Danbury Mint 1951 Ford

The Danbury Mint '51 "Shoe-Box" Ford is truly an eye-catcher. A car from an era I remember vividly it was a welcomed addition to my collection. Holding the '51 in my hands for the first time brought back the excitement I remembered when I was a kid in high-school going on my first date. The '51 Custom graced the streets of my neighborhood but the ones etched into my memory were black not red and none were convertibles.

Personally, I prefer the red to the black that I remember in front of every home; it is just more exciting to view in this attractive color. The finish on my replica is glass like, silky smooth. Its chrome accents and panel alignment are as good as it gets. Funny, at least to me, the classics from my youth that I remember don't look anything like the one on my desk in front of me. The one's I remember were buckets of rust that showed they were used and abused not like the classics that grace our shelves today. Then again I prefer to view pictures of myself forty years ago too, less rust and wear in them too.

The Danbury Mint Custom poses well top up or down. I love the look and texture of the convertible top and choose to pose mine top-up. However, by doing so I am hiding the gorgeous burgundy and black interior, something I don't want to do. Therefore, the only solution for me is to rotate its pose on a monthly basis. Regardless of how you pose yours I assure you it is one that will display well regardless of the pose.

This automobile was best known for its "dual-bullet" grille, Danbury nailed it perfectly. For you young'un's out there that don't remember the 50's let me clue you in. It was all about chrome baby, the more the better. Look at the nose of this car it is all chrome and I assume the bullet grille was meant to convey speed like a bullet in flight. Whatever the case it sure looked good on this automobile and one I enjoy admiring today at car shows.

The rear of the "shoe-box" was just as unique as its nose. Look at the taillights with the spears attached to them again alluding to speed like a lighting-bolt. Its unique squared off design and use of chrome to accentuate its lines helped it out sell Chevrolet by 10 percent, which was not an easy feat. Chevy was king of the hill at the time and it just got knocked off the mountain with this 'New exciting design; it was a hit.

The retro interior is what makes this model a must have for the '50's collector; "it popped my cork". Just look at that door panel and tell me it doesn't do a thing for you, I will dial 911; you don't have a pulse and must be dead. Be sure to check out the chrome that runs across the top of the windowsill where you rest your arm as you sped down the highway. The chrome was designed to keep your arm from sliding all over the place. It is this kind of "bling" that makes me take notice of a model; these little extra's tell me the designer not only wants to create a ho-hum replica but he/she has a love for what they do and want to assure it is done right. Kudos' to Danbury for the little touches that make this model more than an also ran.

Also, in true Danbury fashion the gauge cluster is readable and one of the best you will see in a Diecast replica. When it comes to gauges Danbury Mint is one of the best as far as I'm concerned, this model only cements that thought for me.

Engine detail is very good. Remember this was a '50's car; there isn't much under hood detail to begin with. It would have been nice to see battery cables instead of paint to create the illusion of cables on the terminals but we can't have everything can we. All in the entire engine bay is well represented and I give it a thumbs up for "bling". The photo-etched wipers didn't work for me either; I would have preferred to see a molded wiper and arm than those cheap photo-etched wipers. Please do away with photo-etched wipers already; they just don't work especially on a model of this caliber.

In conclusion the Limited Edition 1950 Ford Custom Convertible in Coral Flame Red recreated for the 1:24th market is a keeper. I highly recommend this "Limited Edition" especially if you love those old "Shoe-Box" Fords you won't be disappointed with this classic that's for sure.

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