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.:MartinBond's curiosities:. Update 02/28/24 Forgotten Ferrari P3

9K views 49 replies 18 participants last post by  Craig 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello.

I'm afraid I took a longer break than planned after my initial introduction, but life gets in the way as the saying goes.

Moving on: I've recently made a change to my self-imposed restrictions on collecting. I used to buy anything I liked, then decided on 007 and Aston Martin only, then added a few of Steve McQueen's cars. For the sale of variety I've allowed myself to buy 10 cars which are on my self made list of 50 most beautiful cars ever.

So, with that out of the way, below a list of my current collection, with the latest additions added in Bold.

Last update: February 25 2024.

1/18
1931 Mercedes-Benz 770K Cabriolet F "Kaiser Wilhelm II"

1934 Aston Martin Mark 2 drophead
1934 Aston Martin LM17 "Ulster"
1939 Delage D8-120 Cabriolet Chapron (review)
1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport Berlinetta Touring

1949 Packard Eight Club Sedan (sold)
1949 Cadillac Series 64 Club coupe "Sedanette" (review) (sold)

1950 Aston Martin DB2 Fixed-head Coupe
1950 Aston Martin DB2 Drophead
1953 Aston Martin DB3 Spyder
1953 Mercedes-Benz 300B "Adenauer"
1956 Citroën 15-6H Landaulet Chapron "de Gaulle"
1956 Jaguar XK SS
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible
1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 Convertible
1958 Edsel Citation Convertible
1958 Edsel Citation two-door hardtop
1959 Aston Martin DBR1 Le Mans 1959 (review)

1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato
1960 Chrysler Dual Ghia L6.4
1960 Edsel Ranger 2-door hardtop
1961 Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider
1961 Aston Martin DB4 Series V saloon
1961 Jaguar E-type series 1 coupé
1961 Lincoln Continental SS-100-X Presidential Limousine
1963 Aston Martin DB5
1963 Studebaker Avanti
1964 Aston Martin DB5 Drophead Coupé
1964 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullmann Landaulet
1965 Aston Martin DB5 Shooting Brake by Harold Ratford
1965 Aston Martin DB6 Saloon
1965 Lamborghini 400GT 2+2
1965 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullmann Landaulet Queen Elizabeth II
1965 Piaggio Vespa 125
1966 Fiat 124 Sport Spider 1600
1967 Fiat Dino 2000 Coupé
1967 Jensen Interceptor Series I
1967 Toyota 2000GT Spider
1967 Volvo P1800 S ST1
1968 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE
1968 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow HJ Mulliner Park Ward 2 door coupé (sold)
1968 Aston Martin DBS Vantage
1969 Dino Ferrari 246 GT

1970 Aston Martin DBS V8
1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1
1972 Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 (review)
1974 Jaguar XJ-S
1974 Aston Martin V8 Lagonda
1974 Rover 3500 V8 P6
1977 Lotus Esprit S1
1977 Lotus Esprit Submarine
1978 Aston Martin V8 Volante

1981 Citroën 2CV6 Club
1981 Lotus Esprit Turbo
1981 Lotus Esprit Turbo
1983 Alfa Romeo GTV 6 2.5
1984 Chevrolet Corvette C4
1985 Citroën CX 25 Prestige Turbo (sold)
1985 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupé (review)
1986 Aston Martin V8 Zagato coupé
1987 Aston Martin V8 Zagato Volante
1988 Aston Martin Virage coupé

1990 Mazda Miata MX-5
1993 Aston Martin Vantage V550 (review)
1993 Aston Martin DB7 i6
1995 BMW Z3 1.9 Roadster
1997 BMW 750 iL (review)
1995 Honda CR-X Del Sol VTI
1997 BMW R1200C motorcycle
1998 Volvo C70 coupé (sold)
1999 BMW Z8 (review)
1999 Aston Martin DB7 Vantage
1999 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Le Mans

2002 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
2002 Ford Thunderbird
2002 Jaguar XKR roadster
2003 Porsche Cayenne Turbo
2005 Aston Martin DB9 Volante
2005 Aston Martin V8 Vantage coupe
2006 Aston Martin DBS Concept
2008 Aston Martin DBR9 #009
2008 Aston Martin DBS V12
2009 Aston Martin Lola BT09-60 #007
2009 Aston Martin One-77
2009 BMW 750 Li
2009 Honda civic Type-R FN2

