1:43-scale Moss cars
#151
Posted 22 August 2012 - 15:25
Duncan you're probably right about the light. As Barry knows from elsewhere I am about to dismantle the entire collection and office so that Mrs M's dreams of tidying up my little den may come to fruition. It's a long story, no sympathy is required and I'm told the effort will be well worth it. Work, as you see, is underway.
Mouserat: Thank you for the tip. As Barry surmises, I have the Coopers covered, including on the stocks conversion of a Chris Bristow T51 in UDT colours to Moss's '59 Watkins Glen car, the Haynes/ Leake model of which I picture here:
but which will have to wait until the refurb and some other matters are sorted.
Steve. I thank you for the SWB (pun entirely intentional) verification, although are you sure about the light green number background in 1961? The picture facing p193 of My Cars... has numbers that look distinctly blue. They also look blue in the Goodwood (period footage) video I have. There was a long discussiion about this on the Historic thread which came to no firm conclusion IIRC. Certainly some of the '61 number discs were green: indeed the footage shows a bewildering variety, including yellow on some cars.
Thanks to all for keeping the thread alive.
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#152
Posted 23 August 2012 - 11:25
Steve
#153
Posted 23 August 2012 - 11:41
If you can send me a PM with your email Malcolm I have a couple of images, and one in particular, that seems to show categorically the backgrounds were green. I can't post them here because I can't remember which web site I saved them from so can't give any attribution.
Steve
Done
#154
Posted 27 August 2012 - 08:12
Mouserat 159
#155
Posted 27 August 2012 - 10:23
I have a 1:43 Jaguar MKV in gray made by Western Models, also a white MkV Drophead. I would be interested to hear if anyone has heard of Western Models & what else they make as I have only seen Western Models with these two Jaguar models?
Mouserat 159
#156
Posted 27 August 2012 - 10:34
The Maserati 450S in post #138 above is a Western Model. I paid I think £27.00 plus £4.50 p&p for it on eBay recently. I was pleased to have it because of its relevance to my collection rather than its quality. As you can see in the photo it is not very detailed: compare with the model of the same car in the Haynes/ Leake collection, which according to Stuart Leake's comprehensive database very generously shared with me by Sue L is a Bang - from 1957!I have a 1:43 Jaguar MKV in gray made by Western Models, also a white MkV Drophead. I would be interested to hear if anyone has heard of Western Models & what else they make as I have only seen Western Models with these two Jaguar models?
Mouserat 159
#157
Posted 27 August 2012 - 13:24
I have a Western Models 1/43 Elf Tyrrell 6-wheeler and three of their 1/24 kits which were bought in the seventies--and are still kits! Without checking, I think they are MG Magnette K3, Type 59 Bugatti and Three-wheel Morgan.I have a 1:43 Jaguar MKV in gray made by Western Models, also a white MkV Drophead. I would be interested to hear if anyone has heard of Western Models & what else they make as I have only seen Western Models with these two Jaguar models?
Mouserat 159
The 'wire' wheels are just that. The spokes must be threaded with fine wire.
Malcolm, your den looks very interesting! Can you please tell me about the sleek yacht hull and the top half-model? What are they and who made them? Thanks.
#158
Posted 27 August 2012 - 14:29
I have a Western Models 1/43 Elf Tyrrell 6-wheeler and three of their 1/24 kits which were bought in the seventies--and are still kits! Without checking, I think they are MG Magnette K3, Type 59 Bugatti and Three-wheel Morgan.
The 'wire' wheels are just that. The spokes must be threaded with fine wire.
Malcolm, your den looks very interesting! Can you please tell me about the sleek yacht hull and the top half-model? What are they and who made them? Thanks.
#159
Posted 27 August 2012 - 14:55
Quite right Paul. I should have dug them out.The 3 1/24 scale kits are Wills Fine Cast models.
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#160
Posted 27 August 2012 - 17:43
Malcolm, your den looks very interesting! Can you please tell me about the sleek yacht hull and the top half-model? What are they and who made them? Thanks.
Repco: in the interests of not taking ourselves further off-thread than we have strayed in the past couple of posts, I shall PM you with the info.
#161
Posted 27 August 2012 - 21:54
I have a 1:43 Jaguar MKV in gray made by Western Models, also a white MkV Drophead. I would be interested to hear if anyone has heard of Western Models & what else they make as I have only seen Western Models with these two Jaguar models?
