Just A Mix Of Pics - Ray Green Collection

[Barrie]

I'm not sure if the Merit range of 1/24th scale car kits ever made it to NZ but they were pretty good kits given that they were 100% plastic - which also included the tyres. Dad built virtually the full set and photographed some of them - circa 1962 at a guess. I remember well him mixing up his own charcoal grey satin paint, as black gloss always looked totally wrong.

Two were "Super Kits" including the Alfa, with detailed engines.


Most, like The Mercedes, just had the body polished rather than painted as in those days, small spray cans weren't really around.


Not many kit manufacturer's have bothered with the Cooper and other 500cc cars, yet there were many different full size models deserving of reproduction in plastic.


The other "Super Kit". The Talbot Lago. Incidentally, I brought these built up kits back to NZ when dad passed on, so maybe I should now re-photograph them in colour. For the day though, these were extremely accurate kits.

This is a trip down memory lane. Yes, Merit kits did come to New Zealand. The first one I assembled was the Vanwall, my all time favourite. Others in the series were the D-Type, Aston Martin DB3S, Lancia Ferrari, Simca-Gordini as well as the ones pictured. I bought all that I could locally.
At the time my Dad was working for NAC loading the DC 3 aircraft and also refuelling them. One of the others there was English and when he and his wife learned of my interest they offered to get the remainder from England for me. That meant saving and buying five shilling English postal notes. So I did assemble both the Alfa Romeo and the Talbot Lago kits as well. Sadly, with frequent moves over the years they became damaged and are long gone. Assembling the Alfa was such fun with its twin magneto set up.

Barrie