Paddy’s model making started with cut-out cardboard aero models in the Forties, moving on to SMEC and Scamold car kits and from there to Highway Pioneers and other plastic kits which followed in the 1950s. He then joined the Army as a Chaplain and the moving part began in ernest. Assembled plastic models did not travel well when subjected to the tender mercies of the Military Forwarding Organisation, besides which space became a problem, so much of his modelling moved to slot racing, and his collecting to Dinkies, Corgis and occasional Italian ‘exotics’ like Mebetoys, Mercurys, etc.
Paddy recalls building the Replicars 1:24 Silver Ghost kit in Ipoh, in Malaya, and believes these were the only kits before his range. He still has copies of the Model Maker magazine 1952- onwards when it became 'Model Cars' and eventually went out of print, and some of the post 1966 ones did feature some w/m kits.
Subject ID: 82172
MorePaddy’s model making started with cut-out cardboard aero models in the Forties, moving on to SMEC and Scamold car kits and from there to Highway Pioneers and other plastic kits which followed in the 1950s. He then joined the Army as a Chaplain and the moving part began in ernest. Assembled plastic models did not travel well when subjected to the tender mercies of the Military Forwarding Organisation, besides which space became a problem, so much of his modelling moved to slot racing, and his collecting to Dinkies, Corgis and occasional Italian ‘exotics’ like Mebetoys, Mercurys, etc.
Paddy recalls building the Replicars 1:24 Silver Ghost kit in Ipoh, in Malaya, and believes these were the only kits before his range. He still has copies of the Model Maker magazine 1952- onwards when it became 'Model Cars' and eventually went out of print, and some of the post 1966 ones did feature some w/m kits.
In 1964 Rex Hays produced a book of 1:24 scale plans entitled “Grand Prix and Sports Cars” and the stage was almost set. Paddy was on a posting in Cyprus at the time and scaled down the drawing of the 1924 P2 Alfa Romeo to 1:43 so that it would fit in with his Dinkies and Corgis. He picked this car because his elder brother had one of the large tinplate CIJ Alfas and also because its outline would be easy to cast since the rear springs were concealed inside the tail!
However the moulding material was expensive and so, as a subscriber, he put an advertisement in Cecil Gibson’s magazine telling of his intention and asking if anyone was interested in buying replicas in order that Paddy defray some of his costs. Cecil expressed an interest and so did some other pioneer collectors including Tony Kaye, now in Massachusetts, David Pressland and Derek Bannister, assistant organiser of ModeleX as well as collectors in the USA, Switzerland, Italy and New Zealand.
Paddy carved a master out of polystyrene sheet which he had cemented into a block and using a one-piece, open Silastomer mould he cast each body using gel coat, glass-fibre ribbon and casting resin – a very laborious process. The reactions of his first customers were favourable even though the P2 was one of Rex Hays’ least correct plans. Paddy followed this with a 1924 GP Sunbeam, which he admits was rather narrower than life or the Hays drawing.
Having visited Bob Wills, founder of Wills Finecast in early 1968, he built his BRM kit, and also had a 1:43 kit of a Morgan 3 wheeler sold by Peter Atkinson of Swansea at about that time. It was poorly cast, and possibly an early attempt by Barry Lester. Peter Atkinson had previously marketed a vac-form ERA in 1:43 which was produced by Barry.
It therefore appears that it was a close run thing between Barry Lester and Paddy Stanley for who was 2nd with 1:43 kits after the Brian Jewell Ferrari.
Bob Wills told Paddy of Col. Denzil Skinner, whose works were about 5 miles from Bordon where Paddy was stationed, so Paddy met with Denzil Skinner, whose firm had made the masters for Brian Jewell's Ferrari, the candidate for accolade of the first 1:43 kit. Denzil Skinner had produced the master of the Ferrari GTO for Jewell, and also the resulting kits for him. Paddy recalls it being rather 'clumpy' and very heavy with thick sidewalls.
Paddy Stanley was using fibre-glass reinforced resin for his scratchbuilt models but this would not stand the heat and pressure of the vulcanising process by which the commercial casting moulds were made. He then experimented with adding metal filling powder into the fibre-glass. This allowed commercial, vulcanised rubber moulds to be made, but the improvement was marginal and only worked as long as little bending stress was placed on the pieces. Bodies could not be cast in one piece but only in a number of thin pieces. Denzil Skinner made the moulds and Paddy Stanley did his casting on Skinner’s machines, paying for the hire of the machine and the metal used.
After this first metal-filled GRP, Paddy then used lead as a medium for the 'commercial' masters which he found could be cast in the Silastomer, a cold-cure or RTV rubber.
As before, his patterns were made using polystyrene sheets, glued together to make a block, and carved to create the first master, from which a mould was taken using Silastomer. Once this was cured, lead or pewter could be poured into this mould, and a solid master made for casting purposes. White metal could not be used as a master, as it would melt or at least deform.
Paddy recalls John Day had written an article in the 1966/7 Model Cars magazine, announcing that he was launching a range of models much better than any other. He began this whilst awaiting his son’s birth, and at this time he had been modifying Dinky Toys.
John Day told Paddy that he had enjoyed making Paddy's kits, as they were unusual. However, he was a brash man, and Paddy remembers, that he sought to build his business quickly, resulting in overreaching himself. This left his customers without models, having taken advance payment.
Around this time, Paddy recommended Denzil Skinner to Guy Harrison, founder of Pirate models, when he was seeking a master maker and caster for his range of spares for Dinkies.