Mouserat 159
Western were a very highly regarded white metal manufacturer. One of the early pioneers Mike Stephens produced a very wide range of models. Most of the 1/43 scale racing cars were somewhat old hat by the 1990's when they were concentrating almost completely on '50's American stuff. They also made some very nice 1/24 racing cars, the 250F Maserati being particularly good, as well as many Jaguars and Rolls Royces. Their last efforts on the car side was a rather "ordinary" range of small British cars of the !930's/40's.
They also produced in recent years a range of airliners. Mike closed up and retired some years ago, telling me that he was saddened by the fact that Corgi seemed to be deliberately copying him on the aircraft side but on a much grander scale and that was probably the final straw causing him to give up.
#162
Posted 27 August 2012 - 22:04
The Maserati 450S in post #138 above is a Western Model. I paid I think £27.00 plus £4.50 p&p for it on eBay recently. I was pleased to have it because of its relevance to my collection rather than its quality. As you can see in the photo it is not very detailed: compare with the model of the same car in the Haynes/ Leake collection, which according to Stuart Leake's comprehensive database very generously shared with me by Sue L is a Bang - from 1957!
Bit unfair on Western Malcolm! The Maserati was pretty much old technology when I got into the model business in the '90's but it's a reasonable enough casting. I don't recall Bang making a 450S although there was one available in the mid '90's so maybe it was them. I suspect the one in the Leake collection has been pretty much enhanced by someone like Tony Smith who I suspect could make a super model out of your Western....
Edited to say it's the Maserati from 1957 not the model!
Edited by RCH, 27 August 2012 - 22:07.
#163
Posted 28 August 2012 - 04:36
Happy to be guided by your extensive experience, Rod, and I'm not in any way knocking Western. SueL may be following this thread and could certainly clear up for us the provenance of the Haynes model. A number of Stuart's models were indeed made by Tony and she did tell me that Stuart often took a standard model and sent it to someone like Tony to have it 'Mossed'. I'm very happy indeed to have the Western 450s but I'm sure we can agree that Stuart's version, however it began life, is the more detailed (thus 'better'?). Stuart went to considerable research, old photos etc, to get details right.Bit unfair on Western Malcolm! The Maserati was pretty much old technology when I got into the model business in the '90's but it's a reasonable enough casting. I don't recall Bang making a 450S although there was one available in the mid '90's so maybe it was them. I suspect the one in the Leake collection has been pretty much enhanced by someone like Tony Smith who I suspect could make a super model out of your Western....
Edited to say it's the Maserati from 1957 not the model!
You are also correct in your edit, of course. The data base doesn't tell me when the model was bought/ built/ created. It does note a relacement value of £20.00, which would indicate a bought rather than custom built model.
On a parrallel note I remain continually surprised, given the car's popularity, at the apparent paucity of production-run pre-1957 250Fs whether of Moss cars or anyone else. Given the number of variants of '52 to '59 Ferraris around and given that the 250F was the racing car of choice for so many private entrants as well as the number of works cars produced, one would have thought them to be almost as collectable as Ferraris, notwithstanding the cult status of that marque. Yet all one ever sees in this scale are variations of Fangio's 1957 Nurburgring car. Of course there remains the proliferation of recent limited runs from the SMTS kit (e.g. http://www.ebay.co.u...-/150839370960) but their inevitable relative expense puts them beyond my limited budget. Luckily for me a friend met through this thread has volunteered to build one for me if I provide the kit. As you can imagine, I have snapped-up the offer.
Meanwhile, this:
is the only Moss 250F I have (can afford/ justify to Mrs M). I have, since the picture was taken and following more research, re-painted the nose again to make the green band much narrower - about half the width.
Edited by Mal9444, 28 August 2012 - 04:38.
#164
Posted 28 August 2012 - 09:40
#165
Posted 28 August 2012 - 10:38
On the base plate they have the words Grani & Partners. I don't know whose Grani it is, or indeed who her partners are/were but these are not bad little models and believe me, the were EXTREMELY cheap. Of course, they were both red when I got them and now they have been b***ered about by myself.
#166
Posted 28 August 2012 - 11:12
Jade do plenty of various 250Fs from 1954 -56 and beyond. I built the Moss car from the 1955 London Trophy winner for my Mike Hawthorn collection, and plan to obtain another as the Owen car raced by JMH in Argentina in 1956. These kits sell for around £55 so are not cheap, and I always have difficulty getting the suspension to go together properly, but that is probably due to my natural ineptitude for building kits.
Edited by Tony Lethbridge, 28 August 2012 - 11:13.
