Collectors’ Corner

A collision was not always a failed lap. In Carrera’s 1998/99 catalogue, the Crash Derby set deliberately sends two little cars towards a narrow section of track where they can collide. The accompanying illustration shows a red car and a green one meeting nose-to-nose. The caption explains that their bonnets and body panels come away in a crash. Those loose pieces were part of the game. Crash Derby sits in…

Page 31 of Herpa’s 1991 catalogue is a small guide to how these models were collected. Beside the vehicle parts are transparent individual cases, wall displays and even a rotating shop stand. The individual cases are listed separately for 1:87 cars, 1:87 lorries and 1:43 cars. Each is described as including retaining clips. They are small objects in their own right, with a clear cover over a dark base. The…