Paddy was now based in Cyprus during 1965/6, followed by a return to Bordon from 1966/7 until 1970. From Hampshire, he was then posted to the Gulf at the end of 1970, followed by various postings in Germany.
At this time he passed his masters to Mike and Sue Richardson who acted as his agent, and went on to distribute and market white metal kits, using another caster. Through the 1970s Paddy then returned to Wales, from there to Gibraltar, back to Aldershot and after that to Cyprus for a second time, finally returning to Bulford near Salisbury. His first wife died in the British Military Hospital in Aldershot in 1981.
In 1983, Paddy retired from the Army, remarried and he and his new wife Pat began a 6-month honeymoon tour around Canada and the USA with a car and travel trailer. So successful was this that they extended it to a year, and Paddy was offered a part-time job as an assistant in a church in Arizona. Here they then spent winters for four years, prior to taking a full-time parish in Iowa for another six years, before finally retiring again.
However, halfway through the honeymoon, in 1983, they returned to the UK and visited the Windsor Swapmeet. Whilst commenting on some models on a stallholders table, Paddy recalls being asked “Are you THE Paddy Stanley?” Pat was startled not knowing of Paddy's fame! The stallholder was making notes so he could write the encounter up in his column.
A while later he was contacted by a doctor in South Africa who had told him that he had collected all his models but one. Paddy told him he would make one of the Black Hawk Stutz that was missing from his collection, and to send him a cheque to cover postage only. A blank cheque arrived, offering all kinds of opportunities!! In 1998 Paddy and his wife took a cruise and when the ship arrived at Durban, he checked the phone book, found the doctor's name, and as a result obtained a very individual tour of Durban.
Visiting Malta in spring of 2008, he found an old customer from the late 1960s era, a DrXuereb, who was delighted to meet him at last, and still has a wonderful collection of models from the 1960s and 1970s to the present day.
Paddy found that developing models was a solitary occupation as he moved around the world in his role as chaplain. However, it was very relaxing to focus intensely on something miniscule rather than dwell on the various full scale pastoral duties and issues people raised. He then enjoyed a “quick fix” at local swapmeets whilst on a return to the UK.
His current collection includes a tinplate CIJ Alfa Romeo P2 made in 1927 in 1:8 scale, a Pocher Monza Alfa and 1907 Fiat. Many Casadio Revival kits have also been built and are on display. Britains LSR cars such as the Silver Bullet, Bluebirds and Railton Mobil complete the range.
The widow of a friend who had sadly passed away gave him a full series of Marklin LSR models bought in 1937, such as Auto Union and Mercedes. This continued the theme of European record breakers that have been Paddy’s favourites for so many years.
Unusually remaining an enthusiast and collector throughout, storage space eventually became an issue. Paddy has therefore sold his collection of Corgis whilst he was in the USA, together with his Matchbox Yesteryears. Other items that he no longer needs are now being sold on ebay, as he has no room left, having returned from the USA to a small flat in Frome, Somerset.
Paddy was regularly in touch with Barry Lester, founder of Auto Replicas, who moved to France. Not long ago, Barry had made some 1:13 scale Bugattis, of which photos were forwarded to Paddy. Many of his own masters still remain in Paddy’s loft.
Paddy’s very mobile career travelling the world has meant that the desire for travel is now deep seated. Now retired, he has continued to satisfy this pursuit by visiting Malta, USA, Ireland, France, and Spain for his daughter’s 50th birthday, and Venice and down the Danube during 2007/08.
When back in the UK, Paddy’s interests are many and varied, enjoying the Goodwood Revival meetings, and travelling on the Orient Express, being good examples. He has also been round the world on a container ship, across the Atlantic on a five masted sailing ship, and snorkelled on the Great Barrier reef.
Motor cars have always been a central theme however, and Paddy owned and rebuilt a Lotus Elan toward the conclusion of his Army Ministry. While part/time chaplain in the USA he bought 2 MG Midgets, to build one good one. On returning to the UK, he visited a breakers yard for spares, and obtained a crankshaft, exhaust manifold and various other parts. These were all placed in his suitcase ready for return to the USA, and as a result the weight shown at departure was very excessive!! He has also owned and worked on two Porsche 914s.
Approximately 15 years ago, whilst in the USA, he bought a Lotus Europa Special, for sale some 400 miles away, in a total of 12 boxes, plus body, engine, chassis and wheels all separate. He rebuilt this and sold it, buying a 1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, with an 8 litre engine which appealed to his wife more than the Europa! On return to the UK, he has since downgraded to a Ford Escort, and now runs a Renault 1.5 convertible coupe as his everyday car.
Paddy considers himself lucky he has never had to make a living from the model business. He therefore was able to indulge in his own views as to what were interesting cars and be happy if other people agreed. He aimed to produce kits that were correct in basic shape and detail but easy to assemble. Feedback seemed to confirm that this concept fitted in with what people wanted in those early days, since they were more likely to be collectors rather than builders by preference. On reflection, he takes the view that if the early enthusiasts had been faced with the multiplicity of photo-etched parts that we face at present, most would have thrown up their hands in horror and put the kit back in the box!
Paddy remains enthusiastic about all things motoring, in fact, he is contemplating making a model of the HWM, as he is concerned that apart from the Dinky Toy model, there is not an accurate model of this important British racing car.
Subject ID: 82172
Subject ID: 82172