My rare auto models

[Gramps46]

Beautiful.

[caapa]

BMW Turbo Prototype 1972 - 1973

Legendary designer Paul Bracq, BMW head of design from 1971 to 1974 was the creator of the iconic 1972 BMW Turbo, the first concept car in the brand’s history.  That won the “Concept Car of the Year” award by the Revue Automobile Suisse that year. The car was a combination of design study and technological test laboratory and had a finely developed sense of active and passive safety. BMW presented the Turbo in 1972 as the world's first safety-oriented sports car. Only two examples were ever built in 1972 and 1973 – both at Michelotti in Turin. The first car was used mainly as show car on exhibitions. The second was the test car.  The mid-engined sports car was powered by a 4-cylinder turbocharged engine with displacement of two litres. The engine developed maximum 200 to 280 hp – depending on the charge pressure of the turbocharger.  Acceleration  to 100 km/h in 6,6 sec, top speed 250 km/h. The Turbo saw BMW unveil the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) on one of its cars for the first time. The mid-engine concept was then taken up again in 1978 for the series-produced BMW M1.

The orange coloured model made by Schuco 1:66 scale and this is the model of the first version. I searched long time this model. As I found one in perfect condition I preferred not to paint over the original transition colour version. Rather than a Majorette 1:60 got the custom paintjob which one is the second version built.

Enjoy the pictures.

[Big John]

This is my type 55 by Vroom in 1/43 scale. Sweet little gar, I love the lines of this classic design.

[caapa]

Aston Martin AMR Pro 7,0 V12 2017

 

Aston Martin had built and delivered the limited amount of 24 Vulcans to customers. After than they started thinking about how to make it quicker. And so the Aston Martin Vulcan AMR Pro was born. It is now a high-performance lightweight track-only car against the base Vulcan which is street legal. The AMR PRO package was unveiled at the 2017     Goodwood. Weight has been saved with optimisation of the carbon fibre lay-up and core form reducing the weight of the engine cover by 5 kg. Aerodynamic changes made at the front-end with louvred panels added above the front wheel arches to extract high pressure air and reduce aerodynamic lift. At the rear-end is a new rear wing of dual plane design: the main element of wing features a 20mm 'Gurney' flap - a simple but hugely effective upstand on the wing's trailing edge - which is supplemented by slotted wing endplates. The aero changes have also improved the aerodynamic balance of the Aston Martin Vulcan, shifting its Centre of Pressure forwards to improve traction, steering response and front-end grip. The engine is with 6,999 ccm, V 12, 811 hp,  top speed 360 km/h, acceleration   0-100 km/h 3 sec. With this AMR Pro pack those 24 owners should be happier than ever.

The model is made by a No-Name manufacturer in China 1:24 scale. The paintjob and the decoration of the racecar shall need some correction and completing.

Enjoy the pictures.

[Gramps46]

On 6/22/2023 at 9:24 PM, Big John said:

This is my type 55 by Vroom in 1/43 scale. Sweet little gar, I love the lines of this classic design.

I have always liked the Type 55 and this one is a beauty.  Hard for me to imagine that this is 1/43rd.  Thank you posting and sharing.

[Gramps46]

8 hours ago, caapa said:

Aston Martin AMR Pro 7,0 V12 2017

 

 

 

Aston Martin had built and delivered the limited amount of 24 Vulcans to customers. After than they started thinking about how to make it quicker. And so the Aston Martin Vulcan AMR Pro was born. It is now a high-performance lightweight track-only car against the base Vulcan which is street legal. The AMR PRO package was unveiled at the 2017     Goodwood. Weight has been saved with optimisation of the carbon fibre lay-up and core form reducing the weight of the engine cover by 5 kg. Aerodynamic changes made at the front-end with louvred panels added above the front wheel arches to extract high pressure air and reduce aerodynamic lift. At the rear-end is a new rear wing of dual plane design: the main element of wing features a 20mm 'Gurney' flap - a simple but hugely effective upstand on the wing's trailing edge - which is supplemented by slotted wing endplates. The aero changes have also improved the aerodynamic balance of the Aston Martin Vulcan, shifting its Centre of Pressure forwards to improve traction, steering response and front-end grip. The engine is with 6,999 ccm, V 12, 811 hp,  top speed 360 km/h, acceleration   0-100 km/h 3 sec. With this AMR Pro pack those 24 owners should be happier than ever.

