Category Archives: Porsche

Norev VW-Porsche 914: Part 1 of 4

New model musings

By Stephen Paul Hardy

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

Norev’s expanding catalogue of 1:18 VW-Porsche 914 models effectively covers the whole production life of the car between 1970 and 1976. As such the seven models released to date provide a perfect Case Study opportunity for a factual, evidence based, critique illustrating points I made in my “How good is good enough” musings.

Some plain speaking to start with:

I do not intend to reflect on the production history of the VW- Porsche 914 complete with the numerous detail changes that the series went through. Rather my intention is to critique how a series of successive scale models have been released and the effectiveness – or otherwise – of the various changes Norev have made in order to bring forward variations on the theme. From this point of view, the 914 just happens to be the vehicle, with pun intended, that conveniently facilitates that critique.

As an enthusiastic fan of the 914 series since it’s introduction now almost 55 years ago, I have been keenly following Norev’s exploration of the theme with both pleasure and disappointment in equal measures. It is sufficient to say that the base modelling and casting of the Norev model seems to me to be pleasingly well proportioned. So setting that and the rationalisation of detail interior changes, etc., aside, I intend to focus on THREE areas of the modelling that are, in context, fundamental to conveying what is for me an acceptably authentic visual and emotional depiction of the subject. With a cost of at least £80 (GBP 80) per model, I expect these three areas to be authentically represented as if the model represented a new vehicle in ex-factory OE condition in dealership’s showroom. These are after all scale models intended for enthusiast collectors.

Paint and upholstery finishes

Given the degree of enthusiastic following the 914 still enjoys around the world, internet-based information about year-by-year changes in the “Karmann palette” finish offered to 914 buyers is both extensive and very accessible. Original colour charts are readily available to download from various sources including the official Porsche websites. These are supported by a wealth of information from the many companies who provide information, spare parts and replacement parts to owners and restorers.

https://www.porsche.com/international/accessoriesandservice/classic/models/914/

https://www.porsche.com/uk/accessoriesandservice/classic/models/914/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhNj9hdm2gwMVPIBQBh1AKwQwEAMYASAAEgI8NvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.porsche.com/uk/accessoriesandservice/classic/models/914/914/

https://www.porsche.com/uk/accessoriesandservice/classic/models/914/914-6/

https://www.porsche.com/usa/accessoriesandservices/classic/genuinepartsandhistoricaldocuments/historicaldocuments/colourcharts914/

https://www.pca.org/news/was-1972-the-best-year-for-porsche-914-colors

Perhaps best of all is a succinct, factually accurate, table of colour information that is freely found on the internet prepared in the US by enthusiast Charles Davies and, although last updated two decades ago, remains a definitive resource on the subject. For a long time, it could be found on the internet in pdf format and certainly remains readily available still in simple image format.

(That 914 paint colors table was, incidentally, also the a starting point a decade ago when I first started to translate my previous printed magazine research into an authoritative  web format resource on the subject of the “Special Edition’ palette” paint colours used by Volkswagen and Porsche on the 914 and other models. Work that took me 18 months to initially research, document and tabulate and which is now constantly under updating review by the team behind SEBeetles.com The resulting resource for enthusiasts is now the world’s foremost reference library on the subject at https://sebeetles.com/european-paint/ and https://sebeetles.com/p-e-european-paint/ )

Given that so much authoritative information is so easily accessible with minimal research time, the erroneous use of incorrect paint colour finishes for any one particular VW-Porsche model year isn’t acceptable in my view.

In common with contemporary Volkswagen, Porsche and other manufacturers’ practice, references to any particular year in these documents relate to the model year that runs August through to the following July. A twelve-monthly cycle allowed for tooling up for model range upgrades and introduction of the new model year’s product range during the annual works holidays in August. As a result, year-based terminology amongst enthusiasts is universally understood to mean the model year and not the calendar year of manufacture. So as an example ‘1972’ (model year) 914s were manufactured between 8/71 and 7/72.

The bottom line (1): it costs no more for a scale model manufacturer to use a correct paint colour than its does to use an incorrect one.

