What would you like to see? Brass edition

[stavanzer]

I have both Aurora 1/16 scale Stutz and Mercer kits. They are curbside, but better than the Lindberg kits. Sadly the vinyl tires have caused sever "melt" damage to the wheels and other parts, so the kits are now ruined.  I'd like to see Atlantis find those molds!!!

That said, I want a 1/24 or 1/25 Mercer, to display next to the MPC Stutz Bearcat. Round2 could re-use the tooling for the tires and wheels from the Bearcat, but would have to start fresh for the rest.  If anybody tools one now it will be either a Chinese or Eastern European company. No American Model company is big enough to pay for the tooling costs.

[Mike999]

3 hours ago, alexis said:

That said, I want a 1/24 or 1/25 Mercer, to display next to the MPC Stutz Bearcat.

Same here! Early race diorama!  I've always hoarded anything from the MPC Stutz and have a box full of parts from glue-bombs and wrecks bought over the years.  I mostly wanted that Wisconsin "Beaver" engine.  It was used in many Brass Era cars and trucks, and the frame is a good starting point for some of those too.

The kit also has a ton of useful vintage parts, like toolboxes and fancy artillery wheels.  And 2 sort-of Maxim machine guns in the TV version. I have one mint kit of the TV show version and another of the "Connoisseur Classics" Bearcat.  I'm old, so I remember when those kits were not very popular and cheap at swap meets.

[Motor City]

The Henry Ford Museum (I won't call it by its dumb, newer name) store sold a very nice 999 assembled model.  It isn't currently shown on their website.  I believe it is 1/18th scale, but could be 1/24th.  I don't know if it's resin or diecast or a combination of the two, but it had really nice detail.  The price was around $200.

Edited January 9, 2020 by Motor City

[Mike999]

39 minutes ago, Motor City said:

The Henry Ford Museum (I won't call it by its dumb, newer name) store sold a very nice 999 assembled model...

That may be the EXOTO 1/18 scale 999. It is really nice, and they also did a limited-edition "diorama" version with a figure of Henry Ford. I have the basic, non-diorama version, bought long ago. I remember it was expensive, but I don't think I paid $200 for it.

[SfanGoch]

I checked the EXOTO website.........$508.50 or $568.50 with Henry Ford figure.

[DukeE]

Early Land Speed Record cars would be pretty fun, look wicked. Steam punk before that was a thing. Babs, Chitties, Various Campbell efforts. Fernando Pinto does a few, really excellent castings, does 14 Benz GP car, a Bluebird or 2. Etzel RIP used to cast that killer Stutz LSR as well. And what could a Miller 91 hurt? 

We'll probably not see much, but nice to see a lot of consensus. 

[gtx6970]

I might be interested in pretty much any brass era car in 1/24 or 25th scale

[Richard Bartrop]

Oh yes,  a nice Miller 91 kit would be a thing of beauty.  It's been one of my long term scratch projects, so I guess that means I'm the one holding that up.

[Brian Austin]

Scripps-Booth Bi-Autogo!

 

http://theoldmotor.com/?p=118599

 

More info:

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2010/01/24/sia-flashback-its-a-car-its-a-motorcycle-its-bi-autogo/

 

Photographs from the era:

https://digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org/islandora/search/catch_all_fields_mt%3A(bi-autogo) OR catch_all_fields_et%3A(bi-autogo)

[Mike999]

1 hour ago, SfanGoch said:

I checked the EXOTO website.........$508.50 or $568.50 with Henry Ford figure.

? Thanks. I'm sure I didn't pay that much either. And didn't even realize they were in that price range now.  I just did a quick check of eBay. The cheapest one I found sold a couple of weeks ago for $255.00. 

[Bugatti Fan]

Having mentioned some 1/16 scale kits of old timers by  either Aurora of Lindberg, I see someone has put up a picture of a Stanley Steamer. This I think  was also kitted in that particular range..

[dimaxion]

Mercer vs Stutz . You must be Nuts to own a Stutz ! Nothing could be worser than to own a Mercer ! I want a Mercer , I have the Stutz . Same Wisconsin Beaver 4 Cyl Engine . Same Transmission . Hmmm . difficult modifications fr a Model Kit Maker . No Patent Infringement problem do I see ? Sales results is the problem .. Thanx .. 

Edited January 12, 2020 by dimaxion

[Little Timmy]

I would love to see some kit's of the "brass era" truck's.

Mack's

Packard's

Diamond T

There are quite a few obscure maker's  that I can't remember now, but they would all make nice addition's to the list.

[LL3 Model Worx]

On 1/6/2020 at 6:42 PM, Rob Hall said:

The 1911 Fiat 'Beast of Turin' 28.4 liter race car would be interesting..

That's too cool...

I would never be concerned at all taking a sharp turn at speed in that thing...lol!

