Ford Escort (1980-1990)

A little history

Following the successes encountered by the first two generations of Escorts, Ford carefully prepared a new car that would be up to its predecessors. It was finally unveiled in September 1980 in the form of a modern and compact automobile, which broke away from its conservative forerunners by adopting front-wheel-drive, all-independent suspension and hatchback bodies. While the smaller 1.1-litre four was carried over, the larger 1.3- and 1.6-litre units were freshly designed. Though a Ford Escort was simultaneously launched as a subcompact in the United States, this was essentially a different vehicle sharing not much more than a name with the Escort intended for the European market.

Production started in both Ford’s German and British plants and, despite some early critics regarding the car’s handling, the new Escort soon proved worth its name by enjoying a sizeable success. Well built and elegant, the Escort also offered a wide range of models, which ran from a plain 1100cc two-door model up to the luxurious Ghia or the sporty XR3. New choices were progressively introduced, such as a diesel engine, or estate and convertible versions.

This initial third-generation Escort lasted until spring 1986, when the car received a slight facelift. Mostly noticeable from the front, it included a smaller grille set below a smoothened nose. This update allowed the car to linger until the end of model year 1990, when it was replaced by a brand new Escort.

About the models

Model: Ford Escort 1.3 GL
Year: 1982
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.95 of its Nos Chères Voitures d'Antan press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2007, in Souillac, France

This is again one of these late additions to this Altaya series that were adapted from the distributors’ Spanish equivalent collection, but have not much to do with the original concept of the French series. This said, what is this model worth? Rather well proportioned, but a little too heavy-looking perhaps, it enjoys nice three-colour lights at the back - earlier Altayas were not this well treated. My rating is 12/20.









Model: Ford Escort XR3
Year: c.1983
Maker: Bburago
Scale: 1/24
Distributed by: Bburago
Acquired: second hand with neither box nor stand, in December 2011, in Brive, France

This is an early and now long discontinued model from Bburago. That sums it all: while the accuracy of some more recent models from the Italian manufacturer is sometimes doubtful, this particular die-cast is definitely toy-like in appearance. Unrealistic wheels, simplified cockpit (or should I say “passenger compartment” for there is nothing specific to differentiate this version from a road car?), absence of separate rear lights and fantasy decoration are all on the menu: 7/20.

Renault Dauphine

A little history

Not a single new car sold during five years of conflict and the possibility for a more prosperous working class of purchasing an automobile for the very first time combined to make the little Renault 4CV, launched in mid-1947, an instant hit. Obviously, its manufacturer started to think about its replacement as soon at it was put on the market but, as it turned out, its success was such that a direct substitute could not be imagined. Therefore, a larger car ended up being sold alongside the 4CV, rather than it replaced it.

The “Project 109” study started in earnest in July 1951. Ultimately, the car would become the Dauphine, placed between the 4CV and the Frégate, and addressing previous owners of 4CV whose improved way of life would allow purchasing a larger automobile, while the 4CV would continue to answer the needs of first-time motorists. Rarely the introduction of a new car had been so carefully prepared, the whole development lasting almost five years and including an in-depth study of the needs of the average French motorist.

The presentation of the Renault Dauphine took place in February 1956 in Corsica, where many journalists had been invited to test the first new Renault in more than five years. The public would have to wait one more month for its introduction in Paris. Finally, the Dauphine was officially unveiled during the Geneva motor show. A box-type automobile of much larger proportions than the 4CV, the Dauphine retained a rear engine, but of larger displacement – 850cc for 27 hp. Handling was extremely sound for a car based on this architecture, the Dauphine only oversteering when pushed hard in tight turns. The front luggage compartment was rather vast for the times. And, to make things even better, the Dauphine, after the initial prototypes had been corrected by Ghia, was a very elegant automobile, offered in a variety of bright colours.

As the 4CV before it, the Dauphine’s success was immediate and, ultimately, more than two millions were built until 1968, production continuing until 1970 in some countries. It, too, would survive its heir apparent, the Renault 8. Among the memorable variants of the original car, let’s name the Gordini from 1958, with its 38 hp engine; the Ondine, a better-appointed version introduced in 1960; and the R1093, a homologated racing development of the Dauphine fitted with a 55 hp engine and a four-speed transmission. Another noticeable equipment was the Ferlec electromagnetic clutch (optional from 1957) that turned the Dauphine’s manual transmission into a semi-automatic one. The excellent Dauphine engine was also fitted under the bonnets of such dissimilar vehicles as the Alpine A108 sports coupe or the Renault Estafette panel van. The outputs of the sporty versions’ perhaps seem ludicrous today, but the Gordini and the R1093 were quite effective machines back then, the Dauphine bagging a victory at the Monte Carlo rally, and two at the Tour de Corse, among countless minor trophies.

