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we decided on the brand name period of 1972 to 1979. There are Automodello, as we felt this would two standard edition releases and play out well on both sides of the a highly limited Homage Edition Atlantic and trip off the tongue easily. restricted to just 17 pieces in honour Automodello: Fortunately for us, a website search of the 17-years of Martin Lilley’s confirmed that the domain names ownership of TVR. www.automodello.com and The Fitch Phoenix was www.automodello.org – for future recommended by one of our dealers. use, were still available. The next This was a project that had been dreams engaged! step was to create a tag line. above The Griffith Series 600 is the second of a series of three 1:43 started by another manufacturer James Cowen talks to Model Collector about why and how this handbuilt, resin range came to be founded I initially came up with ‘Dead Griffith models to be issued by Automodello. Just 192 models and then abandoned. We decided to and discusses some of the unusual, and in some cases pleasingly trans-Atlantic, subject choices Marques Society’ but was strongly have been produced in this particular colour finish. resurrect the idea and the legendary advised that using the word ‘Dead’ John Fitch, who designed and built left The opalescent silver blue finish on would be a bad idea! Raffi and the the , was fully behind it, as long as Model Collector: For readers Automodello’s 1:43 Griffith 200 Series Director at Franklin Mint and rest of the team received my next we agreed to also do his Fitch Sprint not yet familiar with your models, model is apparently Jack Griffith’s who was to become my primary suggestion ‘Dreams Engaged’ far and Fitch Whitmore Jaguar! can you tell us a little about why, favourite choice of colour. Automodello business partner. more enthusiastically and this new Raffi suggested the Bricklin when and how the company got In August of that year I was travelling tag line was quickly agreed upon. SV1 and we contacted Herb Grasse, started and the story behind to the west coast for a client who designed the Bricklin when he Automodello brand name? consultation when I realized it Model Collector: Can you briefly was only 27 years old. Sadly, shortly was the same weekend as bring us up to speed on the after the project began, Herb was James Cowen: Having had a Monterey. So I asked Raffi, models included in your diagnosed with pancreatic cancer life-long passion for all things who up until that point I had only range to date? and given four to six months to live. automotive, I’ve naturally always had communication with online During our initial conversations, enjoyed models. So during a brief and by telephone, if he was going James Cowen: OK, let’s start with one of the stories Herb had told me period of downtime in the consulting and if we could meet. I took along the 1:43 scale models... We began is that would come down the company I run (which works with a few models from my collection of course with the Griffith Series assembly line with mismatched homeless shelters, food banks and to get Raffi’s opinion on them and 200, which was based on the TVR above Automodello’s 1938 Packard Twelve Convertible allows collectors parts, e.g. white doors on a green other non-profit organisations to he quickly and eloquently pointed Grantura and was engineered by the option of displaying their model in top up or top down mode. car. So while he was in the hospice, improve their internal operations), out their flaws and the design and Mark Donohue, who also raced Raffi and I decided to send Herb a I decided in 2007, as a sideline, production short cuts Jack Griffith’s Cobra and won 13 little something: we had the to set up my own online model retail that had been taken. out of 15 races in one season. make a single Bricklin in Safety outlet, Diecasm LLC, with the twist As we chatted, Jack Griffith was contacted and Green with a white door in the up that 10% of the retail price would I mentioned to him that personally endorsed the project. position. Apparently every time be donated to good causes. for a long time I had been The Opalescent Silver Blue in someone entered his room, they So, how did things progress thinking of creating my which we’ve issued the model would comment about the “wrong” from selling models to actually own brand, starting with an was in fact Jack’s choice. door on the model and Herb would making them? Well, back in 2004 M-Series model – and so it all The Griffith Series 200 Tribute corrected them; his wife Teri told my consulting company had created begin, in a Starbucks north of Edition was created to celebrate me he lit-up each time he a computer software program, Monterey! Once we got into the early Jack’s retirement as co-founder recounted the story. which we’d code named 2500M®. stages of developing that first model, of Amelia Island Concours and The 1938 