The return of the L.A. Dart

the length of the track at 100mph and with dextrous manipulation of the brakes, turn it around and return to the start line, all without dropping the front back to earth. The car still exists and is under restoration.

MPC created a 1:25 scale version of this car some years ago, but exactly when is a mystery. It then appeared in 1983, remarketed as Hemi Hunter Mopar Street Racer, though it was clearly based on the L.A. Dart kit, with its rear-mounted Hemi. It seems this version was later reissued as an AMT kit with the MPC box art. The first clear reference I could find of Shrewsberry’s L.A. Dart was in 2007, when the kit was re-released as a limited-edition Road King kit. It is now due to reappear under its original MPC label in autumn 2022. The kit features its 7.0-litre Hemi engine, hollow drag slicks, a chromed scoop, an interior roll cage and detailed interior.

In common with its contemporaries the model assembles on to a chassis plate, with the rear-mounted V8 and gearbox connected to the rear axle by a double prop shaft which reverses the power to the axle through a transfer gearbox mounted under the rear seat area. The interior is stripped out with a roll cage, a single seat, shifter and basic dashboard. According to Round 2 there is an expanded decal sheet which means that, unlike the earliest incarnations, you don’t have to paint the stripes on the body. There are 68 parts, moulded in white, clear, clear red and chrome, including the five-spoke mag wheels. It looks like a fun build and adding ignition wiring and plumbing to the highly visible Hemi will improve the finished model no end. Pre-orders from AutoWorld in the States list it at $31.99, but with exchange rates fluctuating dramatically at the moment you’ll have to investigate the UK prices carefully.