Ford Mustang II Concept showed where Mustang was going …
If you’re a Mustang nut, and let’s face it, there are lot out there, you’ll likely know the story of the 1963 Mustang II concept car.
If not, hang on and just know that Automodello is producing two versions of the rare one-off concept car used for several months to hype the production car that debuted in April of 1964 at New York’s Worlds Fair.
Well, Automodello is rolling out its latest 1/24 scale model, a brilliant 1970 Lincoln Continental Mark III, which follows its 1971 version released several years back. That one was sharp, but I like this model even better.
The 1981 Pepsi Challenge (No. 48) driven by Mike Mosley and the blue White Castle entry driven by Chip Mead at the Indy 500.
Dan Gurney stopped racing at the enf 1970, but his influence on open-wheel racing continued for decades afterward. Yet the 1970s and early 1980s were the zenith for his All-American Racers (AAR) Eagles.
Gurney’s Santa Ana, Calif.-based shop turned out highly competitive Eagle chassis for the Indy Car series. Eagles were consistent winners. Even the ultra-successful Team Penske used them for a while as they were outperforming Penske’s own chassis.
Yet in 1981 AAR went a whole new route with its design, making virtually everything behind the driver’s cockpit into a wing that created terrific downforce to increase cornering speeds.
Now, Automodello joins Replicarz in creating high-quality 1/43 scale resin historic Indy racers with its model of the AAR 1981 Eagle that sat on the front row for the Indy 500 and won a race in Milwaukee. It also makes a second Eagle that was entered in the 1981 race.
The History
The radical Eagle design with its broad, flat rear side pods and extension behind the rear wheels, plus a small wing atop what was essentially a lower wing, caught everyone at the 500 by surprise. Mike Mosley, a speedy Indy veteran with tough luck, was the driver of Gurney’s famous No. 48.
In addition to its design, including two large air scoops hanging off the engine cover to feed air to its fragile Chevrolet V8, the Eagle was painted a bright yellow and white and labeled the Pepsi Challenger. Continue reading Die-cast: Automodello’s 1981 AAR Gurney Eagles→
I can still remember the first time I saw a Buick Riviera. As a kid, I was wowed. Its sleek lines, the headlights canted forward to make it look fast and sporty. There was just something about it that oozed elegance and class, and a bit of speed too!
Automodello brings us a bevy of new 1965 Riviera Gran Sport models to fulfill any collector’s fantasies about owning one. These are 1/24 scale resin models that continue Automodello’s tradition of creating beautifully finished models that fit well in any plastic car modeler’s collection.
Like variety? Automodello delivers the Riviera in seven colors and in various quantities, from the snazzy Astro Blue with 299 models made, to the Enthusiasts Editions in Arctic White, Flame Red with black top and interior, and Burgundy Mist with black interior. Just 19 will be made of each Enthusiasts Edition.
Automodello retools its Bricklin SV1, adds cop car markings …
Bricklins were unique in their day, the mid-1970s, but even more unusual were three white over blue Bricklins with sirens, a bubble gum strobe and other police gear. They were part of the Scottsdale, Ariz., police.
Malcolm Bricklin basically gave the Scottsdale police the three cars in a publicity move. His corporate offices were in Scottsdale so he leased the SPD the cars for $1 each. The move created cars that were unusual enough for Automodello to rework its fine Bricklin mold from a few years back to create the car in 1/43 scale, and with its gullwing doors closed this time.
The History
The SV1 was a sports car, think along the lines of a Toyota Supra or Nissan Z-car, but more than just a sexy body with good power. Bricklin designed the car with a frontal energy-absorbing crash zone and integrated roll cage. Reportedly the SV in its name stood for Safety Vehicle.
But Bricklin wanted his car to be both fast and safe, so he dropped in a 360-cubic-inch AMC V8 (one could argue that choice) that got 220 horsepower, a substantial amount for a two-seat sports car. While fast, the SPD rarely used them in pursuits, instead the cars ended up mainly as public-relations vehicles and cruisers. Those gullwing doors were hard for cops to get out of fast, so the police weren’t too thrilled to be using them for chasing speeders or other bad boys. Continue reading Diecast: Automodello’s 1974 Bricklin SV1 Scottsdale Police→
Today, rich folks will plunk out a half a million bucks for a new Ferrari or Lamborghini and think they have something special, unique. Yet hundreds are made of such models.
Consider the rich folks of the 1930s who selected a fine chassis and drivetrain from a high-end manufacturer, like France’s Delage, and then commissioned a coachmaker to build a one-off body, just for their chassis. Ah, now that’s exclusivity.
That’s exactly what happened in 1937 when a Delage D8-120 S chassis was built and delivered to coachbuilder Pourtout that created a hand-formed aluminum body for the car. And what a body it was!
Now Automodello recreates a 1/24 scale cast resin version of this streamlined beauty. It’s a knockout!