The bottom line (2): It is not uncommon with scale model manufacturers to fail to recognise the automotive industry model year concept which leads to erroneous catalogue descriptions. As we shall see in Parts 3-4, several of Norev’s 914s appear to be incorrectly attributed to a year. It is however plausible though that Norev based particular models on a real car manufactured for example in September 1971 and therefore erroneously catalogued it as a ‘1971’ version instead of correctly by the manufacturers model year of 1972. Conversely erroneous attribution to a given year may be simply a case of  a ‘good enough’ approach to the cataloguing process.

Badging

Perhaps not quite so clear under cursory research is the model badging structure of the 914 series.  This, like the contemporary Volkswagen model badging of the era, was a tad confusing to many observers thanks to differences in the nomenclature used between the European and North American markets. 

(An insight and explanation into these sorts of differences can be found here: https://sebeetles.com/european-manufacture-inland-and-exportmarkets/ and https://sebeetles.com/badges/.)

For the 914 sold in European markets and marketed differently in North America, I have tabulated the badging as installed through the 914s production life as a readily accessible resource.

Where research caution has to be exercised and tempered with some basic appreciation and understanding of the subject is in the use of contemporary sales brochures. Checking the sales (or ‘export’) market that the brochure was published for is very important. In the case of 914 sales brochures (and contemporary Porsche ones), very similar layouts were used for European and North American markets modified by very good (for the pre-digital era) retouching of photographs in order to present images of specification details applicable to the  market for which the brochure is intended.

The bottom line (3): it costs no more for a scale model manufacturer to use correct model designation badging and decoration than it does to use incorrect ones .

The bottom line (4): it seems to have become an increasing practice for scale model manufacturers to use surviving examples of vehicles as the research base for new models. There is, with contemporary scanning technology and CAD based modelling techniques, good reasons for doing so. However if the research validating the authenticity of that real vehicle in absolute detail is less than thorough – or just downright cursory, the result is a scale model with flawed attributes. This scenario applies just as much to using museum exhibits as it does to privately owned examples.

Wheels

Keeping to a superficial, spotters guide, level of visual recognition then, clues to the various different production versions of the 914 wheel rims have a significant role. The three distinct groups of (street specification) 914s and their respective wheel rim options are catalogued here in the second readily accessible resource tabulation that I prepared for this series of articles.

All of the different wheel types were variously illustrated in the sales brochures, although the same caveat that applied to interpretation of European and North American market equipment applies: research caution has to be exercised and tempered with some basic appreciation and understanding of the subject.

Wheel types

The early series 914/4 powered by Volkswagen flat 4 cylinder air-cooled engines were fitted as standard with contemporary 8 slot, 4 bolt, standard (steel) VW road wheels and chromed hub caps to which standard contemporary brightwork trim rims were also occasionally fitted. Buyers were also offered optional factory fitted Pendrini alloy rims.

The early series 914/6 powered by Porsche flat 6 cylinder air-cooled engines were fitted as standard with contemporary 10 slot, 5 bolt, standard (steel) Porsche road wheels and chromed hub caps. Buyers were also offered optional factory fitted Porsche ‘Windmill’ Fuchs or Mahle alloy rims.

The later series 914 models all powered by derivations of Volkswagen flat 4 cylinder air-cooled engines were fitted as standard with Lemmerz 4 bolt (steel) VW ‘sports’ road wheels with black plastic caps. Buyers were also offered optional factory fitted Baby Fuchs and Mahle alloy rims. 

For their 914 releases to date, Norev are on record as having decided that

We have built three typically used wheels which offer lots of possibilities for many accurate versions… There will be no additional wheel for our 914… There is always a limit of what can be done from an economic point of view.

The bottom line (5): Norev’s product development decision not to widen its range of three wheel rim styles on its 914 models does however cause a serious restriction on its authentic coverage of 914 production history. Without also introducing a standard steel VW wheel – as on its 1:18 models of the VW 1303 saloon and cabriolet – or tooling up for a Pendrini rim, representation of the 914/4 is impossible and a significant omission, given the substantial number of 914 sales during 1970-1971 of this model over and above the 914/6.

