📖 Model cars: identifying a James Bond Car Collection piece and spotting fakes or repaints

This category mostly groups die-cast model cars, including many pieces from Eaglemoss's James Bond Car Collection. This guide explains how to identify a model from that collection, then how to spot repaints, fake boxes and swapped parts on older models (Dinky, Corgi, Matchbox), the source of most scams in model cars.

1. Recognising the James Bond Car Collection

• The James Bond Car Collection (or Bond in Motion) is a partwork published by Eaglemoss from 2007 to 2017. Each issue contains a magazine and a 1:43 car from a James Bond film, die-cast in metal, often mounted on a moulded base reproducing a scene.
• The collection has 135 issues, plus three models given as gifts to early subscribers. It was also published in France.
• Not all issues were made by the same subcontractor: some models come from Eligor or Norev, others from Universal Hobbies (UH).
• The first issues of the 2007 UK edition: 1 Aston Martin DB5 (Goldfinger), 2 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish (Die Another Day), 3 Lotus Esprit (The Spy Who Loved Me), 4 BMW Z8 (The World Is Not Enough). The French edition's numbering may differ: check the issue itself.

2. Beware of reissues and regional differences

• Eaglemoss relaunched a collection called "Bond in Motion": 50 vehicles from the twenty-four official films, some of them reissues of the 2007 models.
• That collection is also available in other regions (Italy, the United States), with different cars and subscription gifts from one country to another. Issue 1, for example, is not the same in the US and in Europe.
• To tell which collection a piece comes from, check the issue number, the publisher mention and the base.

3. The magazine, the box and original condition

• According to sales listings, each car came with its roughly 16-page magazine and was presented in a display blister pack. Buyers recommend favouring listings that include the magazine.
• For any model, record the maker, country, model name, scale, model number, wheel type and any copyright date.
• On collectible metal cars, the original box can double or triple the value, according to an appraisal site. Paint that is 70 % original can be worth more than a shiny repaint.

4. Spotting a repaint (Dinky, Corgi, Matchbox…)

• Rare Dinky and Corgi models are sometimes completely repainted. Look underneath: to repaint, the baseplate has to be removed, and it is very hard to hide the damage done to the rivets.
• Dinky, Corgi and Spot-On were oven-painted, with the paint baked over a primer and acid etching. According to the Collectors Club of Great Britain, you can tap a Dinky on a table without damaging its original paint: do not test a valuable piece this way without the seller's consent. A colour the maker never used is also suspect.
• With Matchbox, value often lies in wheel varieties: fraudsters swap hubs and axles to make a rare variant. Beware of axles or wheels that move too much, and check the baseplate rivets.
• Spare parts (tyres, decals, bumpers) are sold for most brands: ask whether a model's parts are original or not.

5. Fake packaging and care

• Corgi and Dinky boxes are the most copied: there are several sources of replacement boxes. A box that is too fresh for an old model is a warning sign.
• Do not repaint, polish, replace the wheels or remove decals before having a model appraised: it can lower its value.
• Original parts, such as period rubber tyres and hubs suited to the model, count in the valuation.

⚠️ Watch out for

• The "Bond in Motion" reissues reuse 2007 models: do not pay first-edition prices without checking the original collection.
• The advice on repaints and swapped wheels mostly concerns older models (Dinky, Corgi, Matchbox). I found no reliable source on possible fakes of the James Bond Car Collection.
• Price depends heavily on the presence of the magazine, the blister and the original base: a loose car is worth noticeably less.

Sources : Wikipédia (James Bond Car Collection) · MI6-HQ (James Bond Cars Collection, aperçu de 2007) · James Bond Lifestyle (collection Bond in Motion) · Collectors Club of Great Britain (repérer les faux diecast) · Appraisily (identifier de vieilles voitures miniatures) · Old Classic Car (jouets anciens restaurés)

Updated on Oct 6, 2026. These pointers are indicative and do not replace an expert's opinion: for a valuable piece, have it appraised.