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One of the classic British car icons, and world-wide known as the James Bond car - a very nice model from Danbury Mint in original Dubonnet red, a deep metallic red. Highly detailed, even for today's standards (it is from the 80/90's ?). Everything opens, even the very delicate looking fuel caps in the c-pillars, though I admit I haven't tried to open them for I don't want to break them. There is also a sunken radio antenna, some photoetched emblems, and the seats are covered with what looks like real leather - the weakest point is the heavy looking wire wheels, but anyway - a heavy and valuable model. I'm not sure if this has been posted long ago, but anyway - enjoy the pictures:

A few years ago I won a DM 250 TR for small money on ebay: it was in rather good condition with a few issues: stance too high,missing windshield and spare wheel, hood latch broken/missing, dull paint, rather dirty. After thoroughly cleaning the model, I replaced the missing windshield with evergreen clear sheet, made a so-so hood lock and thought what to do with this one (I have 2 Hasegawa kits in my stash)... As the factory sold the pontoon-fendered to privateers and used the full-bodied version after the Sebring event , it was a natural to build the #16 Sebring car of Olivier Gendebien/Luigi Musso who become 2nd after a collision with a backmarker while in the lead - they lost some time in the pits and ended a full lap behind the winning sister car of Phil Hill/Peter Collins (#14). As the winning car was RHD and the runner-up LHD as is the model, it was a logical choice: I fabricated a side window as can be seen in Internet photos, toned down the gleaming wheels with a black wash, Englebert tire decals came from Patto, the race numbers were found in my spares - not exact, but close. I should have opened the fuel cap in the headrest also, but will do this with the plastic kits. First the original pictures (from Pinterest/Internet): Luigi Musso drags it out with Peter Collins (b/w), Musso accelerating (col.) Now the - slightly modified - DM model :

I had several kits and projects going a few months ago, then took a leave of absence to remodel my house. I never liked the yellow wheels or the graphics on this model, so my first mods were to change that. I removed all of the graphics and painted the wheels black. I'll make new water slide decals for the finished wrecker. I saw another wrecker on eBay pretty cheap, and a 1:24 resin dump body and thought it would be cool to make a 1953 dump truck. Last night I got the first wrecker disassembled, and that was no easy task! Getting this all put back together will be a challenge to say the least.

These are just a few of my favorite Danbury Mint models

Danbury has really gifted us with some real Beauties over the years. When they slowed production to a halt, their limited editions were selling for $150. Their latest,(and last) model, the beautiful 1935 Ford Coupe, is listed for $250.00. I have about 100 or so of them, so if I factor in the extra $100 I spent on this model, that is like adding a single dollar to every other one I bought. Not bad in my book, considering some of the models in my collection are worth at least twice what I paid Danbury Mint for them, and some even more. My Bullitt Charger, for example, one has sold on eBay for $1200.00 (not my personal model) I had more, but sold off the low-tech stuff (and made a tidy profit doing so), and now only have the models that came from (what I like to call) the Golden Age of diecasting, when models were rid of the dog-leg doors, and went to hinges, photo-etching was a must, and they just got awesome. Models like both the wonderful '54 Cadillacs (hardtop/'vert), the '59 Pontiac, both the '58 Pontiacs(hardtop/'vert), the '57 Cadillacs(hardtop/'vert), all the woody wagons. The '58 Chryslers. The two '55 Chevy's(hardtop/'vert), the second Gen and '64, '65 Thunderbirds, the beautiful '47, 48 Buicks, and lest we forget the striking '56 Lincoln Premier's (hardtop/'vert), or how about the two Packard Caribbean's (hardtop/'vert), or have we forgotten so fast of the two outstanding '56 Buick's that Danbury gifted us? How about the '49 Olds Rocket coupe, or the '48 Chevy Fleetline? And those are just some of the jewels from the '50's. I would be a fool if I forgot to mention the classic '36 Packard that belongs in every diecast collection, or the first Ford fitted with a V8......the 1932 Ford Coupe B., and life wouldn't be so merry if I didn't have my '37 Stude Dictator coupe, and the new '35 Ford fits right in with these stunning vertical grill cars. I hope I haven't bored anybody yet, because I have yet to mention the Hotrods, like the Little Deuce Coupe, The Ala-Kart, The McMullen Roadster, or the Norm Grabowski's Kookie Kar. I also have all of the under-appreciated pro-street cars. I also have every Danbury Mint C-3 Corvette, including the Pro-Touring and Owens Corning racer, 13 in total. And don't let me get started with the muscle-cars, let's just say I have all the good ones. Did Danbury ever make a bad one? I own all the models listed above, and then some. I am just trying to make a point here, and that to me, the extra $100 that I spent on the very last Danbury Mint model was well justified. It will be destined to be a highly collectable model, and I just couldn't live with myself if I didn't jump on it. I have made that mistake in the past, and ended up paying dearly for it.