Bernard Kron

Fabulous subject and beautiful execution in such a small scale. I have always felt about this car and their entry in the Carrera that the attitude was "if you're gonna give a party you should come dressed in style"!

Thanks guys. This was lots of fun and provided a nice end of year diversion.

Thanks everyone. A real pure rod and kustom year for me, doubling down on this subject matter. I'm surprised we don't see more of it among modelers. The new Revell '29 Ford Roadster release certainly has proved popular. In any case your interest is much appreciated.

Crazy cool models everyone. The weathered Chevy is my fave - massive amount of style just won't quit. Hope to see more inspiration from your bench in 2016. All the best for a happy and rewarding New Year.

Only when models are built to this level of detail and precision do you get this kind of realism. I look forward to seeing more of your superb work in 2016. Best wishes for a happy and rewarding New Year.

I like At The Wire, but they're all fine models. I agree with Bill that the flatted '57 just drips with bags of character, and of course the "Treasure Island" Merc was a very cool concept nicely done. Looking forward to more from in 2016, and wishing you all the best for a happy and fulfilling New Year.

Sharp! Everyone... Hope we see more like these from you in 2016!

Another stellar year from a master of modeling realism and precision, amply supported by your impeccable photography. I associate you with the discipline of showroom replicas but your journeys further afield are equally satisfying. I hope we are all treated to more of your superb models in 2016. In the meantime all the best for a happy and fulfilling New Year.

Your enthusiasm and love of these classic "monstres sacré" shows in every build. I hope you will treat us to many more in 2016. Happy New Year.

Not many builders of The Classics on the board, so to see so many so beautifully done as you offered us throughout the year was a special pleasure. Thanks for all you do on the site and best wishes for a happy and fulfilling 2016 and that we are treated to many more of your fine models.

With your interest and activity throughout the year I hadn't realized the Olds was your only completion. However, it is stellar in its detail and execution so if there had to be only one then at least it was to a very high level! Of course I think we all would agree that the Impala would go a mighty long way as compensation... All the best for a fulfilling and happy 2016, Niko.

Classic F1 - what's not to like, especially done this well! I hadn't realized so many nice subjects were available in 1/20th or bigger. The Parmalat car in all its folded aluminum glory is especially appealing. Glad to see the elves were kept busy in the F1 restoration shop! Happy 2016, Curt.

Sweet lineup of race cars. I especially like the no-nonsense Essex Wire Cobra, but all of them capture their era nicely. I hope we'll be able to enjoy more quality additions to your racing stable in 2016!

In the run up to Deuce Days, these ambitious, carefully conceived and executed '32 Fords were your hallmark in 2015 so I somehow missed the Lotus. Those Brit-rodded Falcons have always had a special place in my motoring memories so its nice to see one. All the best for a happy and rewarding 2016.

Nice builds, everyone. I missed the slammed El Camino. The panel paint job looks sweet! Looking forward to more from you in 2016. All the best for a happy and productive New Year.

I've said this before, but the grass is always greener on the other side. I doubt I will ever have the discipline and knowledge to model this way. You replica stock guys just slay me with the precision and realism of your work. Top shelf modeling at its best. Hoping 2016 brings you more rewards and that you can share some of your creative success with us.

Hiya, You had me worried with a mere 9 in this array, although all super strong on both the subject matter and modeling levels, of course. But then I saw the dedicated F1 retrospective you posted and I was OK again. Hope you had a good holiday and that 2016 brings you many rewards whether on or off the bench. Looking forward to more, more, more (or in your case more, more, more, more, more, more, more, etc....)

Thanks for your enthusiasm and engagement here at MCM all year long. Looking to more "better letters" (still my fave as the year progressed) from your bench in 2016!

The Joy of Modeling personified. Working in all scales and with varying degrees of complexity, following your work in the past year rewarded with consistently great models. Hopefully it was as satisfying for you as it was a pleasure for us all. May 2016 bring you many more treasures, both in scale and otherwise.

Prolific is an understatement, and at such a high level of quality in both execution and subject - never mind a whole second life in railroading.... The 250 GT California especially stands out for me because these are such iconic machines, but it must be a delight to have an ever growing and stellar lineup of important performance machines on your shelf. May 2016 bring you (and us...) many more!

Lovely models all from a master of impeccable execution. The strong colors of the blue Ford [pickup and Chrysler really pop and the no-frills Ranchero pickup conversion provides a nice contrast. All the best for a happy and productive 2016.

