Mr Juicy

It's very rare that a Formula 3 car gets done in 3" or 1/64sh scale diecast... but this is an exception.... It's a recycled casting of the "F1 Racer" Matchbox car.

Actual race car was the 1987 Macau GP winner, driven by Martin Donnelly.  The car is technically a Ralt RT31-Toyota.  Ralt is a race car manufacturer founded by Ron Tauranac, after they (he and Jack Brabham) sold the Brabham team to Bernie Ecclestone in 1971.  Notice that Brabhams have the “BT” designation – for Brabham-Tauranac.

Donnelly himself made it to F1, but his promising F1 career came to an abrupt end at the 1990 Spanish GP when he had a violent crash – many, including myself, thought he was dead.  He did survive but he would never race in F1 again.

As for the Macau Grand Prix itself.... did you know that the first 2-time winner of the event was a Filipino?  It’s Arsenio “Dodjie” Laurel (yes, he is related to the family involved in politics), who won back to back (1962-63).  He would later die in the same race in 1967.  Back then the race wasn’t as high profile as it later became, as most of the entrants were from the Far East.  Still a great sporting achievement for a Filipino.  I knew this as early as 1982 (I was 11) when I did a “research” on Laurel as part of my report in my English class in First Year HS.

In 1983, Formula 3 teams and drivers from all over the world came to the year-ending race, and it was a big hit.  It became the unofficial “finals” of Formula 3, since there was no intercontinental championship in that form of racing – only national titles (German, British, Italian, etc).  Then in ’83 upcoming stars from all over the world came.  The winner?  One Ayrton Senna.  Amongst his competitors were Martin Brundle (yes, the same guy doing commentary in todays F1 races on Star Sports) and Gerhard Berger, who would later become his rivals in F1.  In subsequent years, the best young drivers from all over the world would come – including a memorable duel in 1990 won by Michael Schumacher over Mika Hakkinen.  Michael’s brother Ralf would also win, in 1995.  In recent years, however, future F1 stars didn’t fare too well – multiple world champions Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton both competed but never won (Vettel finished 3^rd in his only attempt).  With junior Formulas being “internationalized” as well, the Macau GP didn’t provide the “shootout” it once did...

July 2017 Ford BGC Swap Meet Hauls

Left Column, Front-Back: Tintoys (WT) Daimler Mk II brown P50, Lintoys (HK) Abarth 2000 blue P100, Majorette France BMW Turbo P100

Middle Column Front-Back: Yatming Lotus 72-Ford Ronnie Peterson #5 black P120, Penske PC22-Chevrolet Emerson Fittipaldi #4 1993 Indy 500 winner, Kyosho Porsche 936 #5 more on this later...

Right Column, Front-Back: Majorette France Jeep Cherokee Ambulance P100, Matchbox Lesney SRN6 Hovercraft P100, Matchbox Lesney Hovercraft green P120

I agonized long and hard over the Kyosho Porsche 936 – because it was being sold for P1200 – I was later able to haggle it down to P1000... It’s expensive but I’ve been after that for over a decade now!  I don’t want to go home regretting not buying it, so I went for it....

It’s a beautifully made model of a beautiful (and successful) race car.  The real one is below, at Le Mans in 1978, Jacky Ickx at the wheel.  His co drivers were fellow F1 drivers Jochen Mass and Henri Pescarolo....

The Majorette BMW Turbo is funky in design – notice what looks like a shifter on top (rear).... plus there are lots of gears inside... Apparently the Majorette Motor line was aimed at Darda.  Just like Darda, Majorette came up with a patented motor as well... mine is not working :)

Fahrvergnügen

Back in the 1990s Hot Wheels had a 2nd-generation VW Golf, and released it in black, in 2 variants:

Ever wondered what "Fahrvergnügen" means?  I got curious and checked the internet.  It was a word coined by the VW advertising people to describe the driving experience one gets when using a vw car.  It means 'Driving enjoyment".  Not only that, but the reddish design next to the word is part of their advertisement: it's a stick figure of a man driving a car. 

Here is the VW ad about Fahrvergnugen in 1990:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOnne-90CLI

Malibu Beach Shop

This is what happens when you combine an old Matchbox playset, add some Matchbox Jet Skis, some Siku figures and chairs from a Camper/Caravan set and a coconut tree from "generic" toys for one fun shot.


Below is where the Playset came from

New Ray McLaren M19-Ford

I have this New Ray McLaren M19 for years now,

Below is the toy car, with Dennis Hulme in the real car at the 1971 US GP at Watkins Glen.  The toy car is spot-on, including car number 7, save for the (lack of) airbox.  It’s obviously unlicensed so some things have to be changed, but it’s as close to the real thing as one can get right now.  I believe no one else did the M19 in 1/64sh scale.

This car actually had seven others in the same series, and I got only four, even though all were available!!!  Below is the M19 with the Tyrrell P34 and the Ferrari 312T4.  The reason (at that time) I did not get those 2 was, other than the wrong number, I have several samples of these cars from other toy makers – especially the P34.

I got the Tyrrell 003, a Lotus 49, and the McLaren M23. I can’t remember the other 2 cars I don’t have, but I think they’re quite far from reality so that may be the reason I “passed”.

Hot Wheels Turbo Streak - inspired by the Renault RE30B?

I always taught (before) that the Hot Wheels “Turbo Streak” casting was an Indycar (CART)....  the “First Edition”, a 1983 release, was still made in Hong Kong...

This first release has the shape and colors that bear a striking resemblance to the 1982 Renault RE30B.  Both have “elf", and “MICHELIN” too... the number is different (7 vs 15 or 16 for the real car)... but 7 is 1+6 hehehehe... 

 

Matchbox Jordan 196

It’s the Matchbox “Grand Prix Racing Car” in the colors of the Jordan 196-Peugeot  

 It’s clearly a recycled casting, as the toy car is of a mid-80s F1 car design (a turbo car, no air box), while the real one came out about a decade later.  But the “PEUGEOT”, the “Special F1” markings on the sidepods are both spot on.  On the real car is Rubens Barrichello at the 1996 British Grand Prix.

Matchbox Golf

Not Volkswagen Golf hehe... but a Golf Car.

Toothpaste Tube F1 car

It’s an F1 car, believe it or not....  it actually raced, albeit not a very successful one.  It’s the Connaught Type B of 1957-58, also known as the “toothpaste tube”... it’s not very hard to figure out why hehehe.  At the wheel in this picture is Briton Stuart Lewis-Evans

Here is the car in full color, at Monaco, where it finished 4^th.  It was the second best ever result for the team.

Triumph TR7 by Corgi Jrs