British Miniatures
Following recent references to German and American model cars and kits, we are delighted to be able to accord warm praise for a British product of this kind—the Autocraft miniature car construction kit.
These kits are made by the Scale Model Equipment Company Ltd.. of Steyning, Sussex, who for some years have been making constructional kits covering various racing and sports cars. The first of their new Autocraft kits, No. Al, makes up into a delightfully accurate and well-finished open XK120 Jaguar, which has the additional merit of being very detailed, with cockpit details such as brake and gear-lever, instruments, most realistic seats, steering-wheel, propeller-shaft tunnel, etc.
The finished model is about 5 1/2 in. in length and runs easily on rubber tyres. It is to 1/32 scale and not only is the finish of a high order, in glossy white diacon plastic, but the realism of headlamps, windscreen, radiator grille, etc., adds enormously to the appeal of this splendid miniature Jaguar, which is actually Ian Appleyard’s famous rally car, NUB 120. The model is complete with bumpers, exhaust pipe, lamps, number-plates, etc., and all metal parts, and the necessary cement, are supplied with the constructional kit, which costs 24s. 6d. inclusive of p.t., and 6d. extra by post.
We look forward to other miniatures in this series and commend highly this British kit.
Following on the excellent Cunningham sports-car reviewed last month, Dinky Toys now supply a miniature, of the TF M.G. Midget, complete with racing numbers and overalled driver. These strong, well-finished little replicas are 3 1/4 in. long and are just the thing to take home to Junior—you will buy two when you encounter them in your local toy-shop, keeping one for the study. It could also be used as a radiator cap or tie-bar mascot.
With the ’04 veteran Darracq reviewed last month, the Autocraft Jaguar and the expanding range of Dinky miniatures, Britain has nothing to be ashamed of in the field of motor-car miniatures. It now remains for some enterprising manufacturer to offer larger models, like those tinplate P2 Alfa-Romeos, Citroens and HispanoSuizas of yesteryear, either in tinplate or castings. Modern racing cars and sports cars lend themselves to such modelling far more readily than did the cars of the nineteen-twenties, and on the Continent quite large Ferrari and Alfa-Romeo racing-car replicas are on sale.—W. B.