A New Year brings the latest collection of new Corgi models
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.
In what has now become something of a blog tradition at the turn of any new year, this first edition of Die-cast Diaries for 2023 could almost be described as writing itself, as we bring you an overview of the new January - April 2023 model range which was unveiled on the Corgi website earlier this week. Hopefully, the majority of our readers will have already had an opportunity to inspect our latest collection of models, which includes four new Aviation Archive models, no fewer than fifteen new Vanguard releases and a host of other exciting additions which are all hopefully going to be available during the first half of this year. Of Course, we also have our usual selection of new model teasers and tooling projects which we have been working on behind the scenes, but which are not quite ready for range inclusion, even though we are happy to share details of their existence with Corgi collectors. If you haven't already seen them, we have some real die-cast heavyweights to tell you about for a little later in the year.
For this first blog update of the new year, we intend to provide readers with a quick overview of all the latest range announcements, whilst at the same time imploring everyone to head for the Corgi website themselves and embark on their latest online voyage of diecast discover, unlocking all the secrets of this latest collection of models. We will be picking out one or two range highlights for closer attention, before moving on to feature a selection of exclusive imagery of two new models which are already close to release and two more which are still very much in the development phase. As always, Die-cast Diaries will endeavour to bring you all the latest design, development and release updates throughout the year, as our latest collection of models make their journey from initial design phase right through to taking their place within our collections. It's going to be a very busy year for Corgi.
Without any further ado, let's make a start on 2023.
Continuing the Corgi story
The new Corgi January - April model range is now live and a pdf version of the catalogue is available for immediate download.
After we have all enjoyed some quality time with our loved ones and probably eaten a potato more than a pig (good old Northern saying), there are few things to look forward to as we head into the start of a new year, that is unless you are a Corgi model collector of course. A new year must also mean a new Corgi model range and last Tuesday saw the launch of our latest collection of models on the Corgi website, with the pdf version of the latest catalogue also being made available for immediate download. This is the second year that we have gone live with our new range format, where we will have three range launch announcements throughout the coming year, with this first one covering the period from January to April, nevertheless, there have still been one or two comments on social media expressing concern about the number of new models announced. Please don't forget that this is only our first strike as far as new model announcements are concerned and there will be plenty more from where these have come from in May and September. In fact, this going to be one of our biggest years for new model announcements, so hold on to your hats!
Our move to this format was for several specific reasons, some business (I know, boring) and some for range clarity, with the intention of only including models in a range which had the realistic prospect of being available during the period covered by the announcement, accepting the fact that manufacturing and general logistics issues might still cause the odd delay. We thought this would be an important factor in the ongoing relationship with our collectors, giving them a much clearer picture of when the models they wanted to add to their collections would be in stock and available. With last year serving as our range launch reconnaissance sortie, if we had announced all three ranges in January, it would have been huge and you would have probably been a little overwhelmed, but this way, we have the chance to wave the Corgi new model flag three times during the year, instead of just one. Importantly, our collectors still get a full year of fantastic model releases, just with three launches to get excited about instead of one.
Even though each new range announcement only includes models which are at the back end of their development cycle and close to their proposed release dates, we didn't want to keep you in the dark regarding all the exciting new projects we are working on in the background and just as we did throughout 2022, we will be bringing you updates from projects which are not yet ready for range inclusion, but are speeding headlong towards that happy date and there are some real crackers to tell you about. In fact, this is where we are going to begin our January - April 2023 range launch overview, so let's get started.
Exciting new tooling projects unveiled
We have maintained our tradition of keeping our collectors informed on all the latest new tooling projects we have on the go, even though they are not ready to take their places in the range just yet.
As die-cast model collectors ourselves, we know only too well that the announcement of a stunning new model tooling is the thing that really gets the collecting adrenalin flowing and even though they are still firmly in their respective development stages, the latest range launch lifted the lid on several future Corgi model classics. Swooping in to further bolster our growing 1/48th scale post war jets range, we are delighted to announce that a real aviation heavyweight is on the way, as the Panavia/BAe Tornado GR1/4 is already at the advanced stages of its design. Representing one of the most successful warplanes of the modern era, the Tornado may now be out of Royal Air Force service, but its unrivalled legacy still lives on and as far as the aviation enthusiast is concerned, it's still our number 1. Featuring the latest design and manufacturing innovations, this is a real beast of a model and as our project started by scanning a preserved example of a real aircraft, we are confident that this is going to be the most accurate scale die-cast representation of this mighty aviation warrior.