#167
Posted 28 August 2012 - 11:29
#168
Posted 28 August 2012 - 12:09
Brilliant, Tony. I have a kit of that car but I've bid on one of those that you have just described. I need to make a slot car shell of it for my next season. (I made one years ago but it was poor.)
Barry, I think you will be pleased with it. I'm thrilled to bits with mine.
#169
Posted 28 August 2012 - 12:36
http://www.google.co...:20,s:378,i:332
Western were a very highly regarded white metal manufacturer. One of the early pioneers Mike Stephens produced a very wide range of models. Most of the 1/43 scale racing cars were somewhat old hat by the 1990's when they were concentrating almost completely on '50's American stuff. They also made some very nice 1/24 racing cars, the 250F Maserati being particularly good, as well as many Jaguars and Rolls Royces. Their last efforts on the car side was a rather "ordinary" range of small British cars of the !930's/40's.
They also produced in recent years a range of airliners. Mike closed up and retired some years ago, telling me that he was saddened by the fact that Corgi seemed to be deliberately copying him on the aircraft side but on a much grander scale and that was probably the final straw causing him to give up.
Edited by mouserat159, 28 August 2012 - 12:41.
#170
Posted 28 August 2012 - 13:49
Barry, I think you will be pleased with it. I'm thrilled to bits with mine.
#171
Posted 28 August 2012 - 14:48
#172
Posted 28 August 2012 - 15:02
There is certainly a dearthy of Maserati models in comparison to Ferrari. SMTs are dong 250Fs and Renaissance have a range of early 250Fs but I guess you are talking 70 quid or so now for a kit. I'm a bit out of touch these days but diecast/resincast wise I'm scratching my head to get beyond Brumm.
I have just Goggled Renaisance 1/43rd scale kits. I didn't come up with a Renaisance webpage, but Google gave me many sellers. On the first page of the first I looked at 38 different kits are pictured -27 of them 'those Bloody Red Cars' as the eponymous hero of this thread described them. There were two Maseratis, neither of them 250Fs. And even the two 250Fs that Barry has just shown us are 1957 cars.
For the car that David McKinney has described, with little argument that I heard, as the quintessence of the front-engined Grand Prix car (I paraphrase: DM's book is currently boxed away in the Great Office Clearout) I just don't get why there seem to be no production diecasts of it.
So what's so special about Ferraris, then?
Sit down, Lethbridge at the back there! ;)
#173
Posted 28 August 2012 - 17:42
I have just Goggled Renaisance 1/43rd scale kits. I didn't come up with a Renaisance webpage, but Google gave me many sellers. On the first page of the first I looked at 38 different kits are pictured -27 of them 'those Bloody Red Cars' as the eponymous hero of this thread described them. There were two Maseratis, neither of them 250Fs. And even the two 250Fs that Barry has just shown us are 1957 cars.
For the car that David McKinney has described, with little argument that I heard, as the quintessence of the front-engined Grand Prix car (I paraphrase: DM's book is currently boxed away in the Great Office Clearout) I just don't get why there seem to be no production diecasts of it.
So what's so special about Ferraris, then?
Sit down, Lethbridge at the back there!;);)
Please Sir, I had a Renaissance 1954 Stirling 250F that I bought from Barry Lloyd's collection of unbuilt Mossie kits. It proved far too difficult for my feeble brain, so I swopped it with a friend who is still trying to discover the exact shade of green that Alf Francis painted it. So you see, Sir, that why i stick with Ferraris. I can manage to open a Brumm box and only need to switch the numbers.
Thank you, sir.
#174
Posted 28 August 2012 - 20:42
I have just Goggled Renaisance 1/43rd scale kits. I didn't come up with a Renaisance webpage, but Google gave me many sellers. On the first page of the first I looked at 38 different kits are pictured -27 of them 'those Bloody Red Cars' as the eponymous hero of this thread described them. There were two Maseratis, neither of them 250Fs. And even the two 250Fs that Barry has just shown us are 1957 cars.
For the car that David McKinney has described, with little argument that I heard, as the quintessence of the front-engined Grand Prix car (I paraphrase: DM's book is currently boxed away in the Great Office Clearout) I just don't get why there seem to be no production diecasts of it.
So what's so special about Ferraris, then?
Sit down, Lethbridge at the back there!;);)
www.renaissance.models.com
Dunno why but any attempt to set this up as a link just leads to a website for... err... the other sort of models
The website is fairly user unfriendly but you will find the Masers eventually... assuming you don't get the ladies instead...
Edited by RCH, 28 August 2012 - 20:47.