I'd be a new flavor of pancake.

[mchook]

How about a Maxwell, I've loved these since I was a kid. 

[stavanzer]

Mchook, Jack Benny smiles!

[Bugatti Fan]

There is one Silver Ghost kit that I can think of in 1/24th scale. It is a white metal kit by South Eastern Finecast (ex Wills Finecast) in the UK. It depicts the Silver Ghost in the UK National Motor Museum at Beaulieu near Southampton in the UK.

[Mike999]

A Brass Era car that literally changed the world in 1914.  The Graf & Stift touring car in which Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were riding when they were shot in Sarajevo, kicking off the First World War.  It's in the Vienna Military Museum, along with Franz Ferdinand's bloody uniform and the pistol that killed him. 

That Museum is definitely worth a visit if you ever get a chance.  The basement is full of giant Krupp artillery pieces and the museum has a big collection of scale model vehicles, from trams to cars to a giant model of a WWI Austrian submarine.  A model kit of the Graf & Stift is probably...unlikely.

Edited May 5, 2020 by Mike999
goof

[Eric Macleod]

I would go for just about anything as well but how about an American Underslung, Mitchell, Lozier or maybe an early Regal. Something big. That said, I agree that my first choice would be the Mercer. For a very long time I have thought that was the biggest gaping hole in model car kits. Well, that and a '32 Packard Twin Six Dietrich phaeton.

Edited May 7, 2020 by Eric Macleod
Correction

[keyser]

Sl. more fun than the Graf und Stift

Alphonso Hispano Suiza xxiii. couple non 1:24-25 kits

[Mike999]

12 hours ago, keyser said:

Sl. more fun than the Graf und Stift

Alphonso Hispano Suiza xxiii. couple non 1:24-25 kits

Life-Like did the Hispano in 1/32 scale.  Years ago in the old "Military Modeler" magazine, somebody converted that kit into a World War I scout car.  The builder mounted a machine gun on the passenger side, filled up the "trunk" with tools/cargo and weathered it heavily.  It looked great.

The Alfonso would be an expensive car to take into a war zone.  But in WWI, rich officers sometimes did take their personal cars to war with them.  So it makes a neat "What If?" build. These kits have engines, so the hood or its side panels could be left off to show even more detail.

I've had 2 of those Life-Like kits for years, intending to do a military vehicle. Maybe even using the second kit to make it a four-seat staff car, like this 1913 Alfonso. 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Mike999
omit

[DonW]

1 hour ago, Mike999 said:

The Alfonso would be an expensive car to take into a war zone.  But in WWI, rich officers sometimes did take their personal cars to war with them.  So it makes a neat "What If?" build. These kits have engines, so the hood or its side panels could be left off to show even more detail.

It seems like the military preferred to use quality cars in war, for example the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost armoured car used in World War 1:

And this one from the second World War (Ok so not Brass Era!):

"The 1939 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith used by Field Marshall Montgomery from 1944 to 1964. It was the first 'civilian' vehicle to land in the Allies' French beachhead on Juno Beach on 9 June 1944, only three days after the commencement of the Normandy landings.

[Mike999]

7 hours ago, DonW said:

It seems like the military preferred to use quality cars in war, for example the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost armoured car used in World War 1:

Thanks for the info.  The British also used another quality car, the Lanchester, as the basis for an armored car.  It was FINALLY kitted not long ago by Copper State Models. 

Roden has done 3 versions of the Rolls-Royce armored car in 1/35 scale:  1914 Pattern with wire wheels; 1920 Pattern like your photo with disc wheels; and the WWII version with big fat sand tires.  I built the 1920 Pattern as a vehicle used in the Irish Civil War.  One of those was captured by the rebels, then re-captured by the British Army. IIRC, after getting it back they painted a new nickname on it: "Turncoat." 

[DonW]

45 minutes ago, Mike999 said:

Thanks for the info.  The British also used another quality car, the Lanchester, as the basis for an armored car.  It was FINALLY kitted not long ago by Copper State Models. 

Roden has done 3 versions of the Rolls-Royce armored car in 1/35 scale:  1914 Pattern with wire wheels; 1920 Pattern like your photo with disc wheels; and the WWII version with big fat sand tires.  I built the 1920 Pattern as a vehicle used in the Irish Civil War.  One of those was captured by the rebels, then re-captured by the British Army. IIRC, after getting it back they painted a new nickname on it: "Turncoat." 

 

Yes, thanks for reminding me about Lanchester. Their various vehicles always seemed to have a touch of Jules Verne about them.

Love the Irish Ghost story.  

[peteski]

A passenger version of the Lanchester was also kitted (in 1"32 scale).  It was made by Airfix and also Life-Like (Pyro?). Simple, but nice model of thins unusual car.