In addition to the Tornado, our latest new tooling project in the popular 1/72nd scale has similar stature within the aviation world and is a subject collectors have been requesting for many a year, the Martin B-26 Marauder. An aircraft which was used extensively in Europe, particularly flying from bases in the UK, the Marauder endured a troubled start to its service career, but matured into arguably the most effective day bomber of the entire Second World War. Our B-26 project also started with the LIDAR scanning of a preserved example and whilst this was a specific variant, we are working hard to ensure our tooling can incorporate as many different variant options as practicably possible. A model which is very much in Aviation Archive territory, we are looking forward to bringing you more details as the Marauder advances through its various development stages.
Moving on to Vanguards, this popular range has benefitted from significant new tooling development investment over recent years and this is going to continue in 2023. In addition to all the new tooling projects you already know about, we are delighted to confirm that this coming year will also see the addition of two Ford style classics from different eras, in the shape of the iconic Ford Capri Mk2 and the muscular Ford Mustang Mk6. The Capri was definitely one of the most attractive and desirable cars ever to grace Britain's roads and the inclusion of this newly tooled Mk2 will finally allow us to complete our Vanguards trilogy of Capris, a development we know many collectors will be delighted with.
If you were ever lucky enough to have your numbers come up on the National Lottery and were looking for a car befitting of your new status, then surely the Ford Mustang Mk6 would be high on your list of potentials. A spectacular return to form for the Mustang range, this is a real muscle car and one which identifies its owner as someone not to be messed with, that's if you can catch him of course. A car which could even be described as a modern day representation of the classic Capri, both of these new toolings will be welcome additions to the Vanguards range and projects the blog will be following throughout 2023.
The Vanguards range benefits from continued new tooling investment, as we announce the existence of projects to incorporate both the Ford Capri Mk2 and Ford Mustang Mk6 into a future range.
Other ranges to benefit from new tooling projects this year come in our Pop Culture range and again feature some absolute future classics. Always a perennial favourite, our James Bond 007 series will soon be able to boast arguably the most intricate and certainly the largest model we have ever produced in this range, as the 'No Time To Die' Q Glider is on the way and what a model it is. Featuring working parts, this is a real challenge for our design team and when it is unleased on the Bond collector world, it really is going to be something special.
Now, try to remain calm, because anything could happen in the next half-hour! When it comes to our next new tooling project it's very much a case of 'Stand by for Action - we are about to launch Stingray!' This much loved underwater craft and the mount of World Aquanaut Security Patrol hero Troy Tempest came from the fertile imagination of Gerry Anderson and if you are of a certain vintage, you will definitely have fond memories of this science fiction action series and this iconic underwater craft in particular. We will have more on this a little later, including a couple of exclusive development images for your delectation.
There is a lot going on behind the scenes here on the new tooling front, including future editions to our Original Omnibus range and significant investment in some new Wallace & Gromit products, models which will help us all celebrate the 30th anniversary of 'The Wrong Trousers', in addition to a model which is our chance to get behind a significant development in the world of motorsport, but again, we will have more on this a little later. For now though, you can rest assured that as new model development information becomes available, Die-cast Diaries readers will be the first to find out about it and if we can bring you exclusive pictures to illustrate these updates, we certainly will.
Aviation Archive - Dambusters 80th Anniversary
This year will mark the 80th Anniversary of the Dambusters raid and we have a new 1/72nd scale Lancaster B.III (Special) joining the Aviation Archive range in scale commemoration.
Although we aren't announcing a huge addition to the Aviation Archive range in this first launch for 2023, the additions we are making are rather spectacular. Many of our readers will be only too aware that this coming May will mark the 80th anniversary of the famous Dambusters raid on the great dams of the Ruhr Valley and as the nation prepares to remember the 133 brave airmen who took part in this raid, we wanted to produce our own die-cast tribute.
