Having received an e-mail concerning the fact that information in our database was incorrectly listed for the FM 1932 Ford Bonnie and Clyde with Bullet Holes I found myself gazing once again at this very interesting and beautiful model.
After completing the corrections to our database I couldn't help admiring this model more closely once again. As I removed it ever so carefully from its resting place I placed it ever so gently on my desk admiring the detail and workmanship that is rather obvious throughout this model.

By adding these unique enhancements to the 1932 Ford the Franklin Mint transformed a simple model into what is known today as the 1932 Franklin Mint Bonnie and Clyde with bullet holes?

I now had a burning desire to discover why/how this model was created? So a few phone calls to "The Franklin Mint" and more correspondence to one of its designers gave me the knowledge on the how/why and I now knew the rest of the story. Allow me to share that story with you.

The sole purpose of this model was to tell a story and tell a story it did. This model was never intended to be a replica of the so-called death car. Rather this was the car of choice of Clyde Barrow, who loved those big V8's that Ford was famous for during that era. That said, Franklin Mint set out to define a story of an automobile around the myth of these famous villains.

Bonnie Parker was the female half of the notorious crime duo. She was born on October 1, 1910, in Rowena, Texas. She and partner Clyde Barrow died in a hail of machine gun fire from law enforcement officers on May 23, 1934.

In November of that same year, the Dallas café where Bonnie worked closed. She met Barrow in January 1930 and they began their romance. He was jailed in March but escaped using a pistol Bonnie smuggled past the guards. The next month he was captured and sent to a prison farm in Crockett, Texas. He was paroled in February 1932 and he and Bonnie began their rein of terror.

They robbed grocery stores, filling stations, and small banks. One robbery attempt failed in March 1932, allowing authorities to capture Bonnie. She was jailed in Kaufman, Texas, but released in June when the grand jury no-billed her.

Reunited, Bonnie and Clyde continued their murderous crime spree throughout Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Missouri. Law enforcement initiated a massive, but unsuccessful, manhunt.

They narrowly escaped a police raid on their hideout in Joplin, Missouri, where they were staying with Barrow's brother and sister-in-law. The shootout resulted in the death of two more policemen. Recovered from the hideout were six rolls of film containing the now-famous photographs of the criminal couple.

Their murders, robberies and narrow escapes continued through 1933. Clyde's brother was killed in a shootout in Platte City, Missouri, and his sister-in-law was captured. In January 1934, Parker and Barrow made a daring machine gun raid on Eastham Farm prison to release Raymond Hamilton. One guard was killed.

By the time of the jailbreak, former Texas Ranger Captain Francis (Frank) Hamerqv and his associates had begun to track Bonnie and Clyde. On Easter Sunday, 1934, near Grapevine, Texas, two highway patrolmen unwittingly stopped to check on the wanted couple's car, which was stopped by the side of the road. She and Clyde opened fire on the officers and Bonnie, according to witnesses, walked over to one of the officers, rolled him over with her foot and fired her sawed-off shotgun at the officer's head. She then reportedly said, "Look-a-there, his head bounced just like a rubber ball."

So now you know the story that gave way to the creation of the FM 1932 Bonnie and Clyde Ford. Now came the audacious task to create the perfect model telling that story through the creation of a replica in die cast and tell a story they did. It is my humble opinion that they captured the story rather well with the creation of the 1932 Bonnie and Clyde with bullet holes.

The model replicates a stolen getaway car. The model included a collateral pack that had a copy of the Joplin Times. The car’s license plate bore the same number as the one they stole. If you take a close look at the hood ornament you will notice it matches the one pictured with Bonnie and Clyde at the front of the car in the newspaper clipping.

Included with this model was a box of cigars, these where added as a joke since Bonnie was pictured smoking a cigar. Everything was period correct right down to the ammo markings on the tiny boxes, the shells were even made of brass. There was also a trunk included not the type of trunk you would perceive today but a steamer type trunk, which sat on the fold down rack located at the rear of the automobile. Here the steamer trunk was placed then fastened to the rack with straps. The trunk opens and is filled with weapons also.

Now here comes the part I found to be most interesting. Having spoken to the Franklin Mint on why there were only approximately 1500 models produced of the bullet hole version? I was informed that during the initial test marketing of this model it was marketed in two versions. One had bullet holes and the other without. The model preferred was the one without the bullet holes. Hence production was stopped on the bullet hole version at about 1500 and the non-bullet hole version was then the sole model being marketed.

As for how the bullet holes were placed into this model and did there location have any symbolism the answer to the last part of the question was no. The holes were drilled, chamfered and then tampo printed with a gray for a primer look. If the holes were simply drilled there would be no real definition and the effect would not be realistic.

The door panels had "jute" sticking into the interior to show that the bullets traversed thru the car. The glass and headlight lens had bullet holes and spider cracks. Also, located on the passenger door there in the side panel you will find a miniature copy of the Joplin Times.

Finally, the most fascinating fact about the story was the car itself. It was a very rare convertible sedan, which can be displayed with or without the top.

The first of these models to hit the auction brought over $400.00 currently their price has been in the $200.00 to $250.00 range. It is my opinion this is an excellent model for those collectors that love the vintage models and the best part of this model is the story that was captured rather nicely by the Franklin Mint. Keep your eyes open for one of these little gems I assure you it will be worth the investment.