Art Anderson Posted December 13, 2017 Share Posted December 13, 2017 Posted just a little while, on Facebook: Chris Etzel, the creator of those fabulously accurate and detailed "Etzel's Speed Classics" passed away earlier today, from cancer. I first met Chris while working my way through college at Weber's Hobby Shop here in Lafayette IN--at perhaps 5 yrs old, he would tag along with his two older brothers when they came in to the shop to buy model kits and supplies. By about 1980, in high school, he was one heck of a modeler, passionately building 1/48 scale aircraft, winning big at IPMS Regionals and Nationals. In the mid-1990's, after a try at doing 1/48 scale aircraft resin transkits, he hit on the idea of replicating famous Indianapolis cars, and "Etzel's Speed Classics" was born. His passion for creating "That last and correct detail" became legendary, along with the sheer accuracy of each and every kit he produced. While ultimately, by about 2004, Chris had to shut down his resin/white metal race car production and pursue other opportunities, he never gave up his love for racing and race cars--building awesome 1/43 scale F-1 cars all the way out until his failing health caught up with him just a couple of weeks ago. RIP Chris, and thanks for all the memories, and some really great kits. Art Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitbash1 Posted December 13, 2017 Share Posted December 13, 2017 This is so sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike999 Posted December 13, 2017 Share Posted December 13, 2017 That is sad. Thanks for letting us know. His Speed Classics were awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDO Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 Very sad. He contributed a lot to our hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBorg Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 Chris was without a doubt one of the best model builders of all time. His resin kits set the standard for race car kits. I never met him but admired his craftsmanship greatly. God Rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 Admired his kits. My condolences to his family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1930fordpickup Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 Prayers for his family Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DumpyDan Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 59 minutes ago, 1930fordpickup said: Prayers for his family My prayers also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Anderson Posted December 14, 2017 Author Share Posted December 14, 2017 11 hours ago, iBorg said: Chris was without a doubt one of the best model builders of all time. His resin kits set the standard for race car kits. I never met him but admired his craftsmanship greatly. God Rest. Chris was a consummate model builder. He was, to put it mildly, a "child prodigy" when it came to building plastic models. He'd come into the hobby shop here in Lafayette, where I worked my way through college and for 3 years afterward, with his two older brothers (Chris was about 7 or 8 when he started, with WW-II airplane kits) who were in their mid-late teens at the time. By the time Chris was 12 or 13, he was competing, and being awarded at IPMS contests, entering as an ADULT. At the IPMS Nationals at Bong International Airport in Milwaukee, Chris won several firsts. One thing almost nobody ever knew: Chris built many a 1/43 scale Ferrari for none other than Jay Leno, for a good number of years! About 2001, Chris started his first resin-casting venture--Medallion Models, a company producing resin transkits for 1/48 scale aircraft, principally WW-II birds, but was caught up by the sudden entry of several new model companies in Eastern Europe and in the Far East. In 2004, began working on his first 1/25 scale Indianapolis Winner, the 1925 Duesenberg race car driven to victory by Peter DePaolo that year, and by Lafayette IN (both of our's hometown) Native, George Souders, complete with a Fred Novarro figure of Souders. In 1997, Chris joined me at both NNL West and NNL East--selling out everything he took to each show well before the end of the event. In the summer of 2002, he shut down ESC, opting to go back to college, and the John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis, and then began a new career doing artwork for a sports apparel company in Indianapolis, but continued his personal hobby of building 1/43 scale racing cars. He will be missed, but fondly remembered, by all who knew him. Art Anderson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impalow Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 34 minutes ago, Art Anderson said: Chris was a consummate model builder. He was, to put it mildly, a "child prodigy" when it came to building plastic models. He'd come into the hobby shop here in Lafayette, where I worked my way through college and for 3 years afterward, with his two older brothers (Chris was about 7 or 8 when he started, with WW-II airplane kits) who were in their mid-late teens at the time. By the time Chris was 12 or 13, he was competing, and being awarded at IPMS contests, entering as an ADULT. At the IPMS Nationals at Bong International Airport in Milwaukee, Chris won several firsts. One thing almost nobody ever knew: Chris built many a 1/43 scale Ferrari for none other than Jay Leno, for a good number of years! About 2001, Chris started his first resin-casting venture--Medallion Models, a company producing resin transkits for 1/48 scale aircraft, principally WW-II birds, but was caught up by the sudden entry of several new model companies in Eastern Europe and in the Far East. In 2004, began working on his first 1/25 scale Indianapolis Winner, the 1925 Duesenberg race car driven to victory by Peter DePaolo that year, and by Lafayette IN (both of our's hometown) Native, George Souders, complete with a Fred Novarro figure of Souders. In 1997, Chris joined me at both NNL West and NNL East--selling out everything he took to each show well before the end of the event. In the summer of 2002, he shut down ESC, opting to go back to college, and the John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis, and then began a new career doing artwork for a sports apparel company in Indianapolis, but continued his personal hobby of building 1/43 scale racing cars. He will be missed, but fondly remembered, by all who knew him. Art Anderson Thank you for a bit of the backstory on Chris... I had never met him personally but had on Facebook, I was lucky enough to work with one of his amazing resin engines.. Very sad day for our hobby. Prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Anderson Posted December 14, 2017 Author Share Posted December 14, 2017 2 minutes ago, Impalow said: Thank you for a bit of the backstory on Chris... I had never met him personally but had on Facebook, I was lucky enough to work with one of his amazing resin engines.. Very sad day for our hobby. Prayers. Eric, I have several of Chris's Offenhauser engines. His was mastered off of a real 274cid Offy (4.5 liter, used in Indianapolis Car racing from 1935 through the 1955 USAC season. I also have, started but not yet finished, his first Indianapolis car kit, the 1925 Duesenberg Indianapolis winner, which when finished, will be a model of the 1927 Indy winner, driven by the last "true" rookie to win at Indianapolis, George Souders, from my hometown of Lafayette IN, and whom I got to know pretty well in his later years. In addition, I have, now higher on my build list, Chris's excellent curbside model kit of Frank Lockhart's "Stutz Blackhawk Spl, the ill-fated LSR in which Lockhart was killed, on the beach at Daytona Florida, in 1927. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 Sad indeed. The world needs people whose passion drives their craftsmanship, and the passing of such a man is always a great loss. I only have a very few examples of his work, but for that I'm thankful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casassa Posted December 18, 2017 Share Posted December 18, 2017 Art, thanks a lot for the stories about Chris. He will be missed. JIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinfan5 Posted December 18, 2017 Share Posted December 18, 2017 Who? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 (edited) Just heard the news. Very sad, Chris was an amazing talent and his work will live on! I was fortunate enough to meet Chris at one of the NNL West shows in which I was showing several of his cars that I had built. He was excited to see them and took photos to add to his collection. i will treasure the superb models that I was fortunate enough to purchase from him. Edited January 4, 2021 by Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.