As it takes quite a while for any new model to safely negotiate the various development stages on its way to eventual release, we started work on this project many months ago and one of the most thrilling aspects of releasing this particular model, was our intention to present the last surviving Dambusters airman, Mr George Leonard 'Johnny' Johnson, with our scale tribute to the aircraft he flew in during the raid. Mr Johnson was the bomb aimer onboard Avro Lancaster ED825/G AJ-T 'Tommy' during its attack against the Sorpe Dam and the man with the responsibility for releasing the aircraft's 'Upkeep' mine on the target, a task he performed with skill and determination. In fact, he would not release the weapon unless the aircraft was in the optimum position to deliver the mine on target, and if it wasn't, simply instructed his pilot to go around and have another run at it. On that fateful night, it would take ten attack runs before he was happy to release the mine and allow the pilot to set course for home and for the crew to take their place in the history books.
Obviously, as the launch date for our Dambusters tribute model neared, we learned the tragic news that 'Johnny' Johnson had passed away at the age of 101, but not before he had done his level best to preserve the memory of the 133 brave airmen who took part in this historic raid. We would all like to send our sincere condolences to Mr Johnson's family and friends, who we are sure are comforted to have the many recorded interviews and appearances this humble hero featured in over the years and how he will live on in the memories of those who were fortunate enough to have met him and leaned of his wartime exploits.
Other new models added to the Aviation Archive range with this latest announcement are the new Supermarine Spitfire T.9 'Grey Nurse', which is available for pre-order for the first time and is already being snapped up like those shark's teeth on its nose and the second release from our Bristol Beaufort tooling, a model which is even more attractive than the first release.
The fourth and final new model announcement is the latest addition to our Strike East range and represents a model that a great many Aviation Archive collectors have requested over the years, a Battle of Stalingrad evacuation Luftwaffe Junkers Ju52. The Ju52 has to be regarded as one of the Aviation Archive range’s most accomplished toolings, produced with an extremely high metal content and featuring that beautiful corrugated surface finish. This model is scheduled for release at the end of this month and the image selection we are exclusively showing here feature an advanced production sample model. Let's take a closer look at the details behind this decidedly wintery release.
One of the truly great aeroplanes of the 20th century, the Junkers Ju52 actually started life as a single engined freight carrying aircraft, making its first flight in October 1930, however, just six months later, the 3m (three motor) variant had announced itself to the aviation world. Possessing much greater power and the reassurance of multi-engined operation, this three engined variant of the aircraft could carry 17 passengers in relative comfort for that period, the potential of which was not lost on the national airline of Germany, Lufthansa, who used the Ju52 to help establish early commercial routes right across Europe. A reliable and extremely rugged aircraft, the Ju52 would be used as the personal transport of senior political figures in Germany during the 1930s and with the re-emergence of the Luftwaffe, was seen as the ideal transport and heavy utility aircraft to keep the Wehrmacht supplied during the struggles to come.
Distinctive in its adoption of a corrugated magnesium/aluminium construction method, the Junkers Ju52 may have looked a little box-like and slightly cumbersome, but it proved to be an extremely strong and highly versatile aircraft, one which would go on to see widespread service throughout the Second World War. Used mainly as a troop transport and supply aircraft, the Ju52 would also be pressed into service as an airborne ambulance, paratrooper transporter, glider tug and even as an impressively large floatplane. Highly specialised aircraft were also pressed into service as minesweepers, employing a large metal degaussing ring under the fuselage, which produced a strong magnetic field which detonated any Allied naval mines it flew over. Despite being extremely vulnerable to both enemy fighter attack and anti-aircraft batteries, the venerable old Junkers Ju52 was forced to continue performing its essential roles well into the final year of the war, even though the aircraft was considered basically obsolete several years earlier - there simply wasn’t a more capable replacement available in the numbers which were required. When production finally ceased in August 1944, it is thought that around 100 aircraft were still in Luftwaffe service on the battlefields of Europe, even though they rarely flew in contested airspace.
All these images are being shown for the very first time and feature an advanced production sample model of this beautiful Stalingrad evacuation operation Junkers Ju-52.
As Germany’s initial Blitzkrieg successes on the Eastern Front turned into a bloody war of attrition, Hitler’s obsessive determination to take the Soviet city of Stalingrad would have tragic consequences for the men of the German 6th Army and bring about a significant change in the tide of war. With around 300,000 German troops surrounded by ever stronger Soviet forces, Commanders were instructed to hold firm, until a relief force could fight their way to re-enforce them, but in the meantime, were given details of how the Luftwaffe would establish an Air Bridge, flying in all the food, ammunition and supplies the troops would need to keep fighting. Unfortunately for the troops in the Stalingrad pocket, the plan was flawed from the start and had little logistical substance behind the reassuring words. Without the transport resources required for such a mammoth undertaking, aircraft even needed to be stripped from training and reserve units, often requiring inexperienced crews to fly into the one German held airfield in the region, one which resembled something like ‘hell on earth’.
