Oxford Diecast Austin Mini - Speedwell Blue (1:76)

Austin Mini - Speedwell Blue (1:76) The much loved and great classic Austin Mini has been a motoring icon since it was launched in 1959.  This British car, designed by Alec Issigonis and his talented team, set the benchmark and definitely the trend for nippy vehicles ideally suited for towns and cities, where its versatility and ability to park in small spaces made it a must for ordinary young and old to rich and famous motorists alike. Our 1:76 scale miniature comes decorated in pale blue with white roof with an early registration plate – 285 JYB. The interior and the seats are moulded in mid grey with a black steering wheel. The exterior trim is silver including the bumpers, window surrounds and wipers while the radiator grille is silver and black. The colourful Austin badge sits centrally on the edge of the bonnet and the trim is rounded off by the Austin Seven signature across the boot.

Oxford Diecast Austin Mini Cooper - White Union Jack (1:76)

Austin Mini Cooper - White Union Jack (1:76) This is so patriotic! Making a superb addition to our Classic Austin Mini series, it sports a brilliant white paint job with the Union Flag covering the roof, all topped off with some gleaming chrome work. Registered LCD 21B, the interior is moulded in a contrasting dark red.

Oxford Diecast Austin Mini Metro - British School of Motoring (1:76)

Austin Mini Metro - British School of Motoring Oxford’s Austin Mini Metro adds a bit of variety to the mix with this latest BSM livery, a familiar sight on the 1980s roads. How many of we experienced drivers have had to exercise patience when behind one of these in its day? Learner drivers of the 1980s would have found the Austin Mini Metro a very easy car to test their ability. It came as a 3-door hatchback - the subject of our Oxford tooling – or a 5 door model. The engine size was either a 1.0L or 1.3L with a 4-speed manual gearbox. The Mini Metro had front wheel drive and a top speed of 84 mph and if you were practising three point turns, reversing round corners or parking, it was very compact and easy to park, so was a particular favourite. The livery is pure nostalgia! The bright red body colour has a wide blue and white flash along the sides incorporating an outline of the map of Great Britain with white BSM lettering beneath. The red roof features the BSM L Driver beacon while along the line of the boot is their famous slogan Every SEVEN minutes someone passes with BSM. The interior of the car is moulded in black and it is registered KWC 332Y from 1982. The British School of Motoring still exists today although now under the auspices of the Automobile Association, offering driving lessons and instructor training amongst other things. - 1:76 Scale

Oxford Diecast DH Mosquito NF MkII P.G.Wykeham-Barnes. RAF No.23 Sqn. (1:72)

This 1:72 scale Oxford aircraft represents a No. 23 Squadron Mosquito which was deployed to RAF Luqa in Malta. The squadron was the first to use the Mosquito in the Mediterranean, having transferred there in December 1942. Its key role was to perform intruder and bomber escort missions attacking enemy  infrastructure in North Africa and Southern Italy, often flying low and fast. The Mosquito’s versatility played a vital part, with great success. Wing Commander Peter Wykeham-Barnes was the commanding officer at Luqa and was to become one of WWII’s famous Bomber Aces, surviving the conflict and highly decorated too. Born on 13 September 1915 in Sandhurst, Surrey, Peter Wykeham-Barnes joined the RAF as an aircraft apprentice in 1932. Later he became a cadet at RAF College, Cranwell and was commissioned in 1937. After a series of deployments at home and abroad, he took over 23 Squadron on Mosquito II night intruders, leading the unit out to Malta. Whilst with 23 Squadron his navigator was 116970 Flying Officer Geoffrey Ernest Palmer, DFC. Together, they were a formidable team with great successes against the Luftwaffe. Wykeham-Barnes ended the war with 3 and 1 shared biplane victories and a total of 14 and 3 shared destroyed. Post-war, he took an Air Ministry post followed by secondment to the USAF in Korea, where he flew night intruder sorties in B-26 Invaders of the 90th Bomber Group, USAF, and was awarded the US Air Medal.  He ended his career in UK defence  as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and retired as Air Marshal Sir Peter Wykeham, KCB, DSO and Bar, OBE, DFC and Bar, AFC.  He died on 23 February 1995. With so much history behind it, our heroic model appears decorated in the night fighter garb of dark grey and dark green upper side and matt black underside with matt black nose, dorsal patch, guns and rear tyres. On the upper side, the No Step warning signs in red indicate the fragility of the structure in the area between the two engines which would not support any weight.  Also in red are the aircraft identity markings DZ230 and YP-A along the length of the fuselage. The RAF roundel also features a yellow outer circle to make it more easily visible to other friendly aircraft. The island of Malta was awarded the George Cross for its bitter battles against the enemy during WWII and without doubt the DH Mosquito played a great part in its success. - 1:72 Scale

Corgi Ford Fiesta Mk2 1.1 Popular Plus, Maritime Blue (1:43)

