Brooklin
Brooklin Models Limited, started in 1974, is the largest producer of handmade 1:43 scale miniature models of vintage American cars, trucks, and other vehicles. Brooklin Models is located in Bath, England, and all models are currently produced there (Mateo 2007). Unlike high-volume, mass-produced models, all of Brooklin's models are hand-built in small quantities, and most of its models are made using white metal.
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Brooklin Models |
The first home of Brooklin Models was the Canadian town of Brooklin, Ontario about a half hour northeast of Toronto, thus the name of the brand. From the beginning, Brooklin Models specialized in models of cars not generally produced by other manufacturers, including cars produced by smaller 'independent' marques (e.g., Studebaker and Hudson) and 'orphan' marques (e.g., Edsel and DeSoto). The very first Brooklin was the 1933 Pierce Silver Arrow, followed by a Tucker Torpedo, and a Ford Model A (Olson 2006, 105)
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In 1979, John Hall, the founder of Brooklin Models, decided to move his wife Jenny and family back to England where he had been born and raised. This is where Brooklin Models continues business to this day. The impact of the move made models previously constructed in Canada instantly more valuable and sought after. In 1998, after John Hall's retirement, Nigel Parker and Tim Fulford purchased the company (Olson 2006).
The Brooklin factory covers 10,000 square feet (930 m2) on two floors and employs 25 people in Bath (Brooklin, 1994).