In addition by declining to develop tooling for the 4 bolt Lemmerz and Mahle styles, the roll out of further variations on the 914 theme covering 1972-1976  becomes – as we shall see in Parts 2-4 – monotonously dominated by the sole use of the rather bland Baby Fuchs rim. In reality sales of 914 with all three rim styles were fairly equal in numbers. Interestingly, investment in a Lemmerz rim has already been made for use on some of Norev’s VW 1303 Beetle albeit in a 4.5×15 rim that just need to be widening out to represent the 5.5×15 rims used on the 914.

An additional benefit of having prepared the two tabulations of readily accessible 914 references for this article – badging and wheels – was that it afforded a very robust evidence base against which to review each of Norev’s 914 releases to date in turn.   A model by model critique will start in Part 2.


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Spark Porsche 911 RSR Project 1

By Maz Woolley

Text Copyright of the Author. Photographs/Illustrations from the Maker or Wholesaler.

Spark has recently announced a model of the Porsche 911 RSR 19 which ran as #56 in the 2023 Le Mans Race in the GTE category. The car was run by the German Team Project 1 – AO and was placed 35th.

A factory supported racing team Project 1 Racing has 25 years of motorsport experience. They joined the FIA WEC from 2018 and won the Le Mans GTE Am category that same year. The following years were equally successful: the team celebrated the first spot on the podium in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2019 and the third spot in the LMGTE Am team championship in 2019-2020. Since 2022, the team has been racing together with AO-Racing as Project 1 – AO and field the fan favorite “Rexy” in the IMSA (Porsche 911 GT3 R) and WEC (Porsche 911 RSR). This unique green livery looks like a tyrannosaurus rex and broadly grins into the rear mirror of every opponent.

Spark have made the most of their research and intend to produce this model in the following scales: 1:87, 1:64, 1:43,1:18 and 1:12. Perhaps inspired by the stunning graphics on the original car.

The Spark publicity photographs below show the stunning decorative finish.

Spark advertising material for these models

A Spark publicity shot of the proposed 1:12 scale model from Model Universe website.

I look forward to seeing the models when they are launched and comparing the detail achieved at each scale.


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How Good is Good Enough?

New model musings

By Stephen Paul Hardy

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

How would you feel if you bought a 1:18 scale model of a Ford Escort Mk.1 “Mexico” that outwardly looked a pretty good charismatic representation of the nostalgia evoking original only to find that on unboxing it it carried “Cortina GLX” badging on the rear boot lid?

Are you doubtful that such errors happen – or that I’m overstating the scenario?

Well read on … and wait for the four part series of follow-ons before making a judgement.

Over the past seven years or so of contributing scale model reviews in both Model Collector and Diecast Collector, I am aware that I have, at times, attracted a bit of a reputation of being a grinch – or pedantic – over manufacture’s detailing errors.

Although not confined just to my particular marque interests in Volkswagen and Porsche, it is through the latter that has probably prompted my most voluble criticisms. Top of the list has been various attempts by several scale model manufacturers to pass off (with varying degrees of success) grey Porsche 911s in various scales as representing a very specific, real car.

At last I am elated to say it looks as if Norev have just about managed to do the subject justice and thwart me in finding fault (well maybe an observation that still needs to be made but not certainly not a fault.).

https://www.norev.com/en/16859-porsche-911-s-1970-slate-grey-1-12.html

Released on the 26th January, it depicts the Porsche 911S in Schiefergrau 615 (Slate Grey) that starred in 3 minutes 40 seconds of the haunting early morning opening sequence to the 1971 film Le Mans driven by Michael Delaney (Steve McQueen).

