Chaparral 2

A little history

Jim Hall was already acknowledged as a talented pilot when he proved an equally skilled engineer. The year was 1963, and the young Texan was just finishing his first complete season in Formula One. Having recorded some promising results at the wheel of a private Lotus, he was courted by several teams for 1964… but never returned – he already had other plans.

Actually, during the very same season, Hall had raced the first real machine he had designed on the American sportscar’s stage, the Chaparral 2. A very innovative car, this Chaparral, named after a Texan bird specie, was a spyder built around an inventive semi-monocoque structure carrying a fibreglass body drawn with aerodynamics in mind. Power was provided, as it was customary with most American racers of the time, by a small block V8, namely a Chevrolet. Fed by four two-barrel Weber carbs, it was good for about 420 bhp. This huge amount of power passed through a Colotti 4-speed gearbox before reaching the rear wheels.

Soon Jim Hall’s approach proved successful. Constantly improved thanks to Chevrolet and Firestone’s supports, and even more to Hall’s methodical ways which pushed him to experience ever new ideas on his cars, the Chaparral 2 soon was the car to beat. The original 2 was followed by the closely-related 2B and 2C, the latter riding on an aluminium chassis. Chaparral also replaced the gearbox his car originally used by a self-developed automatic transmission, a rather uncommon characteristic that would become its trademark for years to come. After three seasons, the Chaparrals had won 22 of the 39 races they had entered, which gave Hall even more ambition.

A logical step for a highly successful entrant in a national competition is to advance to the international level, that is, in Hall’s case, the World Championship for Makes. At the same time, a brand new championship for V8-powered spyders was being organized in North America, the CanAm. Which one would Hall next set his goal on? The Texan didn’t even choose – he decided to enter both in 1966.

In endurance racing, Chaparral’s car would be the 2D, a small coupe capitalizing on Hall’s experiences in the field of aerodynamics. After showing unfulfilled promises during the two first races of the championship, a large air intake was added to the 2D’s roof and the car was sent to Europe. Facing large and potent opponents of the likes of Ferrari and Ford, the Chaparral won the 1000 km held on the twisty Nürburgring circuit. Unfortunately, the 2D was rather unreliable and this extraordinary success remained an exception.

In CanAm, the 2E spyder pioneered the use of a high-mounted wing which added downforce directly to the rear axle. Actually Hall wasn’t the first one to imagine the benefits such an aileron could generate – as early as 1956, Michael May (another pilot-engineer, this time from Switzerland) had provoked much laughter by fitting such a peculiar contraption to his Porsche 550 spyder for a race at the Nürburgring. No one laughed anymore when May threatened even the fastest competitors during practice. As a result the other teams asked the organizers to ban May, which they did… at the same time postponing a crucial development for motor racing by a dozen years.

The experience of both the 2D and the 2E were incorporated into the design of the 2F, Chaparral’s endurance racer for 1967. Another coupe, the 2F was equipped with a huge movable wing – having his left foot available thanks to the use of an automatic transmission, the pilot would depress a pedal in long straights in order to set the wing flat and generate minimum drag then, approaching a curve, he would release it – the wing would then flip into an angle, increasing both drag, which assisted braking, and downforce, which helped cornering. Unfortunately, the 7.0-litre, 525 bhp Chaparral 2F was as fragile as its predecessor the 2D, and would have demonstrated nothing if not for an unexpected victory at the BOAC 500 at Brands Hatch, the very last race of the season.

Chaparral two-pronged effort saw the team entering a 2G spyder in CanAm, but the McLaren racers were rapidly gaining momentum and were increasingly impossible to beat. The FIA having banned prototypes of more than 3.0-litre displacement for the 1968 endurance season, Chaparral could concentrate on the CanAm, but the 2G, then the 2H (the “Great White Whale”) which replaced it in 1969, proved disappointing.

In 1970, Chaparral took the CanAm world by storm with the 2J, which seemed finally able to shake McLaren’s utter supremacy. The 2J was powered by 7.4-litre Chevrolet V8 delivering about 680 bhp, but the reason of its success wasn’t there. A second engine, a tiny Rockwell twin placed at the rear of the car drove two large fans which literally sucked the car onto the road – in theory, so much suction force was generated that, turned upside down, the car could have stuck to the ceiling of a room… Practice times recorded by the 2J were astounding and, though the car was rarely able to finish a race, there was much moaning in the paddock against Chaparral. Near the end of the season, McLaren and other CanAm entrants were able to convince the organizers that the side skirts used by the 2J were illegal, and the car was banned. Seeing its progressive approach forbidden, Chaparral retired from racing.

