WEEKLY NEWS

We’ve received a number of calls over the past couple of days regarding the situation with the distribution of Spark models in the UK, with collectors concerned that there is no longer an official UK distributor. Grand Prix Models has not relied on a UK distributor for more than ten years enjoying a 'special' relationship with the factory and their mainland European distributor. We will continue to work with them to bring you the best service that we can. The new advantage for you is that we are no longer bound by a UK retail price list, which was often higher than for the rest of Europe, so the prices on the new releases are set to come down too. WIN/WIN!

Now on to this week's arrivals and we’ll start with a couple of significant re-stocks. For those who subscribe to the paper edition of Four Small Wheels, we have Binders in stock again and for those of you who build kits, after a long absence the excellent Solvaset decal softener is on the GPM shelves once more. On the subject of kits, from ABC-Brianza we see a subject that they modelled some time ago as a hand built now available to the hobby builder, the Ruf RK coupe, which is a much modified Porsche Cayman with 480bhp. Sounds like a fun combination! Slightly more sedate but still a class winner at Le Mans in the 1949 Monopole Simca, released by Renaissance as a dual option kit.

Continuing along that classic Le Mans theme, SLM 43 have released kits and hand made models of the pre-war Citroen C4 and 1950 Skoda Sport, the Skoda a subject long looked for by collectors. A sizeable delivery from Arena this week sees a colourful selection of new releases alongside plenty of backorders. Their Trans-Am Alfa Romeo theme continues with a very colourful GTA from Lime Rock 1972. There’s a brightly coloured Escort hillclimber from 1974 and for Porsche fans cars from the 1972 Targa Florio and 1974 Tour De France. Those Tour de France cars are pictured here for your appreciation.

Our resincast releases are from Neo who, amongst a bunch of new subjects have produced two very interesting road cars, the Maserati Mexico and Volvo’s first sportscar, the ill-fated, fiberglass-bodied P1900. Oxford have released a third version of their very smart Humber Pullman limousine, this one a car used by King George VI in the last years of his life. There are new diecasts from Minichamps too with Niki Lauda’s Hockenheim GP support race winning BMW Procar from 1979 and the slightly eccentric Bentley Continental SC, which can be displayed with its centre roof panel fitted or removed.

Most of the items mentioned above and some from the previous week are reviewed in detail in the this week's edition of FSW Weekly and for a quick view of all the new and re-stocked items from the last seven days, CLICK HERE.

Last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix was a bit of damp squib after the exciting previous races, but a flick of the TV remote to watch the World Superbikes from Monza got the adrenalin going again. This weekend there’s plenty to watch with MotoGP action from Le Mans, the Nurburgring 24 Hours, V8 Super cars (four races!) from the Austin, Texas track, DTM at Brands, the IRC in Corsica and WTCC from Austria. Hope it rains at home - no gardening means more telly time!

We have continued to add more information to our May Future Production List. Here are the headlines:

16/05/2013 - Four Small Wheels: edition 04/2013 just delivered back from the printers ready to despatch tomorrow... Four Small Wheels: our lovely British Racing Green magazine binders are back in stock so if you have a bunch of loose magazines cluttering your modelling desk, or annoying the wife now is the time to solve the problem... Baremetal: self adhesive metal foils and decal printing papers re-stocked and ready for sale...

15/05/2013 - Hotwheels: three 1:43 diecast Nigel Mansell F1 Ferrari models on the way... Paragon Models: merging the Model Icons range and expanding with 1:43 BMW diecast models and more 1:18 Rolls Royce including the John Lennon Phantom V... Jade Miniatures: now showing off the 1:43 master parts for the Ferrari 335S Pontoon that finished 1st and 2nd at the Venezuelan GP in 1957... RPM: welcome resurrection of this 1:43 range of kits and hand built models with very British based subjects, some that famously raced in the USA... Look Smart: confirm the colour choices for the soon to be available 1:43 Ferrari F150 LaFerrari `Super Enzo` hand made models... Scale Motorsport: re-stock of their top quality carbon fibre decal sets...

14/05/2013 - Spark: confirm the 2012 Le Mans DeltaWing Nissan model will be available just before this year's race... Matrix: advertising their next two fine looking 1:43 resincast models will be the Mercedes 300C and Chrysler New Yorker Ghia Thomas Special...

13/05/2013 - Look Smart: modelling the brand spanking new Lamborghini Egoista as a hand made 1:43 model. Jury is out on the styling here... BBR: now offering sets of 1:18 wire wheels and tyres... Fujimi: 1:43 resincast Ferrari 250GT SWB 'Breadvan' coming soon... Truescale: sending over the utterly brilliant Greenwood Corvette Spirit of Le Mans and stately Rolls Royce Phantom V Sedanca de Ville... Spark: small group due to arrive any time will have TVR Griffith, McLaren M1A, BMW 2002, Aston Vantage GT2 and 2012 Mercedes MGP W03 F1 cars of Schumacher and Rosberg... Automodelli: working with SMTS on 1:43 kits of the Lotus 49T Tasman Series cars of Clark and Hill... Solvaset: the best decal setting solution in the world now back in stock...

10/05/2013 - Minichamps: now taking orders for 2013 Formula One diecast models in 1:43 and 1:18 scales... GT Spirit: a new name in 1:18 resincast model production concentrating on Porsche to start with. First delivery planned for July... Autoart: here is the May production schedule of 1:18 and 1:43 diecast models...

09/05/2013 - FSW Weekly: this week's edition of news and reviews is now online for you...Norev: to go with the recent 1886 Benz how about their Daimler from the same year?.. ALM: remind us of their 1:43 Maserati Tipo 64 Targa Florio 1962 due soon... Joe Honda: next focus of his photo-book series will be Elf Team Tyrrell 1970 to 1973... Hiro: working on 1:43 superdetailed metal Porsche 962 kits. Pre-orders being taken...

08/05/2013 - Fujimi: planned 1:12, 1:20, 1:24 plastic kits includes Ferrari, Honda, McLaren F1, BMW and Mercedes... Ebbro: now listing the 2013 Super GT racers in 1:43... BBR Blue Moon: now showing off pictures of their first 1:18 hand built Ferrari in this colaborative range, the special bodied 375MM driven by Phil Hill on the Carrera Panamericana... Profil 24: confirm a limited edition 1:24 kit of Henry Seagrave's Daytona 1929 Golden Arrow land speed record monster. There will only be seventy-five kits so don't hesitate... Denizen: re-stocks of superb 1:43 unpainted figures...

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To keep yourself completely up to date visit the Future Production list regularly as there is a constant flow of additional products which all qualify for our 5% online pre-order discount off the price and with daily deliveries here at GPM you can keep yourself up to date with what's newly arrived by book marking the Arrivals section.