Lone-Star Firenza...
Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 9:29 pm
As a previous collector of Vauxhall models, I can mention a few interesting snippets.
The well known 'Brand' name toy and model companies did not make as many Vauxhalls against Fords, Austins and Morris cars, simply because of Vauxhall's then policy, on toy and model replicas of their cars. They were very 'against' this whole idea and controlled who was allowed to make replicas.
The models that do exist in collections, the very few Corgi, Dinky and Matchbox examples we know of, were made with full Vauxhall co-operation and only after those firms had paid for quite an expensive licence to do so.
The Vauxhall Firenza range was seen as a direct competitor to the Ford Capri and Vauxhall were desperately keen to make it a huge sales success and a toy or model of it was considered, but the licencing system Vauxhall implied was just far too restrictive and expensive for most of the main 'Brands'.
I only know of three models of a Vauxhall Firenza, two of these are made of plastic and designed for either a 1/32 scale slot-car chassis or a circa 1/10 scale, radio controlled chassis (niether by the way, licenced models), so the only licenced model was the 'Lone Star' version.
The 'Lone Star' model was made with full co-operation from Vauxhall, but with limited marketing through the more successful Vauxhall dealerships in the U.K. and very few seemed to have been retailed in the shops.
There are a couple of very hard to find versions like the 'Budget rent-a-car' and the left-hand drive version, but this is for telling at a later date.
Any version of this model seems to fetch a higher price than known recorded 'HTF' Lone Star models from the same, 'Flyers' range and as a previous collector of Vauxhaull toys and models, I never secured one for my collection!
GHOSTHUNTER.
The well known 'Brand' name toy and model companies did not make as many Vauxhalls against Fords, Austins and Morris cars, simply because of Vauxhall's then policy, on toy and model replicas of their cars. They were very 'against' this whole idea and controlled who was allowed to make replicas.
The models that do exist in collections, the very few Corgi, Dinky and Matchbox examples we know of, were made with full Vauxhall co-operation and only after those firms had paid for quite an expensive licence to do so.
The Vauxhall Firenza range was seen as a direct competitor to the Ford Capri and Vauxhall were desperately keen to make it a huge sales success and a toy or model of it was considered, but the licencing system Vauxhall implied was just far too restrictive and expensive for most of the main 'Brands'.
I only know of three models of a Vauxhall Firenza, two of these are made of plastic and designed for either a 1/32 scale slot-car chassis or a circa 1/10 scale, radio controlled chassis (niether by the way, licenced models), so the only licenced model was the 'Lone Star' version.
The 'Lone Star' model was made with full co-operation from Vauxhall, but with limited marketing through the more successful Vauxhall dealerships in the U.K. and very few seemed to have been retailed in the shops.
There are a couple of very hard to find versions like the 'Budget rent-a-car' and the left-hand drive version, but this is for telling at a later date.
Any version of this model seems to fetch a higher price than known recorded 'HTF' Lone Star models from the same, 'Flyers' range and as a previous collector of Vauxhaull toys and models, I never secured one for my collection!
GHOSTHUNTER.