Packard Twelve I quickly discovered every web search above This even more limited my Intellectual Property attorneys just 85 pieces were made. Convertible Victoria was a customer for this name yielded results for the edition Griffith 200 Series model told me I needed to get a license The Griffith Series 600 was the feedback suggestion that was totally TVR 2500M, so once the 2500M name from the Tribute from TVR. Even though TVR was second of three Griffith models. It unexpected, but an interesting choice Edition was registered, I decided putting essentially defunct in 2007, was a completely different animal right The was the US muscle car version of the Rootes and one that would clearly fill a collection. a real TVR 2500M in our booth I was able to track down the people from the beastly 200/400. Built Group’s Roadster. Automodello is currently working on gap in many collections. As a when we exhibited at trade fairs it I needed to speak with and make by Intermeccanica, it could have a 1:43 scale model of the Mk 1, which will come with a removable hard top. collector myself, a pet hate is having would make the product that bit the request. Licensing fees proved been the company’s salvation, but to buy two models because one more memorable. The real car had prohibitive at that point though, so unfortunately it arrived too late. represents the car with its top up a V8 replacing the original Triumph we moved our next subject choice: The Intermeccanica Italia is the “We have several British cars and another with its top-down; power plant [a straight-six engine the Griffith Series 200. phoenix that rose from the ashes so we decided our model would from the Triumph TR6 was used Once this project was underway, of the Griffith Series 600 and has currently under consideration offer both display options. by TVR for US export versions it was time to give our brand a name. the buy-in from Paula Reisner, The 1964 Sunbeam Tiger in order to comply with US We considered Diecasm Exclusives co-founder of Intermeccanica at Automodello” Mk 1 was suggested by readers of emissions standards], and to tie in with the already established (a performance automobile Hemmings’ Sports & Exotic Cars and I felt this would prove a good online business, but realised the manufacturer that was founded in Hemmings’ Muscle Machines in a analogy with the power of our brand would need to be given Italy in 1959 but made the move to poll we ran in these titles. It will, no product. I looked everywhere for an independent identity in North America in the 1970s). doubt, also be a model of particular a 1:43 model of a 2500M without order for us to successfully Although the TVR 2500M interest to British collectors, as success, so I started to wonder build up a dealer network. originally had to be abandoned, this was the US muscle car version about having one built, and indeed Early on the decision we later learned that David Gerald of the Rootes Group’s Sunbeam eventually Automodello released was made not to sell through Sports Cars in the UK owned the Alpine Roadster. Like the Packard an M-Series model, but I am distributors, only direct to dealers, Intellectual Property rights to the with the removable convertible getting ahead of myself... above The Canadian-built Bricklin SV1 sports car (the name stood for a process that takes much longer pre-1980 . So once this hurdle top, the Sunbeam Tiger will come Early in 2007 through my to get up and running. This was was settled by an email, the TVR was with a removable hardtop. This ‘Safety Vehicle One’ – with the car boasting an integrated roll cage) above The stunning and Diecasm LLC retail outlet and done to keep a much tighter circle back on the agenda. Rather than has proven to be somewhat of featured powered gull-wing doors that opened and closed at the touch wildly futuristic looking 1938 the Collectors Foundation I came though, and to make sure dealers model each individual version, we technical challenge because the of a button as standard. Automodello’s model is offered in a number of Phantom Corsair was Automodello’s into contact with Raffi Minasian, were fully vetted. took a holistic approach to represent hardtop has a glass section, and to different ‘Safety’ colours, and it also produces this version with the first venture into 1:24 scale. who’d previously been the Creative driver’s door fixed in up position. After a great deal of thought, seven years of the M, covering the properly represent this has required

