The Smallest Cog’”, said Richard Hammond. “Their commitment to accuracy and detail has truly complemented our restoration efforts. Seeing our first major project, the Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000, represented as a die-cast model is a great way to share our work and passion for classic cars with enthusiasts. We’re excited about the upcoming display and are grateful for the support from CORGI in bringing this piece of automotive history to life in a new way!”
“We are excited to join forces with Richard Hammond and ‘The Smallest Cog’ to bring this unique collection to life,” said David Mather, Head of Marketing at CORGI®. “This partnership is a celebration of British motoring culture, craftsmanship, and the enduring appeal of classic cars. We’re honoured to contribute to the restoration of the RS2000 and to bring its story to collectors around the world.”
The Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000 model VA14909 is now available to preorder through CORGI’s official website and selected retailers.
Can I play with madness? You can, as long as you don’t touch my new Iron Maiden truck model!
Getting back to the wider new model range covering the period from September to December, we have new subject additions to most of the current collections, including Aviation Archive, Vanguards, Pop Culture and Corgi Classics in an attempt to appeal to as wide a collector base as possible. Combining the world of music with scale representations of different modes of transport, we have models commemorating the most influential band of all time and some of their most popular albums, and for those of us who could be described as closet hellraisers, we also have four new rocking releases which might really take off!
Borrowing tooling from the Aviation Archive range for this project, we celebrate the aviation associations between two of the most influential metal powerhouse bands of all time, Motörhead and Iron Maiden, with a Heinkel He-III and Spitfire flying top cover over trucks which are also appropriately liveried. With both bands having legions of fans worldwide, we’re excited to see how these appealing models are going to be received and whether they will go on to serve as centrepiece items in collections of albums, artwork and tour T-shirts of both bands.
Staying with Aviation Archive for just a moment longer, we have the long anticipated and much requested second release from our sell-out 1/48th scale BAe Harrier tooling, this time featuring the beautifully finished aircraft flown by Joint Force Harrier Commander and RAF Cottesmore Station Commander Group Captain Gary Waterfall OBE on the occasion of the retirement of the Harrier from UK service. Resplendent in a retro camouflage scheme, we can’t wait to bring you development updates from this spectacular model.
Again in 1/48th scale, the latest pair of additions to the WWI aircraft range are absolute classics, with the new Albatros D.V model having the distinction of probably being the most flamboyantly decorated Aviation Archive model we have ever produced – our production facility must really love us when they receive artwork files like these.
Our latest Great War eagle has to be one of the most intricately decorated models we have ever produced.
Across the other ranges, we have a truly beautiful quartet of models which will be contained within the luxurious and highly collectable presentation packaging of our Henry Ford II Collection and with a bat silhouette shining in the night sky, we’d better all place ourselves on notice for the arrival of a die-cast model collectable classic #267 rocket firing Batmobile. One of the most requested models is about to make its return once again and as with all the new models announced last Friday, you can rest assured that Die-cast Diaries will be bringing you all the latest development updates from all the new model announcements over the coming few editions.
As committed Corgi model collectors, we all know that there’s simply no substitute for inspecting the latest collection of models for yourself and in this modern digital age, you can see it in all its technicolour glory by several methods at the click of a button, which we implore you to do, if you haven’t already. We have attached Head of Marketing David Mather’s latest range presentation video below, but before you enjoy that, please don’t forget to download your digital copy of the latest catalogue, as a complete collection of pdf catalogues is now quite an important aspect of the hobby. The latest copy can be downloaded HERE.
Now our latest collection of models is out there in the die-cast world, we look forward to charting their progress over the next few weeks and months, as they negotiate their development journey from research idea, right through to taking their places within display cabinets up and down the country. Our intention is to vary things up a little from now on, bringing you more image exclusives than ever before, as we share some of the secrets of the manufacturing process with you, along with our attendance at events where we take our models to meet the real cars, aircraft and machines which inspired their inclusion in the Corgi range.
Bringing this latest new range review edition of the blog to a close, we wanted to bring you details of a recent away day our Head of Marketing David Mather enjoyed, where he donned his Corgi T-shirt, packed his car with the Corgi outside event marquee and a selection of Corgi models, and headed for the British Motoring Museum at Gaydon.
