Greetings 

  The Compliments of the Season to all, I am not sure where January went, I got distracted researching my Family tree on the Internet, covered my floor with print-outs of ancient census's, slipped on one and knocked my tripod over - scratch one digital Camera so web page production is down, pending an insurance claim 

http://www.tbirduk.com/html/Durham_classics.asp#2003

(Sorry about the page load time, it's on my list for conversion)

$138 each !!!
I think Durham are going to price themselves out of the market if they aren't careful

A MatchBox 2000 Concept 1:63 Convertible sneaked through on eBay which set me hunting http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1790483580

I now find they have also produced 3 models based on the Matchbox 1:43 1955 Platinum model (yellow)

1. For the 2002 Maple leaf meeting  I have also heard there is a members only edition of 25 with the shield in silver rather than White, trying to get confirmation of this.

2. For the same Ford rental Agency who issued the 2000 model - Pacifico Ford 75th Anniversary - no mention on their website, and they don't have any special offers on T-Birds for my zip code

3. For the Northwest Matchbox Club 2002 - Their website is a little out of date but you could try emailing Tom Lawson matchboxtom@cs.com   

Info athttp://www.tbirduk.com/HTML/mb-dy_code2.asp 

Expect to pay about $45 each

A new 1963 Colour is out in the 2003 range http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3112290460

I bought a Ford Gift Sethttp://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1789842146 because of the 1957 T-Bird and was pleasantly surprised to find that the car is actually a different gray Metal flake to the "Then and Now" set car. You really need to see the cars alongside each other, but the "Then and Now" car (or at least the one in my collection) has the appearance of Silver Metal Flake over a dark base whilst the Ford Set Car Is a much denser Metal flake and a shade lighter.

Another Caricature, this one is the 1957 T-Bird but in "Micro Machines" Scale made by Simple Wishes Inc.

The Ragtop 1962 Sports Roadster appeared on schedule and a White Lightning was produced. 

The Thunderbird sets seem to have fizzled out, Series 3 White Lightnings are "Hen's Teeth" and Series 4 is past release date and no one is talking about it.

A new 1958 in "Aston Martin Grey" came out in January in the Hot Rod Magazine / Motor Trend (Primedia) - Release 1 - White Lightnings are out.

A new 1961 Indy Pace Car in gold/white is due in May in the Classic Gold 2 - Release 18

I was surprised at this one :- A one off custom of the Muscle Machines 1956http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2501&item=1922365417&rd=1 
Nicely done but $65 seems a little high ?

Interesting Corgi 1:321957http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1925036957
Is it a Hybrid made out of the normal Pink model and the black roof from the White version ? 
Not listed in any of my books, so I bought it "just in case", and it can now be seen athttp://www.tbirduk.com/html/Corgi_801.asp

Lots of new pages, so many in fact that I had to subdivide the drop down menus !

White Metal (Brooklin, Durham, SMTS, etc.) are now listed separately to Die Cast. 

Good Hunting