Ford Fiesta Mk2 1.1 Popular Plus, Maritime Blue Was your first car a Ford Fiesta Mk2? If so, this Maritime Blue die-cast version is sure to bring back some happy memories. This 1:43 replica model car is a must-have for Ford fans. This die-cast model is a limited edition of 2,016. - 1:43 Scale

Corgi Rover 75 V6 Contemporary SE, Ski Blue (1:43)

Rover 75 V6 Contemporary SE, Ski Blue Includes: - Detailed diecast model - Interior detailing - Front Grill detail - Rear detailing - Display stand - Collectors Card - 1:43 Scale Vehicle information: When the development of project R40, as the Rover 75 was known internally, began in earnest at Longbridge, the mood was optimistic because, to joint-venture partner Honda’s surprise, BMW had purchased the company in February 1994. They injected the development cash the business had hitherto lacked. The resulting car was launched at the Birmingham Motor Show on October 20th, 1998 and was praised for its elegant exterior design by stylist Richard Woolley and very British interior ambience. Production commenced at Cowley, Oxfordshire, but when BMW sold the company in May 2000 it was moved to Longbridge. The 75 remained in production until 2005 by which time 211,175 had been produced. The automatic 2.5-litre V6 Rover 75 modelled was sold new by MG-Rover dealers Vantage-Preston and was first registered in July 2005, just three months after the Longbridge-based company went into administration.  It features the later-revised bumpers, grille and single-light facelifted nose treatment launched in 2004, which gave the 75 a more modern look, although it cleverly used the same lamp base units with a new single lens on top. Since November 2022, it has been owned by Greater Manchester-based Rover 75 enthusiast Tim Hubbard, who bought it because it showed a genuine 87,000 miles and was in very good overall condition. The 75 and its MG-badged ZT cousin have now acquired a strong following in the classic car world and values are increasing.

Oxford Diecast Austin Mini Metro Emberglow (Princess Diana) (1:76)

Austin Mini Metro Emberglow (Princess Diana) Includes: - Diecast model - Driven by Princess Diana  - Body lining - Interior and body detailing - Display stand - OO Scale Vehicle information: British Leyland introduced the Mini Metro in 1980, with a view to it being a possible successor to the popular and highly acclaimed Mini.  Known initially as the Austin Mini Metro, as time went on with vehicle manufacturer mergers and takeovers, it became popularly known as simply the Metro.  Designed by David Bache and Harris Mann, the Metro was assembled at the Longbridge plant and came as a 3-door/5door hatchback with front wheel drive, a four speed gearbox and engine options from 1.0L  to 1.3L.Top speed was 84 mph.for the basic model. With a length of 3,400 mm and a width of 2,250 mm and boasting a spacious interior, it was particularly popular for use in the city too.  The price was pretty attractive as well. You could buy a new Austin Mini Metro  basic 1.0L model for £3,095. The Metro was revealed over a 3-week period in September 1980 but not at the British Motor Show, where it made its official public debut later.  British Leyland chose to sail from Liverpool to The Isle of Man aboard a cruise ship which proved highly newsworthy and attracted huge attention from prospective buyers from the car trade, who took advantage of this unique opportunity to view and buy the acclaimed vehicle. The Austin Mini Metro was popularised to a notable extent by one famous purchaser of the early version.  The 19 year old Lady Diana Spencer bought one at the time when she was attracting a great deal of attention prior to her marriage to the then Prince Charles.  Registered MPB 909W from 1980/81, it is Lady Diana’s Metro that Oxford has chosen to launch this new model. Decorated in the ruby red Emberlow colour scheme, Our Austin Mini Metro is based on the 3-door version.  The exterior features a fine double white stripe along the waist of the car, with a similar black stripe below.  The majority of the exterior trim is black including the distinctive radiator grille. which also has the squared off headlights embedded into it with the Austin blue badge in the centre.  To the rear the Austin mini Metro signage is printed in silver along the lower edge of the boot. The Austin Mini Metro was the best selling mini-car in its early production days and was voted Car of the Year in 1983.   During its 18-year production span, the Metro clocked up over 2 million sales. However, it is a very rare sight today.

