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WW1 Paris "Marne" Taxi from ICM


Kingsman

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ICM have announced a 1/35 1914 Paris taxi, as used to ferry troops forward to stop the German advance at the River Marne.

 

Now all we need is some enterprising figure company to do a driver and some Poilus crammed in the back.  I am perhaps surprised that ICM didn't launch a set too: it's the passengers that make it a Marne taxi, otherwise it's just a taxi.  Don't know if you can build it with the rear canopy down.  Sounds like another after-market opportunity if not.

TR5zGBX.jpg

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  • 2 months later...

This kit is now available.  Several sellers at the Avon IPMS show last weekend had it.  Cheapest I saw was £20.

 

Had a peek inside a box.  Looked OK at that distance.  And relatively simple, as was the original.

 

A big question would be the colours of bodywork and upholstery.  The box art shows quite bright red bodywork, but period photos are a dark shade - which could be a dark red/burgundy colour.  But could equally be black or dark blue.  Was there an official colour for taxis in Paris at that time?

 

If I ever get round to doing one, I think I might go for dark blue with burgundy upholstery unless anything more definitive comes to light.  Paints in those days would have been more towards a satin finish than high gloss.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I have a 1/72 Retrokit kit of this, but have been searching for more info regarding how some of the parts are attached, esp to the frame/chassis.  I went into the French Army museum site (Musee de l'Armee) and, with a bit of clicking, chanced upon this website page.  Rats, link not posting.  Well, follow this, then.  Musee de l'Armee, Paris -- Coming to the museum -- Photo Agency (will take you to L'Agence Photo  RMN Grand Palais) --  In upper left search block, enter taxi de la marne.  Wait a couple seconds.  You'll get a page of excellent photos which, in all my searching, I hadn't seen before.  Some pretty clear answers to spring attachment points, etc.  Even a couple photos of an (apparently) unrestored vehicle IN COLOR.  Spoiler -- to me it looks like a burgundy, but, I know, light conditions, monitor settings, fading of original paint, etc.  Hope you can find this.  I may try to coming back and make another attempt at the link.

 

Enjoy,

Bob C.   

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Apparently they were produced in a sort of emerald green until some time in 1912 and in burgundy thereafter.  Yellow chassis and wheels for both, with black mudguards, upholstery and soft top.  Some people apparently believe the colours on the preserved one in Paris are too bright.  An over-exposed photo of it before its last restoration shows a much darker burgundy and almost mustard yellow.  Anther preserved (green) one has a yellow tending more towards mustard than primrose.

 

So A Marne-vintage taxi could potentially be green or red: I very much imagine there were both.  Green ones would be right hand drive, however.  France changed over to LHD in 1912.

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  • 2 months later...
On 08/06/2018 at 21:12, Das Abteilung said:

ICM have announced a 1/35 1914 Paris taxi, as used to ferry troops forward to stop the German advance at the River Marne.

 

Now all we need is some enterprising figure company to do a driver and some Poilus crammed in the back.  

 

ICM now do a set of French WWI infantry and a taxi driver for this kit;
 

 

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ICM will be releasing the taxi with the figures later this month hopefully.  Usually works out cheaper than buying the two separately...

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM35660

and get it with 10% off if you preorder now from Big H...

BillyD

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I hadn't twigged from the figure box art that the Poilus were for posing on the taxi.  I would have shown that with a part-colourised image with the taxi greyed-out.  It's also perhaps illogical not to also have some rear seat passengers.  The taxis weren't used as assault vehicles at the front, just transport to get there.

 

I'm sure they might have other diorama uses. I can see the 3 in a trench section with the prone figure peeking over the parapet or between sandbags and the sitting figure about to fire a rifle grenade with their Caporal-chef watching on.  The French frequently used banks of rifles fitted with cup dischargers mounted on wooden frames against the forward slope of a trench, and would use these to harass the Germans.

 

Hmmm.  Black tyres on the taxi?  For 1914 in France I would say white; dirty grey in use.  My amateurish research suggests that the idea of carbon black reinforcement in tyres didn't cross the Atlantic from the USA until a bit later: 1915-16.  It was first used in the US pre-WW1.

 

And they forgot to include the steamer trunk to carry off all the cash the driver will make from the trip, as the drivers were allowed to be "on the meter" all the way there and back!

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
On ‎11‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 11:40 AM, Das Abteilung said:

 

And they forgot to include the steamer trunk to carry off all the cash the driver will make from the trip, as the drivers were allowed to be "on the meter" all the way there and back!

 

I wonder how much they made in tips?  Looks like the taxi and figures will be a nice little set, but some sitting figures for the back are really necessary.

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