On No, Another AUTOart Lambo! • DiecastSociety.com

On No, Another AUTOart Lambo!

Yes, for fans of the Lamborghini marque, AUTOart is giving collectors a first look at their painted sample, 1:18 Lamborghini Sian FKP37.  The results look great, not sure if Orange is the best colour, nonetheless, the model is off to Italy for final sign-off.  Wish them luck!

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16 Responses to "On No, Another AUTOart Lambo!"

  1. MRM says:

    I am speaking for myself, but I would be hard pressed to believe that anyone is really surprised by this. Autoart have been on top of the Lambo model line since the Diablo was still in production. The real car that is. So the only surprise is that it took them that long. For me personally, this is one of the ugliest cars to come out of Sant’Agata together with the Centenario. But at the same time I am glad that Autoart is making the model, as it will definitely be sought after by the Lambo crowd. Me personally, I am perfectly fine with my three Maistos, as Lamborghini plays only a support role in my collection.
    As for the color, it is dead on. The car carries the 63 on it, which is its anniversary, and that hue of orange has been a Lamborghini signature color for decades. I actually like it better than anything else I have seen the car in. I just wish Maisto made it in orange, altho I am really happy with my matt green that matches the Vision Gran Turismo, just like in the Supercar Blondie youtube video.

  2. Steven Weiner says:

    I bought Bburago’s version of this in metallic red earlier this year, and I’m perfectly satisfied with it — especially since the Bburago was a great value for the money! It’s very attractive and well done. I therefore won’t need the much more expensive AUTOart version!

  3. Vitaliy D says:

    I don’t like the elevated tail of this car, as well as Centenario’s one.
    As for the model, it looks nice. However, when I look at the recent prices on Modelissimo and CK-Model, I feel AutoArt is not interested in customers in Europe at all.

    • MRM says:

      Vitaliy, I think you are looking at this from some very weird perspective. Why do you blame Autoart for the greed of CK-Model? Autoart sells their models direct to all their reps at the same price. Just because the two stores you mentioned like gauge people with their prices, which they are well known for, has absolutely nothing to do with Autoart and they have no control over it. Do you know who can control it? All the collectors who either support and encourage such practices or not.
      It blows my mind, when I continue reading everywhere – DCOM questionnaire, reviews, discussions personal presentations etc.,etc., how everyone is complaining about rising prices and about speculations with models, yet in the same time articles on here are trying to convince us that $500 is a reasonable price for a model, just because it is a desirable subject matter and people continue to try to outdo one another by outbidding each other and feeding the scalpels. Stores like CKModels that on a regular basis offer models at 50% markup should be laughed out of business by the collector diecast community. But instead they get advertised as sponsors on forums and internet groups. Using their prices as comparison is just ridiculous. You may as well say that CMC are not interested in attracting any collectors at all, since there is a Ferrari 250 GTO on evilbay for over $5K asking price.

      • Vitaliy D says:

        Unfortunately, it is not the same situation as with some exceptional morons with inadequate prices on ebay. Whatever online shop you take in Europe, would it be Modelissimo, CK-Model, Werst, ModelCarWorld, CarModel and so on, the prices for AutoArt models are very similar.
        Surely, we can blame EU taxes for that – but hey, if AutoArt wanted to make their prices in Europe to be more attractive, wouldn’t they find a way to achieve that? For example, by proposing more efficient selling mechanisms (such as higher discounts on quantity), as well as shipping and distributing mechanisms.
        Plus, I can’t forget the fact that when AutoArt switched to its composite line, they stated that composite materials will also make the price more attractive. But what we actually see today is that traditional die-cast models by other manufacturers are sometimes even cheaper than AutoArt’s composite ones with the same level of detailing and accuracy.

