Small Scale Military Headquarters

Hi All,
Minichamps announced today plans to offer a 1:35 scale Russian-built T-72A/M1 main battle tank. No pix were provided and there's no way of knowing which country is being represented as the client nation. Could be Iraq, but who knows at this point...

Cordially,

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.bigstep.com

Do they have a website?

They do, but the information hasnt been posted there just yet. It'll probably show up on February 2nd, to coincide with the Nuremberg Toy Fair.

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.bigstep.com

Be great if they dif one in Soviet or Russian colours. A NVA version would be good.

Lightning - By theway any news on the forthcoming Minichamps Centurion?

The Minichamps Deutschland site now indicates its been pushed back until September....

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.bigstep.com

Lightning - thankyou for confirming my worst fears about the Centurion!

Hi Greycap,
Part of the problem with more players entering different scaled markets is that some manufacturers tend to take a wait and see attitude to determine what their competition is doing rather than laying out all their cards on the table at one time. As a result, new product coming to market can actually start to slow down instead of speed up for fear of releasing a product that may be duplicated by another manufacturer. This is almost certainly taking place in the 1:72 scale market and is now starting to occur in some of the larger sized regimes where tooling costs are more expensive.

I have a feeling that alot of manufacturers will be scrutinizing their competition's products very closely at this year's Toy Fair to see how they can get a leg up on the competition. Can't say I blame them considering the risk/reward ratio these days. I just wish that some of them would listen a bit more closely to what we have to say when it comes to choosing new vehicles to replicate.

As for the T-72, you have to remember that Minichamps, unlike most of its competition, is still a Euro-centric entity that is more in tune with the European collector than the North American fan base. We too were a bit dismayed by their choice to do a T-72 (might as well include a big bullseye in the packaging so the M1 can take aim) as opposed to a PzKpfw IV but certainly understand why they chose it, especially if it comes out in an East German livery instead of Iraqi (it has to be an export version since its the T-72A/M1 they're modeling, not the traditional Russian T-72).

Anyway, look for alot of companies to ramp up in the latter half of the year as they continue to gauge the Amercian economy and evaluate their competition's product portfolio.

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.bigstep.com

Hi,
According to the German Minichamps web site, the upcoming T-72A/M1 is circa 1978, so I'm led to believe its going to be in an East German livery. Of course, we could be wrong, but that's my impression until hard-and-fast information comes along.

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.bigstep.com

Lightning - Thanks very much for your information. I live in the UK and when I mentionned a NVA T-72 I actually meant National Volks Armee, the non-lamented former East German Army. I'd certainly buy it! Actully I suppose the T-72 counts as NATO tank today as its used by the Poles, Czecks and Hungarians. Pleanty of colour schemes for Minichamps to choose from.

Hi Graycap,
Well, considering how slow they are to release new paint schemes and the diversity of client-nations now using the T-72, we will be coming out with an entire range of repaints for this vehicle. We also have some other news we're sitting on that we'd love to share but can't as yet...

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.bigstep.com

Lightning- you've really whetted my appetitie. I'll just have to be patient!

News! News! News! News!

In the immortal words of the Go-Gos, "our lips are sealed!" (pay no attention to the emoticon<g>)

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.bigstep.com