#175
Posted 28 August 2012 - 20:47
#176
Posted 28 August 2012 - 20:47
#177
Posted 28 August 2012 - 20:54
No, I don't think I bought any of them, Rod
http://www.renaissan...s_standards.htm
fingers firmly crossed that it is going to work this time...
Scroll down a bit
#178
Posted 28 August 2012 - 21:07
That works. Thanks Rod. I shall not point out how many Ferraris there are...http://www.renaissan...s_standards.htm
fingers firmly crossed that it is going to work this time...
Scroll down a bit
Edited by Mal9444, 29 August 2012 - 06:07.
#179
Posted 28 August 2012 - 23:45
I look forward to the day when someone will produce a model of the offset F2 HWM, Moss drove in 1950.
#182
Posted 29 August 2012 - 15:17
My point precisely.Yes, but these were I believe "one offs", maybe someone like Spark may take the hint.
5*
#183
Posted 29 August 2012 - 15:48
Yes, but these were I believe "one offs", maybe someone like Spark may take the hint.
5*
Tony Smith would have built himself a version of each of these for his own Moss collection. He is slowly selling it off but may still have them, if you are interested I could ask him, however don't expect to pay much less than £100.00 each!
I doubt that we would see anything like these from the majors, Spark surprise by coming out with unexpected items but I doubt that the potential would be big enough even for them!
#184
Posted 29 August 2012 - 21:51
Tony Smith would have built himself a version of each of these for his own Moss collection. He is slowly selling it off but may still have them, if you are interested I could ask him, however don't expect to pay much less than £100.00 each!
I doubt that we would see anything like these from the majors, Spark surprise by coming out with unexpected items but I doubt that the potential would be big enough even for them!
Thanks, Rod - look for a PM from me.
#185
Posted 30 August 2012 - 20:17
Barry: this one specially for you: http://www.britishpa...y/stirling moss
Enjoy
#186
Posted 30 August 2012 - 20:22
#187
Posted 08 September 2012 - 17:42
Just purchased this:Bit unfair on Western Malcolm! The Maserati was pretty much old technology when I got into the model business in the '90's but it's a reasonable enough casting. I don't recall Bang making a 450S although there was one available in the mid '90's so maybe it was them. I suspect the one in the Leake collection has been pretty much enhanced by someone like Tony Smith who I suspect could make a super model out of your Western....
Edited to say it's the Maserati from 1957 not the model!
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/201/dsc04677z.jpg/]
for a very reasonable amount (£26.00 inc postage) on eBay. It is the Bang that is in the Haynes/Leake collection and appears to be identical without any need for enhancement. It's a lovely little model.
The cockpit, to which my limited skills one-handed with my Sony Cybershot do not do justice, is very finely detailed and has, of course, the required Moss three-spoke wheel.
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/542/dsc04679hp.jpg/]
I am especially pleased to have both cars: the one (8) in which Moss started but which failed under Harry Schell and the one (7) that he then took over from John Behra and took up to 1st in the rain before handing back to JB, who held the lead til the end.
Now all I need is a 300s correctly numbered and I would have all three cars that Moss drove in the 1957 Swedish GP.
Would anyone happen to know the number of the 300s - or where I should look to find it? (Moss took it over after handing back #7 to Behra and worked it up to 3rd and 1st in class.)
#188
Posted 08 September 2012 - 17:45
#189
Posted 08 September 2012 - 18:00
It was #9.
Did you know - or have to look it up?
#190
Posted 08 September 2012 - 18:02
#191
Posted 11 September 2012 - 06:06
Bit unfair on Western Malcolm! The Maserati was pretty much old technology when I got into the model business in the '90's but it's a reasonable enough casting. I don't recall Bang making a 450S although there was one available in the mid '90's so maybe it was them. I suspect the one in the Leake collection has been pretty much enhanced by someone like Tony Smith who I suspect could make a super model out of your Western....
Edited to say it's the Maserati from 1957 not the model!
I have been offline for a while and have just found this thread reactivated.
In answer to a question - the Bang Maserati 450S is a standard diecast. No longer having the box to go with it I cannot say for certain whether it came complete with decals as the Moss car or whether it was numbered later. Stu was meticulous when it came to record keeping and there is no mention of additions to the model in the database. If a model was renumbered or otherwise amended it usually says so.
Tony Smith certainly does make a super job of any conversion and he scratchbuilt some of the models now at Haynes. Yes he does/did have his own Moss collection.
Edited by SueL, 11 September 2012 - 06:07.
