1931 Cord L-29 Cabriolet by Franklin Mint

  Franklin Mint PW44 - 1931 Cord L-29 Cabriolet in Snow White

The 1931 Cord L-29 Cabriolet is an iconic automobile that exemplifies the elegance and innovation of early American luxury cars. Manufactured by the Cord Corporation, a subsidiary of the Auburn Automobile Company, the L-29 was introduced in 1929 and produced until 1932. It holds a special place in automotive history for several reasons. One of the most distinctive features of the L-29 is its front-wheel-drive layout, which allowed for a lower and more aerodynamic body design. This was a rarity among American cars of the period, which predominantly used rear-wheel-drive configurations. The Cabriolet version, with its convertible top, added an extra layer of luxury and appeal. 

Despite the economic challenges of its time, the L-29 Cabriolet remains a beloved classic, celebrated for its contributions to the evolution of automotive design and technology.

The Franklin Mint 1:43  model of the 1931 Cord L-29 exemplifies the attention to detail, this includes the Cord L-29's sleek, low-slung body, the distinctive grille, and the elegantly curved fenders. The model features a highly detailed exterior with an accurate representation of the car's body lines and chrome accents. The paintwork is finished to a high standard - the execution of the red pinstripes on the perfectly glossy white paintwork is exquisite.

The model has functional opening doors, a detailed engine and chassis, and most importantly, a rumble seat in the back.

And I forgot to mention the perfect execution of the trunk on the rear rack, with numerous chrome details.

The Franklin Mint 1:43 scale model of the 1931 Cord L-29 is highly sought after by collectors due to its quality and the historical significance of the car it represents.  It is a piece that stands out in any collection of diecast models.

1931 Cord L-29 Cabriolet by Franklin Mint  

Manufacturer:	Franklin Mint
Scale:	1/43
Production Year:	1985
Part Number	PW44
Color:	Snow White
Material:	DieCast
Rating:	9/10

1931 Hudson Greater 8 by Brooklin Models

 BRK 12 - 1931 Hudson Greater 8 Convertible - Orange / Ivory

 

BRK 12 - 1931 HudsonGreater 8 Convertible - Orange/Ivory

The Hudson Greater Eight is a luxury car that was produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan during 1931 and 1932 with many body styles.

This model 1931 Hudson Greater 8 was produced in 1981, early in Brooklin’s history, with Murray-designed "boat-tail" body done in a beautiful combination of orange with ivory fenders, blacked-out grille and foot treads in black on the running boards. The windshield frame is plated, as are the covers for the fender spares. Other details include louvers just below the radiator, rivets on the hood, markings for a jump seat in the rear and a step on the right-rear fender. This first edition has a silver detailed dashboard. This model is a beautiful representation of the "Hollywood speedsters" of the 1930's, driven by Rudolph Valentino and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. The model was deleted in April 1993. 

1931 Hudson Greater 8 Convertible By Brooklin Models 

Manufacturer:	Brooklin
Scale:	1/43
Production Year:	1981- 1993
Part Number	BRK 12
Color:	Orange/Ivory
Material:	White Metal
Rating:	8/10

1937 Lincoln Le Baron Convertible Sedan by Brooklin Models

 BRK 172 - 1937  Lincoln Le Baron Convertible Sedan -Dark Blue / Tan

BRK 172 - 1937  Lincoln Le Baron Convertible Sedan - Dark Blue / Tan livery

Lincoln, the luxury flagship of the Ford Motor Company, produced just 977 automobiles in its regal Model K line as it emerged from the Great Depression, across an amazing 21 body styles. The low production total ensures that some individual designs can be exceptionally rare, and this is one of them. According to most informed estimates, Lincoln assembled just 12 examples of the Model K in 1937 fitted with body style 363-A, the LeBaron four-door, five-passenger Convertible Sedan.

In 1937, the man who owned this Lincoln Le Baron Convertible Sedan was at the top of his game! 

This model Brooklin Model - Save the rubber tires, the windows, and the plastic interior and top, the whole shebang is done in painted, polished, or otherwise prettied-up white metal. That includes the wee door and trunk handles, the wheels, the radiator grille, both bumpers, and even the greyhound that rises off the top of the radiator shell.

This deep blue model is a charmer. I love the quality of these things; the paint (a new, water-borne process only recently put into use at Brooklin’s Bath, England factory) is nearly flawless, and it’s accented by the tightly-placed, tidily installed trim all over the car. Wide whitewalls fill the wheel arches perfectly, and the Lincoln that sits on the tabletop in scale is just as snazzy and elegant as the real thing.

