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1/32nd Static kits suitable for slot racing conversions
last updated 18/3/04
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AIRFIX (UK) - series 1
Series 1 kits were the bread and butter kits in the Airfix range and were produced in vast quantities. Sold in plastic bags with instruction sheets (header cards) stapled to the top they were originaly sold for 2/- (10p) - a price dictated by the Woolworths chain - and molded in a colour suitable for the car depicted (mini in red, VW in green etc) to minimise the painting required. They were well detailed but simple kits with no opening parts and only simple underside detail.
In the way typical of Airfix, kits often moved up in series without gaining any additional parts to suit the needs of the manufacturer and to the dissapointment of the customer! The DB5 and Porsche Carrera 6 only appeared for a year as series 1 before being upgraded to series 2 and are consequently very rare in bags, although fairly common in series 2 boxes (see series 2).
M4 to M8 and M10 (Bond Bug) were renumbered in the new numbering system introduced in 1973. M4 (mini), M5 (E Type),M8 (Lotus Cortina) and M10 (Bond Bug) were upgraded to series 2 in 1975 despite gaining no new parts. This was probably due to them being difficult to fit into the new blister packaging introduced for series 1 at this time. The Cortina is the most widely travelled Airfix car kit as with the addition of only a set of fancy transfers and a few custom car parts in ended up in 1981 in series 4! Must have been quite a dissapointment opening that box!
Series 1 kits sold in huge quantities and as such should not prove difficult to locate or too expensive (except as previously mentioned the DB5, Porsche Carrera 6 plus also the Bond Bug). Despite its relatively short production run the Vauxhall Viva (along with the E type) is by far the easiest to find.
Since the early nineties the Frogeye, E type, VW, Herald and Aston have been sporadically available as re issues, joined in recent years by surprisingly the HA Viva.
IMPORTANT UPDATE! I am indebted to Andy Wakeford for the fascinating info that M11C was originaly used for a series 1 release of the usually series 2 Triumph Herald. This must have been a very short release, probably around 1966 as the series 2 version came out in 1967. If so this must be considered the rarest of the series 1 issues.Can anybody confirm this and shed any extra light on it?A scan (if you won't part with it!) of the header would be much appreciated!
The mini was available in two versions (ignoring packaging variations) with the early version having plain bumpers (ie no over rider/nudge bars) and no Cooper grill. Usually the kits with the later type header as shown on this page have the Cooper parts and the kits with the earlier header don't but I don't know this for certain.
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| Model No. | Approx. issue | Model | Rarity | Comments |
| M1C | 1961-71 | Sunbeam Rapier | 3 | |
| M2C | 1961-71 | Austin Healey Sprite (Frogeye) | 2 | Airfix re issue available |
| M3C | 1962-71 | Renault Dauphine | 4 | |
| M4C (01404-1) | 1962-74 | Morris Mini Minor | 2 | MRRC re issue available |
| M5C (01405-4) | 1963-74 | Jaguar E Type | 1 | Airfix re issue available |
| M6C (01406-7) | 1964-74 | VW Beetle 1200 | 3 | Airfix re issue available |
| M7C (01406-7) | 1965-74 | MG1100 | 3 | |
| M8C (01408-3) | 1965-74 | Ford Cortina Lotus (MKI) | 3 | Slot version available |
| M9C | 1965-71 | Vauxhall Viva deluxe (HA) | 1 | Airfix re issue available |
| M10C | 1966-68 | Aston Martin DB5 (bagged version) | 4 | Airfix re issue available |
| M10C | 1971-74 | Bond Bug | 5 | Moved to series 2 (boxed) 1973 |
| M11C | ??1966?? | Triumph Herald (1200) | ?! | see update above |
| M12C | 1966-67 | Porsche Carrera 6 | 5 | Moved to series 2 (boxed) 1967 |
click on images to see larger version, use your back button to return to this page.Thanks to Adrian Johnstone for the loan of the rare Bond Bug header.
Series 1