Tag Archives: Mike Hawthorn

Diecast cars

Die-cast: CMF’s Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti Coupe

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Ferrari Scaglietti Coupe a sexy dart …

The Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti Coupe is a sexy dart of a sports car with a distinctively long nose that may have brought automotive overcompensation to a new level in 1953.

Now CMF, a new die-cast firm to me, delivers a beautifully sculpted and executed resin version of this rare sports car to the 1/18 scale market. CMF comes to us from Germany and, like most die-cast and resin car models, is made in China. Each of its models (mostly high-end and exotics) is created in limited runs of 300 cars, each hand-numbered. In the U.S. market the brand is sold by American-Excellence, which sent us our sample. Continue reading Die-cast: CMF’s Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti Coupe →

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Diecast cars

Die-cast: Autoart LeMans-winning D-Type Jaguar

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Detailed D-Type Jaguar a replica of 1955 LeMans winner

Jaguar was a post-war powerhouse with its C-Type sports cars that won France’s famous 24 Hours of LeMans twice in a 3-year period.jag1

The C was a straightforward sports car with a long nose and a 3.4-liter straight-6 that made 220 horsepower.

But by 1954 the competition, mainly in the form of Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari, was stepping up and Jaguar needed a new design that was lighter and faster, so its D-Type was developed with a distinctive stabilizer fin and airplane technology that included a monocoque cockpit and an aluminum alloy to keep the car light.

Its shape was aerodynamic too, thanks to the design work of Malcolm Sayer, plus its frame was strong and rigid. Other developments included a dry sump lubrication system, canting the engine at 8.5 degrees and a deformable aviation style bag in place of a standard gas tank.jag7

Jaguar kept the underbody clean too in an effort to boost top speed on LeMans’s famously long Mulsanne Straight, where racers today can hit 250 mph. In 1955 the Jag was reaching 172 mpg vs. about 160 for other competitors. The C Type had been capable of about 120 mph. Continue reading Die-cast: Autoart LeMans-winning D-Type Jaguar →