David Sissons' Scratchbuilt Lady Penelope's FAB1

A master craftsmen's voyage in making his own FAB1 model.

Quite phenomenal!

 https://share.google/CGH3dZgCbZNe0n3Bx 

Bill Ev's Childhood FAB 1 Restoration Progress

Hi Woodsy

My Dinky FAB 1 restoration is coming along very nicely. Extremely slow but a solid progression.

I've watched a number of videos and read up on it extensively. Pretty much all of the results can literally only be displayed and barely touched, as I know the paint finishes will mark, if even lightly played with. One of the unseen goals I have attempted to undertake with all of my restorations is to ensure the end result can be handled and even lightly played with.

Hence a good wash with Johnsons Klear and then baking the whole lot in sunlight in my conservatory. The Chassis has been completed and once the wheels are cleaned, I'll be able to fit two out of the three axels.

The next big piece is to strip the bodywork down to the metal. Once that's completed sprayed, and lacquered with a wash of more Johnsons Klear, it'll be on to fitting all the plastic parts. The last time "'er Ladyship's" ride will have looked as neat as this, will have been when I unboxed it in 1966!

I was advised that this FAB 1 is extremely difficult to do. Which is why I'm taking my time. It's a beautiful model, and even though it's not as accurate as the Corgi version, I much prefer its shape. I can look at this, and with its sleek, low-slung design, I can imagine it racing along at 200MPH. Not so much with the Corgi design.

After this restoration. That will be everything from my Anderson toy box. So it's bitter-sweet. I still have a number of Dinky, Corgi and Matchbox toys that can still be restored.

One of these is a huge Luxury Coach with the Chinese-Six wheel base! Although that may never be done, as there are a significant number of parts that are broken/missing. And after an extensive search on the Internet/eBay and everywhere else, the bits just aren't available. Plus, it's a really big model. So even if I were able to restore it, there wouldn't be anywhere to display it.

FAB.

Bill Ev.

My FAB1's

 This is my small FAB1 collection.

LtoR

Century 21*, Scalextric, Dinky*, Carlton, Carlton talking

All are second-hand and found by chance except for the Scalextric, which is the most detailed and a Christmas gift from our daughter.

I'm missing quite a few like the remote control version from Century 21, the Corgi die-cast and the various model kits.

Somewhere I do have the small Matchbox car. I think my Grandson has it.

Has finding these FAB1s been great fun?

Yes, M'Lady!

Have you got one?

*

To be updated!

I've even more since taking these shots in the bath! TBC! 

FAB1's Found in or by Old Buses

OK, FAB1 and buses. Huh?

The first tale is something I first saw in David Nightengale's brilliant Century 21 magazine back in the early 00's. 

Peter Nelson, The proprietor of Cars of the Stars Museu, tracked down this old FAB1 and had it professionally restored if I remember rightly. 

Here it is as Peter found it, half-derelict beside a bus

And after his costly but meticulous restoration. Wow! 

It's the big FAB1 I actually went on to see in Keswick at Cars of the Stars before it was sold off. Did you go?

As far as I know it's in the Orlando Motor Museum now. Have you been there? 

The second bus tale is about its insides, which turns out to be the big FAB1 chassis. So, this is Anthony's FAB1 chassis story. 

Alas, I'm not on FB so I don't know how this progressed. Do you?

https://www.barnfindspecialist.co.uk/post/fab-1-our-latest-project-june-2025

A FAB1 Fairground Car?

 For a few years we've known about a large FAB1 model hanging high up on an emporium's wall.

This year Bill went to see it again and took some more photos.

See what you think. What a fab fairground ride it must have been if indeed it was one! 

Swinton's FAB1 TV Ad 1990

This is hilarious and a brilliant re-use of FAB1 and Thunderbird 2.

Parkers Day Off!

https://youtu.be/XOTvZS11zQE?si=jYLr-uvkt29tIxVl 

Pull Harder! A FAB1 Cracker!

 During the summer car boot season I picked up this little old plastic FAB1, far right next to a Carlton one. I blogged it at the time.

About an inch long, here it is up close.

A mystery, I think it was Mish who first suggested a capsule or a cracker.

I consulted my Nicholson Guide to Anderson Merchandise and checked Japanese premiums first like Yujin. No. Morinaga. No.

I then came home and checked the British Crackers section. Bam! There it was!

A little FAB1 from a 1993 Boots cracker! What a prize!

I'd have loved it! 

Checking the net, here's some pics of the box.

Prizes pictured on the box rear.

And Lady P's Rolls is off centre to the right.

Zero-X flying over FAB1: My Own Go

 Over the years I've mentioned the ocean colour scene in Thunderbirds Are Go 1966, in which Parker and Lady P sat in a hydroplaning FAB1 spot Zero-X in the sky above. It's a fleeting union of two Anderson icons.

You can see the super You Tube clip here

https://youtu.be/CJEczUhJ_do?si=2DCrVM5DebwiM2R3

And the fabulous marine action just prior

https://youtu.be/mUjNgDUaiGs?is=XyvLDSUBScnkFGQv

Well, spurred on by our Blue Milk 're-make' the other day, I thought I'd have a crack at recreating the above OX FAB1 scene or something like it.

I gathered my props, a smallish plaster OX and Carlton FAB1.

I finagled a set in the garden involving a tree to dangle the OX from in front of the sky and a wet glass table for the car.

Just as I set up it went dark with rain clouds!

I quickly took various shots before the heavens opened.

