14 July 2025
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The collecting community had their hopes set high for the re-release of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang model? But is the new model any better? Is it worth investing in? We will break down the pros and cons so you don't have to.
The undoubtable star of the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was the magical flying car that the movie was named after. So, in 2019, when Corgi released the delayed 50th anniversary recreation of the car, the collecting world were excited. However, their original model were full of errors. Specifically the lack of bonnet strap and using the same wheels front and back, this led to the community feeling let down.
Earlier this year, the Corgi Model Club announced it was going right back to the 1968 model and correcting the errors. They also said they were going to be packaging the model in a faithful recreation of the original box. Examples have started arriving with Corgi club members. Chitty is now available for non-members as a standalone release.
The collecting community had their hopes set high. But is the new model any better? Is it worth investing in? We will be breaking all the positives and negatives of the new model so you don't have to.
Suggested Article: How to display your diecast models
The Pros of the Model
Starting with the positives of the model, just as the 1968 model did, the wings pop out when the external handbrake is pushed forward. All four characters now sit fixed in place inside the car.
You can remove the front and rear wings, allowing the car to be displayed in its normal road-going guise. But everyone knows Chitty looks best with full wing deployment.
All the details are there from the original and the bonnet strap and wheel design have been corrected, as promised.
The Cons of the Model
As for the model being championed as a faithful recreation, sadly this is not the case. The specific faults are the headlights point inward and theres a blemish on the passenger-side running board.
The parcel box used was too shallow to safely transport the model and there is a slight crushing to the box. The box itself is nicely done, especially the plastic base insert. But the header printing seems to be faded compared to the original.
The general faults on the body are the poor choice of paint colour rather than the plating on the original for the gold parts. Also, they have used a plastic rather than diecast baseplate and the shade/finish of the 'boat' body aren't quite right. For the figures themselves, it looks like they have been sunning themselves in Benidorm for a couple of weeks.
If you don't compare it too closely to an original, its rather a nice model. But is it worth the inflated price compared to the usual club models? This model costs £42.99 compared to the usual club models which range often between £30-35.
With all the information now, it is up to you to decide whether you believe the model is worth the price. For nostalgic purposes, it would add tv and film history to your collection.
Want to know more about the model? Learn more in the next edition of Diecast Collector, in stores this week.