Vanguards 1/43 Ford Fiesta 1.1L

This for me is a very significant model release. Yes, there have been others such as the Minichamps version, but these were in LHD. Needless to say the quality and accuracy of the Minichamps model is 100% and is shown in the casting below:



I first learned to drive in a Mk1 Fiesta - it was nimble, quick (to a degree) - and got me from the nightclub at 01h00 to home.....well, you never knew if you were going to pull, so sacrificing getting wasted in the hope of pulling some bird was worth doing.....never happened). Venetian Red was the colour of my parents Fiesta - PLU 911W was the reg. And now Vanguards (or more to the point Hornby) have released their version of the car.



As ever I do have some niggles - I do expect the the wheels to reflect that as per the Minichamps edition. Again this narrowly misses the mark - satisfactory, not excellent. The car modelled here is meant to be a 1.1L, but I actually think that this is more of a GL version than an L version - normally the L version does not have overriders on the bumpers, and the petrol cap is the same colour as the body of the car - I don't have pictures of the car I used to drive, but this version shows some discrepancies.



I am not sure how Corgi/Hornby ensures accuracy, but it is a little worrying that such errors are making castings like this look a little dodgy.

In saying that it is a 1981 car, a W-reg, and tugs on the heart strings. Now firmly display within the garage.

Vanguards 1/43 Ford Escort MkII

Now this is more like it. I have been critical of Hornby for some time now with the poor attention to detail to certain Vanguard models. The MGB is a prime example how they it it very wrong, yet with the 309GTi casting they got this spot on.

I am quite pleased with this particular casting. The badging of the car is correct and how I remember the MkII Escort. The body is well cast and the 'piece de resistance' is how Hornby have got the wheel casting right.

I was very hesitant when I looked at the pre-pro - it looked bloody awful and I really thought Hornby had f**ked it right up. I have to remember that pre-pro's are not normally how the model will turn out, but it is swings and roundabouts. The MGB and MkIV Cortina castings looked superb in pre pro, but in reality they were a total let down.

This casting bodes very well for he MkII RS Mexico version due for release this year.

It is pleasing to see Corgi/Hornby take the trouble for this one. I don't want them to rest on their laurels and will expect pretty much the same for future castings.