Miniatures News, August 1979

From Lesney comes another of those once-so-popular “Matchbox” miniatures, a tiny model of the Renault 5TS, very appropriate in this time of petrol famine. As its makers remark “A charming model for the boulevards, n’est-ce pas?” The little thing is No. MB-21 in the new “Matchbox”–75 series, but no price is quoted. It seems that the series is to be revived with 75 such miniatures, running on Superfast wheels. The 5TS is 2 1/2″ long and has an openable hatchback. – W.B.

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“The Models of Gerald Wingrove”. 109 pp. 9 3/8″ x 12″. (Eyre Methuen Ltd., 11 Fetter Lane, London, EC4P 4EE £13.50).

It is unquestioned that Gerald Wingrove is the outstanding maker of static model-cars at the present time. His work has been well publicised, and we believe he is doing a book of model-car plans. We hear also of another deluxe book covering all kinds of car models, in the publishing pipeline. This coffee-table book is devoted to large colour pictures of these Wingrove models, with a picture of the real car often unnecessary, so accurate and detailed are the models! After an informative lead-in, describing his career and his methods that have been practised and polished to achieve these results, the book covers his work in these highest-grade colour plates, with engineering drawings, plans and pictures of the full-size cars to offset them, together with many black and white illustrations of parts, tools, etc.

The models thus depicted are too numerous to list here but range from a 1911 Type-C Russo Baltique to 1975 a Tipo 312 Ferrari in the 1/15 and 1/20-scale models, and from a 1909 40/50 h.p. Rolls-Royce to a 1963 GTO Ferrari in the 1/32-scale models. This means extremely detailed car-models ranging in length from six inches to 15 inches. All the Wingrove top-subjects are, of course, included, such as the Model-J Duesenberg that was his first fancy, the 1924 ex-Dubonnet Tulipwood Hispano-Suiza, and the 4 1/2-litre blower Bentley, down to 1970s F1 racing cars. If you fancy yourself as a painstaking perfectionist, feast your eyes on these models through the pages of this book; and you might then contemplate the work that went into making the body for the Tulipwood Hispano-Suiza model! Wingrove used pear-wood, secured with 13,000 brass pins, and has reproduced both types of mudguards this car was equipped with at different times. — W.B.