2015 was an interesting year in modeling for me. It was definitely The Year Of The Decal, with every one of the seven models I finished based on some sort of decal-based theme, enhancement, or experiment. Every one featured decals I made myself, but the purpose of the decals varied widely, from a detail accent item like the decals used to make the leopard skin interior for my ’49 Ford to whole paint jobs such as the fog paneling on the A Fuel dragster I built. The other unusual thing for me is that the majority of projects were driven by deadline-based community builds or contest themes: the streamliner was for one of the 2 NNL West themes (LSR), the ‘49 Ford and the Deuce 5-window were both built as part of the TRaK forum’s primer CPB, the Fiat Competition Coupe was in response to a Foreign Car dragster Challenge on the Vintage Drag Models forum, and even the ’37 Chevy Dirt Tracker was built as a means to introduce myself to the members of the Scale Racing Lobby forum. The ’40 Ford Box Art project was actually part of a CPB on the Australian Automotive Model Builders Forum acknowledging the 75th anniversary of the 1940 Ford. I think I used the deadlines as a trick to keep myself focused on a given project. Even so several builds were left unfinished at year’s end, which I’m beginning to accept as normal. So here they are, in chronological order. I think, while they are all Old School and hot rod oriented, they represent a more novel and varied lineup than in recent years. I’m looking forward to the time when my skills are .good enough to break completely free from my current comfort zone and indulge in styles and types of cars that I haven’t done up to now. All my best for a Happy and rewarding 2016 and… Thanx for lookin’ B. Early 50’s Bonneville Streamliner - Built for the LSR theme of the 2015 NNL West, this is currently a curbside. The bellypan is removable and I intend to return to it and give it a full-detail treatment with chassis and engine in the future. ’37 Chevy Dirt Track Modified - Completely out of my comfort zone, while this is largely Out-Of-The Box, it demanded extensive research on my part to make sure it looked authentic and appropriate. This will definitely not be the last circle tracker I build. Lots of bold decals to complement the strong, bright yellow and red paint scheme. Huge fun to do and very satisfying. Slammed ’49 Ford Custom - Primer cars really attract ne but I find them extremely challenging to do well. The primer itself tends to be fragile and suffers during the process of building up the model since I tend to paint my cars fairly early in the build process. In addition, to look right they require a certain looseness in attitude when styling them – something shared by a good rat rod or beater build. This one has decals, too, but they are hidden in the interior where they were used to create a leopard skin upholstery design. The Silver Slipper A Fuel Dragster - I built two diggers this year. This was the first and the major point here was a decal experiment where I used full body panels of transparent blue decals over silver to simulate the fogged paint job. I plan to work on this some more because I think it’s an important technique for future projects. The Terrible Topolino Fiat Competition Coupe - I went away for the summer and on my return I built another digger, this time using a resin Fiat body for the Vintage Drag Models challenge. Once again, decals played a big roll, this time providing the strong graphics of an otherwise plain white car. AMT ’40 Ford Tudor Box Art Build - By this time the whole decal thing was well established on my bench. I landed up restoring and reproducing a set of vintage AMT decals for this 75th anniversary 1940 Ford project which was a Box Art replica from the original issue AMT ‘39/’40 Ford Tudor Tropgy Series release. Deuce 5-window Highboy - Looking at 6 builds for 2015 I decided to push it to 7 with a quick 10 day thrash based on the Revell ’32 Ford 5-window kit. These Revell Deuce kits are rather familiar to me (I’ve built well in excess of 20 of them…) so they are perfect “therapy” builds for me – relaxing and straightforward as a break from more challenging projects. But even here I landed up doing a decal for the grill panel… Definitely 2015 was the year of the decals!

’32 Ford 5-Window Highboy I built this in 10 days with the express goal to get one last model done before the end of 2015. I just made it on the evening of the 31st. It’s what I’ve come to call a “therapy” build – a simple, straightforward project covering familiar territory with idea t o get something done in a ,short period of time that I will be satisfied with and that’s not too technically challenging. They’re usually Revell Deuces, which is right up my comfort zone. This one isn’t quite Out Of The Box, with a pretty severe redo of the kit stance via a shaved front spring and notched frame rails, and a blown Revell Parts Pak blown Pontiac 421 with carbs and air cleaners from a Revell Parts Pak SBC. The wheels are Halibrand 5-slots I got at the NNL West a few years back. I have no idea of their origin. The rear tires are Herb Deeks truck items and the front “implement” tires are Modelhaus T100’s. Paint is ultra basic, just Duplicolor Gloss Black on the frame and Duplicolor Red Oxide Primer for the bodywork. I neglected to photograph the interior but it’s the kit interior with a seat from the Revell 32 Ford Goodguys Roadster, all finished in blood red leatherette with a black dashboard floor area and steering wheel. The grill graphics are from the ‘50’s and applied by way of a home-made decals. Just yer basic Hot Rod… Thanks for lookin’, B.

Yep, that's real tasty. Definitely a sharp little number! Nicely restrained and to the point.

Came out nice! I've taken to calling these "therapy" builds - you build them with the express goal that they will get completed, and strategize accordingly. I did a 10 day build myself over the Holidays (to be posted later today) and I chose they primer route to make sure I would get 'er done. But primer can be deceiving. It's very sensitive to handling, dirt and the "slings and arrows" of the build process so I'm not convinced it's such a time saver. But at least you can worry less about the ,ultimate quality of the finish. I need to get more into weathering now, like on your model. It looks great. All the best for 2016,Looking forward to more fine models from your bench this .coming year.