With temperatures plunging and the winter conditions producing regular savage snowstorms, crews quickly learned that if Soviet aircraft or anti-aircraft batteries didn’t shoot them down on the flight in, they had just as much chance of being destroyed on the ground, either by striking one of the snow covered shell holes that littered the airfield, or being hit by mortar or artillery fire from Soviet forces who were fighting their way ever closer. If they did land safely, inexperienced ground crews lengthened the time aircraft stayed on the ground and when they did eventually take off, they were weighed down with the injured who were desperate to escape the Stalingrad cauldron. With the Luftwaffe supply effort never coming close to delivering even the minimum quantities needed to supply the beleaguered German troops, Pitomnik airfield became an airfield graveyard, as well as the final frozen resting place for thousands of Wehrmacht troops. The hands of ground crews would stick to the frozen metal of the aircraft they were unloading and engines simply seized in the plunging temperatures, in what was increasingly becoming a futile situation.
More image exclusives featuring our new 1/72nd scale Junkers Ju-52 'Strike East' release.
Aircraft which had been destroyed, or those which had simply refused to start in the freezing conditions were simply pushed to the edge of the runway, to serve as a macabre aviation guard of honour for the aircrews still engaged in this desperate operation. Knowing they could be subjected to almost constant attacks throughout the three hour flights to and from the main supply airfield, crews knew that if by some miracle the emerged unscathed, they would have to make the same desperate journey the following day, weather and aircraft serviceability permitting, only with less aircraft taking part and even less supplies getting through. Bravely flying into a terrifying scene of desperation, death and destruction, by the cessation of the Air Bridge operation at the end of January 1943, Germany’s 4th Air Fleet had lost almost 500 aircraft, with a further 90 lost during Soviet air attacks at the main supply airfield at Tatsinskaya, an airfield which itself had failed to cope with the size of this supply task. Of the 500 aircraft lost, over half of this number were Junkers Ju52 transport and medivac aircraft, the decimation of a force which was already under pressure and attrition from which the Luftwaffe would never recover.
In attempting to re-supply and evacuate the ‘Blood pocket’ at Stalingrad, the idle boasts of the Luftwaffe High Command fell woefully short of what was required, leading to the capitulation of the remnants of once powerful Army and signifying the beginning of the end for the Luftwaffe as a fighting force. Defeat for the Germans at Stalingrad would prove to be a significant turning point in the history of the Second World War.
2023 gets underway on four wheels
Vanguards collectors have already spotted our new Ford XR Collection release, which is currently the most heavily pre-ordered new product on the Corgi website.
When it comes to the sheer number of new model announcements made, then the bedrock of the new Corgi January - April range is most definitely built on a Vanguards footing, as this range can boast no fewer than 15 new releases. We begin by featuring the latest model collection grouping and a trio of models which are already at the head of our pre-ordered model chart, our Ford XR Collection. Featuring three of the most desirable cars British motorists could ever hope to own, each one of these models illustrates why Ford have been so successful in the post war years, combining value, good looks and performance to produce the cars the masses wanted to own. Perhaps this is also the reason why scale representations of these cars also prove so popular, as they are miniature versions of the car types people actually owned, or hoped to do at some point in their lives. Whether in full size or scale form, these Ford XRs will always be head turners and are guaranteed to raise an admiring smile.
This latest collection comprises of an Escort Mk3 XR3i in Rosso Red, a Fiesta Mk1 XR2 in Caspian Blue and the daddy of them all, a Sierra XR4i in Diamond White and even at this early stage, is the sales pacesetter on the Corgi website.
Included on the website for pre order for the very first time, we have been following the Ford Transit Custom and Ford Ranger for some time on the blog now, so it is a real joy to see them taking their place in a physical range. Speaking in physical terms, both of these models have real claims to fame within the history of the Vanguards range, with the Transit Custom being the heaviest model this range has ever included, whilst the Ranger comes in as the longest. Both only just managed to squeeze into standard Vanguards presentation packaging and when viewed next to something like an Escort or Cortina model, they really do look like they are trying to expend out of the box.