A lack of side windows allows a peek into the cabin, and it’s got good representative detail on the dash and seats; there’s a proper steering wheel and a floor shifter, but don’t look for readable gauges or the like.

Is the lack of interior detail a deal breaker? Nope, and here’s why: These cars aren’t about gee-whiz detailing and get-the-magnifier working features. They’re about a fan base centered around a well-loved, distinctive line, hand-built by a tightly organized, passionately focused crew who know their collectors, and know them well. But I surely do know what I like, and I’m liking this little Lincoln a lot.

1937 Lincoln Le Baron Convertible Sedan By Brooklin 

Manufacturer:	Brooklin
Scale:	1/43
Production Year:	2011- 2015
Part Number	BRK 172
Color:	Dark Blue/Tan
Material:	White Metal
Rating:	10/10

1938 Packard 1601 Eight Graber Cabriolet by GLM

1938 Packard 1601 Eight Graber Cabriolet

This is a uniquie one-off Packard. First shown at the Geneva Auto Salon in 1938, this is one of just two or three Packards that were bodied by Graber along with three Duesenbergs.Swiss coachbuilder Graber bodied this American Packard 120 chassis. The car was originally sold and titled in Switzerland.

 

This 1938 Packard, a 127-inch wheelbase “junior” Eight, is among the latter. It was bodied by Graber for the 1938 Geneva Auto Salon, and its body virtually duplicates, albeit to a smaller scale, one built for a Model J Duesenberg, number J-246. The body was ahead of its time, as the lines include sweeping French-inspired pontoon fenders with fully skirted rear wheels and a single tailfin dropping down the rear deck lid. The hood is covered in dozens of small louvers, and beautiful hints of chrome trim appear everywhere.

For many years this car was lost but turned up about twenty years ago in a cinder block garage in Switzerland. Unrestored, it was taken to the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in the Pre-War Preservation Class. The paint was tired but all else was intact. I restoration followed with the car returning to Pebble Beach in 2011 to win Best in Class. This was followed in 2012 where it scored 100 points at the CCCA Annual Meeting.

Wonderful GLM model is highly detailed in top quality. Black painting with chrome trim is stunning. A great model, though not a "diecast" metal one.

Manufacturer:	GLM
Scale:	1/43
Production Year:	2019
Part Number	---
Color:	Black
Material:	Resin
Rating:	10/10

1938 Phantom Corsair by Brooklin Models

 1938 Phantom Corsair by Brooklin Models

The Phantom Corsair is a prototype automobile built in 1938. It is a six-passenger 2-door sedan that was designed by Rust Heinz of the H. J. Heinz family and Maurice Schwartz of the Bohman & Schwartz coachbuilding company in Pasadena, California. Although sometimes dismissed as a failure because it never entered production, the Corsair is regarded as ahead of its time because of its futuristic features, and styling cues such as faired-in fenders and a low profile.

The Phantom Corsair's steel-and-aluminum body measured just 57 in (140 cm) in height. Rust Heinz planned to put the Phantom Corsair, which cost approximately $24,000 to produce in 1938[7] (equivalent to about $370,000 now).

The Phantom Corsair now resides in The Harrah Collection in Reno, Nevada. 

This Brooklin Model is one of the very easy to get models.

Manufacturer:	Brooklin Models
Scale:	1/43
Year of Production:	1974
Part Number:	33
Material:	White Metal
Rating:	7/10

1937 Dodge Airflow Tanker Texaco Truck by Matchbox

1937 Dodge Airflow Tanker Texaco Truck by Matchbox Collectibles

The Dodge Airflow truck was a special request model truck that Dodge introduced in late 1934 and available through 1940. It used styling cues from Chrysler and DeSoto Airflow automobiles. Most of the units produced, a few hundred, were fitted with streamlined tank truck bodies, and were used by major oil companies, like Texaco, Socony-Vacuum Oil Company (Mobil) and Esso (Standard Oil of New Jersey).

Airflow trucks were based on standard Dodge models, so from an engineering point of view they were rather conventional, despite their striking look. They had waterfall grilles similar to Airflow cars. Several pieces still exist, mostly restored in automobile museums.
In 1990's, Matchbox honored THE PIONEERS OF PROGRESS TRUCKS COLLECTION in their Models of Yesteryear by presenting 6 die cast replicas. One of them is this model in bright red color with high quality paint finish and print graphic.

Manufacturer:	Matchbox
Scale:	1/43
Year of Production:	1990
Part Number:	YYM36834
Material:	DieCast
Rating:	8/10