 

The model is made by a No-Name manufacturer in China 1:24 scale. The paintjob and the decoration of the racecar shall need some correction and completing.

 

Enjoy the pictures.

 

Striking is the first word to comes to mind.  

[caapa]

On 6/30/2023 at 1:07 AM, Gramps46 said:

Striking is the first word to comes to mind.  

Oh yes ! This isn`t the usual design from Aston.

[caapa]

Bugatti Royale Type 41 Kellner Coach 1932

In 1931 encouraged by the Esders and Fuchs sales, Ettore prepared to penetrate the royalty-sensitive British market. To do so, he commissioned one of Paris' most distinguished coachbuilders, Kellner, to design and build for this chassis a gran tourisme which would be the last word in good taste.

The presentation at London's Olympia Show the car bearing a price tag of 6,500 pounds - $32,500 of the time – it was by far the most expensive car on display at the show. It was praised for its exquisite proportions and nobility of line, but no sales took place. So this showpiece remained in the Bugatti family and later it was one of the two Royales obtained from L'Ebe Bugatti by Briggs Cunningham. I read an article on the internet about how the car from the museum was brought to life for a car show for journalists in the 21st century.  Was not easy, because despite all the careful preparation, the car could not even climb the nearby hill at first.  With further attempts, the car worked better and better and finally, even with 5 people loaded, it easily made it up the hill.  The journalists couldn't stop marvel about its performance.

The model built the same way as the other ones.

Enjoy the pictures.

 

[Gramps46]

I am loving it.  

[caapa]

Bugatti Royale Type 41 Binder Coupe de Ville 1939

The Esders Roadster was sold to the French politician Raymond Patenôtre. Another story tells that King Carol II of Romania bought the car and commisioned the coach builder Henri Binder to build this new body. But the WWII prevented his taking delivery in 1939. During the war it was hiden from the Nazis by storing it in the sewers of Paris. After some english and american owners Air Force  Reserve Major General William Lyon offered the car during the 1996 Barrett-Jackson Auction with a reserve of $15 million.  Mr. Otto and Lajos Haris – hungarian auto museum owners in Budapest and Las Vegas – gave a price estimate on request the auction house. The estimate was $11 million and the best offer was also $11 million only – the car was not sold. In 1999 Volkswagen AG bought the car for a reported $20 million. Now used as a Bugatti brand promotion vehicle and travels to various museums and events.

The models with open and hardtop driver compartment are built the same way as the other ones. Since I exhibited the Royale chassis first time on a model collector exhibition the Haris twin brothers gave me inspiration and help to build these 17 little models.

Emjoy the pictures.

 

[Gramps46]

Amazing.  Is the hood brass?

[caapa]

14 hours ago, Gramps46 said:

Amazing.  Is the hood brass?

The two side panels with the ventilation grille are photoetched, glued over an opening of the vacuumformed plastic hood. Theoretically, the plates of the grille can be opened but the plate thickness and the joints of the grill plates are only 0,1 mm thick. If the two photocopies on the two sides are only 0.02 - 0.04 mm apart, the hinge points can are only 0,08 - 0,06 mm and can easily break by opening.  Unfortunately this has happened a few times so there are models with no open plates.

