Minimarque Model 43 MG TC Midget 1946 Abingdon Collection

[johnaw1]

Minimarque Model 43 MG TC Midget 1946 Abingdon Collection – HELP PLEASE!

Hello again ... another anomaly for me, not being an experienced collector or afficionado! Any help or advice would be appreciated.

This beautiful little model baffles me because I cannot find anything else quite like it on eBay or the Internet generally. I am not a specialist or collector and am seeking advice and information about it.

I do not know its age, although my late Father bought it many years ago. The detail is quite fantastic for a 1:43 scale model and it is in truly awesome and MINT condition. It’s the ‘Abingdon Collection’ bit that baffles me at the moment – whether or not this was ‘special edition’ remains to be seen. The model is quite heavy (100g) and is obviously die cast solid metal.

The base reads:

Mini Marque 43
MG TC Midget
Made in England
Abingdon Collection

Anyway … Thank you so much for your time

John (Towcester, Northants)

[cOO7rgi]

I haven't heard of the Abingdon Collection before but after googling it seems that the model was made especially for this museum.
http://theabingdoncollection.com/

Have you tried contacting them? I guess they would have records of the special editions made for them, or at least someone remembering them.



I have also found your ebay listing and thought the price was crazy but your description then explained the high price.
The base has the dog sticker (that's "Cilla", the dog of MM founder Richard Briggs who died in 2002) so this means that this is a factory-built model (and not a built-up kit).
Special editions for dealers and museums were not unusual at MM, I have a few for Past-Time Hobbies in Illinois and the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg museum in Indiana. Usually these are just special colours of otherwise unchanged standard MM43 models (e.g. the Cord L-29 painted and decalled as the Indy Pace Car).
Most likely the dark blue MG TC was not available elsewhere. Typically such special editions were 50 pieces. I would guess your model dates from the late-80s to mid-90s.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Additional to the above, Max Kernick created 'ABINGDON CLASSICS' in 1975 out of his enthusiasm for the real MG car and decided to take 24 MG TC models with him to an MG event at Silverstone in 1975 but the night before he reluctantly sold a lot of these to a foreign MG enthusiast, so he only had 18 models to sell!

The models are actually made from Whitemetal not Mazac (Zamac), the MG TC was his first of many models to be introduced under the 'ABINGDON CLASSICS' brand until Max sold most of the moulds to Richard Briggs of 'MINIMARQUE43' in the early 1980's.

Max helped an Asian car enthusiast to launch a new company called 'F & M MODELS' (Frank and Max Models), in 1980 with a range of just Three models including a Bentley R type 'Continental', Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud convertible and a Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC.

This was relatively short-lived as in 1984, 'TOP MARQUES' took over from 'F & M MODELS' with a range of new Rolls-Royce, Alvis and Aston Martin models.

'MINIMARQUE43' has stayed in business through new ownership and can still be found today through various model car specialist retailers.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[johnaw1]

Hello 'c007rgi' and 'Ghosthunter' …

Thank you both so much for your help. Your advice has been invaluable. My faith in devoted collectors and aficionados, friends and nice helping people, is restored!

I am not an experienced model collector or expert; I am simply thoughtfully disposing of my late Father’s collection. It is in many ways heart-breaking, but it is totally impossible to hang on to everything that I have inherited.

Having said this, I have spent countless hours doing research on every single item I sell, comparing with similar that I see - and also ages taking the photographs (something I am good at!). If I was to put an hourly rate on to all of my eBay etc. listings hours spent, it is definitely a ‘labour of love’.

As you say my eBay prices are far to high at the moment; I am simply not ready to sell some items because I do not yet know enough about them and to be fair to both myself and any future potential buyer, I want to get things right before I commit and proceed. The actual value and the amount I finally receive in financial terms is utterly immaterial; I simply want to respect my old dear Dad - and I know he would be proud of me, taking so much time over his collection which he would be the first to understand, things have to go. I have nobody to leave them to.

I was very friendly with the late Marcel Van Cleemput of ‘Corgi’ fame (He was a principal designer at Corgi). I got to know him well during my time as a resident organist at Turner’s Musical Merry Go Round in Northampton which, many years ago, housed one of the largest Corgi collections in the world. He was a delightful man. I so wish he was still around as I am sure he could have solved all my model mysteries for me!

I thank you again for your very kind and selfless advice.

My kindest Regards to you and thank you again - JOHN

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Hello John, that is a touching story and the forum members wish you well despite the loss of your Father, we have to move on in our own lives with other Family members and friends. Time will be the healer hear and I fully understand your sentiment over the models you know have and it is the sensible thing to do by just keeping a few and letting the others go to new owners.

Please do let us see more of your mysteries, we like mysteries here on this forum, it keeps many of our experts off the streets so they can not terrorize Old Ladies...!!

GHOSTHUNTER.