The actual car used for that sequence was a special order model with a list of factory options that included US-specification compliance lighting details including the distinctive upright headlight glass, a steel sunroof, rare factory-installed air-conditioning, muffler apron, tinted glass, Blaupunkt radio, extensive internal and external luxury trim, and front fog lamps with the then French-requirement yellow lenses. It was ordered in June 1970 and delivered by Porsche directly to the film location, on Stuttgart licence plates S-B279. Its Slate Grey paint colour was part of the special order package because it had been dropped by Porsche the previous year.

Checking this specification list against screen capture from the film and photos on Norev’s website of this very latest version of its 1:12 scale 911S, it looks to me as if (with the exception of tinted glazing) an authentic replication in miniature has arrived at last…

Will I weaken and buy? Well, choosing my words very carefully, I have diametrically opposed emotions making my decision process ebb and flow in that respect.

Emotions that seem to be out of step with popular fandom hero worship surrounding all aspects of the film. Emotions that evolved after watching Le Mans several times but very firmly embedded after also watching the documentary about the making of the film (and subsequent further research reading). Emotions of abhorrence at ego and behaviour that, amongst other things led to serious human tragedies of various sorts and an everlasting misrepresentation in so many people’s mind about who raced and won in the 1970 Le Mans by mixing fact and fiction. Yet at the same time the film has so much genuine footage of the real event and Porsche 917s in their early prowess it is, for me, a treasure of archive material. Similarly the opening sequence with that Slate Grey 911S is such a superb piece of contemporary archive footage that I love it.

I am going to have to see which emotion is the strongest and decide if love of Porsche or the abhorrence of the ego and behind the scenes reality will be predominant and influence (outside of simple budgetary considerations!) whether or not I decide to buy an example. Oh the tensions of engagement in diecast collecting!!

Whilst that particular example of modelling is then certainly good enough for me turning back to the broader topic of whether “good enough” is in fact good enough, I started to become concerned that I really had in fact become a grinch. Worries counterpointed by comforting reassurance in the number of Volvo model collectors who seem similarly exacting over matters of detail in the various discussion threads in Bert Jan Nijhuis excellent VOLVO MODEL CARS Facebook Group – and I thought Volkswagen model collectors erred on the side of perfectionist and pedantic!

Being serious though to prompt discussion and thought processes, I am going follow up with a series of 4 articles with an evidence based critique of Norev’s current series of VW-Porsche 914 in the search for answers to the question “How good is good enough?”


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M4 Model Group November 2023

By Maz Woolley

M4 Group of Italy have announced their November releases as ever most are re-colours or re-workings of existing castings. All the models shown are diecast in Italy to 1:43 scale

Art Models

ART450, FERRARI 196 SP – s/n 0804

Trento / Bondone 1962 – Ludovico Scarfiotti # 424 – R.R. Winner


Best Models

BEST9042/2, PORSCHE 908/02

Brands Hatch 6 Hours 1969 – Siffert / Redman #53 – R.R. Winner


BEST9848/P, FERRARI 308 GTS

Personal Car Villeneuve 1977 – With figure – 430 Km. in 2:25 hours


Rio Models

RIO4707, FIAT 128 – 2° Serie 1972 – Bianco / White

RIO4708, FIAT 501 – Cabriolet closed 1919 – Verde / Green

RIO4709, FIAT 1100 – Vacanze invernali / Winter holidays 1957

RIO4710/P, BUGATTI 41 ROYALE WEYMANN 1929 – Christmas Edition 2023

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Solido July 2023

By Maz Woolley

Solido’s July announcement is a little more muted than of late. Just a handful of models in only two scales: 1:18 and 1:43. In all cases these are recolours/re-liveries on existing castings. In all cases Solido have managed to maintain prices at a very competitive level with their 1:18 scale models costing little more than many other mainstream manufacturers 1:43 scale lines, though it should be noted that their models tend to have fewer opening parts than their competitor Norev. Solido’s 1:43 scale models are considerably cheaper than many of their competitors, and like most others have no opening parts. At this time of limited disposable incomes I hope that Solido sales reward their restraint in increasing prices.

In 1:18 in addition to new versions of the A110 Alpine we also see Alfa Romeo Formula One Grand Prix cars from the 2022 season. A Rally version of the Renault 17 , a Porsche track car and a Toyota Supra finish off the offering.