      • Vitaliy D says:

        And if my words/opinion create an impression that I want AutoArt to earn less, it is not so actually.
        Let’s imagine you are an Autoart’s senior sales manager. And you know that a scale model that the company has sold for 200$ is selling for 300 euro in Europe. If you are a good manager, you would think:
        – well, there is a difference of extra 100 euro
        – this is insane because it is more than 50% of the price we directly asked
        – my company does not get any cent from these extra 100 euro
        – European buyers have to pay extra 100 euro that does not make them happy.
        So, neither company, nor buyers profit from this situation.
        As a good manager, you would think: what could I do to increase my selling price to e.g. 220$ and to reduce the final price in Europe to e.g. 280 euro, thus increasing my earns and reducing the buyers’ expenses? Maybe my company should be a part of the shipping/delivery/distribution/selling process in Europe to achieve that?
        This is what I’m thinking about.

        • MRM says:

          Well, actually it works nothing like what you are talking about. There are some fundamental business principals at play here. Economy 101. To Autoart and all other manufacturers this is a business, not a hobby like for you and me. As such, the goal is to increase revenue while decreasing overhead. And then there is the foundation of capitalism – open market, which makes everything possible and allows companies to grow and succeed based on supply and demand. Really simple actually. Open market is the number one reason while the western world’s economy has progressed and developed, while the eastern block’s planned economy has miserably failed.
          So, AutoArt makes models to make money, not to tickle your passion. Their goal is to capitalize on their investment and to grow their profits. They sell their models to distributors and the minute that shipment is paid for, what happens with those models is no longer their concern. In other words, their job is not to make you happy, but to make distributors happy, because that’s who pays them. Distributors then sell the models to the retailers, who sell them to us. Making you happy is the job of the retailer. Because if he gives you the model for nothing or charges you double, makes no difference to the distributor who already got paid and even less difference to AutoArt who not only already got paid, but probably already invested the money they made into the next project. So your beef is with the stores, not with the manufacturers. And here comes the kicker. Supply and demand. They charge that much for the simple reason that they can. Because they will always get the most people are willing to pay.
          I went to service my car at the Mercedes dealership. My wife saw a cool red G wagon on the showroom floor. Supposedly some limited edition of only 220, which was NOT AMG but had some carbon fiber trim and some exterior cosmetic changes, which made it cost $180 000. That’s what the MSRP on the window sticker was. MSRP stands for manufacturer’s SUGGESTED retail price. In other words, this is what Mercedes Benz says that this car should be selling for. If you don’t like that, you can hold it against them. Now on that car, the dealer had an addendum sticker, which said “market adjustment” $120 000. In other words, the dealer was selling it for $300 000. Which in my mind is just plain insane and borderline insulting. But I can’t hold that against Mercedes. Not only that, but Mercedes themselves can not do much about it. Their business plan is to sell and X amount of cars at Y amount of price. And they did. The problem is that the demand is higher than the supply. So the retailers take advantage. Same applies to Autoart models (and not only). I remember CK models were gauging people when the Mattel Elite LaFerraris came out. It was ridiculous. What is even more ridiculous is when people use certain stores asking prices as a guide of MSRP, which is really ass backwards way of looking at things. But it also gives us a pretty good answer, as of why prices keep going up. Well, if you sell apples no the market for $2 per kg and then people buy them from you and then sell them in bulk for $3 per kg and then the third person sells out of them at $6.50 per kg, you should be the worst businessman in the world if you don’t start thinking that you can make more profit by raising your prices. And let’s face it. You don’t need to have the best apples. You just need enough people to buy them all.

  4. Ben says:

    I didn’t get the Burago version as I find it quite crude if look more closely. The car looks good in orange. Very tempted to get it.

    • MRM says:

      I am staring at my Maisto model (same as the BBurago) in matt green metallic as I am typing this. And crude is definitely not a word that comes to mind. Flawlessly executed paint, surprisingly tight panel gaps, genius engineering, active wing, very nice carbon detail, very nicely detailed interior that would put to shame plenty of models that cost ten times as much, some intricate decals that are placed with eye popping precision, nicely detailed wheels with emblems in the center caps and nice brakes with red calipers with Lamborghini scripts on them. And all of that for $13.99, some half year ago. Of course prices have gone up. A whopping $3.00! So these are going in Costco now for the new higher price of $16.99. So, while this model is no AutoArt, crude is the last thing I would call it. And at ONE FIFTEENTH OF THE PRICE of AutoArt, it is in my opinion a far better value.