About the models

Model: Chaparral 2D - Chevrolet
Year: 1966
Event: 1966 Nürburgring 1000 km, driven by Phil Hill and Joakim Bonnier (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Del Prado, or whoever builds models for Del Prado
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Del Prado through an unknown Japanese press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

This Chaparral’s main weakness is its ugly wheels, Del Prado’s traditional Achilles’ heel. As the rest of the car is nothing more than average, I cannot give more than 9/20 to this model.









Model: Chaparral 2D - Chevrolet
Year: 1966
Event: 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Phil Hill and Joakim Bonnier (retired)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.50 of its Les Monstres Sacrés de l'Endurance press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2011, in Souillac, France

Same car, a few weeks later in the Sarthe. I didn’t have on hand the necessary tools to unscrew the car from its stand when I took this photo, so I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for more pictures! Likewise, I’ll wait until I have a better look at the model to give it a rating.



Model: Chaparral 2F - Chevrolet
Year: 1967
Event: 1967 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Phil Hill and Mike Spence (retired)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.8 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2005, in Souillac, France

Altaya chose to include this historical model in its Le Mans series, despite the fact that it isn’t a winner. The Spanish company shall be praised for this decision, though Ixo’s rendition of the 2F isn’t among its best works. My rating is 11/20.

Ferrari 125

Welcome to JB, who after posting several comments has decided to join this blog as a follower.

A little history

Though Enzo Ferrari wasn’t able to baptize the first car produced by his small workshop with his own name, this pre-war Auto Avio was followed after World War Two by the first real Ferrari, the 125.

Reportedly, the Commendatore dislike road cars, and only built such automobiles in order to finance the racing activities of his company. Unsurprisingly then, the 125 was a racing car.

The very first 125 was a spyder named 125 S. The light structure of this sportscar was made of steel tubes but, apart from this, it was a rather conventional machine. Again, no surprise here as Enzo Ferrari also favoured engine development over any other technical aspect. While the Auto Avio had used a Fiat engine, the Ferrari 125 was powered by a brilliant 1.5-litre DOHC V12 designed by Gioacchino Colombo. With three double-barrel carbs, the little block was rated at no less than 100 bhp, a decent output in the Forties. Colombo knew his business: his previous creation, the supercharged 1.5-litre engine powering the Alfa 158 single-seater, was already a remarkable creation.

The Ferrari 125 S first appeared at a modest sportscars race at Piacenza. At its wheel was Franco Cortese, a potent veteran driver who had made his debut in the Twenties with Itala. Despite his long career and strong records Cortese is forgotten by most today, so Ferrari’s first step in motor racing as a full-time constructor can appear modest nowadays. The Ferrari didn’t win, though it showed promises. Those materialized two weeks later at the Rome Grand Prix, which Cortese won. Several successes followed during the next few months, all in national events. Nonetheless Ferrari felt its spyder was underpowered against the competition offered by the Maseratis, and a few months after the 125 had been introduced, its replacement the 159 entered the scene. As the 125 before it, the 159 took its name from the individual displacement of a single cylinder, thus its displacement had been enlarged to 1.9-litre, good for 125 bhp. The 159 finished the season, before a new 166 took over for 1948.

The 125 S was gone, but the 125 F1 soon entered the limelight. Competing in sportscar racing was one thing, but Enzo Ferrari was eager to defy its former partner Alfa Romeo in the most prominent class, Formula One. Note here that unlike what is so commonly, but totally erroneously written, Formula One wasn’t created in 1950 (the World Championship for Drivers was, hence the confusion) but in 1946.

Constructors willing to enter Formula One had the choice between two options: normally-aspired 4.5-litre or supercharged 1.5-litre engines. Alfa Romeo had opted for the latter and was dominant, and furthermore Ferrari already had a 1500 cc engine on hand, so it followed suit.

Colombo’s engine was reduced to a single carburettor and SOHC, but a single-stage Roots supercharger was grafted onto it. Ferrari’s V12 could peek at 230 bhp: it can seem impressive, but was still way below what the Alfas could rely on. Unsurprisingly, the 125 F1 was dominated by its rival from its first race, the Valentino Grand Prix held in September 1948. The Ferrari 125s could generally approach the Alfettas on smaller tracks, though a brilliant exception was the victory of Alberto Ascari at Monza in 1949, the first ever success of the prancing horse in an Italian Grand Prix. By then Ferrari had already took notice of its inferiority, and had tried to remedy this by reverting to DOHC and switching to a two-stage supercharger. The latter allowed outputs up to 280 bhp, but proved troublesome, so Ferrari decided to replace its 125 by a simpler 4.5-litre 375 model for 1950. Some privateers continued to race 125 F1s until the current Formula One rules were abrogated, at the end of the 1951 season.

