Oxford diecast... whats next?

[Steamport Southport]

Does this count?  

 

Two TVRs at the Northampton & Lamport Railway during a car show held at the line, credit Llamafish

 

[The Black Hat]

21 hours ago, ianmacc said:

I can see why as they would be attractive little models but I really would hope they are way down the list as a railway modeller as they are niche vehicles and there are masses of workaday vehicles missing from the range that need tacking first 

 

True but the problem there is with workaday stuff is that you end up getting permission for a companies range. Thus end up with a load of mercs or land rovers when what people want are more VW and Seats. (Im not sure what is specially done so these are just hypothetical examples). A TVR would only really be 2 or 3 cars max. So add something nice and niche to that general range we all need. There are a load of decent sports cars out there to add that would still be nice. 

[ianmacc]

 

 

True but the problem there is with workaday stuff is that you end up getting permission for a companies range. Thus end up with a load of mercs or land rovers when what people want are more VW and Seats. (Im not sure what is specially done so these are just hypothetical examples). A TVR would only really be 2 or 3 cars max. So add something nice and niche to that general range we all need. There are a load of decent sports cars out there to add that would still be nice. 

I guess we’ll agree to disagree  We already have all manner of Aston Martin, Jensen, Austin Healey, Triumph TR, MGB, top end Jaguar E Type, XKR, Blower Bentley (!) plus high performance spec ordinary marques  etc in the Oxford range so a fair few sports cars cutting across the eras already. If they need to work through an entire back catalogue almost manufacturer by manufacturer at least we’ll get there. 

[grahame]

4 hours ago, The Black Hat said:

 

True but the problem there is with workaday stuff is that you end up getting permission for a companies range. 

 

That sounds like a positive rather than a problem.

 

[The Black Hat]

20 hours ago, ianmacc said:

I guess we’ll agree to disagree  We already have all manner of Aston Martin, Jensen, Austin Healey, Triumph TR, MGB, top end Jaguar E Type, XKR, Blower Bentley (!) plus high performance spec ordinary marques  etc in the Oxford range so a fair few sports cars cutting across the eras already. If they need to work through an entire back catalogue almost manufacturer by manufacturer at least we’ll get there. 

 

Yeah but no real sports cars in the last 20 ish years... Think Porsche do feature...

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

22 hours ago, ianmacc said:

I guess we’ll agree to disagree  We already have all manner of Aston Martin, Jensen, Austin Healey, Triumph TR, MGB, top end Jaguar E Type, XKR, Blower Bentley (!) plus high performance spec ordinary marques  etc in the Oxford range so a fair few sports cars cutting across the eras already. If they need to work through an entire back catalogue almost manufacturer by manufacturer at least we’ll get there. 

Nothing wrong with Blower Bentleys being available, as they were converted to Blower spec in Tim Birkin’s workshop in Broadwater Road, Welwyn Garden City, very close to the East Coast Main Line. I consider them essential if you’re modelling that area in the 1930/31 period!

[sandwich station]

On 28/07/2021 at 18:27, ianmacc said:

Regarding “Exotica” I think there’s two levels. Ferrari Aston Martin TVR et al have very restricted application on the average model railway. Even having a single example is pushing it. !

 

There was a TVR garage near where I lived in the UK. There was regularly 10 or 12 of them there of various ages.

[AMJ]

With some of the real vehicles having production runs in the hundreds a maker does say 5 colours and you have a large % of the real ones.  Yet they do a mini and some colours were used on thousands of them.

 

Collectors can afford models of vehicles that they might only dream about.  This was why when I was selling diecast vehicles I could go to a show and sell more exotica than everyday vehicles.  Owners of everyday vehicles want the same model, colour and rust marks.

 

Sticking on my model railway hat I place age appropriate vehicles in scenes.

[PhilJ W]

I may have mentioned this before if I have my apologies. In the world of diecast model vehicles Ferrari outsells Ford by a considerable margin.

[grahame]

9 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I may have mentioned this before if I have my apologies. In the world of diecast model vehicles Ferrari outsells Ford by a considerable margin.

 

Maybe, but this is the world of railway modellers, rather than toy car collectors. Different people, different needs, different tricks.

;-)

 

[ianmacc]

9 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I may have mentioned this before if I have my apologies. In the world of diecast model vehicles Ferrari outsells Ford by a considerable margin.

I can believe it. As buyers of vehicles for the sole purpose of decorating model railways we are a tiny demographic! 

[ianmacc]

I’m certainly not bashing Oxford diecast. Anyone like me that modelled the contemporary scene in the 1980s and 1990s had literally three cars to choose from! The Lima Ford Capri and Fiat 131 and the Hornby Ford Sierra! 
 

I ended up populating my layout entirely with H0 scale vehicles. Seeing  as I used them 100 percent the eye accepted it because they were correct in relation to each other if not the holistic scene. Plus I could get the escort, Sierra, cavalier, Corsa, Astra, Mondeo, and pretty much every common vehicle on British roads at that time. Maybe is should go back to H0 cars again lol? 

Edited August 9, 2021 by ianmacc
Typo

[Dunsignalling]

37 minutes ago, ianmacc said:

I can believe it. As buyers of vehicles for the sole purpose of decorating model railways we are a tiny demographic! 

But, within the 1:76.2 segment of the market, probably not so tiny.

 

The models I buy for my small collection of favourite cars will be 1:43 or larger, which can be much more detailed and are of sufficient size not to look lost in a display case. 

