2007 1/87 Model of the Year

[Mark Maticek]

After looking at the "Year in Review" thread, I thought that perhaps this might be an interesting topic.

My top four nominees would be:

• Red Line Ferrari FXX - engine detail, fire extinguisher, fabulous detail! The Ferrari's are back in our scale ;D
  
• Masterpiece Chrysler Airflow - not usually my taste in models but what a beautiful piece of 1/87 automotive art.
  
• Ricko Alfa Romeo Brera - just because I like this car a lot and a Ricko model has to make this list.
  
• River Point Station Ford F-series pickup - again, I don't care about trucks but a great debut for a new manufacturer.
  

Runners up: Atlas Ford Fairmont and Athearn Ford Model A. Hit the marketing bullseye.

Manufacturer of the Year (based on innovation, number of new products and significance to the hobby):

• Minimax (Red Line, Spark, Bizarre)
  
• Masterpiece
  
• RickoRicko
  

What do you think?

[stanhas87]

Dear All:

I will select Motormax, Masterpiece and RPS as the Manufacturers of the year.

The Models will be the Fairmont, Jeep, Airflow and the Ford Tempo. And believe me, I got today some of the Spark Models and believe me, they are worth every penny; I hope that they do Formula and Indy Racers so I will add the latter as runner ups.

[ponyman]

Manufacturers of the year RPS,Masterpiece, and Ricko.

1. RPS F250/F350
2. Jeep Rubicon
3. Walkin Van
4. Airflow
5. Ricko MG

In Diecast Malibu, Motormax, and Hot Wheels

1.Reel Rides Trans Am
2." " Pontiac GTO
3. " " 72 C10 P/U
4.Motormax Tempo
5. " Mustang
6. HotWheels 49 Merc
7. " 05 Mustang

Then again I am kinda partial to blue oval products. ;D

I will say it is very hard to choose RPS over Masterpiece because Bill has done a great job on all of the Masterpiece offerings, but I think RPS has really put out a great product with great attention to detail. Atlas has done a good job with their Fairmonts but they are not quite the detail that the RPS, Masterpiece, and Ricko are for the money. I look forward to many great items in 2008 from all of the above companies.

[cfesmire]

The RPS Fords were a must have for me in 2007. For the price, I'll have to cast a vote in their direction.

[BillC]

Interesting choices. I was looking at the NAMAC site to see what they considered the best models and these were their nominees:

Passenger vehicles:
Alfa Romeo Alfasud, Herpa Magic
Cadillac V16 Aerodynamic Coupe, Ricko
Citroën SM, Universal Hobbies
Ferrari F360 Modena Challenge Stradale, Redline
Fiat 500, Norev
Fiat Neckar 1100 Spezial (NSU), Drummer/Brekina
Opel Olympia Rekord Cabrio, Brekina
Volkswagen 30 '37, Schuco (sold as a Malibu International model in the U.S.)

Commercial Vehicles
Barkas B 1000, Brekina
Ford Transit, Rietze
IFA H6/ADK 6.3 autokraan, Brekina
Leyland Verheul LVB, HB Model
MAN Lion's City DD, Rietze
Renault Premium II, Herpa
Rosenbauer Crash Tender, Wiking
Volkswagen T2/a, Premium ClassiXXs

The members of NAMAC chose the Brekina Opel Olympia and the Leyland bus as the top 1:87 scale models for the year. If I read the article correctly, the Opel went on to win the Model of the Year honors.

[ponyman]

To make it fair I think there should be a North American and a European model after reading all of the posts.

[hofan]

Hello:
The selection of the NAMAC best models seem to be really strange? how can a magic line Alfasud be compared to Redline F360 Modena? I like the Alfasud a lot but quality wise it is in no comparison to the other models and the list lacks many other quality models. what is the criteria for nominating such models

[Cor_DutchArt]

Well The members don't look at the quality as long as it is good.
They vote for the model they wanted too.
So it is more the modelchoise but the quality still have to be o.k.
And personly I should like to see the Austro Daimler in the selection as well!
The Airflow came a bit late to be a candidate!

[Cor_DutchArt]

There is another thing you can learn of the list above!
What do you think which models are most popular in our country??
Old? Modern? Us? Japanese? European? What era.....

[stanhas87]

Dear All:

I used Dutchart's named criteria - the models I grabbed and liked (the same thing for my other favorite scale). Hence, my selections. I also putting the Red Lines high on my selection of faves, despite the fact I do not care much about Ferraris. The Fairmont and Tempo are items I care the most - 4 doors and Station Wagons - and been happy that these were issued at all. And now, with a 1950 Ford 4-door (that will be my pick for 2008) in the works, I am definitively delirious in Paradise here but yet I am also paying attention to the other models/modelers which are not my cup of tea, such as the couple of Ferraris Jack got me. They are just wonderfully-made items.

[lynn]

I vote for the Masterpiece Chrysler Airflow

[Christian]

My model of the year is Peter's Rover P6.

Runner-ups:

European plastic: Drummer Fiat 2300 Coupé, Magic Alfasud
American plastic: Masterpiece Chrysler Airflow, Atlas Ford Fairmont

European diecast: UH Facel Vega II, Schuco Jaguar XK
American diecast: Motormax Ford Tempo, AMC Hornet (would have been my overall favorite as a sedan)

Honorable mention: all Red Line and Spark models and Ricko's Ford RS 200, which is technically a 2005 (?) model for me.

[BillC]

Of the NAMAC list, I would have voted for the Ricko Cadillac. However, Ricko models took NAMAC's last two MOTY awards so perhaps the voters may have decided it was time to spread the wealth?

I would have liked to see one of the Austro Daimlers on the list, but my favorite, the 1911 Imperial Staff Car, likely came too late for consideration.

Ah well, there's alway 2008. The competition should be fierce with the new models coming from Redline, Ricko, River Point Station and Masterpiece, among others. I will also be interested to see what happens with the Modell-Fahrzeug, Flashlight and other awards.

[only87]

christian said:

My model of the year is Peter's Rover P6.

Magic's Alfasud definately made my year. The model has its definite flaws, the prototypical inaccuracy and the standardized wheels so there are better collectables, but with the very convincing bodylines my heart is still jumping with joy as a modeller. I was waiting for this particular model basically since I began modelling and collecting.

The only model that comes close to a runner-up is Busch's Toyota HZJ.

UH's Facel II and Renault 12, the Reel Rides Trans Am, the Drummer Fiats and Brekina's marvellous Saab were great surprises and should be honored for more than just effort.

[BillC]

Back in 2003, the 1/87 Vehicle Club decided to have a competition for "Best of the Best." We selected the Volvo Amazon from Brekina, Smart Roadster from Busch, BMW Z8 from Herpa, Rietze Opel Vectra and Wiking VW Touareg. There were two categories: the first was technical merit, which was the best model from an objective point of view. The second was the judge's favorite. The Wiking Model won the technical competition (something about a gorgeous paint job) and the Busch Smart took the honors as the judge's favorite.

With that in mind, which models deserved to be among the five selected to be finalists as the "Best of the Best" in 2007? Not which was your favorite, but that pushed the envelope to produce an accurate scale replica of the real thing?