2010 Aston Martin Rapide
2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage
2010 Bentley Continental Flying Star by Touring
2013 Aston Martin DB9
2013 Aston Martin Vanquish
2013 Carrozeria Touring Alfa Romeo Disco Volante
2015 Aston Martin DB10 concept
2015 Aston Martin Vulcan
2015 Carrozzeria Touring Berlinetta Lusso
2015 Jaguar C-X75
2017 Aston Martin Vantage GTE #97
2018 Alpine A110 Legende GT
2018 Aston Martin DB11 V12
2018 Auris Senat Kortezh "Putin"
2019 Aston Martin Vantage

2020 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
2020 Aston Martin Vantage AMR #97
2020 Carrozzeria Touring Aero3
2021 Aston Martin DBX
2021 Aston Martin AMR21 #5 Azerbaijan
2021 Aston Martin V12 Speedster
2021 Aston Martin Victor
2021 Carrozzeria Touring Arese RH95


1/8
1964 Aston Martin DB5

I'm not one to focus on 1 diecast manufacturer so there's a wild variation in quality, as future pictures - also of wildly varying quality- will show.

MartinBond, out.
 
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#31 ·
Was looking forward to a review of the Vantage ever since it was put up on preorder on a local online store. I almost got the 1/43 Virage a few years ago. These 1990s Astons like the Virage and Vantage have so much character. I find all newer Aston Martins, namely after the DB7, similar to one another. I cannot even make out one from the other. After seeing the pics and write up, I wasted no time and put in a deposit for my model. Cannot wait till it gets here.
 
#34 ·
Thank you very much for the kind words gents! The discussing and "show and tell" part to me can truly make the hobby worth the sometimes ludicrous prices, time and effort.


Lovely to hear that my drivel actually was of some use to someone, I'm sure you'll be happy with your example!

Now, a new month means a new post, coming véry soon.

MartinBond, out.
 
#35 · (Edited)
Turns out I better not work with self-imposed deadlines anymore to save everyone (meaning me) from disappointment. The usual rat race that is life foiled my plans once more. But I finally found some time to hold and photograph some models, so there’ll hopefully be more regular updates here from now on.


And now, this:

As part of a three-picture-deal made between BMW AG and EON Productions, Secret Agent James Bond was driving German in the 90’s. Starting with the rather underwhelming 1.9 litre Z3 roadster in GoldenEye and followed up by the love-it-or-hate-it tricked out E38 750 iL limousine (Personally I’m a huge fan) for Tomorrow Never Dies, the third car was arguably the most “Bondian” of the bunch. A rear wheel drive, 2 seater V8 roadster meant to honour the beautiful 507 roadster from the 50’s: I am of course talking about the BMW Z8.



Supplied to the film crew as a pre-production car, the bodies were replicated and fully loaded with gadgets for 007 including titanium armour, surface-to-air missiles, machine guns, smoke screen, remote control, a multitasking head-up display and six beverage cup holders. Sadly, we only get to see the glorious Z8 in action for a short while as it gets cut up by some villains in a chainsaw-wielding helicopter.

After the movie, the car was heavily promoted in the merchandise surrounding the film, including games and miniature toys. The model featured here was made by AutoArt as the final entry in their AutoArt Bond Collection and included working missiles hidden behind the side vents. I bought this one from fellow community member Maarten Mercedes last year, which concluded my search for the last missing official Bond release in my collection.


1999 BMW Z8 Roadster “ The World Is Not Enough” Edition – AutoArt.

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Car Personal luxury car Automotive design Performance car Mid-size car


I already had the Kyosho Dealer edition Z8 for a number of years, but as the AutoArt has gadgets and is the only model with properly designed wheels, I was super grateful that Maarten Mercedes reluctantly agreed to sell me his Z8 to complete my Bond set.

MartinBond, out.
 
