Modelmartin

That is very cool and typically for you, extremely well done! I like it. A lot.

I seem to remember in an old Car & Driver someone commenting on an issue where there were separate road tests of a Lambo and a Yugo. The optional wing on the Countach cost $4000. which was the same price as a Yugo. I think they suggested possibly mounting the Yugo on the back instead of the wing.

Isn't it funny how in the real world gas pedals do go to the floor (Floor it!) but brake pedals don't! Also, how many of these unintended accelerations happen to younger people? HMMMM! Seem like it's another media pile-on.

Sometimes cars that are successful for a car company are pretty awful cars from an enthusiasts standpoint. The already mentioned K-car, Chevette, Vega and variants, Granada and variants, Citation, Cavalier, Escort. All of these sold well for years and none will be missed! I would even argue that a car as succesful as a Corolla is just a transportation appliance and an underwhelming car from the enthusiast standpoint. On the other hand look at all of the various makes of cars over the years that enthusiasts raved about which wouldn't know success if it ran it over.

De-canting rocks! Digging the marbles, too!

That's more like strolling! Also, could steer and did steer are two different things!

Innovative financially for sure! I think the car was good but would have sputtered out eventually even if it had gone into production. Tucker was too fast and loose with many of his ventures like the Ford/Miller Indy cars. Good cars but the deal was semi-shady. He persuaded Edsel to do it and when Henry found out it was too late to stop it without greater embarassment. It really stressed Miller's financial health which was poor to start with. Odd footnote - When my parents were young newlyweds they lived in Ypsilanti in the early 50s. One of their friends lived in a duplex and the other tenant was Alex Tremulis. They met him once or twice but didn't get to know him or anything. They liked his name so my older brother got named Alex. My dad said he remembered seeing an occasional Tucker driving around town. I was born in Ann Arbor in 57 and then we moved to the wilds of Minnesota!

A fine vehicle but it couldn't steer! Griff Borgeson researched the history of this vehicle and apparently it was demonstrated once and it ran into a brick wall! Editorial cartoons in contemporary newspapers showed multiples of the Cugnot driving every which way in Paris and all smashing into buildings. It is the earliest known example of a full-size self propelled vehicle. The one on display in Paris is apparently a very old replica - older than most cars! The original was long gone.

Wow! That is minty fresh! I love the box art on that. It's also amazing that yours is so straight! Is it styrene? I thought that kit came in acetate like the promos. Anyway, I am envious. That is a very cool kit.

Oopsie for me! My synapses weren't firing right. I guess the name Air-cooled Motors, Inc. led me the wrong direction. I have read the book(many years ago!) on Preston Tucker which I thought was well written and researched. The movie was part idolatry. The real story was a bit more prosaic. Preston was a little naive about the lengths people in high places will go to protect THEIR friends. He didn't have friends in high places. The scrutiny he went through would have shut down the entire auto and military industries. Ironically in 1974 the US attorney who prosecuted Tucker became the 1st federal judge in history to be jailed on criminal charges, and it was for stock fraud!!! Kaiser Frazer got 200 million dollars in grants to produce a car and look where that went! Henry J was well connected with many friends in high places.

I missed this one! You list one of the other aircooled rear engined cars that came before the Corvair! The other notable, but not rear engined of course, successful one being the Franklin. Their were a few others but not successful like the copper-cooled Chevrolet - big ruh-roh on that one but it was ...what... like 1923 or something.

You are a brave one, Wayne, doing the whole frame in styrene. It would make me nuts not doing it in brass. I am kind of a clumsy builder, always dropping stuff. I need the strength of brass to survive my ham-fisted building techniques. ps What you have so far looks great!

Bill and Mark are correct. The Authentic Model Turnpike was just a marketing gimmick for the slot cars. Aluminum Model Toys is correct. I am not a historian of the model companies but they made some cast aluminum painted and assembled 48ish fords in the beginning. They didn't have any interiors or chassis. They were a little bit smaller than 1/25. I remember my dad having one.

You forgot the Turbine-Amphicar. Yea, That's the ticket - you know the one. It has wings too and flies. My Uncle's barber's cousin's best friend had one. He bought it for 50 bucks because someone died in it and they couldn't get the smell out.

I got my Cs mixed up. I meant the 84 and newer Corvette. Is that C4? As you can see I am not much of a Corvette guy.

Sorry, Nick. I didn't want to rain too hard on your parade. The trucks you mention just don't have much significance in the development of the automobile which was the idea behind this thread. You are very welcome to like them, there's nothing wrong with them. I am sure they are fine vehicles but they aren't very groundbreaking. The only recent North American cars that to me represent advances in development might be the 1st Ford Taurus in the 80s and the C3 onwards Corvette. I don't want to own either one and the Taurus isn't very collectible but they were significant advances in technology and manufacturing in their time. I am sure there are others. I sure hope nobody nominates the Chevette! Someone already mentioned the Pacer.

But it wasn't from "FRANCE "!! I second the motion heartily.

The Curved Dash Olds is a good one. It was the first volume built car. Engines by Leland who ended up rebuilding the ashes of Henry Ford's first company into Cadillac and then started Lincoln. The Miura nomination is a great one. It is the most stunning supercar of them all.

Here's the thing about Jimmy. I have been hanging around the edges of the model car aftermarket since it began and Jimmy is definitely one of the most honest and straight-shooting guys in the biz. Take that to the bank.

That is actually better looking and more distinctive than the stock one.

So now it's iconic, huh? Sure, Harry. Change the rules in the middle of the game!! I take offense to that since I am an iconoclast. Seriously? A Checker? I hesitate to suggest another vehicle as boring and insignificant to automotive development because there will be some fan of that particular vehicle who will take offense. Besides that, I can't think of too many other cars as boring! For a design milestone for many reasons I nominate the Citroen 2CV. They were great for racing, too!!

I thought it was Dr. Flintbone!!!

Nice job, Wayne. It is always pleasing to see someone building historically accurate models.

I knew about the vehicle. What I meant was that it has no possible significance in automotive history. You are welcome to like it. It is amusing. But it is ugly and is a mere footnote.

The first American front driver was the Christie made from 1904 to 1910 in very limited numbers. It had a V4 of almost 20 liters....1200 cid for you non-metric types. It was a beastie, that's for sure. Christie racecars Walter Christie history