Alpine-Renault A 210 - 24 hrs. Le Mans 1966

[1959scudetto]

Here is my A 210, built around 1989 from the 1982 re-release of the earlier Heller kit - very small car but won its class (1300 cc) several times in Le Mans 24 hrs.; in 1966 these cars took places 9, 11, 12 and 13 - the #44 car (only decal option included in the kit) took 11 th place.

Those of you who have built a Heller kit know there are always some very delicate parts and not always clear instructions - sometimes vague - so you have to use the trial and/or error method. Nevertheless, the kit was not that hard to build although I did make a few mistakes - the yellow stripe on the windshield is wrong (my idea), and the 3 tiny lights above it on the right side of the roof is also wrong - should be only one light for # 44 (Heller's fault); wheel covers for the front wheels were totally missing - will be scratch-built some day.

Anyway, here are the pictures (on the dark table from 2005, the others made today, the empty box is now used for storing my decals), but  first the actual car - found on the internet:

 

[TonyK]

That was a weird looking car but I remember it. Yes, Heller kits are bad and I've tried to stay away from them from past experience but your finished model looks great. You shouldn't point out what's wrong because most of us won't know anyway.

[Gramps46]

Very well done.  It is amazing to think back and realize how little reference material was available to the modeler before the internet, magazines and often black and white only.  Thank you for sharing this little jewel.

[bbowser]

I like it!  Yes Heller kits are quirky but they offer subjects you can't get anywhere else.  You did a great job.

[Rich Chernosky]

Helmut...I have this kit in my stash for many, many years. Mines an original Heller. So nice to see it built and now that I know it can be done I may have to dig it out. Yours looks great , only hope mine turns out this good .  If I may ask,  what colour paint did you use.?

[cobraman]

It is kind of strange but I like it. Nice work !

[Dave B]

That's a nice build Helmut, the 60's Alpines were great little cars.

Dave B

[1959scudetto]

13 hours ago, Gramps46 said:

Very well done.  It is amazing to think back and realize how little reference material was available to the modeler before the internet, magazines and often black and white only.  Thank you for sharing this little jewel.

Thanks, Gary - lack of reference material was sometimes a problem in earlier days  - especially for not-so-popular subjects.

 

12 hours ago, bbowser said:

I like it!  Yes Heller kits are quirky but they offer subjects you can't get anywhere else.  You did a great job.

Thank you, Bruce !

 

7 hours ago, Rich Chernosky said:

Helmut...I have this kit in my stash for many, many years. Mines an original Heller. So nice to see it built and now that I know it can be done I may have to dig it out. Yours looks great , only hope mine turns out this good .  If I may ask,  what colour paint did you use.?

Thank you, Rich - I'm sure yours will be better. I can't remember the color anymore, probably a blue enamel spray from Revell Germany.

But if you search for color photos of these cars in the internet, there are different shades of blue (even metallic) - they were ues from 1966 to 1969.

5 hours ago, cobraman said:

It is kind of strange but I like it. Nice work !

Thank you Ray - these were "very small block" machines (1,1 or 1,3 ltr.) and therefore built for a minimum drag coefficient.

 

4 hours ago, Dave B said:

That's a nice build Helmut, the 60's Alpines were great little cars.

Dave B

Thanks, Dave !

[1959scudetto]

14 hours ago, TonyK said:

That was a weird looking car but I remember it. Yes, Heller kits are bad and I've tried to stay away from them from past experience but your finished model looks great. You shouldn't point out what's wrong because most of us won't know anyway.

Thank you Tony - I won't say they are bad - they are ... different (they don't fall together like a Tamiya kit)

As I know what's wrong in my builts and I myself are my own toughest critic, I don't see a problem in pointing out my errors and mistakes (there are enough modelers out there that know this stuff, especially under the group of racecar builders)

[ChrisR]

NICE!!

[TonyK]

Helmut, hopefully you took my comment about "pointing out your mistakes" in a funny way. I know how we sometimes feel better telling people what we did wrong before they tell us.

I have a Heller Lotus 49B that's been half done for years and it's been so long now I don't know why I haven't finished it. I'm guessing I got tired of the finicky bits and took a break. Think I have a Brabham waiting to be built too. As mentioned, Heller has some different subjects but a very different kit to build than others.

[Justin Porter]

Very cool little car for certain. This is a really fun build of a rarely built kit.

[1959scudetto]

4 hours ago, ChrisR said:

NICE!!

Thanks, Chris !

 

3 hours ago, TonyK said:

Helmut, hopefully you took my comment about "pointing out your mistakes" in a funny way. I know how we sometimes feel better telling people what we did wrong before they tell us.

I have a Heller Lotus 49B that's been half done for years and it's been so long now I don't know why I haven't finished it. I'm guessing I got tired of the finicky bits and took a break. Think I have a Brabham waiting to be built too. As mentioned, Heller has some different subjects but a very different kit to build than others.

No problem at all, Tony ! Concerning Heller kits, I sold off my 917 Le Mans winners when Fujimi released their version. The Ferrari 512 S are still in my stash, albeit from Protar and Wave (= reboxed Heller kits).

 

2 hours ago, Justin Porter said:

Very cool little car for certain. This is a really fun build of a rarely built kit.

Thanks, Justin - it was available for little money back then....

[lucky 130]

While the blocks were small,1.3 liters, they had hemispherical heads that Gordini messaged into a surprisingly quick motors. Drove a R8 Gordini. At Road Atlanta, I regularly hit 140/145, with basically the same motor.

[Scalper]

Nice.. 

[bisc63]

Very nice looking build! Well done.

[1959scudetto]

On 7/28/2021 at 2:31 PM, lucky 130 said:

While the blocks were small,1.3 liters, they had hemispherical heads that Gordini messaged into a surprisingly quick motors. Drove a R8 Gordini. At Road Atlanta, I regularly hit 140/145, with basically the same motor.

That's why Amedée Gordini has been called the wizard (cranking out lots of power from the small Renault engines).

 

On 7/28/2021 at 3:00 PM, Scalper said:

Nice.. 

Thanks!

 

18 hours ago, bisc63 said:

Very nice looking build! Well done.

Thank you Rusty !

[lucky 130]

and Ed Zink in Knoxville, Tn. managed to really get the power out of that small engine.

[1959scudetto]

A big thank you goes to Gary (Gramps 46) who provide me with hubcaps which were used in almost all races on the front wheels - Thanks a lot, Gary !

 

[Bainford]

Don't know how I managed to miss this one. Very nice build of a very cool little car. I never knew this kit existed. I enjoyed seeing this build posted. Well done.

[1959scudetto]

3 hours ago, Bainford said:

Don't know how I managed to miss this one. Very nice build of a very cool little car. I never knew this kit existed. I enjoyed seeing this build posted. Well done.

Thanks, Trevor - you definitely won't see this kit built very often.

[Gramps46]

10 minutes ago, 1959scudetto said:

Thanks, Trevor - you definitely won't see this kit built very often.

OK, I think that is a challenge to bring out the old stuff.

 

[1959scudetto]

Great looking model, Gary - I had no idea that you built this one, too...