Richard Bartrop

For your own safety, don't actually try any of those.

The idea of a street version of the Auto Union mid engine racer has intrigued me for a long time. This is a hypothetical roadster version I modeled and rendered a few years back in Lightwave 3D with all the texture maps done in Photoshop.

The Type 52 was a proposal for a road going version of the Auto Union Grand Prix cars that never left the drawing board. Audi commissioned Crosthwaite & Gardner to finally build it, and it made its debut at Goodwood this year.

It's neat that even in the age of digital design, they still start with pencils and markers. Also glad they decided not to got with the tailfins. Overall, I like the design. My favourite part is that rear three quarter view. It's just gorgeous. I love most of the little details. They make it look contemporary, while still honouring that classic look, and it all works together, which is something a lot of retro designs fail to achieve. The only thing that really bugs me is that piece of wood on the door. It's a nice piece of carpentry, but it doesn't really do anything. If they really wanted to make a continuous line across the top like they said, they could have just raised the door line, and made it all one colour. As it is, it defeats the purpose of having that dip in the door in the first place, which is to give the driver a little extra elbow room.

Now that you mention it, I can see it, though I always thought '71 Mustang. It's a nose you show on a lot of European designs from the '60s. Ford of Germany's OSI coupe, and several Bertone concepts spring to mind immediately The first gen Camaro was actually a pretty generic design, so it's not surpring that you'll similarities to other cars.

Got it! PM'd

Didn't Galaxie make a Glass Slipper kit, or am I hallucinating?

Rear engine special? Chances are, it's an Imp. In fact, my first thought was a WiIliam Towns or David Ogle creation.

I put in my first order on the 25th

Looks like I picked a great time to give them a try.

People can't wait all week to announce that their wallets are safe. They have lives too.

PM'ed

Whatever works for you. They only wanted $17 for shipping, and even that was waved with a large enough order. The service fee was $6. I don't like extra service fees either, but people keep telling me how I should be prepared to jump through some hoops. Compared to some of the other hoops I'm supposed to jump, I can live with this. I wish Norm well, and he can run his business however he wants. If he's going through some personal crisis, then he has my apologies and my sympathies. This fact still remains that it doesn't do me the slightest bit of good if he won't even answer my emails, much less take an order from me. Shapeways may be making me pay through the nose, but at least they'll take my money.

I can see one big benefit that services like Shapeways offer to the small scale parts maker, and that's dealing with all the messy business stuff.

I sent out another email. Still no reply No matter. Maple Leaf Modelworks had what I was looking for.and was willing to do business. I should be getting it in a couple of weeks.

Okay, if you're going by subject matter, then AMT's '57 Chrysler 300C and '66 Buick Riviera

The Jo-Han Cadillac V-16 kits go together very well, espically the Sport Phaeton and the Cabriolet.

I ordered the Tudor from P M Hobbycraft, and I'll pick it up the next time I'm in the area. It was $41.99 Canadian, which is lower than a lot of Round 2's offerings, and $20 less than what the new Deuce roadster is going for here.

Round 2 has put some stuff on my want list lately, and I did end up buying them. A big UFO fan here, and I will be buying the SHADOmobile when it hits the shelves.

Sort of like how all pushrod V8s look the same.

The recently re released Revell Tudor has a flathead with the crab style distributor that was unique to the '42 civilian models, and seems popular with the vintage not rod crowd. As for what they used back in the day, there is variation, or course, be the tendency was towards the latest and the biggest. Motor Trend's online Hot Rod Magazine is a handy reference for what people actually used back then.

Most of the AI restyling attempts are questionable, but I do like that purple one second from the top.

I have an AMTtronic, and I have another use in mind for it, but to conver one into the other, you might as well start from scratch

I figured it was hiding some badge that would give it away, though I can't see anything there on undoctored photos of .53 Fords.

The Black Hole may have been a so so movie, but the Cygnus was a cool looking ship, so I'll be picking that up when it hits the shelves. I'm a big fan of UFO, so I'm definitely looking forward tot he SHADOmobile.