About the models

Note that the first three models below represent the very same car: Ferrari 125 S chassis #01C, a spyder built by minor coachbuilder Peiretti, possibly working on blueprints provided by Touring. Only two 125 S were ever constructed.

Model: Ferrari 125 S
Year: 1947
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.16 of its Ferrari Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2005, in Souillac, France

Fabbri released this plain 125 S as part of its Ferrari series. It is correctly done but it is rather disturbing to see a car designed with racing in mind devoid of any race number – presentation models prepared for the introduction to the press didn’t exist in those days. My second concern is the bright red colour Ixo chose. One day that I had a Brumm Ferrari 125 (see below) to sell, a potential buyer refused it saying that it wasn’t red, or so he said. I suppose that Brumm has good reasons to paint its 125s a brownish sort of red, while Ixo prefers to cater to “collectors” preferring legend and tales than historical accuracy – too bad. My rating is 10/20.







Model: Ferrari 125 S
Year: 1947
Event: 1947 Mille Miglia, driven by Franco Cortese, co-pilot Adelmo Marchetti (see below)
Maker: Brumm
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Brumm, ref. R182
Acquired: brand new, in March 2008, in Montpellier, France

Here Brumm gives me some problems to identify this car, along with the next one. It is presented as the Ferrari 125 S that Cortese drove at the 1947 Mille Miglia. Cortese and Marchetti indeed entered that race, but their car sported number 219. The following year, the same pair had number 10. Hooray!… except this time their car was a Ferrari 166 S. In both years they retired, so at least we get this right… Otherwise this is typical Brumm, rather simple, not very well assembled, but correct enough – nice wire wheels, among the best plastic ones. Until I can identify this car better, I’ll have to limit my rating to 9/20.









Model: Ferrari 125 S
Year: 1947
Event: 1947 Circuito di Pescara, driven by Franco Cortese (see below)
Maker: Brumm
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Brumm, ref. R183
Acquired: brand new, in March 2008, in Montpellier, France

This time, based on quality alone, a rating of 12/20 is justified.











Model: Ferrari 125 F1
Year: 1949
Event: 1949 Italian Grand Prix, driven by Alberto Ascari (finished 1st)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Ixo “La Storia” series, ref. SF05/49
Acquired: brand new, in June 2008, in Manila, Philippines

Ixo included this model in its collection of Ferrari milestones “La Storia”. Having the ambition of being more exclusive than plain Ixo die-casts, La Storia models have to offer utmost quality, and in this respect this 125 F1 fulfils its promises. Ixo makes good use of photo-etched parts for the superb wire wheels and the spectacular front grille. My rating is 15/20.

Mitsubishi Colt

A little history

Used for almost half a century, the Colt name can hardly be split from that of Mitsubishi. The very first Colt was a tiny 600 cc twin unveiled in 1962. The name reappeared in 1979 when it was applied on the American version of the newly-launched Mirage hatchback. This Mirage went through several models during the Eighties, but the Colt name renamed on many export models, though on some markets the car was confusingly badged as a Lancer. By the first years of the new millenium, the Mirage/Lancer had grown into a much larger car, and Mitsubishi felt the need of reassigning the car to the compact city car class. This rectification became really for model year 2003 when was introduced the new car, which now adopted the Colt name, including on its home market. A European version, built in the Netherlands, followed one year later. This latest Colt is still produced today.

About the model

Model: Mitsubishi Colt
Year: c.2004
Maker: Vitesse
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Vitesse
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

An excellent model by Vitesse, nicely detailed, well assembled and correctly priced. Though I’m not fond of modern cars as you have probably noticed by now, such quality really makes me enjoy them as scale models. My rating is 15/20.

Porsche Diesel

A little history

Ferdinand Porsche wasn’t only busy designing what would become the Volkswagen during the Thirties – on his desk were also the blueprints of a Volk-Schlepper, the “People’s Tractor” that would motorized the German countryside. As with the popular car, with which the tractor shared many features, the farm-aimed Porsche didn’t entered production before the end of World War Two, though prototypes had been built as early as in 1934.

