Mini Muscle
Last issue I talked about Mustang models, brie y. Okay, a lot. And here I go again. But why not? There’s a lot going on with Mustangs right now: there’s Ford Australia’s exciting new supercharged R-Spec, and now the also-supercharged (and even more exciting) Dick Johnson Mustang. And just recently, too, the Bullitt Mustang (the real one, used in the lm starring Steve McQueen) sold for an obscene amount of money.
So if, like me, you were just a few million short of having the winning bid for the McQueen movie Mustang (nor could I afford a new Dicky J ‘Stang, although that’s a moot point anyway as I believe all 30 were sold pretty much straight away), maybe you feel the need to console yourself with a scale model?
The good news is, there seem to be lots of them around. As you’d expect. This is an iconic car and as we saw last time, nearly everyone likes a Mustang, even rusted-on Holden types. Looking at our favourite on-line auction site, we found heaps. 1:18, 1:24 kits, 1:64, even a 1:18 kit. At least one even came with a little McQueen model.
Over the page, in our new releases section, is a bit of news about the 1983 VH Commodore from the ATCC. Which got me thinking… I guess a model we’re unlikely to ever see is the Nissan Bluebird. Oh, don’t get me wrong; that same visit to Ebay found me lots of Bluebirds. Mostly the P510 model, sold here as the 1600. A ne car, but not the later Bluebird. Aoshima, for one, make a model of almost the right Bluebird, but it’s rstly a two-door and secondly from the Japanese Super Silhouette racing – got lots of big ared guards and a massive wing. So no.
Maybe, just maybe, Trax will bring us a Bluebird road car, which someone with mad skills can turn into the Group C racer. Geoff Wood, I’m looking at you… Speaking of Geoff – if you haven’t already, check out some of his latest work in the breakout.
And Geoff getting in touch set off a train of thought. The new S5000 cars are big and noisy and exciting and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’d enjoy a model or two of them. But that train was quickly derailed by one model maker telling that there would never, ever be models of S5000 cars. Hmmm.
I suspect it’s because our market is too small to support the massive cost of tooling up for them. Although, I’m sure a smaller scale would be feasible, if you could get enough people to pre-pay.
Geoffrey’s at it again
AMC’s favourite model maker sent us some pictures of a recent project. Classic Carlectables made a few Formula 5000 models a while back. They’re lovely models – I spent some of my own money on one (which if you
know me, tells how impressed I was). These models were released between 2012 and 2014 – there were three Lola T332s (two Warwick Browns and one Alan Jones) and two Matiches – a Frank Matich and a John Goss – both cars being Australian Grand Prix winners.
Anyway, Geoff Wood sent us pictures of Bruce Allison’s T332. Bruce was a great talent who, like Warwick Brown, probably retired too soon. I’m guessing this model was for Bruce himself but Geoff’s very discrete and didn’t blab.
Geoff told us that it was a ‘bugger of a task’ getting the distinctive Hobby and Toyland livery right on the Allison Lola:
“Initially l thought it was simply a jet black livery. However, when researching in detail l discovered it was actually draped in multiple red pin striping complete with ‘truckie’ style artistic swirls! A beautiful looking machine but geez... a nightmare for this model maker!
“My only option was to hand-cut the striping in vinyl & apply by hand, barely a quarter of a millimetre in width! The swirls l created in art studio and printed them as a decal.
“This tested my skills far more than they had been for quite a number of years and I’m both relieved (& lucky!) that my hands and eyes are still up to the job.”
Take a look at these superb images and just think about how difficult that must have been! I’m sure you’ll agree his efforts were not wasted.