[caapa]

1 minute ago, caapa said:

 

 

[caapa]

Porsche 917 K Martini Le Mans 1971

Ferdinand Piëch the designer of the 917 said about the car:“it was the greatest risk of my life.” Never be more successful at a risk in life. One of the greatest victory of the 917 was the 39th Le Mans 24 Hours in 1971. It was the first time that drivers had a rolling start. There was 19 Porsches nominated in field and 6 ended the race. Gijs van Lennep and Dr. Helmut Marko were the winner in car #22 with an averaged 222km/h, covering a distance of 5,335km. The short-tail car based on a magnesium-alloy chassis with  4.5-litre twelve-cylinder engine and over 600 hp. Attwood and Müllers Porsche followed 3 laps behind. The two Porsches were the first cars to cover over 5000 km in the race. It was a distance record that stood for 39 years until beaten by Audi in 2010. The car #22 went from Le Mans directly to Porsche Museum and never raced again.

The model made by Schuco 1:66. I custom painted and decaled the car.

Enjoy the pictures.

[caapa]

Maserati MC 20 Coupe 2020

In 2020 it was high time Maserati made a real sports car. The MC20 is everything a Maserati supercar should be—thrilling, characterful, and lust-worthy. The engine is a 90-degree V6, 2992 cc, 621 hp twin-turbo with a cacophony of wild engine sounds to its butt-kicking performance. The accelerating just 3,2 sec to 100 km/h and shot through the quarter-mile in 11.0 seconds at 211 km/h. Maserati claimed the engine is "100% Maserati" but in fact there are a lot of similarities to Ferrari and Alfa Romeo V6`s in that time. The MC name refers to Maserati Corse—a signal that the brand will soon re-enter racing events with a track-only variant of the car.

The model is made by Double Horses/China 1:24 scale.

[caapa]

Bugatti Royale Type 41 Binder Coupe de Ville 1939

The Esders Roadster was sold to the French politician Raymond Patenôtre.  Another story tells that King Carol II of Romania bought the car and commisioned the coach builder Henri Binder to build this new body. But the WWII prevented his taking delivery in 1939. During the war it was hiden from the Nazis by storing it in the sewers of Paris. After some english and american owners Air Force  Reserve Major General William Lyon offered the car during the 1996 Barrett-Jackson Auction with a reserve of $15 million.  Mr. Otto and Lajos Haris – hungarian auto museum owners in Budapest and Las Vegas – gave a price estimate on request the auction house. The estimate was $11 million and the best offer was also $11 million only – the car was not sold. In 1999 Volkswagen AG bought the car for a reported $20 million. Now used as a Bugatti brand promotion vehicle and travels to various museums and events.

The models with open and hardtop driver compartment are built the same way as the other ones. Since I exhibited the Royale chassis first time on a model collector exhibition the Haris twin brothers gave me inspiration and help to build these 17 little models.

Emjoy the pictures.

[caapa]

Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa 2010

 

 

The Zagato workshop revived the TZ series in 2010, commissioned by a German collector Martin Kapp. Zagato contributed to Alfa Romeo’s centenary year and  honouring 100 years of races and victories across the whole 20th century by releasing the TZ3 Corsa at the Villa d’Este Concourso d’Eleganza. It received the „Design Award” for the best concept car or prototype picked by public referendum. It’s a race-bred supercar intended for track use that evokes the legendary TZ and TZ2 which Zagato crafted in the sixties. BTW, the type name is short for „Tubulare Zagato”. But this uses a carbon-fibre monocoque however there are enough tubular elements to the chassis to justify the name. The body made of aluminium and this combination results a light, only 850 kg car. The engine is the Ferrari-derived 4200 cc V8, 420 bhp of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competitione located front-mid, longitudinal and has one of the best and loudest exhaust notes on earth. The top speed is about 300 km/h, the accelerating is 3,5 sec 0 – 100 km/h. The car never races used only on track days by the owner.

 

The model is made by Kyosho 1:64 scale.

Enjoy the pictures.

[Gramps46]

Your posts have been very enlightening.  Thank you.

