Home Welcome Reviews Editorials/Press Reference Shopping Mall Links Photo Archive Search Contact
Review of 2021
Editorial January 2022
 

After the tumult of 2020, perhaps 2021 was, in the end, not much better. 

The Nuremberg Toy Fair in January was cancelled and the major OEM trade show for the year, Intermat, was also cancelled.  

The year seemed to be a slow one for new releases and this was probably due to a number of factors.  Production was slowed by Covid affecting both the development of new models, and also factory output.  Deliveries, particularly from China, were seriously hampered by shipping delays and spiralling shipping costs.  The fact that 2022's major OEM exhibition, BAUMA, has been delayed from April to October may also have affected industry orders and timing.

Against the above backdrop it was an unexciting year for models and there were no obvious candidates for either Innovation of the Year or Model Maker of the Year. 

However, one of the interesting releases was Kranlab's 1:87 Liebherr LTM 1500 model, and this set a new standard for the use of diecast in crane models of this scale. 

Looking forward, the Nuremberg Toy Fair for February 2022 is still scheduled at the time of writing, but a much reduced attendance can be expected given the spread of the Omicron variant at the start of the year.  BAUMA has seen some OEM's withdraw from the event with perhaps Caterpillar being the most notable, although it will be represented by a dealership.  There will no doubt be a high number of new models released in 2022 focussed around the BAUMA exhibition, and these may appear steadily through 2022.

On to the Cranes Etc Awards, and once again they are based only on the models reviewed by Cranes Etc during the year. 

Innovation of the Year

No award for 2021.

Model Company of the Year


No award for 2021. 

Model of the Year

This award goes to Drake Collectibles Mack Super-Liner II Bicentennial.  This excellent truck model shows that care and attention by a model maker can result in a first class collectible which properly reflects the status of the real truck.

Winner - Mack Super-Liner II Bicentennial by Drake Collectibles


Cranes Etc
 
Model of the Year 2021: Mack Super-Liner II Bicentennial by Drake Collectibles