As most (if not all) of you already know by now, Corgi's 261 Aston Martin D.B.5 was created from an amended mould of an existing D.B.4 (218) in order to meet the Christmas market of 1965. Apparently it was quicker to customise an existing mould than create an entirely new one from scratch, and three designers/engineers were tasked with adding the car's three working features. Although the Bond version says D.B.5 on the base, the tail lights give the game away, but at least Corgi changed the headlights into D.B.5 ones.
Relax, Kid Prime - no one's commented yet 'cos they're consumed with envy.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see them both together, Kid. As far I am concerned, the gold DB5 from Corgi is the one against which all the subsequent revisions are measured. I know it's not authentic to the car in Goldfinger, but back in 1965 I didn't know any different. I don't think I saw the film Goldfinger until it came around on a double-bill with Doctor No sometime around 1972.
ReplyDeleteThat's when I'd have first seen Goldfinger, B. Incidentally, CMC have just released a platinum version of the 261. Are you still getting any of the models?
DeleteI decided to stop buying the models every
Deletemonth after the first half-dozen or so, Kid, and then have picked them up as models appeared that I really wanted, mostly vehicles I had back in the 1960s and 1970s.
Most recently I got the Batmobile, Batboat and Superior Ambulance. I’ll get the Green Hornet Black Beauty next. Originally Corgi Club only shipped to the UK, so I had them sent to a pal in Pompey where I’d collect them as part of a trip home. Once they set up a Corgi Model Club USA I thought I’d buy from them, but the shipping and tariffs made the prices horrendous. They seem to have got a handle on the shipping prices now, and tariffs have been reduced, so I’ll stick with buying from the US club for now.
Do you only buy the pop-culture related models?
I've been buying every model every month, B, until recently. I quit the club because they stopped being so helpful, presumably because they felt it was my fault I was receiving so many defective or damaged models, not theirs. Yes, I am pernickety, but these models are not pocket-money toys for kids, but are meant to be detailed, precision-made models for the adult collector and are hardly cheap. I got both versions of the Heinkel Economy (Bubble) Car, but the suspension on both didn't work as it should. A number of the reviews on their site mention the same thing. It's the first model to be made in Bangladesh and you'd have thought Corgi would've made more of an effort with this one. They just don't seem to have an effective quality control department. Things appear to have got worse since CMC and Corgi joined forces (they were separate before). IF I rejoin, I will be far more selective in the cars I buy.
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