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a pushing of resin’s current limits. viable. For example, it would not Getting this just right has nudged the have been practicable to produce release date back from June to July, a 200-unit run like the Automodello but we think it’ll be worth it. 1966 Fitch Phoenix in die-cast – Your readers will perhaps be the investment required for tooling interested to know that we have alone would necessitate thousands several other British cars currently of sales before we so much as under consideration at Automodello, broke even. Similarly, just 299 but we’re keeping details under units of our recent 1938 1:24 wraps for now. Phantom Corsair, with removable The 1934 Duesenberg roof panel, were produced. J Graber was a stunningly If you’re offering a high end re-bodied Duesenberg built by product then every aspect has Swiss coachbuilders, so our model to reflect quality. I wanted our should also appeal to collectors packaging to be elegant and I on both sides of the Atlantic. think we’ve kept things tastefully Then there are the 1:24 scale understated. I also decided models in our collection... we should incorporate some The 1938 Phantom Corsair background information about above Automodello is currently working on a 1:24 model of this was our inaugural 1:24 model. Raffi both the marque and the car. beautifully preserved 1935 Duesenberg SJ Speedster Mormon Meteor. suggested it, as he’d previously tried, This comes in the form of a This will be the official show model for the US Glenmoor Gathering of unsuccessfully, to get this project removable stand-alone card that Significant Automobiles, where the car will once again be on display. off the ground with Franklin Mint, can be displayed alongside the and it’s proved a fantastically model and provides each collector successful choice. a bit of instant expertise when they The 1935 Duesenberg SJ are showing the car off to their Speedster Mormon Meteor is a friends. For the upcoming inaugural one-off race car that became a Museum Edition, we are including street car and was then restored information about the museum in back to a race car. It has raced on the package too. We also include the Bonneville Salt Flats and in an owner registration card that preservation it has won awards at customers can complete and return almost every major event it has to us; this allows us ascertain attended, including Amelia Island collectors’ preferences and Pebble Beach. The car will and requirements. above Packaging for the Automodello models is elegantly understated; this year be on display at the The one thing I think collectors seen here is the 1:43 TVR M-Series model. Glenmoor Gathering of Significant will most appreciate about our brand Automobiles, and we’re proud to though, is accuracy. We always get say our 1:24 rendition of it will be the clubs for the various marques we the official show model. model involved, and we’re not afraid The 1930 Cord L-29 Brooks to move release dates back if we feel Stevens Speedster was owned for modification is required before we 65 years by Brooks Stevens, the go into production. For example, famous US automobile designer during the development of the who customised it; he raced it in hill Bricklin model, it was pointed climbs and drove it daily right up out that our prototype sported an until his death in 1995. optional dealer-installed armrest. Raffi himself had owned a Bricklin Model Collector: What do you while he was in college and knew think collectors will love most the car well, but his car also had the left about your models? armrest. We knew collectors would Like the yellow want our model to reflect the car in version of 1:43 TVR James Cowen: Automodello the form in which it left the factory, M-Series model seen here, all models are all hand-built in resin. so decided the armrest had to go. Automodello releases come with a smart Resin affords incredible detail but This meant pushing the release free-standing card with which they can be in this medium the infrastructure date back four months, and missing displayed, providing information about the subject in question. doesn’t lend itself to supporting the 2010 Bricklin meet, but if a working or opening features. thing’s worth doing... That’s fine though, as serious Sourcing Automodello models in the Last, but not least, when collectors, particularly those who considering subjects we always focus on 1:43, where such features McLaren Models Peregrine Models look for cars with interesting are not the norm anyway, appreciate tel: 01324 624102 tel: 01548 810844 histories that have either been the clean lines this affords. email: [email protected] email: peter@peregrinemodels. overlooked by mainstream As the casting process for resin website: ww.-models.com entadsl.com manufacturers or indeed never models utilises silicon moulds, it OR contact Automodello direct modelled before by anyone, or proves far, far less expensive than Midas Models tel. 001 847-274-9645 perhaps have been modelled but tooling for die-cast models and so tel. 01274-816437 email: [email protected] not particularly well. It’s all about allows very limited runs while still email: [email protected] website: www.automodello.com surprise and delight: Automodello keeping each project financially – dreams engaged! MC

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