 

The small stuff doesn't really "work" on that level, so those are for model railway layout purposes only. The priority is how/whether they fit in to the scene I want to create, The commonplace, rather than vehicles that I admire/covet (or have owned, but which would be anachronistic) in full size need to predominate. I do however buy many more than I'll ever use together, allowing occasional changes of type/colour/position for variety. 

 

John

Edited August 9, 2021 by Dunsignalling

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

7 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

I do however buy many more than I'll ever use together, allowing occasional changes of type/colour/position for variety.

I'm guilty of that too. I've got about 15 of the Cararama Lotus Elan Sprint, simply because they're lovely. Even modelling East Anglia in the 1960s/70s, that would be a bit much!

[rembrow]

I do like the commercial range. Have been waiting ages for the JCB 1st generation tracked excavator, slightly less for the AEC cement mixer and tipper. Had advice from Hattons a couple of weeks ago that all three are now scheduled for early 2022.

[Lee1975]

I would buy a TVR Chimaera, they were the most popular TVR, and they weren’t that rare in the late 90’s (about 6,000 built).  I am a bit biased though, having a 1:1 scale one in the garage. 

[64F]

23 hours ago, Dunsignalling said:

But, within the 1:76.2 segment of the market, probably not so tiny.

 

The models I buy for my small collection of favourite cars will be 1:43 or larger, which can be much more detailed and are of sufficient size not to look lost in a display case. 

 

The small stuff doesn't really "work" on that level, so those are for model railway layout purposes only. The priority is how/whether they fit in to the scene I want to create, The commonplace, rather than vehicles that I admire/covet (or have owned, but which would be anachronistic) in full size need to predominate. I do however buy many more than I'll ever use together, allowing occasional changes of type/colour/position for variety. 

 

That's my take on it too - it would be interesting to hear a trade perspective but I question whether model car collectors are really all that significant a share of the market when looking specifically at 1/76 scale.  I know there is a collector following for 1/87 cars, at least for the finely detailed German plastic ones, but even the best diecast cars are pretty crude at such small scales and I'd assume that the vast majority of Oxford's 1/76 cars are sold to railway modelers or 1/76 bus/lorry collectors.  If you compare Oxford's 1/76 and 1/43 ranges there is a clear difference in emphasis, with the 1/43 stuff being far more exotic and clearly aimed more towards car collectors.

 

Of course many layouts involve an idealised version of reality and many collections overrepresent the exotic/interesting, which applies to scenic items like cars just as much as it does to rolling stock.  However I don't suppose Hornby expect many customers to buy multiples of the W1/Duke of Gloucester/Cock o' the North/Rocket so these are priced to recover tooling costs and turn a profit in the first sales run.  Oxford Diecast on the other hand certainly does want people to keep coming back for another car and they presumably expect the tooling to keep on earning for many years.  For that reason I can't help but think an Austin Maestro will always be a better investment than an Aston Martin when it comes to 1/76 castings.  At the larger scales obviously the reverse applies.

Edited August 10, 2021 by 64F

[Bishdurham]

16 hours ago, Lee1975 said:

I would buy a TVR Chimaera, they were the most popular TVR, and they weren’t that rare in the late 90’s (about 6,000 built).  I am a bit biased though, having a 1:1 scale one in the garage. 

Do you expect the model to break down as often as the 1:1 scale version ?  

[Lee1975]

2 hours ago, Bishdurham said:

Do you expect the model to break down as often as the 1:1 scale version ?  

Had mine 19 years,  done about 15k in that time.  Had a couple of electrical glitches but nothing that has left me stranded.  They just need a bit more looking after than other cars

[stewartingram]

 They just need a bit more looking after than other cars seem to get

 

There - I've filled in your invisible ink!

[Mike Harvey]

21 hours ago, 64F said:

That's my take on it too - it would be interesting to hear a trade perspective but I question whether model car collectors are really all that significant a share of the market when looking specifically at 1/76 scale.  I know there is a collector following for 1/87 cars, at least for the finely detailed German plastic ones, but even the best diecast cars are pretty crude at such small scales and I'd assume that the vast majority of Oxford's 1/76 cars are sold to railway modelers or 1/76 bus/lorry collectors.  If you compare Oxford's 1/76 and 1/43 ranges there is a clear difference in emphasis, with the 1/43 stuff being far more exotic and clearly aimed more towards car collectors.

 

A fairly good barometer of interest outside the model rail sector can be found on the Oxford Diecast Collectors Facebook group where 1/76 model vehicle collectors predominate only a few of whom are also admitted railway modellers. 

[PhilJ W]

Just received another bundle from Oxford. Quite a good selection including quite a few that I haven't got. Those that are duplicated will become code 3's or be passed on or sold.

[autocoach]

Oxford has a small 1/87 (HO) range of North American vehicles.  Their pre-1950 part of the range is quite good and essential for modeling the end of steam/transition era 1945-58. There are a few "show off" types of cars in the range but enough of the mundane vehicles to enhance model railroads.  I hope this part of range will not disappear in the merger.

 

They may be a little under scale if accurately measured.  Shrinkage? 

[ianmacc]

43 minutes ago, autocoach said:

Oxford has a small 1/87 (HO) range of North American vehicles.  Their pre-1950 part of the range is quite good and essential for modeling the end of steam/transition era 1945-58. There are a few "show off" types of cars in the range but enough of the mundane vehicles to enhance model railroads.  I hope this part of range will not disappear in the merger.

 

They may be a little under scale if accurately measured.  Shrinkage? 

Hi.  Sorry if I’m behind the curve in this but what is the merger?

[autocoach]

6 minutes ago, ianmacc said:

Hi.  Sorry if I’m behind the curve in this but what is the merger?

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/166187-Hornby-acquire-remaining-oxford-shares/