After the fall of the Third Reich, Ferdinand Porsche perfected his prototypes. All of his models were powered by diesel engines, a logical choice for a tractor. All were advanced designs, and included a four-wheel-drive version that was tested in 1946, though it eventually never reached production. Actually all other models could have never gone beyond prototype stage: an Allied edict stipulated that tractor production in postwar Germany would be limited to companies already active in this field before or during the war – this naturally excluded Porsche. Nonetheless these projects were so brilliant that they soon found an established company willing to build them under license: Allgaier GmbH, which undertook the construction of the twin-cylinder AP17 in 1950. A second manufacturer, Hofherr Schrantz, bought the rights for the Austrian market and simultaneously started production.

Allgaier produced one- and two-cylinder Porsche tractors with success until 1956, when the company was taken over by Mannesmann, a large Düsseldorf conglomerate willing to diversify its activities, and able to provide the large industrial facilities Allgaier lacked to fulfill the huge demand. And yes, this is the same company as the D2 Mannesmann – a cellphone operator – that faithfully appeared as a sponsor on many Mercedes-Benz racing cars during the Nineties.

Back to our story. Mannesmann created a dedicated division to handle the production of its tractors: Porsche-Diesel Motorenbau GmbH. Carmaker Porsche designed four models for Mannesmann to build: the Junior (1 cylinder, 0.8 litre, 14 hp), the Standard (2 cylinders, 1.4 litre, 25 hp), the Super (3 cylinders, 2.6 litres, 38 hp) and the Master (4 cylinders, 3.3 litres, 50 hp). Among those, the Super and, to some extent, the tiny Junior proved the most popular with farmers. Production of the all-red machines peaked at about 20,000 copies (a large share being exported) by 1958, but Mannesmann nevertheless soon lost its interest in its new venture. In 1962, the company announced that its tractors’ production would be suspended sometime in the near future. Its Konstanz Lake plant stopped building Porsche-Diesel machines in late 1963, though more tractors were built in the open, from spare parts on hands, for a few more months. By early 1964 though, the very last agricultural appliance to ever bear Porsche’s name had left the factory.

About the model

Model: Porsche-Diesel Super AP133
Year: 1958
Maker: Universal Hobbies
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.16 of its Tracteurs et Monde Agricole press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Souillac, France

Yes, there was a diesel Porsche before the Cayenne. I really enjoy the contrast between this tractor with better-known Porsche road cars when I put them side-by-side on my shelves. Besides, it has been very nicely crafted by Universal Hobbies. My rating is 14/20.

Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer

A little history

After swimming against the stream of technical evolution for years, Ferrari finally introduced its first 12-cylinder mid-engine GT in 1971. This car, the 365 GT4 BB (“Berlinetta Boxer”) was first seen at the Turin motor show in 1971, though two more years would be necessary to unveil its final production version at the 1973 Paris motor show.

The BB’s predecessor, the Daytona, had received critics regarding its front-mounted engine. The Lamborghini Miura had shown the way several years back, and with the appearance of the Maserati Bora, Ferrari had no longer any excuse for not proposing to its customers a better-balanced high-performance machine. Sitting in a framework of steel tubing, the engine was a 4.4-litre developed from the 365 GTC/4’s block, but had its two banks of pistons set 180° apart – for the very first time a road-going Ferrari wouldn’t be a V12. With no less than four three-barrel carburettors to feed it, this flat twelve was reportedly able to deliver 380 hp.

Pininfarina designed a modern body of wide and low proportions. Pop-up lights were used at the front, while the rear was highly distinguishable with its six taillights and six exhaust tips. Weight was saved by the extensive use of aluminium and fibreglass, though some panels, as the roof, remained in steel. Performances were astounding, with a top speed of no less than 302 kph. Nonetheless the production BB was detuned to 360 hp, but still advertised for 302 kph – apparently old Enzo held on to the claim that his newest car had broken the 300 kph barrier for publicity purposes, but this groundless boasting disappointed some of the BB’s first customers. Anyway few of the car’s drivers dared pushing their machines beyond 240 kph, at which speed the BB became notoriously unstable.

