Junkman

No.

People seem to be willing to shell out quite some dough for this body alone. But the kit industry will very creatively invent lots of reasons why it won't sell as a kit, instead of finally pull out the finger.

It's been a while since I got anything 1:20 scale: And back to 1:24...

I'll start saying 'engine' when Jeff Gordon stops saying 'we blew the motor...' I once hit 14mph with my bicycle. Now I know how Burt Munro must have felt.

The purist/restorer should buy this lot. To fabricate something from tubing that gives you the same effect should be fairly easy.

It's 30 years in a Kenya jail I'd say.

Not really that obscure, because 1:20 scale Mitsubishi Jeeps have been issued all over the place at some time. But it is not far behind Jon Cole's VW kit when it comes to political incorrectness:

It looks like we finally have a decent bonnet (sorry, hood) for the '51 Chevies?

I got married there once: https://aivitals.co.clark.nv.us/WebPIInternet/DocDescMain.aspx?sk=19950211160325700&ref=ace5af9b-c504-4874-9873-26bfa69c72d7 It didn't last. But Elvis took the photos.

So a new box art and a different decal sheet gets hyped as a new kit?

Let me put it this way... I could make you a much older running car for a lot less than 4.62 mio. So if you have more money than brain cells too, just transfer 4.5 mio into my account and it's your's.

Were any others racing, too?

It's not about not being able to replicate the model. I'm a collector, too, and I'm just missing the Bianchi kit.

Unfortunatley both of them are beyond my financial capabilities, especially when considering that one of the sellers wants a whopping $80.00 for international postage.

There is not much known about the real car, other than it is a 1906 Bianchi 15/20 Gran Coupè di Gala Otto Molle. The real car is in the National Motor Museum in Torino, Italy. The car was also modelled by Rio as a 1:43 diecast. Few people know that Bianchi in its heydays produced more than 200,000 cars per year and was Italy's third largest car company. I have been looking for this kit for quite a while and I have the Mercedes counterpart: Both kits were originally made by a company called Imai-Kagaku and ended up with Bandai through a takeover.

There is (was?) also a blue Toyota S800, and at least two cars in Japanese police markings - a Honda Today that came with a Motocompo scooter, and a Datsun 240Z.

Both. I had used ones from way back when working like a treat, newer virrrrrrgins not working and pretty much everything in between.

Totally wicked! This could go straight into our 'obscure kits' thread.

Very italianesque. Bill Mitchell sure loved Europan design at the time.

What do you mean 'lighten it'? That thing is 100 proof! Put a white surfboard with two blue metallic stripes on the roof and whooshbonk!

Of course it does. But how may other kids your age went with you doing the same?