HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT BROOKLIN AND THE PIERCE ARROW

Brooklin Models has its origins in the small town of Brooklin, located 35 miles northeast of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. John Hall, a design engineer graduated in London, decided to migrate to Canada with his wife Jenny in 1965. John worked for several big companies acquiring a large experience in casting techniques, then he took a teaching position at the University of Toronto. He was also a collector of automotives and tin toys and in early 1974 he decided to leave his job to spend his time in a passion he always had for American automobiles, making 1:43 scale models.

RESIN MODEL

It was Spring of 1974 that John Hall attended the Motoring in Miniature toy show, in Buffalo, New York. It was at that show that fellow collectors convinced John to begin making models. The first two models were of the 1933 Pierce Arrow Silver Arrow, done in resin, both for the main body and for the chassis. Quite crude when compared to more recent productions from Brooklin Models, these first models were fairly accurate scale reproductions of the famous Pierce Arrow show car. Two color combinations were produced, grey with blue hood decoration and window surround and cream with rusty brown hood and window trim, each carefully hand-painted. Details of the grille were added in silver, as were the headlights and rear window. Taillights were left unpainted and no material was used to fill the windshield and side windows. The chassis is rather plain, done in black, with the words "Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow 1933 Brooklin Models" cast into it. But the most striking feature is the "Popsicle stick" incorporated into the baseplate for strength. It is a flat piece of wood, with rounded ends, usually placed into a block of ice cream or hard candy, to be used as a handle for the confection. Unusual, but effective!

STANDARD EDITION

Creating the Silver Arrow in 1/43 scale marked the beginning for Brooklin Models. BRK1 went through quite an evolution beginning with the two trials in resin followed by a small run of 40 models. Numerous color variations exist, with these early models done in differing shades of grey and some in beige. Brooklin then moved on to white metal with primitive baseplates, then finally to more detailed pieces that featured clear windows. Casting changes between the later production of the Canadian versions and the English versions also exist, most notably a difference in the rear windows. Beginning in late 1989 all standard Silver Arrows contained a more accurate, re-mastered dashboard. This model was deleted from the Brooklin Collection in April 1992 with the production of the B.C.C. special.

You can find many other Brooklin stories on the fourth edition of the Brooklin Models Collectors Guide. Click here