More than its success in France, the Dauphine’s achievements around the globe were remarkable in a time when brand new cars seldom crossed borders. Apart from FASA, Renault’s Spanish subsidiary, the Dauphine was produced under licence by Alfa Romeo in Italy (easily forgotten today, but there has been thousands of Alfa Romeo Dauphines built!), by Kaiser in Argentina and Israel, by Willys-Overland in Brazil and by the minor Todd Motors in New Zealand. It also served as the base for the Hino Contessa, after the Japanese company had produced the 4CV in the Fifties. Most notable of all, though it ultimately met with a bitter end, was the Dauphine’s great success on the American market. During the first large wave of imports that took place in the late Fifties, it was second only to the Volkswagen Beetle in terms of sales. Unlike the German car, the Dauphine offered four doors, a pretty silhouette and Parisian chic to American motorists. Alas, the Dauphine proved anything but durable on American highways, and suffered to the extreme from rust. To make things worse, Renault’s budding North American network was well below par to address the complaints of its disenchanted customers… When the “Big Three” unveiled their own compact cars, the Ford Falcon, the Chevrolet Corvair and the Plymouth Valiant, Renault ended up with thousands of Dauphines rusting in the open air in New York docks – most were finally shipped back to France at considerable expense.

About the models

Model: Renault Dauphine Gordini
Year: 1958
Maker: Norev
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Norev, as part of a “Gordini” box set offered in the “Renault Gamme Sport” series.
Acquired: second-hand as part of the complete set, offered by a friend and fellow collector in December 2006, in Manila, Philippines.

Norev’s rendition of the Dauphine Gordini suffers mostly from the poorly designed door handles, which have the naughty habit of swinging freely around their attachment points. Apart from this detail, this model is rather nice, and deserves a 13/20. This particular one was part of a three-car commemorative “Gordini” set, which also included a Renault 8 Gordini and an already presented Renault 12 Gordini (curiously Norev omitted the Renault 17 Gordini…).





Model: Renault Dauphine
Event: 1958 Monte Carlo rally, driven by Guy Monraisse, navigator Jacques Feret (overall winners)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.62 of its Voitures de Rallye de Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in July 2006, in Souillac, France

We have briefly discussed about the Dauphine’s racing career. Though the car itself wasn’t particularly impressive, its historical victory in the Monte Carlo justified its inclusion in Altaya’s series of rally cars. Unfortunately Ixo's model of the Dauphine is fitted with grossly oversized side windows. Too bad! My rating is 12/20.









Model: Renault Dauphine
Year: 1961
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.31 of its Nos Chères Voitures d'Antan press series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2005, in Souillac, France

Remove the previous model’s few items that identify it as a racing car, and you get this plain Dauphine. In addition to the reproach already made above, Ixo painted its model into this bright orange that has never been a factory colour. This forces me to further lower my rating to 11/20.





Model: Renault Dauphine
Year: 1961
Maker: Norev
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: M6 as no.2 of its Renault Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Souillac, France

Same thing with Norev that provided a plain Dauphine for M6’s press series. It is based on the same mould as the Gordini we have seen above – and suffers from the very same flaw: 13/20.

Panhard Dyna Z and PL17

Greetings to Demo, who just joined us.

A little history

We have already seen how, with its Dyna X, Panhard turned away from the luxury market after World War Two in order to concentrate on popular cars. By 1950, the original Dyna was already losing momentum against cheaper alternatives such as the Citroën 2CV or the Renault 4CV. Therefore, the company management decided to replace its car by a more ambitious automobile, which design proved to be a challenge, for the company wanted a car that would be large enough to accommodate six persons, offer good performance and economy, and yet run on nothing more than the tiny 850cc flat-two of the Dyna X. An impossible task for Panhard’s engineers, would you say... And yet, they succeeded in designing a car that would exactly fulfil these requirements.

This new model was logically called the Dyna Z, and was first introduced before the press at the Parisian Les Ambassadeurs restaurant, in June 1953. The car was immediately acclaimed as one of the most innovative automobiles of the time. As requested, economy (6 litres of gasoline per 100 kilometres, or about 40 mpg) and performance (top speed of 130 kph) were both achieved, thanks to an extremely aerodynamic body penned by Louis Bionier (Cx of 0.26, still an excellent figure nowadays) and a very light construction in duralinox, a light alloy. While most of its rivals weighed about a ton, a Dyna Z was less than 700 kilos. It also enjoyed then-advanced characteristics as a four-speed gearbox with overdrive, or practical features as its rearward-opening bonnet that encompassed the front wings, in order to give complete access to the engine. This latter detail should have seduced amateur mechanics, but unfortunately the very peculiar drivetrain wasn’t easy to service outside of Panhard’s dealerships – this still hampers the popularity of these cars as collection pieces today.

