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Enthusiast Essentials: British sporting cars in miniature

26 November, 2015

Here’s some good news for all model-car enthusiasts: well-known collector David Wright — acclaimed author of A History of White Metal Transport Modelling and The History of Resin Transport Modelling — has just announced the availability of a companion book featuring a comprehensive A–Z catalogue of British sporting car models and their makers.

From the early pioneers of the pre-war era, through to the golden years of the 1950s and 1960s, the author traces the development of sporting cars in Britain through summaries of the achievements in the production of the real cars to the creation of miniatures as both toys and collectors’ models. 

He also tackles the thorny subject of defining what a sports car actually is and also shares his personal story of commitment to the British sports cars, covering his driving experiences of the genuine full-size cars and his ever-growing collection of mostly 1 :43-scale models.

Illustrated with more than 1000 colour pictures — many never seen before — from both his own collection, and those of a number of serious collectors around the world, the author brings more than
40 years of collecting experience to the task.

British Sporting Cars in Miniature  — a fully illustrated 300-page book — provides a truly absorbing read for anyone interested in collecting model cars, as well as those interested in information on the manufacturers who made the models and the cars those models were based upon.

David Wright’s new book, British Sporting Cars in Miniature: And A-Z of Model Cars with a Sporting Theme, is now available to purchase.

For more details, visit: transportmodellingbooks.co.uk.

Taipan – surpassing interest

“It’s merely a passing interest,” insists Selby — despite owning three variants of the classic VW Beetle, including an unusual VW van that was sold as a body kit for a Subaru. In his defence he points to a 1961 Ford Thunderbird, a car that he converted to right-hand drive. However, on the VW side of the ledger, since he opened Allison Autos in Whanganui 27 years ago, Selby has built 15 VW-powered Formula First cars, followed by a beach buggy, restored a derelict Karmann Ghia, and hot-rodded a common or garden Beetle into something that has to be seen to be believed. As speed is not something generally associated with classic VWs, though, Selby is still waiting for this particular modification to catch on amongst the hot rod faithful.

Travelling companion

It’s easy to see why the Morris Minor Traveller was one of the best-loved variants of the Morris Minor. Introduced in 1953, it was equipped with the same independent torsion bar front suspension, drum brakes, and rack and pinion steering as its saloon sibling but, with their foldable rear seat increasing versatility, many Travellers were used as trade vehicles, says Derek Goddard. Derek and Gail Goddard, the owners of this superbly restored example, have run Morris Minors since before they were married in 1974.
“Our honeymoon vehicle was a blue Morris Minor van — it was a rust bucket,” says Derek.