Letters to Tales of Toy Cars

Found in the Letterbox

The following are e-mail responses to 'Tales of Toy Cars'. Your letters are welcome and may be submitted via e-mail

"Hi Doug,
Thanks for another great issue of TTC. Attached is a photo of my only Summer model, Audi Quattro # S8553F. Feel free to add it to your list. Crude, yes, but far from junk! Thanks,"

Mike

Editors' Reply: Thanks for one more bit of Summer. I've also added several Summer images (right) sent by another reader, of the BMW M3 and Honda NSX.

"Hello Doug:
While I was re-organising my collection this morning, I came across <BR>the Rover 3500 by Summer. Then I remembered that your article on Summer diecast (published in the June issue) didn´t state the number of this model, and I wanted to tell you that I have spotted this number inside of the car, just between the front seats and the back axle (in the space of the un-existing back seat): you can check it, your model should also have it printed in the same place: its #8914 (eight, nine, one, four). Also, my ´57 Ford Thunderbird has number S8501 written on the baseplate.

Let me tell you several curiosities: my Rover miniature features the 4-dot style wheels (the ones of the Porsche 917, #S8009; or the Nissan 280 ZX, #S8562), while yours have the other (the 5-point star design). The same fact goes for the Volvo 850, #8802. I also have both of these wheel designs along 4 different BMW 635 CSi castings, and my ´57 Chevrolet<BR>Belair and Ferrari 308 GTB (#8902) also features the 4-dot design.

About the BMW 635 CSi, I also have a Welly Speed Wheels casting which is an exact copy of the Summer model, with lower general quality (if this is possible). Summer models in my collection I haven´t seen in your article are the following:

Chevrolet Corvette Stocker 1958 #8503
GT racer Nº37 (un-identified, red) #S8003
McLaren M8A 1972 (Can-Am series, nº90) #8010
Mercedes-Benz 250 Sedan 1969 #S688 (appears to be a Siku copy)
CanAm Racer (un-identified) #8008
Toyota Celica Turbo GT racer 1975 #S8001 (appears to be a Tomica copy)

As you can see, this article has helped me very much to identify many of these models (which I had listed as "unknown"), and I´ve learnt a lot about these little, usually-rejected miniatures. I hope to have helped you just a little, my one-week holiday has allowed me to check and do so many things... Best regards,"

MANUEL ANSÓN, Spain

Editor's Reply: It appears that Summer models have a certain popularity. Thanks for the added listings.

"You have made a error! Do not assume anything in your section under May issue on Road & Track on Matchboxes you comment that The Holden Ute which incidently its proper name is Holden Sandman Ute is the same as Chev El Camino - Sorry chum you are completly wrong! They are not the same vehicle -True the styling is similar and both may have been styled by the American Chuck Jordan . They do not in fact share one single panal -if you were to put both side by side the El Camino is bigger than Holden Ute"

Julian Walls, New Zeeland

Editor's Reply: You are right, the Holden Sandman Ute has nothing in common with the El camino other than both being GM products and both being sedan platforms with pick-up bodies. My intention was to say that the Holden Ute is to Australia what the El Camino is to the U.S. Many collectors are not familiar with the Holden Ute and I wanted to help them understand it better with the comparison to the El Camino.