Luxembourg Police and Gendarmerie 1/43 models

[2D]

Thanks Aldo,

for going to the trouble of posting all the pictures. I did have a contact in the Luxembourg Police I am not sure if he is still a serving Police Officer or not.

If your going to use marked vehicles then they may as well be bright, are the markings reflective?

Do any other countries in Europe use roof markings like we do in the United kingdom?

All the best

Mr D

[aldo]

To answer your question, I will post tomorrow a photo, tonight imageshack has problems. But YES all the markings are reflective.

[aldo]

[VadimR]

Great photos.   Thank you, Aldo, for posting them.   The new Audi model looks great and I'll look for it on e-bay.

[Dick Williams]

Aldo, thanks very much for posting all the nice photos.  I assume the Luxembourg model that Hongwell made in the Italian international police series is a municipal car (even though it's a 3-series BMW) since it has no fluourescent orange markings?  Also, I obtained this older Gama Opel Vectra model in the old Luxembourg Police markings from an eBay seller a couple of years ago.  On the base it's marked in white paint "Model World" and "209/240" so I assume it was a custom car made for a diecast or hobby store. Do you know any information about it?

[aldo]

Hi,

I am sorry to tell you, but the BMW 3series is a complete Fake. Such a car never existed in the actual colours. Some were taken over when Gendarmerie and old Police merged but those were all Undercover cars. No one carried the actual markings and the Hongwell model is a model that was done for a large Supermarket chain as a "toy".

So the BMW 3 is a toy nothing else. It carries license plates of a real existing Police car but the license plates belonged (that specific car is retired since 4 years now...) to a VOLVO 850 T5.

The Vectra is based on a real existing car from the early 90ths....some of those were even taken over when both forces merged and they even received the new colours.

It was a 1991 produced limited series for a Toy Shop in the southern part of Luxembourg, this Toy Shop since long years does no more exist. So the Vectra over all the years became a rare collector. It is very good detailed and on Ebay such a model reaches 100.-Euro or even more when sold. I have seen such cars departing on Ebay around 150.-Euros...

I have the same in my collection, it carries the number 41/240 


 

[Dick Williams]

Aldo, thank you very much for the information (my computer was offline for a few days). I have wanted to get some information about that Vectra model since I bought it a couple of years ago.  I got it from a British seller who didn't know where it came from except that it was a Luxembourg police car.  Based on what you said, I guess I got a good deal because I paid around $20 for it if I remember correctly.  Unfortunately, a small piece of the hood stripe on the right side is missing but otherwise it is in very good condition.  It's also good to know about the BMW.  I have found photos confirming the general accuracy of many of the 50 models in that Italian series but had never seen a photo of this one - now I know why!  Thanks again - what a great forum this is, where collectors from all over the world can share knowledge about the police cars in their countries!

[VadimR]

I too have the BMW 3-Series.  At least now I know it was never made.   I hope to eventually get the new Audi model.   Thank you,  Aldo for clarifying it.   Dick Williams, I know the collection you're referring to.   Too bad they discontinued it as it was getting more and more interesting.  Unfortunately most of their models were slightly incorrect in some form.   Still, it was a chance to see rare police models and to read the brochures that went with them (in Italian)   And the price was reasonable.

[aldo]

This version of the BMW existed as an undercover version in the former Luxembourg Gendarmerie. There were coloured as well as white versions, the white versions were used with the Highway Unit at Gendarmerietimes but unfortunately none received the orange warning colours or the markings that were commun at that time.

When merged, some of the coloured undercover were taken over and continued to be used untill 2003 to 2007, when the last one was retired. The white versions were all retired in 2000 and 2001.

A good model are also both versions of the Sierra Cosworth used from 1988 (A Versions) and 1992 (B Versions known also as Sapphire Cosworth) in the former Gendarmerie.

The last units were retired in 1998, unfortunately no one was preserved for the museum.

Those models do exist in 1/43 from TROFEU and VITESSE.

Next year a further actual car in 1/43 will be brought by Minichamps, but I can't tell you more now, I must keep everything secret 

But it will be as good as the AUDI A4 was! That's sure 

[MADCOP]

Great pics

[aldo]

Interesting news for all those that own the AUDI A4 Quattro model. MINICHAMPS announces the coming out of a BMW 3 series in 1/43 scale of the Luxembourg Police this year.

So those that might wish to give the AUDI a "brother" at the side, will have the possibility to do it with the BMW model.

[aldo]

Another thing concerning the real cars: we've got some new markings over here, only reason to do so was to make the visibility better. Here some pictures showing what has been done.

Not much work, not a great thing, but a very good result!

[aldo]

[aldo]

[2D]

In the photographs posted by 'as' I noticed what appears to be an electrical connection to the front of the BMW X5, I assume this is for an engine pre-heater, does anyone know what it actually is?

Thanks

[as]

In the photographs posted by 'as' I noticed what appears to be an electrical connection to the front of the BMW X5, I assume this is for an engine pre-heater, does anyone know what it actually is?

Thanks

[aldo]

Hi all,

I got the first pictures of the new MINICHAMPS BMW 330x in 1/43 which will be in the shops in automn / early winter 2009.

The models looks great and Minichamps once again did a good job by reproducing even the 330xd logos.

The lightbar is not really my thing, they reproduced something which is very similar to the Federal P 9000 LED that the originals have, but I think that as soon as I have my models, I will exchange that lightbar against the one that Hongwell uses on its toys...it is much more close to the real one.

But keeping the lightbar away....the model in 1/43 will be a HIGHLIGHT of this year.

Just waiting to get one of the first ones 

[cops119]

Aldo, could you post the first pictures of it ( if allowed ) ,

[wousmous]

The GENDARMERIE LUXENBURG has very nice cars, i was on a police-come-together in Belgium a month ago, there where dutch, belgium and luxemburg police at the scene, your cars looks mutch nicer!!!

nice collection too!!

 

[aldo]

Well I have posted some pictures in the CLOSED french Forum of Poliskarr. This was before Minichamps published the first official pictures one.

Meanwhile Minichamps has removed the photo of the original car and put a photo of the model in it's catalogue so I think it will be ok to post some photos of that BMW 3 model     

Just give me a chance to do some and post them here

[aldo]

So here we go, the 1/43 MINICHAMPS BMW 330x which has to be come out in some monthes:

[aldo]

And this is another one that I recently received

[Garrett]

WOW! Nice chopper! If Im not mistaken that's an MD-520. Great collection!

[aldo]

Hi,

No it is an MD 902 Explorer.

 

[2D]

The BMW 3-SERIES `POLICE LUXEMBURG` 2005 WITH ENGINE

Part number 431024190

is now shown on the Minichamps website as being available in two weeks time.

Description from the website

64 Parts with 109 Decorations:
29 Mask sprays
23 Tampo prints
17 Decals
34 Free sprays
6 Chromed parts
with detailed engine

This one should sell out quickly like the Audi A4 that was previously produced in the same livery.

[aldo]

You're right,  I also suppose that this one will be soon sold out.

The Audi A4 is actually hard to get, even on Ebay...

So I think, that the BMW 330 will also be a model that will soon be sold out and be a hard to get model later.

I am actually looking together with Minichamps for the next Luxembourgish Model to be maybe available in 2010. But that's actually still a secret       

We will see what time brings