Sneak Peak Photos of Replicarz 1:18 Marmon Wasp

No secret, I’m an Indy 500 nut job. Love the cars, love the history, love all the wild crazy designs over the years. I also love die-cast models of historic Indy racers.

Don’t want to brag here, but I’ve got some sneak peak shots of the Replicarz 1:18 Marmon Wasp model that should be released in the next several months.The Wasp, with its distinctive yellow color and pointed tail (wonder how it got the “wasp” nickname?), was the only single-seat car in the inaugural 1911 Indianapolis 500. And Ray Harroun, a Marmon test driver and racer, won that rough and tumble first race for the Indianapolis-based car maker.

So here’s what we’re seeing, a highly detailed model that will have an opening hood, a detailed engine (I’m told accurate wiring will be added too) and detailed wheels and the crank in front that was needed to start racers, and other cars of the day.

There are black fuel caps in back, a detailed suspension (such as they were at the time) and of course, the famous rearview mirror. Harroun reasoned that he’d be faster and get better fuel mileage with the reduced rate of only a driver on board. Other racers had a riding mechanic at the time. But without the other set of eyes, Harroun needed the mirror to see any racers approaching from behind. Clever! Now, every racer and all us denizens of the freeway have rearview mirrors.

The cockpit also looks to be accurate here too. About all that’s needed now is the famous “32” on the sides and tail.

Can’t wait to see the finished product from Replicarz. Oh, and I’m told the paint job here is a bit too glossy and will be more muted in the final product.

Keep watching my website, and that of Scale Auto magazine for the finished Wasp. This promised to be a real winner for us Indy fans.

I also have a review of Replicarz new laydown roadsters, based on the former Carousel 1 molds. Those are the 1958 Indy winner of Jimmy Bryan and the 1961 roadster of Bobby Marshman, the co-rookie of the year in 1961, along with Parnelli Jones. Take a look at that review here too.