The Carnegie Collection Spinosaurus (1992)

Name: Spinosaurus

Species: Spinosaurus aegyptiacus
First release: 1992
Model number: 422-01
Schleich number: 15422
Size: 25.5 cm
Advertised scale: 1:40 (later 1:65)
Actual scale: 1:40 - 1:50
Sculptor: Forest Rogers

Based on current understanding of Spinosaurus body shape, the holotype specimen was about 11.5m long. However, in 1992 Spinosaurus was generally considered shorter necked with a shorter snout. so, with old-fashioned proportions, the holotype would have been understood as 10-11m in length, making the original Carnegie model a true 1:40 representation of the species as it was known in the early 1990s. The revised 1:65 scale estimates given in later collectors guides are based on both larger specimens and revised proportions, so are somewhat inaccurate, because the overall bulk of the animal would not have been this large at 1:65 scale. If you were to hypothetically reconstruct the largest known Spinosaurus specimens with old school proportions, the resulting animal would be about 12-13m long, making this model 1:50 scale at most.

Mold 1

Release: 1992

Retired: c. 1998

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Mold: 1
Version: 1
Release: 1992
Status: Original
Material: Soft light gray rubber
Paint: 7 colors. Caramel brown (body); glossy dark brown (stripes, spots); glossy black (claws, back, pupils, eye markings, ears); yellow (eyes); pink (mouth, nostrils); white (teeth, eye glare); gloss finish
Stamp text: Left-aligned. SPINOSAURUS / 1992 The Carnegie / SAFARI LTD / CHINA
CE mark: None.
TDR rating: 8/10

The original release of Spinosaurus was made with very soft rubber, similar to the kind used in the some versions of the pterosaurs and Diplodocus, though a gray rather than white color. The paint scheme was dominated by a light brown body and dark brown to black highlights including spots and stripes. The claws are also black, and the whole paint application is covered in a very glossy finish.

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Mold: 1
Version: 2
Release: c. 1993
Status: Minor repaint
Material: Soft light gray rubber
Paint: 6 colors: Matte light brown (body); glossy dark brown (stripes, spots); glossy black (claws, back, pupils, eye markings, ears); yellow (eyes); pink (mouth, nostrils); white (teeth, eye glare)
Stamp text: Left-aligned. SPINOSAURUS / 1992 The Carnegie / SAFARI LTD / CHINA
CE mark: None.
TDR rating: 2/10

This minor variant of the first Spinosaurus has a slightly drabber shade of light brown paint and lacks the high gloss finish of the original.

Original (front) vs. newer (back) paint application.

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Mold: 1
Version: 3
Release: c. 1995
Status: Minor retool
Material: Dark gray vinyl
Paint: 6 colors: Glossy light brown (body); glossy dark brown (stripes, spots); glossy black (claws, back, pupils, eye markings, ears); yellow (eyes); pink (mouth, nostrils); white (teeth, eye glare)
Stamp text: Left-aligned. SPINOSAURUS / (C) 1992 The Carnegie / SAFARI LTD / CHINA / CE / 2
CE mark: Medium
TDR rating: 2/10

Same as previous version, but with the brighter / more caramel colored glossy brown paint restored, and a small CE mark added. The number 2 to the right of the belly stamp is aligned with the 2nd and 3rd rows of text. The "modern" font on the CE mark suggests this version came after the origin batch of CE marked models but before the use of the large CE mark, so possibly around 1995, just before the switch to color vinyl. The underlying plastic seems to be a darker gray, similar to the resculpted version of T. rex.

Mold 2

Release: c. 1998

Retired: c. 2010

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Mold: 2
Version: 1
Release: c. 1998
Status: Retool
Material: Light brown vinyl
Paint: Glossy. Dark brown stripes and spots, black claws, yellow and black eyes, pink mouth, white teeth.
Stamp text: Left-aligned. SPINOSAURUS / 1992 THE CARNEGIE / SAFARI LTD / CHINA / 2 / CE
CE mark: Large.
TDR rating: 1/10

This colored vinyl version has a large CE mark on the belly, suggesting it was a later release than the others, around 1998. Because it is mostly brown with no real wash, the paint is very simple on this release, and is mostly unpainted plastic. Compared to previous versions, this one has more black paint covering the top of the head, as well as smaller painted eyes.