David kindly sent us the following report.
Corgi Aston Martins gather at Gaydon
Some of the most popular models in the history of Die-cast collecting gathered at the British Motoring Museum recently.
A guest piece by CORGI’s Head of Marketing, David Mather:
Last Saturday August 31, we were delighted to be invited by the Aston Martin Heritage Trust to attend their show held at the British Motoring Museum at Gaydon, Warwickshire. Located just across the road from the headquarters of Aston Martin, the museum is one of the largest and most impressive museums in the country dedicated to the history of the British car industry.
The AMHT had asked us to attend as this year is notable as the 60th anniversary of the legendary James Bond film ‘Goldfinger’, and that film of course holds a very special place in the hearts of both Aston Martin devotees and CORGI fans, as it featured the debut of the Aston Martin DB5 as 007’s favoured mode of transport. CORGI of course produced the most famous die-cast toy car of all time in 1965; the 261 Aston Martin DB5, the model car that motoring journalist and television presenter James May once dubbed ‘the car that saved Aston Martin’ as it pulled the vehicle manufacturer into the consciousness of a generation young boys.
It may be slightly odd to imagine a small display cabinet full of vintage and bang up to date CORGI James Bond models sitting prominently on the verge leading to the main entrance of the museum among car parks full of beautiful cars brought for the show, but that was exactly where the CORGI plot had been designated in a pride of place spot. I was there before 7am to set up the display, and then from show opening welcomed a continual stream of visitors to see the display stand, with everyone sharing memories of their first Aston Martin model that in many cases inspired them to want a much larger and real vehicle later in their adult lives that they had now brought with them on the day. While an original 261 DB5 has now entered the realms of collectibles and their attendant value, it was fantastic to hear personal stories of how that toy model was held so very dearly in the hearts of so many.
A model display of distinction, David had the opportunity to speak with many a Corgi collector during the day, with his display bringing back happy memories for many.
Many were curious as to why the 261 was originally gold instead of the trademark silver as in the film (two reasons: to avoid potential consumer confusion that it may be unpainted metal, and of course – golf for Goldfinger) and also to see the many different versions of the DB5 and other Bond cars the brand had produced in the last six decades, including the imminently available RT26101S Aston Martin DB5 in silver, produced for the Goldfinger anniversary and also to make that tooling available in the ‘correct’ colour at long last.
Later Steve Waddingham, the AMHT’s Historian, paid a visit with a camera crew and beamed the CORGI display to the entire showground on a Big TV screen set up elsewhere in the site, leading to a further influx of visitors to see the models before the show close at 4pm. By that point so many conversations had been had that my voice was on the verge of departing along with everyone else. A fantastic and rewarding day, though the thought did occur late on that I may have been the person to bring the most Aston Martins to the show… from a certain point of view anyway.
Coming to an event near you soon. Keep an eye out for the Corgi events team over the coming few months.
As proved to be the case with our attendance at RIAT this year, Corgi collectors are everywhere and like nothing more than gathering with like minded people to discuss the hobby and their most treasured model possessions. As things start to settle down within the Corgi team, we are committed to getting out and about more regularly over the coming year and look forward to not only letting you all know the events we will be attending, but also to catching up with our Corgi friends old and new. We might just have a display of the latest model curiosities for your inspection into the bargain.
For those who can’t make it, we’ll be sure to include images and a report from all events, just so you can feel part of the occasion.
That's all we have for you in this latest edition, however, please join us again next time for another exclusive insight into the wonderful world of Corgi model collecting. Between editions, we are always interested to hear your views on all things Corgi, so if you feel like dropping us a line to comment on anything blog, collecting or Corgi model related, or perhaps to suggest a topic you might like to see us cover in a future edition, please do get in touch at diecastdiaries@corgi.co.uk.
If you can’t wait for the next blog, you will find plenty of Corgi model collecting discussions taking place on our official social media channels, access to which can be obtained by clicking on the respective links at the foot of the Corgi website homepage.
Link access to Corgi social media sites.
Thank you for continuing to support your Die-cast Diaries blog. Our next edition is scheduled to be published on Friday 20th September, and we look forward to seeing you back here then.
