IPMS/USA Reviews

Background

Another of ICM's beautiful 1/24 car kits, this one a 1911 Model T Touring Car. The Touring Car body had two rear seat doors in addition to the front seat doors, two bench seats, and a foldable canvas top. This release also includes two figures, a man and a woman, in period attire. ICM's kit is an easy build with nice fitting parts and without a lot of small parts.

ICM's Kit

The kit comes in a 9 x 12 x 2 1/2 light cardboard box with slipcover. The box art depicts the vehicle in a dark green color with brass accessories, the male figure driving, and the woman in the backseat. The canvas top is shown in a medium gray color.

The kit comes on five sprues crisply molded in a light gray color, one clear plastic sprue, and four white vinyl tires. The detail on the parts is simple, but very good, with no apparent flash and very minor mold seems.

In 1905, Renault produced a relatively inexpensive two-cylinder vehicle which in the next few years was so popular that it became the primary taxi vehicle in both France and England. The French taxis, of course, would go on to achieve historical prominence during World War One transporting French troops rapidly to the front lines in what would become known as the "Miracle of the Marne."

ICM's Type AG 1910 London Taxi is a variant of this same vehicle, with modifications that would be typical for a British market. It shares most of the same molds as ICM's earlier French Taxi but includes a separate sprue for the alterations, for a total of 6 sprues plus vinyl tires. Like the French version, this kit features a very nice representation of the miniscule two-cylinder engine as well as nicely detailed chassis and landaulet body.

IPMS/USA appreciates the continued support of Atlantis Models for supporting the IPMS USA reviewer corps with another step back in time for us old guys!

Atlantis Models continues their release schedule of one more kit I did not remember being on the shelves in my younger years. This Tractor/Trailer is advertised as a multiple use model, for both civilian and Military use. Included in the box are bright green injection molded parts, and a decal sheet for "Dino the Dinosaur", company mascot for the Sinclair oil company.

I found this particularly intriguing, as one of my favorite gasoline companies when I was living in Rapid City, South Dakota was Sinclair oil company with it's trademark Dino the dinosaur. If you are familiar with the "Dinosaur park" on one of the hilltops overlooking "Bacon Park" in Rapid city, you know their largest concrete statue of the many dinosaurs memorialized from the "badlands" fossils found to the East of Rapid City is a large Brontosaur, or "Dino".

Yes, I'm easily amused. And used to have a large inflatable "Dino" as well. Who would not envy such a cool toy?

The origin of Pen and Sword Books is closely linked with its sister company, the Barnsley Chronicle; one of the UK's oldest provincial newspapers - established in 1858 - and one of the few weeklies still in private ownership. The first books published by the company were in response to public demand following of a series of articles published in the newspaper:- Dark Peak Aircraft Wrecks told the story of crash sites in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District National Park, and a further weekly feature on the history of two Kitchener battalions, known as the Barnsley Pals, aroused a thirst for more information. Following on from the success of Dark Peak Wrecks and Barnsley Pals books, a number of local history paperbacks were produced along with a series of battlefield guide books. Battleground Europe proved immediately successful and as more and more titles were produced the company made the decision to launch a book publishing arm of the group. The company acquired the Leo Cooper military history imprint and "Pen and Sword" was born.

NOTE: The link to the Nu Nu Upgrade set is http://www.platz-hobby.com/products/8131.html . The price is $30.00

Platz Models has a large and extensive line of plastic model kits: everything from small scale (1/144) aircraft to military ships. They do partner with smaller, niche manufacturers of plastic model kits. That symbiosis provides both Platz and those other kit manufacturers with market access and diversity of product. One of those relationships is with another Japanese manufacturer: Nu Nu Model kits.

Nu Nu Model kits is principally involved with manufacturing modern 1/24^th scale racing cars, notably Grand Prix GT3 cars. For those that may be unfamiliar with sports car racing, Wikipedia's Sports Car Racing page has more than enough information to join in any conversation about the sport.