The History
The Delage D8-120 S Aerodynamic Coupe is fantastic is a true one-off designed by famed stylist Georges Paulin. Records show the body alone cost $18,000 to build, roughly $300,000 in today’s coin.
The car was first shown at the Paris Auto Show in 1937 and Louis Delage, the carmaker’s owner, drove the car for three years before it was sold. Delage had always believed in proving his car’s mettle by racing them, one even winning the 1914 Indianapolis 500. So performance was important to him. Continue reading Die-cast: Automodello’s 1937 Delage D8-120 S→
As a kid I saw a lot of Ford Galaxies around the neighborhood and some of my northern Indiana relatives who farmed had them and weren’t afraid to run them out in a cornfield if necessary.
But rarer was the Galaxie 500 7-Liter Hardtop, a luxury model that wasn’t afraid to lay a little rubber at a stoplight. That’s the cast resin model Automodello reproduces in popular 1/24 scale and paints up in a variety of historically accurate colors.
The History
While the Galaxie 500 debuted in 1965 it was the 1966 model that boasted a new 7-liter V8. This was Ford’s already powerful 390 V8 but enlarged to 428 cu.in. to create a real torque monster. Unlike the earlier 390 model this one could accommodate all the luxury options Ford packed onto its Galaxie 500 models to push them from standard family cars to luxury models.
So in addition to performance type power, the 1966 models had power steering, power brakes, and air conditioning. The 7-liter also could be coupled with an automatic transmission, something the earlier Ford 427 V8 designed for NASCAR use, could not.
The new 7-liter model came only in hardtop and convertible models and sold well, about 11,000 units being made that year. By comparison, just 38 models were equipped with the horsier 427 V8 that year. Continue reading Die-cast: Automodello’s 1966 Ford Galaxie 500→
Automodello creates stylish 1/24th Kaiser Darrin …
There was a fine line between sports cars and two-seat boulevard cruisers as the 1950’s midpoint approached. The British were exporting tiny, nimble, two-seat sports cars in growing numbers to the United States.
This was the heyday of MG, Austin-Healey, and Triumph. Chevrolet, Ford and upstart Kaiser Motors were about to respond, with their Corvette, Thunderbird and Darrin, none exactly sports cars.
Kaiser’s Darrin was by far the most stylish, but was basically a one-year wonder. The others had staying power. Now Automodello has created its own 1/24 scale resin model of the daring Darrin that once was described as looking like it was trying to kiss someone with its puckered oval nose grille.
The History
Howard “Dutch” Darrin had a long car styling resume, most recently with Packard, before Henry J. Kaiser and Joseph W. Frazer brought him onboard their new Kaiser-Frazer Corp. after World War II. Darrin went on to design a sports car on his own time and with his own funds, then presented it to Kaiser, looking for the company to produce the roadster. Continue reading Die-cast: Automodello’s 1954 Kaiser Darrin→
The Noble M600 may be the fastest car you’ve never heard of, and no wonder in the U.S. market because it’s not readily available here.
Nope, Noble is a British supercar made outside Leiscester, England, where it sells for 200,000 pounds. How much that translates into U.S. dollars after the Brexit vote may require a phone call to your local banker .
But Automodello’s new 1/43 scale version is a modest, considering the original’s price tag, $119.95. And we shouldn’t be surprised that Automodello takes on the Noble for a model as it has been mining models of some of the lesser known makes and rare vintage cars and racers that other die-cast and resin model maker have steered clear of. For the record, this is Automodello’s first model of a currently produced car and away from its vintage lineup.
The History
Noble Automotive was founded in 1999 by Lee Noble who wanted to build his own high-performance mid-engine, rear-drive car. What many of us call a driver’s car.
Automodello cranks out impressive collection of TVR Taimars …
Say TVR to any sports car fan and their eyes will light up as they think of the M Series of sports cars the British automaker cranked out from 1972 through 1979, sporty two-seaters with plenty of oomph.
TVR was founded after World War II by Trevor Wilkinson, but sold to Martin Lilley in 1965 and he turned his attention to creating the M Series that includes the hatchback Taimar that Automodello has so beautifully produced in resin in 1/43 scale.
This continues Automodello’s fine series of unique and small production run cars in a size that fits on anybody’s shelf or bookcase. This one will be offered in seven color schemes, while the similar TVR 3000M will come in three colors. All will be extremely limited runs, the most for the Taimar is 79 units in white with blue stripe and black interior. The review model is black with a red stripe, with only 19 being made. Just 19 models in each of the remaining five colors will be made. Talk about exclusive!
The History
The 3000M started as a high-performance alternative to the 1600M and 2500M and debuted in October 1972, costing 2,278 pounds, a little more than it weighed, about 2,100 lbs. A tiny fixed fastback sports car powered by a V6, the M Series quickly gained popularity with racers. Continue reading Die-cast: Automodello’s 1972-79 TVR Taimar→
Savage On Wheels 