SCALE MODEL CARS
The collectible miniatures and the models in scale are part of my world too. That’s why I am devoting a full chapter to them. Working on these tiny particulars one can keep the fingers agile and ready for motion and, at the same time, one learns to be patient and exercises things like the sense of colour, the manual skills and the ability to improvise. It is necessary to solve details and to take risks (just like when paintings or drawing). It is really difficult; many would be really surprised.
ALFA ROMEO 8C 2900B, 1/43:
This is the result of my work after a total rebuilding, the scale model was really old and of very poor quality. This time I decided to paint the seats red along with the wheels, with a matt finish in contrast to the ‘glowing’ body.
A young Phil Hill drove that car in the Palm Springs Road Races in 1951.
PORSCHE 930, 1/43:
There are no kits to build that car in particular, I was forced to use a collectible miniature, from DelPrado Collection. The shape is correct but it is really poorly detailed.
The real challenge: the side windows, made from really thin acetate sheet. Lateste and Bienvault had to leave the ‘24 Heures du Mans’ in 1984.
MASERATI A6 GCS, 1/43:
This time I have not worked with a kit but with a die-cast from Bang improved and somehow super detailed and repainted according to the colours it had been painted when it took active part in the G.P. in Caracas in 1955, it was driven by the Venezuelan Pedro Croquer.
Both the three-coloured band and the number (appearing in five different places) give some very particular touch.
CHEVRON B36, 1/43:
A much particular kit sold by the firm MRE and a beautiful car (Le Mans Decals has produced this wonderful decoration, unreleased until now). It took active part in the ‘24 Heures du Mans’ 1979. As a rule, I use metallic parts to rebuild details such as the protective bars, the rivets or the mirrors. I much prefer the aluminium finish or the polished white metal, these are much better than any sort of paint.
AC-BRISTOL ACE, 1/43:
One of the most beautiful kits sold by the French firm Renaissance. The most complicated task: adapting as much precisely as possible the transparent parts and their metallic photo-etched frames between the hood and the body.
The painting matches the car driven by Magne and Alexandrovicht in the ‘24 Heures du Mans’ 1961.
MASERATI TIPO 61, 1/43:
He well-known Birdcage has a maximum level of originality with its long-tailed hood and its enormous windscreen. It took active part in the SCCA National Marlboro in 1961, driven by Fred Gamble.
The kit had required no major improvement, an impeccable André-Marie Ruf’s creation (AMR).
ALFA ROMEO 8C, 1/43:
The kit by Top Queens is excellent, however the assembly has been complicated and industrious because of a large number of parts. I had to add four mudguards, a pair of headlights and a new exhaust or tailpipe.
The Argentinean driver Adolfo Schwelm achieved fifth position in the G.P. Juan Perón (Buenos Aires) in 1951.
FORD GT40, 1/43:
There were no particular difficulties when assembling the outstanding kit by Marsh Models. No further conversion was required either to depict this variant driven by Skip Scott in the USRRC Mid-Ohio in 1965.
The blue stripe was masked and painted; the red edging has been achieved by placing thin decal strips.
ALLARD J2X, 1/43:
I have made that SMTS’ kit a number of times, but I had never achieved a spectacular and coloured decoration before. As far as the details are concerned, I had to build a rounded air intake onto the hood. Shelby and Duncan took active part with this race car in the 1.000 Km in Buenos Aires 1954.
FERRARI 166 MM, 1/43:
This small racing car has been depicted a certain number of times and made by different manufacturers. In this case it has been made by the Italian firm Tron. The colour used is the same ‘rosso corsa’ matching the real car’s colour. Some while ago, it was necessary to order the paints from different industrial suppliers but nowadays the paints are sold and prepared for models in scale.
All the images are copyright (c) 2023 by Guillermo Coll. All right reserved. Copy and distribution are forbidden