      • Ollie says:

        I tend to agree with Ben in that, while the Maisto/Bburago version does represent good value for money at the pricepoint and better than the vast majority of Maisto/BBurago offerings, it’s clearly made to a budget. Best described as “Good from far, but far from good”. I’ve seen the model close up a few times and there are numerous shortcomings. For example, the MASSIVE doglegs on the bonnet/hood. The headlight area in particular, most of the carbon fibre which is textured plastic (of which Autoart have also been guilty at times at much higher prices I will admit), etc. As I said, for sure it’s a good model at the price, but if you look closely it’s definitely an entry level budget model all the same.

  5. MRM says:

    An interesting thing I just found out….
    Anyone who has put any interest in the Sian knows what teh car represents. It’s Lamborghini’s first hybrid, it costs between two and three million dollars and there are only 63 of them made, Each one of them is individually personalized by its original owner, which supposedly equates to no two Sians being the same.
    The orange car that is presented by AutoArt here, in real life is the actual number 01 of 63. And it is currently for sale with only 478 miles on the odometer. Lamborghini of Palm Beach is asking “only” $3.3 million or it, but if you don’t feel like writing the check for the lump sum, you can drive it for “only” $26K per month.
    So AutoArt is right on the money with announcing the model in the color of the first real one made. But wait! Is that really so?!?! Because there is one made before that. Number 00 of 63, which is in that same cool military matt green metallic as the Lamborghini V12 – Vision Gran Turismo. That car is the Lamborghini press car, which would not be sold (supposedly ever). And it is faithfully represented by the Maisto model I am looking at right now.

  6. InTheFastLane says:

    I have to agree with MRM – the Maisto green is very well made. I think Maisto did really well with the Sian and deserve a lot of credit. It makes you wonder, how can they make a nice model at such a low price? We can also reverse the question, why are other models so expensive?

    • MRM says:

      This is grossly oversimplifying it, but basically it comes down to total company size and revenue, volume and last, but not least cost of production or in the case of models – man hours per model and speed of production. MSRP of Maistos is $32 to $39. Costco is selling them now for $16.99, because of their buying power and the volume they are going to move. Maisto is one of the largest Toy companies in the world. They could probably give away every diecast model they manufactured and still turn a profit over all. Same thing was going on with Mattel. Their Barbie profits alone could probably carry the Mattel Elite production and still have plenty profit left even if they gave them away. With companies like Autoart, BBR, MR etc, it is a completely different ball game. Also, lets not forget that Maisto owns their factories and production lines, while Autoart subcontracts their production, just like so many other companies do.

  7. Gochubaga says:

    Auto art is plastic model company now. I got off autoart since they switched to plastic. Maisto Sian is $29 and and it ticks all the boxes, you will be surprised that it’s maisto.

    • MRM says:

      I agree that Maisto’s Sian would surprise a lot of people if they just drop the prejudice. Considering what a closer look into LCD’s Pagani showed (and that model received nothing but high praises on here), dismissing Maisto’s Sian would be nothing short of hypocrisy. Especially considering that it is one tenth of the LCD model’s claimed lowest price.
      However, comments about Aa “composite” models like the one you made are just funny at best and ignorant at …. well, let’s not go there…
      The best part about the Maisto model is that you can get a matching set of the Sian and the V12 Vision GT, like the one seen in Supercar Blondie’s youtube video for the price of shipping alone of the AutoArt Sian, which is still cheaper than the LCD’s pig with lipstick on it.

      • Gochubaga says:

        Autoart’s “composite” material is basically plastic no matter how they try to market (or mask) it with fancy jargon or, whether you want to deny that fact or not unfortunately. It’s ignorance and hilarious if an average adult naively falls for their marketing but hey, let’s not go there.

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