#36 ·
Hello all, and a happy 2023!
As is becoming tradition at this point, I once again didn't meet my planned upload schedule by a long shot. Oh well, life is unpredictable like that.
Just like the previous 2 years, a little rundown of what happened in the past twelve months:

2022:
CARS BOUGHT
27(+ 2 gifts)
CARS SOLD
10
CARS ADDED TO PERSONAL COLLECTION
24
CARS BOUGHT FROM 2022 WISHLIST
AutoArt - Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
GT Spirit - Aston Martin Vantage V550
Norev - Mazda Miata MX-5

2023:
CARS ON WISHLIST
Cult Scale - Aston Martin Lagonda
GT Spirit - Aston Martin Victor
Best Of Show - Edsel Ranger hardtop
MCG/KK Scale - Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman
Norev - Volvo 1800S


I thought 2022 to be a quiet year as I had most of the cars I wanted in my collection, and the ones I still missed were deemed out of reach because of their price or rarity. How wrong I was! I added no less than 6 models which I didn't think to ever be able to add anymore for a decent price, so I'm very, very pleased with that. One thing I dĂ­d do the past year, is spending more time enjoying my collection as-is, by starting an Instagram account showcasing a model every once in a while: TurnTableModels. I'm going to try to fuse the uploads I do there with this topic, in order to get some more enjoyment of interacting with my fellow collectors.

Some of my adds this year:
Wheel Tire Automotive parking light Vehicle Car

1960 Chrysler Dual Ghia L6.4

Wheel Tire Car Vehicle Automotive lighting

2015 Jaguar C-X75 "Spectre" edition

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Car Tire

1990 Mazda Miata MX-5

Wheel Tire Vehicle Car Sky

1997 BMW 750iL "Tomorrow Never Dies" edition

With all that said and done, let's see how many picture reviews I can get in here this year!
Thanks for reading, and happy collecting!
 
#38 · (Edited)
So do I, Turtle. In fact, why not start the year with it?

2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the pilot production start of BMW’s most celebrated executive saloon: the E38 7-series. As a successor to the popular E32 model, the E38 had some very advanced features on board. It was the first car available with curtain airbags, the first European car to offer satellite navigation and the first to offer an in-built television. For one particular customer however, the options list was somewhat “modified”. What about hellfire missiles hidden in the sunroof, re-inflatable tires, and a security system including break-resistant glass and electroshock door handles? For 1997’s “Tomorrow Never Dies”, the 18th James Bond film and Pierce Brosnan’s second turn as 007, BMW’s engineers went above and beyond, creating a V12 powerhouse that could defend itself and it’s occupants from all sorts of danger and, best of all, be driven remotely using an Ericsson mobile phone! The action sequence in the film is widely regarded to be one of the most creative and best of the franchise, no doubt thanks to the E38’s striking appearance.



Powered by BMW's famed M73 V12 engine, the 750iL was the "top dog" of the German brand's luxury sedan. Sharing it's powerplant with the BMW 8-series and the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph, the M73 was designed to run as quietly and comfortable as possible while still delivering peak performance. With 322 horsepower and a limited top speed of 250 kmh/155 mph, you can say they more than managed. With 007's car being fitted with the Styling 37 "M parallel" wheels for an extra sporty look, the increased popularity resulted in the creation of the "ZSP" sport package. For a premium, your car would be fitted with M sport suspension, the before mentioned M design wheels, contour seats and "shadowline" gloss black window trim. Combined with the optional shorter differential ratio, the limousine could propel itself from 0-60mph/96 kmh in just 5.9 seconds! This model was released just in time for the film’s 25th anniversary in 2022 and features movie-accurate Aspen Silber paint, wheels and US-sized licence plates.

BMW 750iL "Tomorrow Never Dies" edition - Otto mobile, 1/18



Car Grille Vehicle Hood Automotive lighting


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This paticular car has been on my wishlist ever since I saw the film in the early 2000s, with my "placeholder" all these years being the 1/24 Minichamps Dealer Edition model. I've spent years requesting Otto to re-release this, written it down in comment sections and suggestion topics and mails countless times, so I was absolutely over the moon when they announced it out of nowhere for an october release. The paintwork and detailing are classic Otto, which means I still can't get my head around how they can make such great looking miniatures for such a low price. The only thing missing for now is a little Pierce Brosnan hunched in the back seat holding his phone, but who knows, maybe someday I'll feel creative...



MartinBond Will Return.
 
#39 ·
The Z8 and 7er are both great (y) The Z8 especially has always been one of my favorite Bimmers, my red Autoart got destroyed so I'd love The World Is Not Enough one now.
I saw on another thread you have the Solido DB5? I'd be very interested in any pictures or thoughts you have of it, I'm getting tired of looking at my misshapen Autoart.
 
