Metal tanks by Minichamps

OK, I know it's 'instant modelling' - just take it out of the box ! Anyone else bought a Minichamps 1/35 tank ?
I could only afford one - a Panther V Ausf G - and it looks really nice on the desk.
Big advantage - it doesn't break into a thousand pieces when someone does the dusting ! Anyhow, I think a good effort and new direction for a company who've been making model racing cars for 15 years . Hope they do a King Tiger . . . .

 

Thanks for the reply, Otto.

I'm looking at the Minichamps Panther right now.
I must say it looks 'right' to me - but I know some modellers are absolute detail fanatics. Detailing is excellent, all exterior tools, spare tracklinks, towing cables in place. There's a well-detailed MG34 on the cupola ring, and to me the clinching detail is the characteristic 'rough' join of the armour plate turret front/sides. Also the suspension works correctly. Minichamps have become a byword for detail with their racing cars and now they are trying to do the same in diecast armour.
Oh I nearly forgot, the tank weighs about two pounds !

I'd recommend it - I'm just a bit nervous that the 'experten' may disagree . . .

( Thanks for the Dragon info - I'm thinking of checking out their large-scale figures )

 

To put it another way :
If I had the display space and the money I'd be very tempted to buy them all ... but at sixty quid a time ..
I must say that I DO hanker after the Tiger I.

 

There are good photos of these models available at :

www.wingsandwheels.co.uk and
www.alpimodel.com

 

Another Jurassic-era thread emerges....

Minichamps AFVs have become something of a cult due to the very low production numbers. It's taken me a long time to get this one - the SdKfz 251/1.....










Obviously, nowhere near as good as a well-made kit, but I'm lazy - and I do like the 'feel' of diecast metal......

 

Martin, what scale is it in? Is it 1/72nd, or 1/35th? H.O?

 

Sorry Carl - I should have said...it's 1/35 ,ready-made and mainly diecast metal.

I must say that it makes a rather display piece.....

 

what a gorgoeus looking piece of track but at around US $120.00 each ......................ouch ! oh heck I bought the 364th fg book 2 months ago for around $100.00 US so what's money anyway ?? I wonder if the firm makes a Stug III ~ hiding somewhere in their lineup

 

No StuG III I'm afraid - releases are few and far between and vanish from the shelves quickly. A King Tiger is rumoured for 2008......

 

Here a pic of a Minichamps first Panther

 

If I win the lottery I know what I'm doing with the money...

 

I saw these for the first time at a knife/gun show a couple of weeks ago. Really nice ! He had Pz IV, Panther, Tiger I, and a couple others I think. 10 bucks a pop. The ones I saw were no more than 3 inches long, but really nice.
I opted for books instead, but was severely tempted.
Dropped too much money the way it was.
The detail is excellent, and I'd like 10 of each. So much for wishes.

 

The ones you saw were most likely the 1/72 scale Dragon tanks, skunk works. They are very nice, and I have quite a few.

But the Minichamps are in a different league : scale is 1/35 which makes them average about 8 inches in length and nearly 2lbs in weight....and you will never find one for 10 dollars

 

My head (at that time) was processing much "Eye-Candy". I didn't even see if those Dragon things were metal or plastic. I was enamored with the detail and imagining myself with a board full of them, pushing them forward with a stick as reports came in (like in the movie BotB).
Strange how the mind drifts.
I had 4 of them in my hand until I (took a necessary time-out and) let the feeling go away, put them down and scored some nice books instead.
The plastic 1/35th scale are pricey enough with individual track links, accessories, paint. I doubt I'll start over with metal (though they are nice...to the extreme).
I've invested too much in time/effort/money the plastic direction as it is.

 

Latest addition to my collection - the NW Europe M4A3 Sherman.

It's a big, lovely chunk of metal.....







...and just to prove that you don't need a bottomless bank-balance, diligent searching on e-bay got me this one for £17 ( about $35.... )

 

Good buy at £17.00
The minichamps Sherman seem to be the lest popular going by there price they fetch on ebay