This imposing 1:18th model is the first release by the new British company Original Classics (the model is made in China as with most 1:18ths on the market however). OC's aim is to produce 1:18th models of classic British vehicles and I believe they are planning an Art Deco style 1:18th single decker coach and possibly a 1950s British police car (but as of Oct 2005 they have not appeared yet).
As you might expect, a 1:18th fire engine is a large model! This model is currently the second biggest in my collection, second only to the Minichamps Mercedes-Benz L6600 truck.
The F8 was first produced by the Dennis company at their factory in Guildford, Surrey in 1950. It proved to be an extremely popular fire engine which served with over 50 fire brigades both in the UK and around the world.
The truck was powered by a 175bhp Rolls-Royce petrol engine which gave it reasonable performance (which of course is important for a fire engine, unlike other trucks where economy is the main priority, not speed). It had a 150 gallon water tank, with a rear mounted water pump, a 180 foot long hose reel and a 35 foot long ladder.
This model depicts a Dennis F8 that was supplied to the Leeds City Fire Brigade in 1953. Today, the Leeds Fire Brigade no longer exists, as it was merged into the West Yorkshire Fire Service which now serves Leeds and other towns and cities in West Yorkshire. The Dennis F8 remained in service into the 1970s when it was replaced by newer more up to date equipment.
This is a very striking and large model that at present is only available new direct from Original Classics in the UK. OC seem to have concentrated on getting the exterior details of this model correct as it has practically no engine detail, and no brake detail at all. The body shape however looks very good and it has plenty of openings, including all the crew doors and two opening equipment lockers on each side. The ladder is also removable and can be extended. There is a movable searchlight at the front which is controlled by a lever in front of the passenger seat, but otherwise the interior is quite spartan. One small quality failing I've noticed is that one of the front headlights is slightly misaligned giving the model a slightly "google eyed" look. To date I haven't tried to correct the problem as I think they are glued in and I'd say I'd just make it worse!
As of October 2005 OC do not seem to have released any further versions of the F8, or any other models for that matter. This version is one of a run of 5000 models in total. Their website http://www.originalclassics.co.uk/index.htm does not contain any new information as to what they plan to release next, but I hope they manage to expand their range of models as subjects like this fire engine give my collection great variety.
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