In 1:43 we just see two new colours on previously issued castings of the Alfa Romeo Guilia and the BMW M5.


1:18 Scale Releases


S1801623 – Alpine A110 RALLY #20 F.Delecour Rallye du Var 2021

S1801624 – Alpine A110 RALLY #28 P.Delecour Rally du Var 2021

S1801616 – Alpine A110 Gendarmerie

S1810201 – Alfa Romeo C42 – V. Bottas – Emilia Romagna GP 2022

S1810202 – Alfa Romeo C42 – G. Zhou – Canada GP 2022

S1809002 – Toyota GR Supra White 2023

S1803706 – Renault 17 – Pouchelon/Dorangeon – Abidjan Nice Rally 1976

S1807204 – Porsche 935 K3 #6 B.Wollek/H.Pescarolo – 1981 Suzuka 1000km


1:43 Scale Releases


S4313104 – Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Blue

S4310504 – BMW E39 M5 Red

We welcome your comments and questions.   Please go to our Model Auto Review Facebook page or email the Editors at maronlineeditor at gmail.com.

M4 Model Group May 2023

By Maz Woolley

M4 Group, based in Pesaro Italy, includes the brands: Art ModelsBest Models and Rio. All are made to 1:43 scale in Italy and are usually diecast. The models shown below are pre-production photographs of models scheduled to be on sale from May 2023.

New castings are a rarity amongst the M4 releases though they do often upgrade existing castings when creating new versions.

Art Models


ART445/P FERRARI 315 S –

This model is similar to the display sets that great rival Brumm produces capturing moments from motoring history. Here is a model of the Mille Miglia 1957 arrival of two Ferarris; Taruffi in car #535 in first place and Von Trips in car #532 coming second.


Best Models


BEST9219/2 PORSCHE 908/02 Flounder – 12h Sebring 1970

Here is #48 from 1970’s Sebring 12 hour race where it finished second driven by Steve McQueen and Peter Revson.


BEST9838 JAGUAR E TYPE COUPE’ – 1963

Here we have the existing E Type casting finished as Eva Kent’s Personal Car. I believe that Eva Kent is an Italian Comic Book character who has been turned into a TV Series. Perhaps an Italian reader can add more information.


BEST9839 JAGUAR E TYPE COUPE

Here we have a lightweight E Type, #10 from the 1962 24 hour Le Mans race. This was driven by Bruce Cunningham and Roy Salvadori to 4th place overall and third in the GT class of over 3 Litres where it was beaten by two Ferrari 250 GTOs.

Although there are some nice details like the small protrusions behind the front wheels some of the other features are a little heavy and the seams are a little prominent at the front and the rear light clusters a little clumsy in this price range. I also hope that models reaching customers have windscreen wipers correctly parked low down on the screen!


Rio Models


RIO4692 ALFA ROMEO P3 TIPO B

Here the classic Alfa Romeo P3 casting modelled as Achille Varzi’s car which was placed second in the race at the Circuito di Modena in 1934 beaten by Tazio Nuvolari in a Maserati 6C-34.


RIO4693/P VOLKSWAGEN KDF WAGEN – 1941 – with figure

Here we have another diorama style model with a figure which appears to be Adolf Hitler with a wartime KDF Wagen. Though Hitler was influential in the choice of design and the concept of a people’s car there seems that he was generally seen in open cars for publicity. A KDF Cabriolet has already been modelled by Rio as has a 1939 closed KDF Wagen.



RIO4694 CITROEN ID 19

Here the Rio casting of the big Citroen gets another outing in rally livery. Here it is finished as the car driven by Paul Coltelloni and P Alexandre to first place in the Rallye de Monte-Carlo 1959. Sadly, this model is showing the signs of the castings age with oversized door handles, an ill fitting roof and rather clumsy separate light components.