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Mold: 2
Version: 2

Release: c. 2000
Status: Retool
Material: Hard light brown plastic
Paint: Glossy. Dark brown stripes and spots, black claws, yellow and black eyes, pink mouth, white teeth.
Stamp text: Left-aligned. SPINOSAURUS / 1992 THE CARNEGIE / SAFARI LTD / CHINA / 2 / CE
CE mark: Large.
TDR rating: 1/10

This colored vinyl version the same imprint stamp as previous versions, but is made of a harder, more brittle plastic. Like some other theropod replicas produced for the Carnegie line in the early 2000s, this one seems to have strangely flattened and warped hands (see the same effect more clearly in the Allosaurus version from this same time frame). The head and neck seem to be much narrower than previous versions as well. Something seems to have been going wrong with the molds at this point, almost as if they were closing too tightly together? Or is this a result of the harder plastic somehow?

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Photo by Joe DeMarco

Mold: 2
Version: 3
Release: 2007
Status: Major repaint
Material: Hard gray vinyl
Paint: Matte and glossy. 7 colors. Gray (base wash); matte burnt red (sail, back); glossy light red (neck, face); black (markings, claws, eyes); light blue (back highlights); white (teeth); light gray (limbs, jaws)
Stamp text: Left-aligned. SPINOSAURUS / 1992 THE CARNEGIE / SAFARI LTD / CHINA / CE / 2
CE mark: Large.
TDR rating: 5/10

The 2007 refresh version of Spinosaurus uses the exact same mold as the early 2000s version. It the most complex and probably best paint application and color scheme of all these versions. Interestingly, it appears as though the new color scheme may have been based on the appearance of the Spinosaurus in the classic Carnegie Collection poster, which was released before the original Spinosaurus model was added to the line. Replacing the old black and brown version is a light gray vinyl figure painted with lots of shades of gray and red with a nice gray wash that finally brings out the details of the sculpt. Interestingly, aside from the all-new color scheme and info tag, this release does not seem to have had much retooling done to its mold since the 1998 version, though the detail is slightly crisper, and the plastic is a very hard, rigid vinyl. The belly stamp text remains identical to the last release.

Prototype

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Mold: 2
Version: 4
Release: c. 2009
Status: Minor repaint
Material: Hard gray vinyl
Paint: Matte and glossy. 5 colors. Gray (base wash); red (sail, back, neck face); black (markings, claws, eyes); white (teeth); light gray (limbs, jaws)
Stamp text: Left-aligned. SPINOSAURUS / 1992 THE CARNEGIE / SAFARI LTD / CHINA / CE / 2
CE mark: Large.
TDR rating: 3/10

This version is a later simplification of the 2007 repaint. Note the less complex paint applications which differ from the prototype shown in promotional materials. Most notably, the light red paint is absent from the face and jaws, replaced with a more uniform dark red color that extends all the way to the teeth (the original has a light gray margin around the mouth). It is also missing the light blue highlights between the black stripes on the back. The mold remains unchanged from the early 2000s brown version.

Mold 3

Release: c. 2010

Retired: 2016

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Mold: 3
Version: 1
Release: c. 2010
Status: Retool
Material: Hard light gray vinyl
Paint: Matte and glossy. 5 colors. Gray (base wash); red (sail, back, neck, face); black (markings, claws, eyes); white (teeth); light gray (limbs, jaws)
Stamp text: Left-aligned. Carnegie Spinosaurus / (C) 1992 Safari Ltd. Miami,FL USA / Made in China CE
CE mark: Large.
TDR rating: 4/10

This version retains the same somewhat simplified paint application as the previous version, but has an all-new, 3-line imprint stamp, placing it as a c. 2010 release.

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Mold: 3
Version: 2
Release: c. 2012
Status: Retool
Material: ?
Paint: Matte and glossy. 5 colors. Gray (base wash); red (sail, back, neck, face); black (markings, claws, eyes); white (teeth); light gray (limbs, jaws)
Stamp text: ?
CE mark: Large.
TDR rating: 6/10

This version has a much more extensive red paint on the head and neck, and more prominent red spots on the flanks. The Wild Safari tag style suggests this is a very late release, around 2012, so it may have had a modified imprint stamp as well.