Within the fifteen new models added to the Vanguards range, we include the second release from our Ford Focus Mk3 ST tooling, which is a real Tangerine Scream, the second release from our Cortina Mk.5 tooling and two new Escort RS Cosworth releases in very different colour presentations. Although the new range features an impressive range of Fords both contemporary and classic, collectors will be interested to note that we have also included an extremely attractive Vauxhall Astra GTE 16V, so it’s time for all you non-Ford fans to get involved in the latest Vanguards action.
A model which we are delighted to confirm is now available, the latest incarnation of our beautiful Triumph Stag Mk.1 tooling is a really cultured looking example of this distinctive sports car, one which is presented in Wedgewood Blue. As we did with the Junkers Ju-52 previously, as this model is now available, let's take a closer look at the details behind the actual car on which the model is based.
VA10117 - Triumph Stag Mk1, Pre-Production Car (LD17), Wedgewood Blue
The automatic Triumph Stag modelled was completed on April 10th, 1970, and is pre-production car 12, chassis number LD17. It is one of approximately twenty-five pilot-build Stags built before full production commenced - this was a process designed to simulate the eventual production line and finalise the assembly sequence, jigs and tooling. LD17 was one of 12 Stags taken to Knokke, Belgium, in June 1970 for the Stag’s press launch which allowed Triumph’s Gordon Birtwistle to test each example on the Jabbeke Highway prior to the journalists driving them. It also featured in Maxwell Boyd’s Sunday Times’ Road test and the BBC TV documentary ‘The Dream Car’, which followed the Stag’s development up to and including the car’s launch.
Image
Another advanced production sample model image, this beautiful new Triumph Stag Mk.1 is already in our warehouse and available for immediate shipping.
Retained by Triumph for PR work, LD17 starred in Gordon Wilkins’ Stag road-test for BBC TV’s ‘Wheelbase’ programme and a favourable report by John Bolster in Autosport. One of only three Stags in Wedgewood blue (then being phased out of Triumph’s colour palette), it was eventually sold by Triumph and by 1985 Triumph specialists, The Stag Centre, had purchased it. In 2003 enthusiast Martin Dimmick took ownership and, with help from the Stag Owners Club, reclaimed its original number plate, stripped it and had the bodyshell restored. Current owner, London-based Chris Bodill, purchased it dismantled in 2012 and completed the restoration in 2020. It was then featured in the November 2020 issue of Classic Cars magazine, which celebrated the Stag’s 50th anniversary.
As you can see, 2023 is already looking like it will be a good year for the Vanguards range.
More new models to look forward to
All abord for the final London tram service, it has been twenty years since a Feltham Tram model has taken its place in a Corgi range.
When it comes to the Corgi range, any collector with a few years invested will tell you that during that time, hundreds of model tooling projects have come and gone, with some rising to a position of prominence, whilst others, for a variety of reasons, seem to attract less production support. This situation can also be made worse by the fact that collectors of a particular range of models rarely, or perhaps more accurately, only sporadically, collect models from other ranges, such as aircraft collectors also taking buses. With so many models in the tooling bank, it would be foolhardy to take too many chances on resurrecting old ranges, but having said that, it's always nice to see the return of a model tooling from years past.
Flying the flag for the Original Omnibus Company in this latest range, we welcome the long overdue return of a Feltham Tram model, one wearing London Transport livery and a machine which took the honour of running the final London service for a Feltham on 7th April 1951. A significant inclusion in the range, can you believe that it's been twenty years since one of these handsome models has been in a Corgi range.
Original Omnibus can also boast the inclusion of an East Yorkshire Caetano Levante coach and a classic Blackpool Brush Railcoach, the latter being bedecked in spectacular Interflora livery and a real looker to boot.
Marking a significant addition to the Corgi range, our new 1/43rd scale Formula E Gen3 racing car is our tribute to an exciting development in world motorsport and the stimulus for greater advancement in electric technology for use in the world of popular motoring. This image features a computer rendered version of our new design.