[caapa]

2 hours ago, Gramps46 said:

Your posts have been very enlightening.  Thank you.

Thank you Gary the nice comment.

[caapa]

Chevrolet Corvair Monza GT Coupe 1962

The concept car based mainly on Corvair components but the engine was 180° turned and befor the rear axle mounted.  Later a turbo was added too. It was a really midengine layout against the rearend engine of the production Corvair. That solution made the car rear heavy and unsafe according to Mr. Ralph Nader. The GT coupe was followed by a Spyder and could be go in production but both remained concepts. The budy design had influence on Pontiac Banshee prototypes 1964 and the Corvette C3 1968 in the production.

The model is produced by Nacoral/Spain in 1:24 scale. I received information about this  - for me unknown – model and finally the model too from 1959scudetto. Many thanks for inspiration and help. I completely disassembled and striped the model. I scratch built new passanger compartment and engine bay, made a new rearend panel, air inlets behind the door,  front direction indicators, fuel filler, rear-view mirrors in- and outside and windscreen wipers.

Enjoy the pictures.

[1959scudetto]

Congratulations, Janos ! This is an excellent replica of Larry Shinoda's famous dreamcar, expecially when one knows how the original model (= very crude diecast toy car with a transparent plastic passenger canopy) looked like.

For me, this would have been too much work involved, so I passed it on to someone I knew who would bring the best possible out of this one.

[Gramps46]

Thank you Janos and Helmut for posting this unique model.

[caapa]

18 hours ago, 1959scudetto said:

Congratulations, Janos ! This is an excellent replica of Larry Shinoda's famous dreamcar, expecially when one knows how the original model (= very crude diecast toy car with a transparent plastic passenger canopy) looked like.

For me, this would have been too much work involved, so I passed it on to someone I knew who would bring the best possible out of this one.

 

17 hours ago, Gramps46 said:

Thank you Janos and Helmut for posting this unique model.

Thank you Helmut and Gary for the nice coments. Yes, it needed some time and work but I enjoyed the detailing. Some of tham isn`t really visible in the engine bay - everything is dark grey and black.

[caapa]

1-75 story 24 Bugatti Royale 16 pc.

 

Ettore Bugatti started the Royale series in 1929 and finished it in 1939. He built 11 different bodies for 6 chassis. After all, I went down a similar path in making my 16 pcs Royale models.

In 1999 after I finished building a Napoleon Coupe 1:24 plastic kit saw a Marks fire engine with ladder in 1:87. I thought I could do something like this because the Royale chassis resembled a ladder. So I was inspired to build a Royale in my well proven 1:75 scale.

The prototype chassis was completed in 1999. I was satisfied.

As I got help from a plastics processing company with vacuum moulding the body panels I made the models of the first Royale prototype in open and softtop up in 2000. I took the models to an auto model collectors exhibition. There I met the Haris brothers - car museum owners and model makers in museum-quality - and they enthusiastically encouraged me to continue the series, saying: „ You should be doing this and not building rubbish kits.” (excuse me for the „rubbish” – they used this expression) I got a lot of information and side views of the Royale bodies from the brothers.

The next step was to build the 3 other bodies which ones were set on the prototype chassis – Fiacre, Berline and Weyman Coupe – finished in 2001.

After extensive data collection and preparation of the drawings I made 4 models, 2 of Weinberger Cabiolet open in original form in black and the „Viktoria” variant  with softtop up as it is in the Ford museum. The other 2 are the Esders Roadster, one of them is with open doors and hood. They were ready in 2006.

The last series was completed in 2009: Berline de Voyage with open and hartop driver compartment, Napoleon Coupe, Kellner Coach, Fosters Limousine and Binder Coupe.

Someone told me that this is the only complete Royale series in the world in such a small size. I would be satisfied with the testimony that it is one of the rare series.

 

[1959scudetto]

Fabulous work, Janos - extraordinary craftsmanship !

I could not imagine myself building in this small scale!