#40 ·
@Mike K I don't ~have~ it As such, a good friend of mine bought one and I've added one for a friend in one of my multi-car orders from another country to split cost. I've looked at buying one for myself many times, because apart from the slightly odd wire wheels I think it's the best DB5 shape currently available. It is of course no match for a fully equipped Gadget DB5, but I find myself barely using the ones on my model, and for about 1/8th of the price of a new AutoArt I think Solido did a tremendous job. I'll try to remember to make some comparison pictures when I next have my AutoArt out of it's box.
 
#41 ·
Hello again, part of my tradition of not uploading here despite trying my best, I notice it takes a lot more free time than expected. However, let's not dwell on that too much.
My next upload is a model I've had for a number of years, first bought on the cheap but sadly lost when my display cabinet came crashing down.



Car Vehicle Automotive parking light Tire Motor vehicle


Delage, also known as SAFAD (Société Anonyme Française des Automobiles Delage) was a French car company famed for it’s luxurious grand tourers and successful race cars founded by Louis Delâge in 1905. Starting with a first venture in the smaller car segment, after the first World War Delage turned its attention towards larger, more luxurious automobiles. In the 1930s, Delage introduced their top-of-the-line D8 series, with a new four litre straight-eight engine designed by Maurice Gaultier. These highly exclusive cars would usually be delivered with custom bodywork, designed by a coachbuilder selected by the customer. This particular car was designed and manufactured by Henri Chapron, being delivered to its first owner on June 21, 1939. After World War II, the car found its way to the United States, where it was purchased by RKO Studios. It was subsequently featured in a number of feature films, most notably “An American In Paris” in 1951, starring Gene Kelly and Nina Foch. The producers of the movie commissioned a number of changes to the car including different rear lights and a two-tone green paint job, which were overseen by Chapron himself. After the movie, it was acquired by a member of the RKO Studios production team, before being purchased through an auction by Peter Mullin in 1987. The car was subsequently completely restored to its original condition and colour specification, and has been a frequent showpiece at events such as Pebble Beach and other Concours d’Elegance. In 2021, it won the People’s Choice award at the Montecito Motor Classic in California.

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This 1/18 model of the 1937 Delage D8-120 Cabriolet Chapron is made by @minichampsofficial in the special Mullin Museum collection. In my humble opinion, this is one of those examples of why I love collecting models. The paintwork is flawless, the details like replicated door hinges, the double licence plate and the big chromed exhaust pipes make me stop by my display and just take it in for a second each time I pass. They're very limited and veryhard to come by these days, especially this example in the real-life double red combination.

MartinBond will return
 
#45 · (Edited)
Thanks for your kind words gentlemen!

Finding myself with some free time, A new post! And a recent addition at that.



Tire Wheel Automotive parking light Automotive side marker light Vehicle

Although many people think of high-performance, red sportscars when they hear the name “Ferrari”, the brand also has a more traditional side. Since the 250 GTE, Ferrari had been producing elegant four-seater Gran Turismo’s for affluent people who may have otherwise ordered a two-door Bentley or Mercedes-Benz. In 1972, as a follow-up to the cramped and unpopular GTC/4, Ferrari offered another classic three-box design with the 365 GT4 2+2. Based on an extended GTC platform, the new car was powered by the 4.4-litre V12 producing a healthy 320 horsepower, a further evolution of Colombo's famous engine design. Inside, the car further emphasized comfort over pure performance, with a cockpit featuring full leather upholstery, air-conditioning, electric windows and a leather-rimmed steering wheel. As Ferrari’s official coachbuilder, Turin-based firm Pininfarina was commissioned for the exterior design. Instead of following the wedge-shape design craze of the 70’s, the 365 GT4 was an elegant and well-proportioned design. With a few minor adjustments, the car stayed in production until 1989 enjoying the same longevity as other 70’s icons such as the Lamborghini Countach and Aston Martin V8.

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This 1/18 model of a 1972 Ferrari 365 GT/4 in Nero with a Crema interior was made by KK Scale. With an MSRP of €80,-/$87,- I think it's a good looking piece, but I got it in a massive sale for slighly more than half that and I love it. It's a car that was on my shortlist for many years, initially looking at the green over black spec because our late Prince Bernhard had a green 400i. However, the colour turned out to be incorrect, and this black over tan is so wonderfully understated yet interresting I think it makes for a very period correct look. Paint finish is fine, details are acceptable and the ovall shape is really good. It's not a car that really fits within the themes of my collectio, but for the price I'm glad I bit the bullet.

MartinBond will return.
 

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