Staying with wheeled transport for just a little longer, collectors will be interested to note that the new range includes a model which is something of a departure from usual Corgi fare, but an exciting new direction for the brand. We have been working closely with the good people at Formula E on this project for many months now and are delighted to be in a position to announce this exciting new model in advance of the latest FIA Formula E World Championship season. Significantly, although this will actually be the ninth season for the championship, it will be the first to feature the new Gen3 cars, as this exciting technology continues to advance at an astonishing rate.
Conceived in 2011, the first Formula E championship was held in 2014, but since 2020, the series has actually benefited from FIA World Championship status and is now surely set for much greater exposure and the support of many more motorsport enthusiasts. Obviously, the aim of Formula E is to help drive and promote electric vehicle technology and to that end, what better way could there be to attract attention than to race 200 mph capable electric racing cars around city circuits, with all the associated razzamatazz the world of high-end motorsport brings with it.
An exclusive first look at the engineering sample model produced from our new Formula E Gen3 racing car tooling.
For the coming season, Formula E racing will include pit-stop 'Flash Recharging', as this technology, which is the unquestionable future of popular motoring, continues to advance, driven in no small part by the people behind this exciting series. As the world’s only all-electric FIA World Championship and the only sport certified net zero carbon since inception, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship brings dramatic racing to the heart of some of the world’s most iconic cities, providing an elite motorsport platform for the world’s leading automotive manufacturers to accelerate electric vehicle innovation.
Our newly tooled 1/43rd scale Formula E Gen3 model is presented in Championship Livery for this first release and we are delighted to be announcing this project in advance of the first World Championship E-Prix of the season this weekend.
As a new tooling project, this has actually been quite a challenge for the Corgi development team and will pose similar challenges for our manufacturing facility. The complex shape of the new Gen3 car has been expertly recreated in 1/43rd scale and despite its distinctly stealthy appearance, has an impressively high metal content. The big challenge comes when decorating the models, because there are so many individual tampo paint hits required on each and every model that this is an incredibly time consuming and labour intensive process. Nevertheless, we know that the finished model will be a thing of beauty and we can't wait to release it to the growing army of Formula E motorsport fans.
Stingray close to celebrating its 60th birthday
One of the most iconic shapes from our formative years, we are delighted to be working on our tribute to Stingray in advance of its impending 60th anniversary, a model which is surely destined to become a future Corgi classic. This image features the first engineering sample produced from the tooling and we are expecting a modified version in the near future.
During our formative years, I and many other blog readers would have probably slept much more soundly in our beds at night in the knowledge that the World Aquanaut Security Patrol team and particularly Troy Tempest, were always on guard to ensure our safety from marauding Aquaphibians. A science-fiction series which came from the fertile imagination of Gerry Anderson, this man single-handedly held the youth of Britain in the palm of his hands during the 1960s and we simply couldn't get enough of his amazing shows. It's no wonder, everything about Stingray was exciting, from the opening theme which always had us on the edge of our seats, to the ultimate triumph of good over evil, how could this be anything other than a massive hit.
The awesome craft we all wanted to own back in those days was Stingray, a sleek and deadly underwater craft which had a real turn of speed and torpedoes which rarely missed their villainous targets. Anderson had a knack of knowing just how to keep us all spellbound and even when the latest episode was sadly over, Marina's theme always had us singing this lavishly produced song long after the TV has moved on to much more boring programming. And then there was his machines, craft which were always futuristic and left us in absolutely no doubt that these were the most capable machine to be found anywhere in the world, even if this world was a Supermarionation one. The fact that this series was filmed in colour only added to our infatuation and I swear at the time I thought those puppets were real people.
Off in search of Titan, Agent X20 and all those pesky Aquaphibians, Stingray will be a popular addition to the Corgi range following its release.
When it comes to iconic craft which appeared on our TV screens, surely Stingray is right at the head of this list, an underwater craft which was as eye-catching as it was effective at neutralising baddies and to this day, anyone who enjoyed this show as a youngster will still be drawn to any representation of Stingray. With that in mind and as Stingray always gets a mention in our new tooling suggestion meetings, we thought the impending 60th anniversary of the first airing of Stingray was the only excuse we needed to embark on this exciting new project and to immortalise this instantly recognisable craft in die-cast metal and into the Corgi range.