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Porsche 917 Slot Car Track

By Karl Schnelle

Long-time author for MAR Online, Harvey Goranson, brought this to our attention. Bring a Trailer (BaT) is an online automobile auction house well-known to all American car guys. A recent, unusual auction just closed there for a detailed 1:32 Le Mans slot car racetrack, hidden under a Porsche 917 Gulf racecar! Check out the final price (wow), more photos, and the full story on BaT! [photo source: https://bringatrailer.com]


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Norev March 2023 – 1:18 and 1:43

By Maz Woolley

Norev models are made in China for France and the ones shown below are all made of diecast metal in various scales. Their subjects vary between the latest models from French car firms and historical vehicles, often with a French connection. Some scales produced, 1:43 for example, have a premium range and a cheaper budget one aimed at selling in Supermarkets and other general outlets.

Norev’s 1:18 scale models are considerably cheaper than sealed resin models of the same subjects. They also often offer opening components, but this is sometimes not the case so if there is no photograph of the model with open parts it means that it is as sealed model.

All the photographs are from Norev and feature on their website where more pictures are available for the 1:18 scale models.

1:18 Scale

Collectors of 1:18 scale models may wish to note that some models are made in small numbers and only offered on Norev’s website. These are called web exclusives and are existing castings finished in a colour and/or livery that will not be placed on general sale. An example of this is the 2CV shown below which is available in red as a web exclusive only.

Please note that the Volvo P1800 models shown below are sealed with no opening parts.


Citroën 2CV 6 Club 1982 Jade Green

Citroën 2CV Charleston 1983 Dark and Light Grey

Peugeot 404 1965 Admiral Blue

Peugeot 404 1965 Metallic Brown with Hénon Caravan

Porsche 911 Carrera 2 1990 Red

Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Cabriolet 1990 Gold

Volvo 1800 S 1969 Blue

Volvo P1800 1961 Red

1:43 Scale

Models marked Jet-Car below are boxed and finished more simply and are sold at ‘pocket money’ prices and are often seen in French Supermarkets. The remaining models are mid-priced some cheaper than Corgi Vanguards price in the UK but sometimes the same price or even dearer.

Norev produce many French carmakers 1:43 scale dealer models and quickly produce them in other versions for their own branded ranges. As car makers release a bewildering range of electric mild hybrids, plus in hybrids and full electric vehicles in a desperate attempt to fight off Tesla and all the ‘new boys on the block’ this is being reflected in the new models released by Norev which include several electric cars.


Citroën C5 Aircross 2022 Black and White

Citroën C5 Aircross 2022 Eclipse Blue

Citroën C5 Aircross 2022 Steel Grey

Citroën Saxo VTS 2000 Onyx Black

Dacia Jogger 2022 Glacier White

DS 7 2022 Sapphire Blue

DS 7 2022 Pearl

DS 7 2022 Grey Laquer

Renault 5 Alpine 1980 Grey

Renault 5 Alpine Turbo 1983 Navy Blue
Renault 5 Copa 1980 Sunflower Yellow

Renault Alaskan 2017 Black

Nissan NAvarra


Renault Alaskan 2019 ICE Edition

Renault Arkana E-Tech engineered 2022 Metallic Grey
Renault Arkana Techno 2022 Zanzibar Blue

Renault Megane E-Tech 100% Electric 2022 Nocturn Blue & Black

Renault Megane E-Tech 100% Electric 2022 Sale Grey and Black

Renault Megane E-Tech 100% Electric 2022 Flame Red & Black

Renault SuperCinq GT Turbo Phase II 1988 White – Jet-car

Renault SuperCinq GT Turbo Phase II 1988 Red – Jet-car

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My Christmas Gift for 2022

By Harvey Goranson

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

For Christmas this year, I received from my kids an art print I have been eyeing for at least a year. Produced by the Automobilist, the title is “Piggyback – Porsche 917K – 24 Hours of Le Mans – 1971”. In the image are three Porsche 917s. Count Gregorio Rossi di Montelera had purchased the 1970 Salzburg team cars and re-liveried them.

