Used to worry about these models, you had to be so careful with them in the van, then when tipping them on the work bench and we tended to push them about holding the collar at the very top of the plastic handlebars. We once had one come into the workshop with a set of metal handlebar assemblies that had been weld fabricated into quite brilliant copies of the errant plastic fitings…a real work of art.
I still find them fascinating though and would still like to find out more about the origin of the design of these models….being so vast a change from the previous style thick steel side plate and cross member construction to one of thin pressed steel, plastic and self tapping set screws.
Clive.