In 1976, the BB saw its displacement increased to 4.9-litre, which justified its new name: BB 512. The car’s body was slightly modified, now featuring only four taillights and receiving a small spoiler that reduced the aerodynamic problems mentioned above. Found rather difficult to operate in earlier BBs, the clutch was also modified in order to improve its ease of use. But even in its second incarnation, Ferrari’s flagship wasn’t perfect. Another concern was the extreme difficulty to tune the large bank of carburettors, which demanded constant care in order to deliver the promised performances. This issue was solved in mid-1981, when a Bosch injection system replaced the four Weber carburettors on the 512i BB, which was officially introduced during the Frankfurt motor show a few months after entering production.

The last BB was produced in 1984, the last of a series of 2,323 cars. The eagerly-awaited Testarossa succeeded it.

About the models

Model: Ferrari 512 BB
Year: 1976
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.28 of its Ferrari Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2006, in Souillac, France

Nice paint - an Ixo specialty - and elegant wheels. Detailed enough to be worth 13/20.









Model: Ferrari 512 BB/LM
Year: 1981
Event: 1981 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Jean-Claude Andruet and Claude Ballot-Léna (finished 5th overall, class winner)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.32 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Souillac, France

A good model, but alas lacking many details (cockpit, engine compartment...) due to its plebeian origin. My rating is 12/20.











Model: Ferrari 512 BB/LM
Year: 1982
Event: 1982 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Jean-Claude Andruet, Claude Ballot-Léna and Hervé Regout (retired)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Ixo “Ferrari” series, ref. FER006
Acquired: brand new, in June 2008, in Manila, Philippines

Same model as the previous one, but with all the little additions that make it deserve a 14/20.

Fiat 1400 and 1900

A little history

Though its Kaiser-Frazer-inspired, bathtub-like styling seems rather heavy nowadays, in its time the Fiat 1400 was a modern car that gave its constructor the opportunity of many innovations.

Replacing the pre-war 1500 model, the 1400 was launched at Geneva in 1950. It was Fiat’s first monocoque car, though apart from its construction type the initial car was rather conventional. Its engine was a 1.4-litre four good for 44 bhp. A four-speed manual gearbox directed the power to the rear wheels. Suspension was independent up front, but a solid axle was fitted at the rear. Four drums took care of the braking. Top speed was only 120 kph but, hey, the Fiat 1400 was a family car and, furthermore, just owning an automobile in post-war, poverty-ridden Italy was already the sign of being privileged.

Initially available as a Berlina saloon or a rare convertible, the 1400 saw new versions appear at the Paris motor show in 1952 (the 1900 Berlina saloon and Gran Luce coupe) and Turin in 1953 (the 1400 Diesel). The 1900 was essentially the same car as the 1400, except obviously for its larger 1.9-litre, 60 bhp block and a 5-speed gearbox, a rarity at a time when even 4-speed transmissions weren’t common. The diesel engine, a 1.9-litre, 40 bhp four despite the name of the car, was also a Fiat first. Performances of this early diesel were obviously limited, but fuel economy was noticeable.

At Turin in 1954, the 1400 and 1900 became the 1400A and 1900A models. Most apparent was a facelift that brought to the cars a new front grille and slightly finned rear wings, giving the middle-range Fiats a family look with the Simca Aronde, which French by birth was still closely related to its Italian cousins though. Engines were modified, too. Power was now up to 50 bhp for the 1.4-litre, and 70 bhp for the 1.9.

Two years later, again at the inescapable Turin motor show, the “A” cars gave way to the new 1400B and 1900B. This time, bodies were only vaguely altered. Most modifications centred on the brakes and the transmission. A lone fog light mounted at the centre of the grille immediately identified the “B” cars. Engines were again improved, the boost now bringing their outputs to 58 and 80 bhp. Last but not least, two specifications that were then en vogue across the Atlantic were adopted: a two-tone paint available across the range and a pillarless “hardtop” body style for the Gran Luce coupe, the latter receiving a roofline not unlike that of the contemporary Ramblers.

The Fiat 1400B was produced until 1958, the 1900B surviving for a few more months before the six-cylinder 1800 and 2100 models succeeded them. About 100,000 had been built, less than one out of ten cars built being 1900s. To this total have to be added the many cars built abroad, under licence: this model was the very first car assembled by Seat (Spain) and the first road car produced by Zastava (Yugoslavia), while it was also built by Neckar (Western Germany) and Steyr (Austria).

About the model

Model: Fiat 1400A
Year: 1955
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.12 of its Taxis du Monde press series
Acquired: second hand with neither stand nor box, in October 2007, through mail from a fellow collector from Rouziers de Touraine, France

Typical Ixo/Altaya model: nothing extraordinary, but not much to complain about, particularly when considering the price. My rating is 12/20.