Affordable high end 1/24 diecasts are still out there

[traditional]

If you'd still like to buy a 'Danbury Mint quality' diecast automobile in 1/24 scale, check out Century Dragon's recently released up-quality diecast Red Flag CA770 Chinese limosine, also known as a HongQi. This is an elegantly styled vehicle originally introduced in 1958.

Some of you may remember around 20 years ago, Kader Industries offered a version of this vehicle but it was quite expensive (significantly more than FM or DM 1/24 cars then) and although it was well done for that time, this recent Century Dragon version is so much more advanced and detailed and also, surprisingly, much less expensive. The suggested price is listed at US$99, but many vendors have it at less than that. I paid $90 plus EMS speedy shipping

The model comes mounted on a finished woodgrain base with a plaque specifying the limited number. The seats are finished in a suede like finish and the two extra jump seats fold down in the passenger area. The trunk mounted spare accurately depicts the rear of an unmounted wheel and there's also a simulated set of trunk mounted batteries.

The black paint on the body is absolutely smooth and glossy with plated trim showing no sprues or burrs.

Their website shows a plethera of other limosines and Chinese vehicles in a variety of scales including a few in 1/24 to go along with this.

I took these pics on the same afternoon that the model arrived at my door  

 

 

 

Edited September 5, 2018 by traditional

[randyc]

IT's nice.  Doesn't really fit in my collection theme.   Wonder if it's the same factories that were making the "mint' cars?  Detail on diecasts has come a long way in all scales since the 2000s when the clunky Ertl's were the main thing.  I see they are still selling those, but at a much higher price than originally.  

Thanks for sharing - nice to see that there are still some new cars out there that aren't so astronomically priced.  I can't in any way justify the price of an automodello car.  Nice to look at though.

 

[MrObsessive]

While that's not my type of model I'd rush out a buy, it IS nice!! Lots of details for the price, and that black paintjob looks nearly flawless!

37 minutes ago, randyc said:

IT's nice.  Doesn't really fit in my collection theme.   Wonder if it's the same factories that were making the "mint' cars?

That may very well be! If you remember the Chinese government seized the DM factories. The reason behind that I'm not sure, but it could be so that they could make their own gems like this without American involvement.

[Chevythunder85]

That early ford v8 looks good in there!

[THarrison351]

2 hours ago, Chevythunder85 said:

That early ford v8 looks good in there!

Well, sort of makes you think of a Y-block because of the bolts in the valve covers and some of years and divisions used yellow paint. Also, Fords usually have a distributor in the front, but not the Y-block. Still, looks good though.

[Chevythunder85]

20 hours ago, THarrison351 said:

Well, sort of makes you think of a Y-block because of the bolts in the valve covers and some of years and divisions used yellow paint. Also, Fords usually have a distributor in the front, but not the Y-block. Still, looks good though.

I remember watching a snipit of Jay Leno's Garage. They had one on the show, and they confirmed that it was a ford y block.

[traditional]

20 hours ago, Chevythunder85 said:

I remember watching a snipit of Jay Leno's Garage. They had one on the show, and they confirmed that it was a ford y block.

Although Jay Leno thought it looked like a Ford Y-Block, they later revised that to say it was likely based on a Chrysler Imperial motor and transmission.  Some reports even describe the motor as like a small-block Chevy,  but I don't believe it's any of those as the exhaust and spark-plug area looks more like the Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Pontiac, Packard, Hudson, Studebaker motors of the era, but unlike any of those, the engine compartment shows a forward mounted distributer.  It certainly looks American in shape though.   China had close ties to Russia at the time and the Russian ZILs were copying the Packards for a lot of their early lineage so perhaps they got the drivetrain from Russia.  Interestingly, the display engine on the stand includes a rear mounted distributer.....perhaps a production running change.

Edited September 7, 2018 by traditional