MUCH ADO ABOUT TOYS

David Jefferis reports
To the average tourist, the half-timbered town of Stratford-upon-Avon is famed for just one thing - it’s the home of the Immortal Bard, William  Shakespeare.

But for the model and toy fan, Stratford is a magnet for another reason - it’s the base for the splendid model emporium Much Ado About Toys (MAAT). Housed opposite a delightfully beflowered traffic island, MAAT is a treasure trove of miniature delights that range from plastic kits to tinplate collectibles.

So far as tinplate is concerned, Schylling’s products are well represented here. They are modern takes on nostalgic and retro themes, and very affordable too - for example, the palm-sized ‘King Jet’ is a bargain £8.99 GBP ($13.80 USD), and comes in several marking alternatives, including a splendid ‘Pulse Car’ which is just the sort of thing I’d like parked in my garage!

Somewhat pricier are the CIC diecasts from France. However, their attractive retro lines make them a fascinating addition to a collection, with offerings that range from Renault Camionettes, to a one-off Watermans Ink mobile promotion vehicle that was used in the 1950s.

There’s a wealth of plastic kittery in MAAT too - the Revell 1:48 SH-60B Seahawk had cover art that caught my eye, and it assembles into a nice model too. Most of the bigger kit-makers are on the shelves, though don’t expect to find much in the way of rare imports or garage-manufacturer items, or my own special-interest, sci-fi and fantasy collectibles, especially those from Japan.

Still, no one store can stock the lot, and Much Ado About Toys is well worth a visit if you’re in Stratford, as there’s plenty on the shelves to whet your appetit. And if Stratford’s not on your go-to list this year, then you can visit MAAT’s website here.

Revell kits are also available here and Schylling tinplate items here.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1  MAAT’s street front, beyond the municipal flower display.
2  Tinplate from Schylling.
3  Store display, topped by a beautiful 1930s-era speed racer plane.
4  CIC Renault Camionette diecasts.
5  Revell 1:48 scale SH-60B helicopter kit.

HENRY SEAGRAVE DRIVES THE SUNBEAM 1000HP TO BREAK THE LAND SPEED RECORD AT DAYTONA BEACH

David Jefferis reports

Date: March 29, 1927. Place: Daytona Beach, Florida. Car: the Sunbeam 1000HP Mystery, nicknamed the Slug. Driver: British Land Speed Record (LSR) breaker, Sir Henry Seagrave.

On this day 87 years ago, Seagrave comfortably smashed the 200 mph (320 km/h) barrier in the bright red Slug, running on special tyres designed to hold together at that speed for no more than 3.5 minutes, a pair of linked Sunbeam Matabele engines bellowing as the car flashed along the beach, next to the Atlantic Ocean.

Exciting, and dangerous, stuff, as all LSR attempts are - yet in the model world, it’s a complete mystery to SMN why the mainstream model manufacturers have all but ignored these unique and attractive machines. It’s certainly a shame, as a set of 1:72 or 1:43 LSR kits really ought to sell well. 

But at least the diecast companies haven’t let things slide, and we are particularly impressed by the LSR and other exotica produced by Bizarre Models, a sister company of well-known racing-car maker Spark Models. The Bizarre Sunbeam is to 1:43 scale and would make an excellent addition to an LSR collection. 

The US toy company Schylling have also produced a handsome wind-up tinplate collectible Sunbeam 1000HP. At present it’s not in the online catalog, but there are still some available at stockists.  

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1  Sunbeam 1000HP at the National Motor Museum, UK. Picture by David Hunt.
2  A postcard of the time, taken at Daytona Beach.
3  Bizarre 1:43 model.
4  Schylling tinplate collectible.

Touchwood Models stock Bizarre cars in the UK here.

Buy Schylling’s tinplate Sunbeam 1000HP here.

Talking of LSR cars, there's also a tinplate Schylling Blue Bird Race Car available, and very attractive it is too.