Corgi Supermarine Spitfire T.9 TE308 (G-AWGB) Finished as A58-606 'Gre

Supermarine Spitfire T.9 TE308 (G-AWGB) Finished as A58-606 'Grey Nurse' Sharkmouth, operated by Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar Includes - Detailed diecast aircraft  - Cockpit interior and pilot detail - Engine exhaust and shark mouth detailing - Rotating prop - Optional Undercarriage (up or down positions) - Display stand - Collectors Card - 1:72 Scale   Aircraft information and history: As one of the most successful fighter aircraft of the Second World War and one which was produced in huge numbers, it can be a little surprising to learn that the Supermarine Spitfire was not produced in a two seat training variant during the war, meaning that pilots converting to this awesome machine would be making their first flight in the Spitfire as their first solo. The Vickers Supermarine company did propose the development of a two seat variant of the Spitfire to Air Ministry officials as far back as 1941, but as there was no official support for the project at the time, they simply returned to further development of single engined fighters. Once the war had ended, stories of unofficially modified two seat Spitfire projects started to circulate, with the ones produced by the Soviet Air Force being perhaps the most significant. Britain would eventually supply Russia with more than 1000 Spitfires and it was discovered that they actually converted several Spitfires to two seat configuration, however, rather than moving the front cockpit slightly forward as Vickers Supermarine would later do, the Russians elected to simply add a second cockpit behind the existing one, using a narrower section of the fuselage. Making these aircraft extremely distinctive, this also must have also created a rather claustrophobic working environment for the second pilot. With this information in hand, Vickers Supermarine revived their interest in producing a two seat Spitfire as a private venture and in 1946, selected a Spitfire Mk.VIII airframe as their donor aircraft. In fact, one of the most interesting facts about the two seat Spitfire variant is that there is no such thing as a new-build Spitfire T.9 trainer, because every single example was originally manufactured as a single seat fighter. Something of a post war phenomenon, the two seat Spitfire did attract several military operators over the years, including the Irish Air Corps, however, it is during the warbird restoration era and more specifically over the past two decades that the popularity of ‘Spitfires made for two’ has really become established. As arguably the most famous aircraft of all time, the ability to boast that you had flown in a Spitfire used to be the preserve of talented and extremely fortunate pilots, however, as they now had the opportunity to carry a passenger, the chance to fly in a Spitfire was now open to anyone and there has been no end of people desperate to have a Spitfire flying experience. Nowadays, offering Spitfire experience flights has become an extremely lucrative business, to a point where only a few years ago, almost every Spitfire under restoration was being converted to T.9 or two seat Spitfire standard. These aircraft are now much loved in their own right, regularly appearing at Airshows, in addition to operating in all but the poorest weather conditions, taking its latest lucky passenger on their Spitfire experience flight. These Spitfires made for two are maintaining and even enhancing the legacy of this magnificent aeroplane, bringing R.J Mitchell’s classic fighter to the attention of a new generation of Spitfire aficionados. Supermarine Spitfire TE307 was originally constructed as a Mk.IXe fighter variant in 1945, but due the end of the war in Europe, was immediately placed in storage, where she would remain for the next five years. She was then selected as a conversion airframe to T.9 trainer standard, initially earmarked for service with the Egyptian Air Force, but when this sale fell through, embarked on a service career flying with the Irish Air Corps. Following retirement and disposal, she would go on to be used during the filming of the famous move 'The Battle of Britain', before moving into private ownership and periods spent with different owners in France, Canada and the US over the next few decades. She would later be purchased by Warbird Experiences at Biggin Hill and returned to British skies at that time wearing the famous standard RAF wartime day fighter scheme, however, she was about to take on a very different persona. In a development which saw this aircraft become one of the most distinctive airworthy Spitfires in the world today, TE307 was given a smart new scheme in honour of the fighters flown by the men of No.457 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force during WWII. With each of their aircraft benefitting from the application of sinister looking shark mouths under the engine cowling, the unit was known as the 'Grey Nurse' Squadron and Spitfire TE307 now carries the registration A58-606 and the codes ZP-W in honour of Squadron Leader Bruce Watson, who flew with this unit. If you would like to fly in one of the most distinctive Spitfires in the world today, you need to get in touch with our friends at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar and join the long queue of people hoping to have this unique aviation experience.

Corgi The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour Bus (OO)

The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour Bus Includes - Diecast model - Exclusive Beatles Packaging - 1:76 Scale model

Oxford Diecast Land Rover Series I 88'' Canvas Bronze Green (1:76)

Land Rover Series I 88'' Canvas Bronze Green Includes: - Detailed diecast model - Distinctive Defender Series 1 front and grille - Interior detail - Canvas Back - Trim and brackets picked out in silver - Wheel detail - Display stand  - OO Scale Vehicle information and history: Rover chief engineer Maurice Wilks was inspired by his army-surplus Willys-Overland Jeep to create a workhorse vehicle for military and agricultural use - and for export abroad to kick-start both Rover's fortunes and the national economy after World War II. Prototypes were up and running by late 1947, and production of the Series I began at Solihull in summer 1948. It had permanent four-wheel-drive with low-ratio gearing and a locking freewheel mechanism, and a 50bhp, 1.6-litre engine from the Rover P3 saloon. It was fitted with lightweight body panels made from surplus aircraft-grade aluminium - steel was in short supply post-war - and came with army-surplus green paint. The Land Rover price started from just £450. Supply to the British forces started in 1949, the Land Rover replacing the Austin Champ and later, the rust-prone Austin Gipsy. Deliveries to organisations such as the Red Cross soon followed. The 100,000th Land Rover was made in autumn 1954 and by 1958, production ran to around 200,000. In Bronze Green this 88 inch Land Rover was one of the most popular colour schemes. The canvas however would fade over time, so the colours of these would vary considerably. They say no two surviving Land Rover Series I's are the same, each having their own identity.