By Classic Yorkshire correspondent Tony Lofthouse
With the Winter months well and truly here how about building your own dream car – in kit form of course?
Model makers like Airfix and Revell offer scores of scale model kits of some great iconic motors, from a pre-war Bentley to a sixties Mustang
The beauty is you can go from taking on a starter set to spending hours on a more advanced build. Kits are handily labelled in varying skill levels and include the all important scale size.
Right now there is a real resurgence in model-making in kit form with lockdown starting a real boom in sales. The hobby seems to have a genuine appeal for some wanting to take a break from Zoom and their computer screen.
The most popular maker, Airfix was started in 1939 by Hungarian businessman, Nicholas Kove and expanded greatly in the 60s and 70s as the interest in plastic kit took off.
Today, Airfix is owned by Hornby and has many grown up ‘super fans’ including former Top Gear presenter, James May.
It’s great rival, Revell was formed in the US and can trace its roots back to 1943. Other model kit makers out there include Heller, whose model kits are produced in France and Germany.
At this point I admit to declaring my interest. I was given an Airfix Jaguar E-Type ‘starter set’ for Christmas. Who remembers their Airfix kit coming in a small plastic bag?
Helpfully for me, today’s packaging includes acrylic paints, a brush, glue and details of its scale, 1:43. To reassure me even more my plastic E-Type is described as ‘Designed for Beginners’ and has just 23 parts!
If you’re looking for a more challenging project, here’s a selection of models I’ve picked out from the internet.
Sticking with Jaguar, Airfix offer the ‘stately’ 4.2 litre Jaguar 420 – launched at the 1966 London Motor Show – in 114 plastic pieces. The 1:32 scale model is described as Skill level 2, but sadly doesn’t include paints.
For the rally fans, Airfix’s product range also includes the Mini Countrymen WRC, launched for the World Championships in 2011. The model information adds it was the first racing Mini to bear the Mini label since the 1960s.
Revell sell a range of US and European cars, from pre-1964 classics such as a Ford Model A Roaster to what they call ‘Street Rods’. A 128 piece Mustang Boss (scale 1:25) caught my eye. The car was manufactured between 2012 and 2013 and the kit features ‘a detailed engine, exhaust and suspension system’.
Back in Europe, one of Heller’s big sellers is a 124 piece Renault 4L (scale 1:24) complete with brush and paints. This front-wheel drive French icon debuted in 1961 and Renault went on to build over eight million 4L’s over four decades.
If you feel the urge to get some glue, paints and tweezers out check out these sites to find your favourite model car: https://uk.airfix.com/shop/vehicles/cars : https://www.Revell.com : https://heller.fr
I remember them coming in plastic bags and you had to buy the glue and paint separately (and a brush if it wasn’t cleaned properly after the last kit!). My brother used to do them in the 1970’s, mostly planes but I seem to recall a ship, HMS Belfast or possibly Bismark, with the little guns. I was given one once, a car that reminded me of Bessie from Dr Who – I wonder if that’s where my love of vintage cars started……….