Richard Bartrop

Since you asked: When we enjoy something, we want to share it with others because we think they might like it too. Maybe it's a relic of the days when we'd share the good hunting spots with the rest of the tribe. I suppose there is that whole idea of passing the collected wisdom of society along to the next generation. There is also a certain amount of self interest. If the kids are interested in models, then they will want to buy them, which means more money to the kit makers, which means they'll stay in business a little longer to keep making kits for us, and maybe even have the money to make more kits that we want. Some of them might want to learn more about modelling y buying more copies of Model Cars Magazine, which mean you get to keep your job a little longer. Just a thought.

How much does a 1940 Ford really differ From a 1940 Chevy, or a 1940 Plymouth, or a Nash or a Studebaker? About this much...

And they actually replaced "Henry J" with "Sears" at one point. The fact is, most people have been treating automobiles like appliances since the days of the Model T, and that is okay, because that is exactly what most of them were built for. Always, this accompanied by the same sad refrain of how nobody loves cars anymore, repeated word for word throughout the yearslike some Buddhist mantra. You don't think anyone will get enthused about a 2016 Camry? Let's just take a look at one of Moebius' recent offerings, the 1965 Plymouth Belvedere.. People have been enthusiastic about it, and rightly so, but those of you who were around in the 60's, do you ever remember thinking to yourself at any point, "Oh yeah, I wish I had one of those sweet Plymouth Belvederes!". It was just about as vanilla a vehicle as Detroit ever produced, yet it 2016, we're excited about this artifact from the past, just like how fragments of ancient Greek pottery are so much more interesting than what's left of that coffee cup you dropped. So yes, it's pretty much a certainty that future generations will get excited over a 2016 Camry, and it's no more a mental defect than getting excited over Chrysler products that were built when the Beatles were big. And here's why: First, there aren't going to be a lot of them around, precisely because most of them will be used and discarded like the appliances they are. Also, it won't be just a 2016 Camry anymore. It'll be a the Camry that used to belong to a beloved relative who isn't around anymore. Maybe it'll be the Camry they learned to drive in, or went on that wonderful trip to that place that shut down a few years ago. It'll an artifact of a bygone age, a reminder of people and places that are no longer with you, of value that maybe people don't hold anymore. So, remember this when you catch yourself moaning about why they don't make great cars like those 2016 Camrys anymore.

Oh yes, a Facel Vega would be great, as would a Volvo P1800. I certainly have nothing against Ferraris or Lamborghinis, but the kitmakers are already on those.

Living in the province of Alberta here. As far as modern European cars go, I would love to see someone do the Peugeot Onyx concept car. European supercars are always welcome, and seeing how Ferrari Lamborghini, and now Panoz are now available in kit form, how about a Koenigsegg? As far as postwar classics go, At the top of my list would be the Citroen SM, and the Lamborghini Espada. Airfix did a 1-32 Maserati Ghibli way back when, and it would be nice to see a 1/24 version.. A ZiL limousine would made a nice companion to Trumpeter's Red Flag limo. For prewar classics, Heller covered most of my want list, but a Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic coupe would be well received, I think. Likewise, the swoopy cre4ations of Figoni and Falaschi haven't gotten any love from the kitmakers. Heller already made kits of the Delage, Delahaye and Talbot-Lago, and it would be nice to see a version with Figoni and Falaschi coachwork. The 1913 Vauxhall Prince Henry is another 1/32 Airfix kit that I would like to see in 1/24, along with the original Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. It would also be nice to see some of the pioneering autos in 1/24, like the 1886 Benz and Daimler, an 1891 Panhard, or even the 1770 Cugnot. For more humble offerings, how about a Citroen Ami or Dyane to go with the 2CV kits that are already out there? A stock Topolino would be nice, as would a Morris Minor? There have been Ford Capri kits in the past, but a new kit, or even a reissue would be welcome, I think. As far as racing goes, a D-type Jaguar would be welcome, or even a re-release of Revell's XKSS. I'd liek to see more front engined Grand Prix cars along the lines of Heller's excellent Talbot-Lago I would like to see the Auto Union racers available in 1/24, along with the Mercedes-Benz "Silver Arrows"

I really like this. The look is contemporary, even futuristic, almost the complete antithesis of a traditional rod, and it works. The stance is perfect, and the headlight and taillight treatment work well woth the shape of the body. It has the high tech look of the billet era without being bland, and looks functional without being ratty. The closest thing I can thing of is maybe the pro-touring look applied to a hot rod. I think you're on to something here.

