1/24 Heller Renault Estafette

[The Creative Explorer]

There is finally some life in this years old announcement, even after Glow2B took over Heller and stated their first act was to bring the Estafette to life, it still took a long time.

But there is finally some hope, as Heller posted this announcement! I am excited!

[Luc Janssens]

Ah good to see, it's finally happening.

 

[GeeBee]

Like they did for the Heller Citroen H van, Motobitz will be doing a good selection of decal sets for this one 

 

[ChrisBcritter]

All I can say is...

Here at last indeed.  Tom Piagari and I talked about this one a lot - I'm thinking faded blue and white with surfboards. A tiny handful of them actually made it to the U.S., probably dealer demonstrators.

 

 

[Luc Janssens]

Here's the box-art

[Luc Janssens]

From the Heller Facebook page:

"One of the first parcels that arrived at our office in 2021 contained especially precious freight. We have just received the first test shots for the Estafette and they look gorgeous! Have a look for yourself. Of course we started to build the kit right away. We will let you know what the result looks like. It is definitely an exciting project. Have a great weekend!"

Edited January 9, 2021 by Luc Janssens

[Luc Janssens]

[Luc Janssens]

[Luc Janssens]

[stitchdup]

I might have to get one of these, just because the box art is kinda cool. I'd probably just slam it and give it a light weathering but otherwise stock

[bbowser]

Good to see Heller is still kicking.  Those sprues look suspiciously similar to the ICM Model T kits, finely molded and detailed.

[Rusty92]

That looks pretty cool!

[Danno]

Interesting vehicle. 

Most current cars have faces that make them look like angry catfish or hostile guppies. This one projects an image of a guppy that ate too large a portion of something that didn't agree with him!

 

??

[Richard Bartrop]

5 hours ago, bbowser said:

Good to see Heller is still kicking.  Those sprues look suspiciously similar to the ICM Model T kits, finely molded and detailed.

Heller's been doing thin and fiddly since long before ICM.

[The Creative Explorer]

This is the 'Alouette', which is the person version of the Estafette.

 

[Classicgas]

Where can we get it and how much? 

[martinfan5]

1 hour ago, Classicgas said:

Where can we get it and how much? 

About $36 US will be out soon.

[charlie8575]

11 hours ago, Danno said:

Interesting vehicle. 

Most current cars have faces that make them look like angry catfish or hostile guppies. This one projects an image of a guppy that ate too large a portion of something that didn't agree with him!

 

??

?? I laughed loud enough to startle Dad while he was upstairs.

This kit is kind of cool. I might grab one for something a little different.

Charlie Larkin

[ChrisBcritter]

Great! I'll just have to add 7" sealed beams for the North American version, which will make the guppy look even more desperate:

And I guess I'll check through the Eduard catalog to find some photoetched mesh to match that grille.

Edited January 10, 2021 by ChrisBcritter

[64Comet404]

8 hours ago, ChrisBcritter said:

Great! I'll just have to add 7" sealed beams for the North American version, which will make the guppy look even more desperate:

And I guess I'll check through the Eduard catalog to find some photoetched mesh to match that grille.

I have some etched fencing material that replicates that pattern. It's made by Scale Scenics, and you should be able to find it in the train section of your LHS.

[ChrisBcritter]

Will check it out - thanks! Eduard's 4x4 or 6x6 Rhomb Type mesh looks good too.

Edited January 10, 2021 by ChrisBcritter

[Faust]

Wow! Now THAT is some French ugliness!!!

You know I love Hellers, and I love to hate French cars, and this one... that's so disgustingly ugly that I'm going to be getting one if I can find it. 

I truly don't get the Renault design philosophy. Some of their cars are okay. The rest.... like the 5, the 14, 16 and lots of others are just hideous. This thing looks like a constipated puffer fish. 

You know that makes me want it.

[peteski]

8 hours ago, Faust said:

Wow! Now THAT is some French ugliness!!!

You know I love Hellers, and I love to hate French cars, and this one... that's so disgustingly ugly that I'm going to be getting one if I can find it.

Funny, I don't find this vehicle ugly at all.  To me it has some hints of the VW bus and even some similarities to American flat-nose vans of that time period. Even some similarities to its contemporary peers from the Eastern European bloc. I don't see a puffer fish in it at all.  But we all see the world differently.   It does seem to have a bit of a "sad face", but it is still darn cute.

Edited January 12, 2021 by peteski

[stavanzer]

"Cute" is not a word I'd ever apply to this car. "Unique", Yes.

[niteowl7710]

I think part of this thing's design "charm" is probably related to the fact that at the time all Renault vehicles were supposed to be adhering to a company wide rear-engine/RWD mandate, but at the time the only rear engine van was the VW T1 and Renault designers didn't think a rear-engine arrangement would allow them to create the extreme low floor loading they wanted.  The wanted the Estafette to be a smaller version of the Citroen Fourgon Type H which is a giant sheet metal can on wheels.  So begrudgingly Renault allowed the design team to make it front engine, but only if they could make it work with existing parts which is how this thing ended up with the engine out of the Dauphine wedged the wrong way round with a van specific gearbox - which in the end allowed them to tailor the ratios specifically to the performance they were seeking from the van.