BMC Garage

A man with a BMC mission is surely Steve Traffic. Steve recalls buying a Spot-On Mini van at a collectors shop in late 1991 or early 1992, which reminded him of school holidays when his father took him round the country collecting documents for his work in the only available works vehicle - a green mini van. There was no works car available at the time, nor couriers! As a result he approached Brooklin Models to make a Mini van and pick up in white metal for him. This was around the same time that Gems and Cobwebs had released their Jaguar Mk VII. Brooklin agreed to produce the Mini van and pick up, and thus Steve launched British Motoring Classics, now bmc43.

The first 5 liveries of the Mini van Mk III were released in December 1992 with 3 different vehicles all produced by Brooklin in various liveries and plain colours.

Subject ID: 81194

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A man with a BMC mission is surely Steve Traffic. Steve recalls buying a Spot-On Mini van at a collectors shop in late 1991 or early 1992, which reminded him of school holidays when his father took him round the country collecting documents for his work in the only available works vehicle - a green mini van. There was no works car available at the time, nor couriers! As a result he approached Brooklin Models to make a Mini van and pick up in white metal for him. This was around the same time that Gems and Cobwebs had released their Jaguar Mk VII. Brooklin agreed to produce the Mini van and pick up, and thus Steve launched British Motoring Classics, now bmc43.

The first 5 liveries of the Mini van Mk III were released in December 1992 with 3 different vehicles all produced by Brooklin in various liveries and plain colours.

Brooklin found a master maker for the first 3 models, and Steve obtained permission to develop a range of models from MG-Rover at their Head Quarters in Warwick, and the original Heritage centre at Syon Park in West London, some time before the Heritage centre at Gaydon was built.

The third Mini van, a MkI, was produced in Lansdowne Models livery, following a request from John Hall, the then Brooklin owner. Brooklin made british motoring classics models were supplied in a blue coloured version of its Lansdowne box with gold coloured labels, but the glue holding these boxes failed and they tended to spring open, so Steve changed to plain white boxes with printed labels.

There were to be further models in the range, the fourth and fifth being a Riley Elf and a Wolseley Hornet but Brooklin wanted to concentrate on its Lansdowne range. Consequently, Steve decided to seek another source for complete models. He arranged for these and others including a Mini Clubman saloon and estate, Mini Cabrio, and a Mini Traveller to be produced on a sub contractor basis by Western Models. The range was named Miniclassics, now merged into bmc43, and ran for some years until production was taken over in house.

Operating from a toy collectors shop, and later an antiques centre, meant that all his models and kits have been produced on this basis.
Steve believes he was fortunate to get Brooklin’s agreement to make the first 3 models, and also in finding MG-Rover so helpful and even commissioning some models for the company. At the 1993 Earls Court Motor Show, the 1994 Monte Carlo Rally Rover Mini Cooper, to be driven by 1964 winner Paddy Hopkirk, was unveiled on the next but one stand. Rover received special dispensation to use rally number 37, the same start number as the 1964 winner. A model was quickly produced in the Miniclassics series of the 'press-presentation' livery, with decals produced speedily from photographs taken at the show, and Rover used some of the models for publicity purposes.

Steve has mainly worked for himself, not employing any staff. He did not set out to expand and has been content to maintain a steady production rate, with new models and ranges, at his own pace. One of the best items produced in the range is a Cooper Car Company set, with mini van, trailer and racing mini. The set was completed with an Omen Miniatures figure of John Cooper, which the late great John and his son Michael gave permission for Steve to produce.

As techniques have developed over the years there have been a number of changes to make building and painting simpler, and as a result, Steve has found that many collectors now document the variations that have arisen.

Production numbers are generally 1 - 200, and none has, to date, exceeded 500 units. Most are still available, some only currently as kits, and these are usually released after fully built stock has sold out, but no limits are set on any of the range.

The company has relied in the past on toy fairs, and classic car shows, but increasingly mail order and the website have become more important, as the entire range, and the more recent resin slot car ranges can be fully promoted in colour.

There are no plans to stop at the moment, and production has become mostly models partly made in resin, mainly due to the high cost of shipping complete white metal models. Steve has also begun producing models in other scales such as 1:32,1:50,1:76, and some of the latter two are in white metal.

Subject ID: 81194

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