What I have for you today is a piece of hard-hitting investigative journalism. It was while browsing one of the diecast model forums a chap mentioned that there was a sale event going on with a German model car supplier, namely www.ck-modelcars.de. I thought that perhaps this was something worthy of investigation. To see whether the international diecast trade is worth having anything to do with.
Well, I’m not supposed to be spending money at the moment… but the pound is strong against the Euro…. and they did seem to have some remarkable deals on… and I did always fancy a model XJS….So I clicked the mouse a few times and OH LOOK I’VE BOUGHT IT. Oh well, no going back now.
A few days later it arrived via tracked DHL courier. And here it is.

I have to say I was extremely impressed with the whole undertaking. Firstly, the price. OK, the AutoArt XJS isn’t exactly a cutting edge release, being from their “Millenium” collection, but apart from the slightly clunky YatMing offering it’s unique on the market and consequently timeless. The list price on the ck-models website is 119 Euros, the sale price was 49. Plus 6E postage, converted into coins of the realm it set me back £39. This is money I really shouldn’t be spending, but it’s done now. YOLO, right?
The ck-modelcars website is excellent; the only thing I couldn’t find was an easy way of searching in order of price. E.G; I’m a tightwad by nature and am very keen on spending the absolute minimum amount of money on anything. Everything. Natch; this is the least expensive AutoArt 1:18 on the website. Possibly in the world.

Naturally, the model itself is absolutely spectacular, the best I own by far.
From nose to tail the only issues I can find are that the thickness of the metal is a little obvious around the meeting between the bonnet and the headlights, I’m not 100% on the wheels and white was certainly not the best colour to get an XJS in, unless you’re a local radio DJ or run a mobile disco and wear a lot of gold jewellery.

The rest of the model is stunning. The headlamps are gloriously modelled, with lenses that look real and real depth. The grille between them is precisely crafted with a jewel-like V12 emblem central. Bumpers and auxiliary lights have been observed closely and recreated with panache. The proportions are exact and all the doors fit with a precision that was possibly not always achieved by Jaguar themselves.
There are no tacky, cheaty stickers or decals, the only tampos are for the V12 and XJS badging. Separate direction indicator lamps are inset into the front fenders, the red and grey coachlines are precisely applied and lead the eyes to the rear of the car where the same exacting attention to detail has been applied.

The boot opens up on realistic hinges and is supported on accurate pneumatic-style dampers. There’s a spare wheel in there, wearing a protective cover. The boot is fully carpeted, naturally. The boot opening is framed by a pair of fabulously realistic rear lamps and a crisply observed JAGUAR script above the license plate aperture. Special mention to for the perilously fragile rubber-ducky antenna on the right rear fender, which I can’t see surviving my sausage fingers for long.

If the rear end is impressive, the underbonnet area is bewildering. The bonnet, with its detailed sound deadening material, lifts forwards on accurate hinges and is held in place by two incredibly precise gas-struts. The engine is accurate to the Nth degree, including a chromed radiator cap and red handled dipsick. The wiring and plumbing, even down to the air conditioning pipework is all present and correct and looks as fiendishly complicated as it ought to. There’s probably a working diagnostic port somewhere.

Open the driver’s door and you just want to wiggle your bum into that inviting buff leather throne and ooze out onto the highway. Of couse, everything (with possible exception of a too-large gear selector) everything is well done, right down to the accurately reproduced rotating drum auxiliary gauges on the dash cluster.
The interior woodwork is top notch, there’s a full headlining and even little interior lights. The air conditioning blows cold, too, which isn’t something I expected in a thirty year old XJS.
Oh, it’s amazing. Buy one. Even if you hate Jags and the XJS in particular.

The problem I now have is that the standard of this model well outstrips every other model in my collection. Actually, I have a second problem in as much as I now know that you can buy model cars from other countries with confidence.It arrived five days after ordering, beautifully packed and complete with a paper catalogue of all their other delights, as well as the latest Schucco range brochure, which is painfully tantalising.
www.ck-modelcars.de, I thank you. For making it so easy and pain free to spend my money.
(All images copyright Chris Haining / Hooniverse 2015)