The Martini car No. 22 (Chassis 917-053) driven by the team of Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep, took 1st place at 397 laps. The J. W. Automotive team was favored to win, with a strong driver lineup and four victories prior to this race, but the Gulf car No. 19 (Chassis 917-026/031), piloted by Richard Attwood (who won in 1970) and Herbert Müller, had to settle for 2nd at 395 laps. The winning No. 22 car set a new record, which stood until Audi’s win in 2010.

Despite the record-setting pace and top two finishes, these Gulf and Martini cars did not garner the press that the pink No. 23 car did. Chassis 917/20-001 was built as a test-bed for future Can-Am parts and aerodynamic low-drag concepts. Shorter and much wider than the 917K, it was designed and tested by Robert Choulet and the SERA wind tunnel, after their other work on the 917. Nicknamed “Pink Pig”, it was driven by Reinhold Joest and Willi Kauhsen. Martini, who had a 917L in a wild psychedelic paint job in 1970, had the wide car painted pink and decorated with meat carving lines like you might see at a butcher, with the cuts of meat written on the bodywork.

During the race (and following a cooling fan repair), the No. 23 car had moved back up to third. Joest found he had no brakes approaching Arnage. He used the escape road and crashed in the wee hours of the morning, resulting in a DNF.

As a brand, Porsche dominated Le Mans that year representing more than half of the entries and taking 10 of the 13 finishes, so it’s odd that one of their failures dominated the headlines.

The Automobilist takes a unique approach to automotive art, combining photography and computer graphics to recreate moments in motor history from a different perspective. An average of 1000 hours is devoted to a single vehicle. A 3D image may involve two to three months, with a team of 8 individuals, and numerous cast and crew members. My print is a limited issue of 150, and two larger editions are already sold out. Check out these images from their website, which gives an idea of the process and the lengths gone to for complete accuracy.

Note the subtle muted tones of dusk at “Les Hundieres”, with the last hints of color on the cars showing through the dim light. The details on the cars are excellent, including the race grime collected. The surroundings are just slightly out-of-focus, accentuating the speed of the cars. The distant sunset competes with the piercing yellow-white of the Marchal headlamps.

As you might guess, I have 1:43 scale models of all the cars. The 1st and 2nd place cars are by Spark, while the Pink Pig is a Minichamps model that came in unique packaging back in 2001.


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Schuco Q2 2023 (Corrected)

By Maz Woolley

The models shown below are pre-production photographs released by Schuco. All these models are scheduled for April 2023 and I am sure that we will see them again in the publicity surrounding the Nuremberg Toyfair in February.

Editor’s Note: My thanks to John Kuliak who spotted the error in the original version of this article where I described these as diecasts which they are not. They are actually all part of the Schuco Pro.R 1:43 range which are produced for Schuco by Minimax the owners of the Spark brand.

All the models shown are sealed resin casts with photo etched parts made in China to 1:43 scale for Schuco of Germany. They are competitively priced for resin models, selling for a similar price to Spark models here in the UK.


09159 Ford OSI 20 M TS 1968 Red

09179 Ford Taunus Coupe 1974 Green

09180 Ford Taunus Coupe 1974 Brown

09189 Porsche 916 (Chassis n12) 1972 Silver

09214 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC AMG 1986 Black

09240 Gordon Murray T50 2022 Orange

09249 Fiat X1/9 1972 Yellow

09253 De Tomaso Pantera GTS 1973 Red

09255 De Tomaso Pantera GTS 1973 Black

09261 Aston Martin Valkyrie 2021 Red

09262 Aston Martin Valkyrie 2021 Green

09266 McLaren Elva 2020 Blue

09272 Autobianchi Bianchina Furgoncino 1965 Blue

09273 Autobianchi Cabriolet Eden Roc 1964/5 Red

09276 Fiat X1-9 1972 Green

09284 Alpine A110S 2017 White

09285 Alpine A110S Aero Kit 2017 Red

09286 Alpine A110 Radicale 2022 Blue/Black

09288 McLaren Speed Tail 2020 Blue

09289 Alfa Romeo GTA 1965 Red

09290 Donkervoort D8 GTO-RS 2016 Yellow

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