In the good old days, before the blog and shortly after the birth of the Web as we now know it, the industrious Mr Woods made the original Project Sword Checklist. This still exists in various formats in forgotten corners of the internet and still remains the definitive guide to all things SWORD. One of the very first things I did after opening my very first internet account, was to go hunting for information on Spacex toys and Project Sword. Pauls checklist was my first stop. Unfortunately, due to technical limitations, the checklist never had any pictures on it and the few models on the list that I wasn't then familiar with remained tantalising and remote.One such model was the 'Echo Car' which I had never heard of, let alone seen and this tormented me for many years until I came across one on a model site some time ago. Blog readers will be familiar with these models now, but our far eastern correspondant Terry spotted the Echo car and its two sister kits, the Vanguard and Moguras, on a japanese auction site. Whilst not up to the normal deluxe standard of jap kits, they are unusual in that they appear to have been made for a European market with english instructions and a very sixties retro style cover on each colourful box.
Just chillin' on the settee after some strenuous gardening when up pop my fave little toys! Aaah, the good old days! Where did they go? How did we communicate? I remember buying my Echo car at a small evening toy fair, where I never expect to find anything, even nowadays (there's one tonight in ELSECAR) but somehow do (my first SWORD toy - as an adult that is - was found in Normanton - the Space Glider, £25 1992 - a fortune!). I loved the Echo car and bought it on the spot for a few quid. It was already made up and missing the the trimmings. Always makes me think of liverpool - the Echo I reckon! the artwork instantly drew me to it and I dreamt for years of seeing the other two kits but alas it took Ebay to do that years later (theres a MOGURAS on Ebay US BIN at the mo). The Echo car has a longer heritage than I thought as have a lot of late Sixties toys. The Vanguard is another one, which I now see as a relative of the fantabulously Swordish Lunar Climber. And the Moguras turned up later in TB2 as the mole! Yes, I have a soft spot for the Echo car and his chums. Yes, I have a soft spo..... hee hee. "Echo"! Nice one Wote!
ReplyDeleteI think these are Hong Kong copies of the Japanese Midori Baby kits.
ReplyDeleteSean