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| Since 1974, Brooklin Models has been creating beautiful 1/43 scale miniatures of American automotive classics. Honouring American automotive history, design, and styling, and with a focus on the time period between the 1930’s and the early 1960’s, Brooklin has given us such Milestone cars as the 1935 Studebaker Commander, the 1941 Packard Clipper, and the 1953 Buick Skylark, as well as some unique automobiles, such as the 1936 Stout Scarab, 1938 Phantom Corsair, and the 1957 Rambler Rebel. The range even includes four trailers and a classic speedboat.
Brooklin Models Limited has its origins in the small rural town of Brooklin, located 35 miles northeast of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was in the early 1970’s that John Hall, a design engineer teaching at the University of Toronto, decided to change a life-long interest in American automobile styling into something tangible – scale models in 1/43 scale. Compared to models found in the Brooklin Collection today, these early models were crude. The first two 1933 Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow models, cast in the basement of John’s house, were made of resin, and had wooden sticks from ice-cream bars incorporated into their baseplates for stiffness. The earliest models cast in white metal did not have windows in clear plastic, no rear windows at all, and their tyres were made of white rubber. But by 1977, models from Brooklin were improved, complete with details of windshield wipers, clear plastic windows, and licence plates. Model car collectors and HO train buffs in the Toronto area, as well as the north-eastern United States, were soon collecting these models of American classics.
In 1979, John and Jenny Hall returned to England, setting up shop in the beautiful town of Bath, Somerset. This move led to an immediate distinction between the earlier models and the new English ones, making the Canadian Brooklins more highly valued and sought-after.
On August 6, 1998, Nigel Parker and Tim Fulford led a management buyout of the company, and in the years since have pushed the quality of their models to new heights. Models in the current range now feature improved detailing, with the fine touches of plated hood ornaments, windshield wipers, and door handles. The current Brooklin factory covers 5,000 square feet on two levels, with tight passageways and stairwells connecting the various production areas. Factory staff numbers 25.
In 1993 a new name appeared within the Brooklin portfolio. For some time there had been talk of introducing a range of British models to complement the American vehicles. Originally mooted by John Martin and John Hammick, the Lansdowne range consisted initially of four models. John Hall decided upon the Lansdowne brand name after the Lansdown area of Bath.
Brooklin / Lansdowne models are hand made less than 1/2 mile from Bath Model Centre |
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