The images we are showing here feature the first engineering sample from our new Stingray tooling and whilst there is still much work to do, you can already see the impressive metal content this model possesses. With firing torpedoes and decoration which will faithfully recreate the colours used on the version which graced our TV screen all those years ago, we know without any doubt whatsoever that this is going to be a massive hit with collectors and we look forward to bringing you the full Corgi Stingray story in forthcoming editions of our blog. For now though, we will have to leave you with this instruction from WASP, 'Stand by for action!'
Stop press availability update
Another of the new range models which is now in our warehouse and available for immediate dispatch.
Before everyone heads off to inspect the new Corgi January - April model range on the Corgi website, we wanted to bring you two last minute availability updates, as two of the new Vanguards models featured in the latest catalogue are now in our warehouse and available for immediate dispatch.
VA12417 - Ford Granada Mk2 2.8i S in Dove Grey - Royal Ulster Constabulary, RUC Centenary.
The unmarked vehicle modelled here was one of several covert armoured Granadas used by the Royal Ulster Constabulary in the early 1980s. They were used to transport VIPS or carry out discreet patrols whilst offering the occupants a greater degree of safety. It was fleet number 9990 and, like all these cars, was supplied by Ford in a unique trim and mechanical specification designed to facilitate the armouring process and allow the car to function correctly after its weight had been substantially increased. This included heavy duty suspension so the cars’ stance and ride-height appeared normal, and its handling balance could be retained. Larger brakes were also fitted to allow repeated heavy braking without overheating.
The armouring process involved fitting bullet resistant glass, steel plates in the doors and steel gussets around the door frames to prevent ‘bullet splash’ entering the cabin; a phenomenon which can occur when a bullet hits the vulnerable gap between the car’s door and bodyshell. Although the use of lightweight ballistic resistant composite materials has revolutionised the manufacture of covertly armoured vehicles in recent years, the philosophy remains the same as that which informed the construction of this Granada; the armour is not there to resist repeated attack, the car would be too heavy to move if that were attempted, but rather to buy the occupants just enough time to escape from a dangerous situation to a place of safety as quickly as possible.
VA12622 - Ford Escort Mk2 1600 Sport in Roman Bronze.
Although it shared its Kent Crossflow engine with the AVO-built Escort Mk1 Mexico, the 1600 Sport was part of the main Escort Mk2 range and not a member of the more expensive and specialised RS family. It used a lightly uprated and lowered version of the standard Escort Mk2’s suspension rather than the more competition focussed systems offered on the RS models but did feature a GT specification engine with a twin-choke Weber carburettor and high-lift camshaft plus a slick-changing close-ratio gearbox. Each of Britain’s 570 Ford dealerships was issued with an orange 1600 Sport to be displayed prominently on the launch day of the Mk2 Escort range, March 4th, 1975.
The Escort Sport modelled here was ordered in this unusual colour scheme by Ford dealership Tricentrol Cars, Chelmsford, to serve as the company’s demonstrator. First registered on August 1st, 1979, it clocked up 8,000 miles before being offered for sale in April 1980 priced at £2999. Essex-based Keith Wilkinson noticed it when driving past, part-exchanged his Austin 1300GT for the Escort, and subsequently drove it all over Europe to compete in athletics meetings. It was impacted from behind by a London taxi in 1996 and written off because repair was considered economically unviable. Keith, however, purchased the salvage, had it repaired to factory specification and has since used it as a classic car. This one-owner vehicle has covered 130,000 miles but remains in excellent condition.
We are delighted to inform readers that both of the above Vanguards models are now in stock and available for immediate shipping.
We hope you have enjoyed this range launch overview, even if it did turn out to be something of a weighty tome. Hopefully, it has put you in the mood to find out a little more about this first range for 2023 and if so, can we please suggest that you head for the Corgi website, where you will find all the release details for every model appearing in our latest range.
If you would like to see the recently posted video presentation of our range launch, please use this link to direct you to our official YouTube channel, where our Brand Manager David Mather will introduce you to all the latest Corgi model developments.
That's the first edition of Corgi Die-cast Diaries for 2023 done and dusted, sorry for going on a bit. We will be back with more updates in two weeks' time, when we will have a further selection of all the latest Corgi model developments, project updates and exclusive image reveals for your inspection. 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 or Corgi model related, or indeed to suggest a topic you would like us to include in a future edition, please feel free to do so 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 our Die-cast Diaries blog. Our next edition is scheduled for publication on Friday 27th January.
