In Miniature

UNDER this heading recently we commented on, amongst other fascinating miniatures, the rubber-driven “Penguin” toy cars. Now we have come upon the same maker’s smaller clockwork-driven “Minic” replicas of such cars as Rolls-Royce and Daimler sedancas, Daimler sunshine saloon, Bentley, Daimler and Rolls-Royce tourers, Vauxhall tourer and cabriolet and Vanguard, Morris-Oxford, Wolseley “6/80,” Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Austin Sheerline, Chrysler, Ford, Studebaker, Austin A40 and A70 and Hillman Minx saloons. There is also the series E Morris Eight saloon and its fellow (which in real life makes neighbours owning the former so jealous) the Morris Minor saloon. These little replicas are reasonably realistic generally, with some particularly good ones, like the Morrises, amongst the range; they measure from 3 1/2 in. to 5 3/8 in. in length. There is also a 9 5/8 in. long Vauxhall coupé, for towing a 4 1/4 in. caravan! We were impressed with the strength of these “Minics” and the effectively sedate speed at which their clockwork drives them. The full list is available from Lines Bros., Ltd., Tri-ang Works, Morden Road. Merton, London, S.W.19, on mention of MOTOR SPORT.

News reaches its of an interesting model which Victory Industries (Surrey). Ltd., of Guildford, are producing in conjunction with the Nuffield Organisation. This is a model Morris Minor, 8 1/2 in. long, driven by a tiny electric motor energised by a cheap torch battery. The appearance is said to be most realistic and such items as real Ackerman steering, removable hub discs, detachable wheels and rubber tyres are included. Nuffield claim a range of about 2 miles on one battery. This move towards the larger commercial replica is one we have advocated for many years and we hope Victory Industries will follow up the Minor with a racing-car model, like the one-time clockwork P2 Alfa-Romeo. We hope soon to “road test” one of the former.

Finally leaving commercial models, C. Posthumus has made a fine job of completing the 1/8th scale Napier-Railton. The chassis of this model was made before the actual car, circa 1933, and showed the double rear cantilever springing, Napier “Lion” engine, radiator and transmission. Most realistic wire wheels were idled, shod with model tyres specially made by Dunlop. For years this chassis was retained by Cobb and then Derek Dent persuaded him to part with it and commissioned Posthumus to fit the body and remaining details. Thus there exists an attractive, quite large model of the famous car that holds the Brooklands lap-record. This is all the more pleasing, in view of the fact that the film people have altered considerably the lines of the real car.–W. B.