The last shot was then Woodsies up using the edit facility on my phone, basically smudging the background with my finger and then applying different filters (no AI). 

These are the finished filtered scenes. 

It was great fun doing it and messing like this gave me a very small glimpse of the monumental effort Derek Meddings and all the Century 21 team put in to create Thunderbirds et al.

Hope you like these. 

Alvis is Fab!

 Wow, this old mixed lot has two things I loved as a kid: an Airfix Alvis Stalwart and a JR21 FAB1.

Cor!

What a combination!

Good for you too?

A Blue FAB1?

 I mentioned the other day that I would like a blue FAB1.

Shigeru Komatsuzaki back in the day offered us a glorious illustration of one on the Imai box art.

This appears to have been a simple blueing of Shigeru's original pink FAB1 box cover.

Both models were the classic pink regardless of box art, so to get the blue sheen you would have to paint over it. 

Which do you prefer? 

The FAB Four!

I wonder if there's a collective noun for a bunch of FAB1's?

Or Rolls Royce's?

Unusually at this mornings outdoor sale I saw no less than four different loose pink Rollers, the signature ride of one Lady Penelope.

Yep, just The JR21 and the modern film version missing ... Or? 

Here's a gallery of the brands I saw, these pictures being from the net. 

Old Dinky classic we all adored

Modern Corgi - I was tempted as it had its missile, but no canopy. 

Matchbox miniature

Vivid talker, a plastic version. Again, tempted.

Did Vivid do a R/C FAB1 too?

Any more FAB1's out there? 

FAB1 on the Tracks

It's enough to make me want to start up slot car racing!

What do you think readers?

https://youtube.com/shorts/VrK2rOkRX40?si=rfttL9WXD1DH-lkD 

PS. Is it FAB1 or FAB 1?

Penelope's Choice

 My cracked FAB1 canopy is sure perplexing.

Rob's idea of Kitsugi is appealing, the uniqueness of the crack. I like it!

I consulted keen modeller Paul A and he agreed toothpaste might remove scratches. Teeth fixative powder too and complete with clear varnish. I did try toothpaste but I just couldn't get it to work. Maybe it was too smooth.

I've read on Richard's, a previous reader's resto effort, that T-Cut does the job too, on both body and dome.

Bill Ev had another useful tip: replace it entirely with one from from the Imai Amerang FAB1 model kit. Good call! Typical, I sold a loose Imai FAB1 last year ( a lockdown donation from Wotan), but if I recall it didn't have a dome, so I don't feel too bad!

Another way forward, if any at all, is the paper method. Simply cover the split with a parcel tape band, as it would have come packaged in its box back in '65!

Here's one, for sale, like that, courtesy of online dealer Modellers' Loft.

Here's my copy! The cracks gone!

Another more technical solution comes via a modeller I just discovered online today, Marc Brassé.

Marc's method is to create a whole new canopy from a plastic bottle. Yes! I can relate to that, as I've done it before myself, albeit on a smaller scale with my Matchbox Draguar.

Marc used a Reddy fritturollie bottle, which, with his obvious skill, gave this amazing result, completed with beautiful pink stripes.

Image: Marc Brassé

You can see more of Marc's fabulous work on his website:

https://www.brassee.com/scalemodeling.html

Attempting to emulate Marc I found some old water and pop bottles in the greenhouse and using the FAB1 canopy as a template, drew the shape and cut it out.

I repeated this four times but none of them fitted well enough to be deemed an ersatz. The bottle shape has to be spot-on I reckon, which is a feat in itself! 

Anyways, here's my less than satisfactory efforts. I've realized I can't cut curved plastic for toffee! 

I may just leave it up to Lady P!

Have you made your own domes readers?

THE SCALEXTRIC FAB1: MAKE TRACKS!

 I love this short video from Scalextric. Makes me want to get their FAB1.

Almost! 

Do you like it?

They just need a Zero-X flying overhead now.

BOWLS ROYCE: THE 1967 SUGAR SMACKS FAB1

Check this marvel out, the Sugar Smacks FAB1 on a great cereals premium site, Cereal Offers.

I'm not sure I've seen this FAB1 before.

What do you think?

 https://cerealoffers.com/Kelloggs/Sugar_Smacks/1960s/Lady_Penelope_Fab_1_Vehicle/lady_penelope_fab_1_vehicle.html

There are more Gerry Anderson premiums on the site too:

https://cerealoffers.com/Kelloggs/Sugar_Smacks/sugar_smacks.html

KEV'S KONAMI

Here is my Konami FAB1 with my TB1 scratchbuild .

Home Parker,

Kevin

UK

MARY KAY'S PINK PERKS

Hello Woodsy

Re: Think Pink

Here in the US Mary Kay cosmetics are famous for the Pink Cars the salespeople earn.

You will find photos online

https://www.marykay.com/en-us/sell-mary-kay/career-car-program

What do you think?

Terranova47

USA

BILL EV's KONAMI FAB1

This is from my collection. Its incredibly small. About 1/300th scale.

Bill Ev.

UK

The Smallest FAB1's?

 I've got a thing for FAB1 at the mo.

Remember this Pizza Hut cup lid from the early 90's. I had them all back then. Our daughter was 9 back then so we ate a lot of Pizza and Ice Cream from the Factory!

This FAB lid is from an old auction. Anyone got any more?

The little Rolls above isn't one I had. From Yujin, a Japanese make that released gorgeous miniature gumball-style Thunderbirds toys. Other companies did the same. Have you got any?