What would you like to see? Brass edition

[Richard Bartrop]

Packards and Cadillacs also ended up being made into armoured cars.  It seems just about every make was turned into an armoured car during WWI.  Lots of potential for some cratchbuilding if you want to try something different with those Airfix or Pyro/Lifelike kits.

 

[Mike999]

Here are a few pics of my Roden Pattern 1920 Rolls armored car.  I built it back in 2009, when these kits were first released. I had always wanted a kit of this vehicle.  In 2019, the always prolific MENG company released its own version of the RR armored car.  I think it has parts to build all 3 versions in the box: Pattern 1914 with photo-etched wire wheels; Pattern 1920 with disc wheels; and Modified Pattern 1920 with wide wheels, sand tires and a Boys anti-tank gun in the turret.

In 1920 the British Army sent 13 of these vehicles to fight in the Irish War of Independence.  They were numbered 1 thru 14, apparently because somebody was superstitious and wanted to avoid the number "13."  Each armored car carried the designation "A.R.R.-XX" on its turret.  Today nobody seems to know what "A.R.R." meant, but "Armored Rolls Royce" seems like a pretty good guess.  The crews also painted a nickname on each car, often in the Gaelic language.

I'm not superstitious and thought the missing "A.R.R.-13." deserved a build. I gave it the nickname "Taibhse," Gaelic for "ghost."  That fit nicely, since these armored cars were built on the Silver Ghost chassis.

For a 1/35 scale kit that only measures 6 inches long assembled, the Roden kit is insanely detailed in the chassis and engine.  After I got it together...naturally...I learned that the octagonal coaming around the top turret hatch should not be there.

A fun conversion:  there are photos of T.E. Lawrence in a "roadster/sports car" version of the Rolls armored car.  The turret and upper armor plating were removed, leaving it looking something like a prehistoric hot rod. 

Photos are a bit wonky, I'm still experimenting with a new camera.

Edited May 12, 2020 by Mike999
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[sjordan2]

On 1/6/2020 at 5:51 PM, Richard Bartrop said:

Yes, I know, this old topic, but with a little different spin.

ICM has been doing some interesting kits from the dawn of the motor age, a genre that's been almost completely ignored up to now, and it's got me thinking about what other subjects from this era would be worth a new kit?

Here's a few I'd like to see in 1/24 or 1/25:

A Mercer Raceabout would make a nice companion piece to MPC's Stutz Bearcat kit

This 1902 Olds was one of the first cars to produced in any kind of quantity.

Ford's 999 racor  is pretty significant.

Though this 1905 Premier racer is pretty wild.  Yes, that is the whole car.

And since we're talking autmotive pioneers, how about some really early iron, like this 1770 Cugnot?

 

What auto pioneer would you like to see immortalized in plastic?

 

Obviously, this subject isn't to everyone's taste, and I respect that, and I'm sure you can find a topic on this forum that is more to your liking.

 

 

You probably know that the Stutz and Mercer are available in 1/16. Harry P. did both.

 

[stavanzer]

About that 1905 Premier Racer.....

Some of the Back story.

https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/mystery_friday_foto_41_can_you_identify_this_historic_race_car

it would make a great kit, but I think it would be better at 1/12 or 1/16.

[LDO]

The September 1989 issue of Fine Scale Modeler has an article on scratchbuilding a Rolls-Royce Armored Car. IIRC, the model was built over the chassis of the Heller 4 1/2 liter Bentley Blower. The article does have some errors, like the incorrect coaming  under the turret hatch, and IIRC, the turret should be taller. Still, with that article and some research, you could scratchbuild a nice model. 

[sjordan2]

The Cugnot was produced in a 1:32 kit.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/precisia-le-fardier-cugnot--1011025

 

I was taken with the Rolls armored cars in the movie Lawrrence of Arabia. Evidently, that was replicated with a Peter O'Toole character in a scale model.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1788&bih=922&ei=aRK8XtSFPI-8tAbiupLYCg&q=lawrence+arabia+rolls+royce+tank+car&oq=lawrence+arabia+rolls+royce+tank+car&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoCCAA6BQgAEIMBOgYIABAFEB46BggAEAgQHjoECAAQHlDiFlinb2DScmgAcAB4AIABZogBvRWSAQQzNS4xmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWc&sclient=img&ved=0ahUKEwiU3ub_k7HpAhUPHs0KHWKdBKsQ4dUDCAY&uact=5

Edited May 13, 2020 by sjordan2

[Big John]

The 1905 Premier racer is on my bucket list, 1911 Marmon Wasp definitely, though it looks like indycals had a limited production run a couple of years back. Spirit of America Sonci 1 in 1/24th though  it looks like there was a dicast version but very inaccurate.  Barney Oldfield's Golden Submarine.  For starters

Edited February 21, 2021 by Big John

[Big John]

Oooo, Oooo What about the cars from the movie The Great Race?  I don't know why they weren't picked up by the model companies when the movie was released.  The Lesley Special is totally Classic, and who wouldn't want a model of Professor Fate's 'Hannibal Twin-8?

[Richard Bartrop]

Those would have been neat to have in model form, though AMT did eventually release a kit of the Thomas Flyer from the real Great Race.

[Paul Payne]

That beast of Turin- I keep waiting for those wire wheels to collapse! There have been some Miller racing cars in 1/25th scale, but all multimedia (resin and white metal) and a little fiddly to get together. It would be great even to have supercharged engines available!

In the early sixties I got a book called “The Mad Motorists”, about the 1907 Peking to Paris race. Fascinating cars- Itala, Spyker, Contal tri-car, DeDion- back when almost everything was an experiment! I think this was the first multi continent race- can’t call it a road race because there were no roads!

[Brian Austin]

Where would you put the Smallblock Chevy in the 1902 OLds?   :-)

[Big John]

In the back.

Edited April 17, 2021 by Big John
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[Daddyfink]

On 1/6/2020 at 4:21 PM, DukeE said:

Agree on 999.Fiat pretty awesome. '14 Peugeot L45 GP. twin cam 4v. 1911 Marmon Wasp.

This came to mind when I saw this....

[Big John]

Indycals did a 1/25th Marmon but the release was short lived.

Edited April 17, 2021 by Big John
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