SPECIAL MERIT

IXO COLLECTIONS Porsche 917KH www.ixocollections.com/en/15-porsche-917kh

Ixo’s amazing and much-anticipated, large-scale 1970 #20 Gulf-Porsche 917KH, made famous by Steve McQueen’s 1971 movie, Le Mans, has achieved something approaching cult status on social media, as collectors eagerly await each batch of parts and shares building experiences, tips and modifications online. The model arrives in component form for home assembly, four instalments at a time.

The quality and detailing are excellent – as we would expect from Ixo. Each parts pack comes with a stylish mini-magazine, packed with details about the real car, the making of the film, other famous racing Porsches and, of course, comprehensive assembly instructions. And when we say "comprehensive", we really mean it! Each step is very well illustrated and, even though the instructions are all in Ixo's native French, it is really easy to follow. It's a very satisfying project and we can thoroughly recommend it. Quality and size doesn't come cheap though - in our opinion, it's worth every penny.

The first pack includes the front bodywork nose access panel and one of the doors, a very tempting pair of pieces for the vintage Le Mans enthusiast on their own. Arriving with the first few packs are a series of free gifts, including a really useful screwdriver, a pair of tweezers (this has been a real boon) and a handy compartmented box for keeping spare screws. The screws are so fiddly that Ixo has been thoughtful enough to include a spare screw of each type in every screw pack, so the box is perfect for keeping them all organised and safe. The best gift, though, comes with the 10th box of parts (packs 37 to 40) - a 1/8 scale figurine of Steve McQueen, which will really add to the finished model on display. A bespoke and stylish display cabinet is available to purchase at any point during the build.

When it is complete, the model, at 1/8 scale, is nearly 2 feet long. The editor has been building the model as the parts are released and it is currently about 75% done in terms of part packs (see photo, bottom right). Most of the really fiddly work is done now, and it even features electrical wiring for the headlights, taillights, and a small speaker for an engine sound!

For sheer entertainment value and for having the courage to stick to its guns and launch this during the recent economic uncertainties, Ixo Collections receives this year's "Special Merit" award.