| When I was a child, I remember vividly watching | | | | what people would think of me keeping some |
| the motor racing on my parents old black and | | | | very old and very battered cars from my early |
| white television. Obviously I had obsolutely no | | | | childhood which, I admit now, I sometimes took |
| idea of the colour of the cars racing, but then | | | | out of hiding at night and still raced. |
| again, I did, in my minds eye I could see them all, | | | | When I grew much older I no longer cared what |
| they were the brightest red. I would watch the | | | | anyone thought of me and my love of model |
| great drivers of that day such as Graham Hill, Jim | | | | cars and so I took them out of hiding and stood |
| Clark and Jackie Stewart and my little boy heart | | | | them in pride of place on a shelf for everyone to |
| would leap when Ferrari came in first. | | | | see. I was amazed how my old car models got |
| I knew from a very early age that when I gew | | | | people talking and it's funny how so many men of |
| up I too wanted to become a racing driver, I | | | | my age had lives than ran parallel to mine, they |
| would meet all these famous and most wonderful | | | | too loved their model cars from their youth and |
| drivers, they were my idols. One day too I | | | | they too dreamt of racing a Ferrari. It was then |
| would race with them. | | | | that I decided I wanted some of the model cars |
| As soon as the racing finished on television I | | | | back that I had lost. My search had begun............ |
| would prepare for my own race, I would | | | | We all remember the great racing drivers of our |
| immediately rush to the cupboard where my toy | | | | youth and the great cars they drove, I think like |
| box was kept and take out my model racing | | | | me, it leads to collecting in later life. Today there |
| cars. These cars I absolutely treasured, despite | | | | are some great Ferrari models to be found, some |
| their sometimes rather poor state. They came | | | | of the best I have found recently are the Ixo La |
| in all sizes, all colours and were made of tinplate, | | | | Storia Ferrari Formula 1 collection as it covers |
| diecast and even in plastic. However, whatever | | | | past and present drivers. I would have adored |
| their size or colour to me they were all Red | | | | these models as a child. The quality and |
| Ferraris and they would all compete against each | | | | presentation of these models is superb, they are |
| other in 'my' race. Often the race would go | | | | absolutely nothing like the old model cars I grew |
| off-road, over my bed, over my pillow and back | | | | up with. There is also some great tinplate |
| down again. I would later go to bed and read | | | | models around these days, again not like my |
| my car books and magazines and then during the | | | | childhood tinplate cars, but having said that I still |
| night I would dream about racing a Ferrari. | | | | love collecting tinplate cars from the past, never |
| When I became a teenage and I bought my first | | | | mind if they are a bit battered and played with, |
| 'real' car, my parents assumed that I was now | | | | mine was, it gives them authenticity somehow. |
| too old to keep my old toy model cars and so | | | | Collecting model cars from your childhood brings |
| they were given away, but unbeknown to | | | | with it a great sense of warmth and the |
| anyone, I had secretly kept a few. I hide them | | | | memories just come flooding back. |
| away not in shame I don't think, but I wondered | | | | |