The Russian modelmaker RCM (Rare Model Cars) has just announced, for delivery in January 2021, two interesting 1:43 models, which I had hoped for the longest time that someone would make them. And now, surprise, they are coming out of Russia.
The first one, RCM 05, is the miniature of a 4-seater Tourer, namely the Benz 80 PS “Prinz Heinrich Car” of 1910.
The model is available for preorder from ModelCarsHeritage in Sankt- Petersburg (Russia), for the price of 12500 Rubles (roughly 220 USD +shipping). The production is extremely limited to 30 pieces. Payable by Paypal to: mchspb@yandex.ru
The second model, RCM 06, is the 1:43 model of the Benz 100 PS “Prinz Heinrich Renn-Tourer”, a souped-up version of the 1910 4-seater Tourer for racing in the famous “Prinz Heinrich”- races, open to modified production cars only. For memory, the name “Prinz Heinrich races” came from Prince Albert Wilhelm Heinrich of Prussia – an automotive enthusiast and brother of German Emperor Wilhelm II, who was the patron and sometimes participant of these races.
This model’s production is limited to 30 pieces as well, and is available for pre-order as well, for the same price of 12500 Rubles (+shipping). Order from and also payment to: mchspb@yandex.ru
Specially made by Wiking in 1:43, this exclusive limited version model of the Mercedes-Benz Atego fire-truck of the Almere Fire-department in the Netherlands will only be available the 13th and 14th of February 2021 at the ”Chicago Fire Event” in Zwolle, in the Netherlands, or right now by pre-order on eBay, for the price of 80 € (app. 94.00 USD), plus intl. shipping (15.00 EUR, approx. USD 17.60).
To pre-order, go to eBay, and look for: Mercedes Atego Brandweer Almere.
Hurry! Time is of the essence!
Matrix announces for January 2021 the release of a 1:43 model of the 1972 Mercedes-Benz ESF 13.
This experimental safety vehicle was the second in a series of safety vehicles, designed, as the name implies, to improve the safety for driver and passengers. The research continues to this day. For more about these cars, please read:
https://media.daimler.com/marsMediaSite/en/instance/picture/Mercedes-Benz-ESF-13.xhtml?oid=43388909
From Autopioneer: the Mercedes-Benz 540K – Body: Fréjat, 1947, ca.260 €
On a discovery trip
At the last swap-meet event in Gothenburg, I was with a merchant from Jönköping, a familiar figure at Nordic demonstrations. His stand is the kind of stand where I will stop to take a close look at the models offered for sale. As a good professional, he had classified his merchandise by miniature manufacturer. For the one who wants to sell his products, it is crucial to help the potential buyer by a rigorous classification. Many forget this.
As I looked at his stand, I noticed a Mercedes 180 taxicab from Tekno. It is a miniature that I like, and my many trips to Scandinavia have taught me how rare the “taxi”versions (Sweden) and how much rarer than the “taxa” versions (Denmark) were. 
The most sought-after one is of course the advertising version for the company Ring Billen. 
The car was new, but its price did not allow me to buy it for resale in my store. As I already had this color in my collection, I left the stand. Since the swap-meet lasted two days, our man had invited me to come back the next day to look at all his models. It is always easier for a dealer to make a price for a set than for one single model. So, the next day I chose two Tekno trucks and a Volkswagen station wagon. I could still see this beautiful Mercedes cab in the corner of my eye on the stand. I then calculated a price for all three models and submitted my offer. The man was eager to sell. So I picked up the Mercedes “taxi”-cab again and included it in a new proposal for all four models. And there, when I picked it up, I noticed a detail that had escaped everyone's attention, including my own, the day before. The car was equipped with an interior. That in itself is very unusual for the Mercedes 180 model. I had already noticed that. But it was also equipped with a steering wheel that was located on the right-hand side! It should be noted that Sweden, the country for which this model was intended, did not switch to right-hand drive, i.e. left-side steering, until 1961. The funniest thing, and the memories immediately came back to me, is that my friend had bought this car at the famous sale in Copenhagen, where I had bought many prototypes. It was part of a series of several models, and nobody had noticed this particular detail. It is a good bet that this model was part of a pre-series. The design office had clearly highlighted the steering wheel rim so that possible decision makers at Tekno could better imagine this detail during meetings. Having bought the model, I showed this very interesting detail to my salesman. Finally I kept it for my own collection. I also received confirmation of its origin some time later.
(с)BERND D. LOOSEN
