Whatever has happened to....................?

[powerrabbit]

It was announced in various collector and model magazines last year that Corgi  were to release new tractor models of initially the Fordson Major 5000 and the MF135. Anyone heard anything or have they decided to give up? Perhaps they think that the competition is too great.

[ploughmaster]

Since that proposal was first announced, Corgi Classics has been bought by Hornby, and they have made some fairly substantial changes to the ranges (with the number of models in several ranges being drastically reduced) and the direction in which their future modelling ideas lie. 

As we have heard nothing further, I imagine the plan has either been put on hold, or that Hornby have taken a long hard look at the vastly increased level of competition in the farm toy market over the last couple of years and have abandoned the idea altogether (which is more likely), and concentrate on the markets where Corgi are already successful.. 

[Leakeyvale]

After the take-over a lot of models on the "to be released" list have been dropped from the latest catalogue (not just farm stuff). Collector friends of mine are seething because they have been awaiting various models that previously had planned release dates in 2009/10 that are now not to be made.

[powerrabbit]

Everyone seems to be rather fast in dissing Britains for their 'failings' but I think that Corgi have sunk to an even lower level. They have in the last couple of years re-released old stuff like all the TV and film related vehicles and a raft of busses and commercial veichles to mention a few which to me is not that interesting as the scale is too small and for what they are prices too high. I don't collect much Corgi but they do occasionally come up with some good items, meaning the Anglia Fordson and JCB service vans, the JCB 3CX MK1 digger, long wheelbase Land Rover and Transit van but all the scales are different which is a little off-putting, perhaps we have been spoilt with the more 'standard' 1:32 scale for our collecting purposes but there is no consistancy between the scales from Corgi across the model range in order to mix and match models, most seem to be 'stand alone' models unless you collect them on a 'theme' such as the road transport models. This has always puzzled me.