#192
Posted 11 September 2012 - 13:52
I would automatically go to Martin Krejci's site, World Sports Racing Prototypes . This has the most comprehensive listings of results of all sorts of sports car races I know of. For major races it gives a full listing of finishing positions, non finishers and non starters with race numbers, some chassis numbers and some registration numbers. For minor races the chassis and registration numbers may be missing and for very minor races the listing can be as low as just the race winner. but if it's been published it's probably listed by Martin.Would anyone happen to know the number of the 300s - or where I should look to find it? (Moss took it over after handing back #7 to Behra and worked it up to 3rd and 1st in class.)
On the home page it says "This site is dedicated to sportscar racing enthusiasts that like race statistics and are interested in car histories and chassis numbers." which pretty well sums it up.
#193
Posted 12 September 2012 - 07:15
In answer to a question - the Bang Maserati 450S is a standard diecast. No longer having the box to go with it I cannot say for certain whether it came complete with decals as the Moss car or whether it was numbered later. Stu was meticulous when it came to record keeping and there is no mention of additions to the model in the database. If a model was renumbered or otherwise amended it usually says so.
Tony Smith certainly does make a super job of any conversion and he scratchbuilt some of the models now at Haynes. Yes he does/did have his own Moss collection.
The Bang 450S seems to have passed me by which is odd because Model Garage used to stock all Bang & Best models and in particular I was always on the lookout for Maserati models.
I am in regular contact with Tony Smith and we sell a range of '50's/'60's sports racers based around some of his scratch builts.
http://shop.modelgar...racers-18-c.asp
Tony's movements are somewhat restricted these days due to his wife's stroke however he is still in the business of building/modifying kits and would be happy to take on a commission to build something if there was a way he could do it. If anyone has anything they would like built contact me and I can put you in touch.
#194
Posted 25 September 2012 - 11:50
It is only two-and-a-half inches long but is a more finely finished and detailed model than some 1:43rds I have seen. It is my first 1:64.
Having got all his Mercs, all his D-types (of which there are not many) and all the major C-types and Vanwalls I thought it time to start on the Astons. Turns out Aston Martin DB3s and DBRs are almost as rare in 1:43rd as are 250Fs.
It would all be so much easier if Enzo Ferrari had not tried tp make a fool out of The Boy at Bari. Moss would have been signed for the team the following year and would have been world champion within three and no one would have heard of Mike Hawthorn, still stuck in his Cooper Bristol...
Sit down at the back there, Lethbridgre...
Edited by Mal9444, 25 September 2012 - 12:01.
#195
Posted 25 September 2012 - 15:30
On the one hand I could probably set you up with a complete collection had we known his race numbers.
On the other would the Boy have stayed with Enzo? Up to the end of 1954 those ' Bloody Red Cars' were generally competitive. In 1955 he was certainly better off with M-B. 1956 yes Ferrari was the place to be, but it would have been interesting to see what he did with an 801 in 1957. Would he have done better with a Dino 246 in '58 rather than the Vanwall? Not sure, but certainly the championship would have been a strong possibility in the following three seasons, especially 1961. Definitely something to think about. You had better ask TMH.
Meanwhile back on topic I'm going to Shepton toy fayre on Sunday so will start looking out for cheapo Astons.
#196
Posted 25 September 2012 - 15:51
Probably not. '56? Well Collins and Hawthorn didn't. '57 ditto. But given the Ferrari reliability in '58 plus Moss's skill (I do, naturally, rate him as more skilled than Hawthorn) I think he would have been a shoe-in. '57, Moss Ferrari v Fangio Maserati, would have been the real tester. Ah well...
Enjoy Shepton. Keep your eyes open...
#197
Posted 25 September 2012 - 18:34
Meanwhile back on topic I'm going to Shepton toy fayre on Sunday so will start looking out for cheapo Astons.
Shepton!!! Damn! After my success at Exeter, first toy fair in 6 or so years I promised myself I'd give Shepton another try and I completely forgot it, There is no way I can do it now. Have a good day.
Edited by RCH, 25 September 2012 - 18:36.
#198
Posted 25 September 2012 - 21:34
#199
Posted 26 September 2012 - 08:54
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#200
Posted 26 September 2012 - 16:02
That's a shame Rod. It would have been nice to meet up again. Hope to see you at the next Westpoint if not at Colyton before then. Malcolm we shall have to get you along to fair and have a TNF get together. We could organise a grand Aston hunt or a search for that elusive 250F. Of course I would just be happy with a simple Ferrari. I'm currently studying My Cars, My Career in case I should come across something useful when you unpack the collection again.