1959scudetto

Steve, great models - the Imperial convertible as well as the Dodge HT - simply excellent !!!

Beautiful Helmut! I'm working on the '59 Plymouth as we speak, so I'll get back to you on that one. I do however, have the X-EL '59 Dodge & a Model King reissue of the '59 Imperial. I have the X-EL '59 Desoto hardtop as well that I began converting to a 2 door convertible many years ago, but due to the lack of an interior, I never finished it. Both the '59 Dodge & the Plymouth that I'm working on, have Modelhaus resin interiors. Actually pretty nice ones! Thanks Steve, but my models are actually junk compared with those of you - incredible, your Dodge with those spinner (?) hubcaps, the correct interior, the perfectly applied BMF and that gorgeous paint !!! Your late '50s models are among the most beautiful I have ever seen in the last 30 years, period. The Imperial is also in my stash (2 x), together with about 350 others that are waiting for being built - and I should restore several of my old builds, too (the 3 above, for example) - too many kits, too little time!

and finally the De Soto Fireflite 4 Door HT (# 3) Remark: License plates for all 3 are from an old 1961 auto world self-sticking license plate sheet.

The Dodge Custom Royal Lancer (#2)

As I was born in 1959, what about '59 cars, but not the always-and-everywhere present Chevys and Cadillacs, something different instead: Here are 3 former X-EL promos, repainted in the mid 80's, done "old-school" (no BMF, just silver paint), bodies with spray cans I had at hand in colors I thought that would fit for these land yachts. Therefore not strictly stock, as all three have interiors from the '60 De Soto (I didn't like missing interiors - better wrong ones than nothing at all) - so all of you nitpickers will have something to talk about. Anyway, despite several shortcomings, they make ok shelfmodels when looked at from a distance - here we go: Plymouth Fury HT

Here is another onethat is rather seldom seen: JoHan's 63 Starfire 2 door HT: Hastily built 30 years ago, it will need a restoration

My small contribution: '57 and '58 X-EL Promos repainted in the mid 80's - will get a polishing treatment and some BMF sometimes in the future.

Perfectly executed model Steve, in beautiful colors - fantastic!!!

superb built race car of my all-time F1 hero Jim clark!!!

Great Ferraris, Matt! The California Spider looks excellent - especially in that color! Unfortunately I built mine red/int. black, but have still 2 more originals in my stash: dark blue/tan int., metallic grey/red int. or black/red int. ? Now I see another color combination which pleases me! What rims and tires did you use? Spoke wheels look almost like Italeri's, tires like Protar's?

the V12 Detroit Diesel engine from Tyrone Malone's Kenworth truck...

Great trucks, Jacobus - I especially like the Diamond T and the Ford - could you show us more?

This is exactly what I thought to myself whenI saw the pics !

Pavel, very good weathered and used Cabovers, especially the Pete is a dirty workhorse - much go and no show! Sam, very convincing Ford you have here - gives me inspirations for my kit - which color did you use?

Thanks again, Harry - very much appreciated.

Thanks, Harry!

Nice combo, JT - have you ran out of orange yet?

Fantastic !!!! One of the best 352s I have ever seen in magazines or on the internet - simply awesome !!!

Very nice car, Marcos - I especially like the color, looks very elegant!

My only (built) Autocar - box stock, from ca. 1985...

Here's mine - built almost 30 years ago, pretty much out of the box (Union reissue of the IMC kit), spray-painted with some cans I had at hand, the hood doesn't like to be opened, the doors have been glued shut.

No, the D-type was developed as a successor to the C-type that won at Le mans in 1951 and 53 - the D-type managed wins in 1955, 56 and 57. Info from Andrew Whyte's book "Jaguar D-type & XKSS": 1956 Le Mans regulations required manufacturers of over 2,5 litre-cars (the Jag had 3,4) to declare their intention to manufacture 100 similar vehicles... during 1955 and 56 Jaguar continued to build D-types, listing them at GBP 3878,00 in the UK, though most of them were exported. Bythe winter of 1956/57 production was in sight of the promised 100 when it was decided to convert the unsold ones into a new model - theJaguar XKSS... The XKSS was announced in January 1957. It was a D-Type with specially-made windscreen, a folding soft-top, a nearside door, side curtains, a luggae grid on the tail. Gone were the headrest and the stressed alloy sheeting which had formed the deck between the seats of the original. In Feburary 1957, several carsin the course of transformation from D to XKSS were lost in a fire which swept through a third of the assembly plant. In the end, only 16 XKSS were built as new cars, and a further two converted at the works for existing D-type owners, thus establishing a grand total of 18 "official"XKSSs. All in all, 87 D-types including all factory XKSSs were fabricated, not very far short of the goal of 100. Well, as we can see, the XKSS was derived from the D-type as a slightly tamed road-going version of this famous race-car, and is a lot more rare than the D. (similar to the Ford GT40, with the roadgoing Mk III)

Excellent model, Matt -I have this kit in my stash sind 1993 when it was first released. Thanks for theinfo on the tires eating the rims....

thanks guys, for the kind words! If only somebedy would release a 250 GT Lusso... (like Tamiya did with the 300 SL)

Absolutely superb model, Ron! This car is a monster - but a very impressive and intimidating one! Looks almost like the real thing - how much does this kit cost???