O Scale Motor Vehicle Chronicle Nov 15

Richard, Thanks for the great links.

James

Thanks.  the direct American Excellence website is fantastic.  I found several that i have to have - that Idid not even know had been made!

Now you've done it Richard...I spotted a 1968 Opel GT in Sunburst Yellow:

https://www.american-excellenc...amp;i=167110&sp=

I had a 1970 model, I don't think there was much difference.

Cost $3600 new.  The headlights had a lever you moved to make them rotate open/close.

Bad thing about it was it was small, weighed less than 2000 lbs.  I could see the underframes of trucks as I passed them

The 1st week I had it a Cocoa Cola truck driver decided he wanted to get in my lane, knocked me clean out of the road!  When I walked into my insurance agent's office I thought he was going to fall over.

Not a bad price for that 1/43 model!

It seems odd that this NEO/AE site is now listing other brands of models/scales. Perhaps they bought these other brands? The old AE site used to show what new models were in the development stage. I've bought a few AE models from a Hong Kong dealer on eBay. They are often available long before the US dealers get them. While the price with shipping is equal to the US dealers, it does take a few weeks to ship. I had my AE '54 Packard weeks ago, while Diecast Direct was still showing it as a "pre-order".

When I went to that American Excellence site, the first thing that greeted me is the White Box '56 Ford below. I had ordered it from another source a week ago. I also found too many cars I want there, but that is a story for another day.

Anyway, I got home from a business trip this morning and can post pictures now. Several new cars were waiting, having arrived while I was gone.  

First is this White Box '56 Ford.  Very nice, with even, glossy paint and good shiny chrome, etc., and worth its $25 cost, I think, even if the headlights are a bit cheap looking.

Interestingly, you can get a model made from the same molds via Amazon associate retailer Amer Hobbies for $9.95 (green below) - exact same castings throughout: cheap lusterless paint, painted rather than plated chrome: the yellow White Box mode is worth the extra $15 unless you want a worn look.  I had bought another of the green ones and repainted in two-tone white and blue, at great effort, and while an improvement, it is not as nice as this yellow one. 

And, after last weeks 1:43 Chronicle, I could not resist the NEO '57 Imperial.  I have a '57 Caddy coupe in the same colors and scheme, (white over turquise) and think they are two of the most impressive American cars on my layout.  

I ordered this RR station wagon to convert into Travis McGee's RR pickup truck, "Miss Agnes."  Frankly I'm not sure what year his was supposed to be and when I goggled I got different opinions, but on my layout - and I have to have Travis McGee among the detectives on my layout,  this will be it.  Electric Blue, of course, before its done.

Joe what I heard was the owner of Autoworld of Germany bought AE and the former AE owner started Matrix/GLM.]

Bob

Richard: Thanks for the tip. Checked out the site and added it to my favorites sure there will be an order from there in the future.

Bob, Do you know if they bought NEO as well? It was my understanding the AE was a line of NEO products (as far as I know, NEO only made non-USA cars).

Thanks a lot guys!

After reviewing this web site I need to win big on the lottery !

Dave

Joe what I know of AE is that it was a US based part of NEO. From what I know AE is a name with different owners being operated the same way as before with more product. NEO still has it's own website and may be owned by the Matrix owner.

Bob

Thanks, Bob. One thing is for sure, AE is putting out a lot of new models, as well as color variations on older ones. The quality, IMO, is up to Motor City standards (perhaps with lesser dashboard detail). Bottom line...what you used to have to pay hundreds for, you now can get for about $80.