The Corgi Model Club: Buick Riviera

 

Here is the Model Club's latest issue, the beautiful Buick Riviera, first seen in June 1964. 

Once again, this is a superb reproduction and I struggled to find any difference other than the shade of paint and the slightly larger and very bright axle ends, which were all I could see at first. In the box there is now a piece of thin foam which should protect the car from rubbing in the box, a problem which several people have mentioned happening to some earlier models left free to wobble around on their way from China. There is also a useful chunk pf foam that is shaped to prevent the hook damaging the end flaps. As well as the certificate, you also get a reproduction of the small illustration of how the 'lights' work, something which is invariably missing from originals these days.

On closer inspection it dawned on me that the air vents at the rear of the bonnet are much more clearly defined than on the original models. Most of mine have paint that is thicker and does not show the separate grille elements at all. One or two pale blue models do have the feint indications of a grille but nothing like the preciseness of the new one.

Everything about this model seems right. It was a delight to own back in '64 and I am just as pleased now. It was always one of my Corgi favourites. The suspension seldom caused any trouble, the super spoked wheels were something special - the Buick Riviera was the first  model that we would have had them on - and, of course, we could have fun with the lights not only at the front but at the back too. (The Chevrolet Sting Ray did have spoked wheels but they came after it had been out for a while with shaped wheels. The Buick had them from the start.)

Congratulations and thanks again to the Corgi model Club team for a splendid production. I had told them about the tyres being technically wrong as editions with wire wheels would have had the earlier 'pre-1967' style but I have to say that I didn't notice when it arrived so it is hardly a matter for complaint and, of course, it is simple to change them if I really feel like it. But then this would no longer be the 'original' reproduction, if that makes any sense! No, I'll leave them as they are.