MODEL CITIZEN OR CRAZY PERSON: MAN WITH VANS

One of the most active subsets of model car collectors is the marque specialist. These are people who focus their diecast collecting efforts on a single make or model of car; one of the best-known such collectors was the late film director John Frankenheimer, who maintained a collection of bespoke 1:43 versions of every Porsche and Ferrari that had ever raced at Le Mans. Since we model collectors often use miniature cars as a stand in for the "real thing" that we otherwise could not afford to own, it's no surprise that marque specialists tend to gravitate toward high-end classics and exotics for subject matter.

What, then, should we make of Peter Lee of the UK? Over the course of 40+ years of collecting, Mr. Lee has assembled a stash of over SIX THOUSAND scale models of...the Ford Transit van. That's right, England's most humble workhorse of a cargo mover (and allegedly involved in more bank robberies than any other vehicle in Britain) has been a near-lifelong obsession for Lee, and the scope of his collection is staggering. The linked article from TopSpeed gives a bit of detail:

This Man Owns More Than 6,000 Ford Transit Vans - TopSpeed

So, is Peter Lee a Model Citizen, or is he just a crazy person? Obviously, it's the former! There's no telling what will trigger an interest in cars or their miniature versions, and who are we to say that a particular make is not worth pursuing. No one, that's who. We salute you, Peter Lee, and we hope someday to experience your personal Transit museum firsthand!

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