I don't think the point was that competing is bad, or that you shouldn't want to win. Of course winning feels great, and I'll even say that competition can be constructive if it motivates you to up your game. However, there are always a few people who take things too far, and if not winning is making you throw fits, then maybe you show step back a bit, and think about what you're doing.

There certainly are, which is why I thought it was relevant here.

Something I saw while browsing the Hemmings Blog. It about full sized car shows, but I've seen their kind at model shows too. http://www.stanceiseverything.com/2016/05/an-open-letter-to-car-show-trophy-hunters/

And personally, I'm much more interested in these than another muscle car.

Personally, it's the oddball stuff that catches my eye, but really, do what interests you. If they like it, that's great, but if they don't get it, that's their loss. It would be a sorry state of affairs if we had to run a focus group whenever we wanted to build something.

Granted, if you wanted to keep a low profile, a Duesenberg probably wouldn't have been your first choice. They're big, powerful cars that are about a subtle as a punch in the face. I remember an early Automobile QUarterly piece that described a Duesenberg in a limousine body as looking like a prizefighter in a tuxedo, and I can't argue with that.

Someone at a company I worked for had one.

Here's something I like to do when there's a topic I'm not interested in. I don't click on it. Give it a try, and maybe it'll work for you too.

That is amazing work.

Personally, I like epoxy for attaching clear parts. It doesn't attack the plastic, or plaint, abd you do have a little time to wipe up any smudges. The lack of plastic fogging fumes is especially nice for gluing things like lenses.

Or for that matter, who would have imagined in 1976, in the depths of the Energy Crisis, recession, when predictions of the death of performance were the order of the day, that 40 years hence you would be able to get something like a Hellcat?

You're not the only one.

You're not the only one who'd like to see a Revival revival. I got the Stutz many years ago, and I'd welcome a chance to get a hold of them at a non-ridiculous price.

Even if someone like Detail master offered some conversion kits like they did with the Baeumont

Well, you do have to be realistic. If you go into this expecting everything you put on the list will be on the shelves by Christmas, then of course you're going to be dissapointed. Of course most of the stuff we put on these lists is never going to happen, but that doesn't mean that it's a waste of time. It never hurts to tell the companies what you want, and sometimes you find out there's a lot of other people who'd also like the kit you think nobody else would want. And while the odds may be low, that doesn't mean they're zero. That '56 Chrysler 300B that Moebius released? That was something I'd wanted for years but figured that's never going to happen. You think wanting more classics is a pointless effort? Try wanting brass era stuff. The number of 1/24 and 1/25 brass era car kits that weren't made in the dark ages could be counted on one hand, with fingers left over, yet ICM is releasing some very nice Model T kits. I participate in these because every so often, it works.

Actually, I had forgotten about the Ebbro kit. Thanks for the reminder! Yes, there is a thread about what could be made from existing tooling, but this one seemed pretty clear. Never mind the restrictions, what would you like to see made into a kit? Revell does do a lot of business in Europe as well, so it is worth considering what we'd like to see from that side of the Atlantic. I'd certainly be interested in a Volvo p1800, and I'd love to see someone do a Citroen SM kit. Ferrari and Lamborghini already get lots of love when it comes to kits, but how about some classic Maseratis? The Ghibli was a gorgeous design that deserves a model. A couple of American cers I missed the first time around, but I'd love to see as a kit are the '67 Oldsmobile Toronado, and the 1971 Riviera.

Looks like somebody;s rod got caught between two semis.

Eccentric old men and hot rod builders. In other words, people like us now. I thought 60's cars were really cool back then. My Dad had a '67 Toronado that I thought looked like something out of the future, back when that was considered a good thing. I also devoured anyting I could find on the history of the automobile, and people were singing that same tune. They just change the dates periodically. It was also when Exner was pitching his "revivals" concept, after trying to add 30s touches to his designs for Chrysler. Mitchell was doing the same thing at GM, but with a little more subtlety. In fact, I guarantee that 30 years hence, people will be moaning about why we can't have cars with real style like that one you posted. Don't believe me? Check out this guy on the Hemmings blog singing the praises of an 80s Camry.http://blog.hemmings.com/?p=630672

I was a kid when the 60s cars were new, and the ones from the 50's were still plentiful, and you know what people said? "Why can't we have cars with real style like we did in the 30s, instead of this hideous stuff?" People never appreciate how good they have it until it's too late.