Despite some early quality problems, the Dyna Z was well received. Too well perhaps: despite the fact that its whole design had been thought to fit the company’s Porte d’Ivry factory, a cramped plant split between several levels in downtown Paris, and though Chausson had been contracted to produce the bodies, building the car in large volumes was virtually impossible. This, along with a major blunder from Panhard’s accountants in their computation of the production cost of the car, made for a relatively expensive automobile. In order to reduce its expenditures, Panhard progressively dropped the duralinox, originally retaining it for the body panels only, then later building its Dyna Z entirely from steel. In the process, the Dyna fattened up by almost two hundred kilos during its career, losing most of its advantage on the performance field.

In June 1959, Panhard introduced the Dyna Z’s replacement – actually nothing more than an updated car. This new PL17 saw both its front and rear panels slightly modified in order to fit the changing tastes of the public but, despite this, the car remained characteristically bulbous. The dubious “suicide doors” fitted at the front gave way the conventional doors. Furthermore an optional “Tigre” engine was available: the uprated 850cc engine could now propel the PL17 to a good 145 kph and give back to it the zing of the initial Dyna Z. Indeed, it proved a brilliant competitor in rally racing.

Though the PL17 was quite a nice car, it could no longer dissimulate that the old company was out of pace by the early Sixties. Cash-trapped, Panhard was doomed even more by the negative impact of the gradual takeover by Citroën. Initiated in 1955, it was completed ten years later. In January of the same year 1965, the PL17 retired without a successor – the new and striking model 24 coupe, to which it had been originally planned to add a four-door version, remained the lone Panhard offer until Citroën sadly pulled the plug in 1967. Nowadays, the name survived only on military vehicles.

About the models

Model: Panhard Dyna Z
Year: 1953
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.43 of its Nos Chères Voitures d'Antan press series
Acquired: brand new, in October 2005, in Souillac, France

This is a simple yet pretty reproduction of an early Dyna Z by Ixo for Altaya. My rating is 14/20.





Model: Panhard PL17
Year: 1960
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.25 of its Nos Chères Voitures d'Antan press series
Acquired: brand new, in February 2005, in Souillac, France

Ixo demonstrated comparable quality when it came to reproduce a PL17 for the very same Altaya series. Same rating: 14/20.





Model: Panhard PL17
Year: 1961
Maker: Solido
Scale: 1/18
Distributed by: possibly as no.27 of the Voitures de prestige au 1/18 press series
Acquired: second hand with neither stand nor box, in April 2007, in Brive, France

Not the most detailed 1/18 die-cast around, but still a pretty good one. Plus, a PL17 at this scale is a nice departure from the all-too-common GTs or muscle cars. My rating is 13/20 here.





Model: Panhard PL17
Event: 1961 Monte Carlo Rally, driven by Maurice Martin, navigator Roger Bateau (overall winners)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.64 of its Voitures de Rallye de Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in August 2006, in Souillac, France

The very limited racing preparation of early rally cars made an easy job for Ixo to reproduce the winner of the 1961 Monte Carlo – on that year, the light and nimble PL17 shared the three steps on the podium with no one. My rating is 14/20.

Saab 96

JDMike, as I know you’re around this morning, here is something for you! ;)

A little history

Following the success of its first two cars, the 92 and 93 models (from 1949 and 1955, respectively), Saab had no intention of changing the concept of its popular car. Therefore the new 96, unveiled in 1960, as its two predecessors was a compact fastback coupe powered by an unusual two-stroke inline three. Though this little 750cc was rated at only 38 hp, performances were excellent due to the very light weight of the car and its near perfect aerodynamics – thanks to its long experience as an aircraft manufacturer, Saab developed a car as sleek as most modern vehicles. As most Swedish cars the 96 had a justified reputation for being dependable and tough, nothing less than what it takes to tackle the harsh Scandinavian winter’s conditions. To make things even better, handling was excellent. All this combined made the 96, and its two-door estate variant the 95, tremendous offers on both domestic and export markets. Regarding the latter, though the Saab 96 (and, as a matter of fact, the other Swedish car of the time the Volvo 544) was still regarded as “exotic”, its enviable records in rally racing greatly helped boosting its sales.

By the mid-Sixties, two-stroke engines were rapidly losing popularity, bringing Saab to reconsider its car’s powerplant. For model year 1965, the front of the car was redesigned. Not only Saab’s designers gave it a squarer, more modern look, they also extended it in anticipation for the new engine. It finally appeared in 1967 as a four-stroke, 1.5-litre V4 engine provided by Ford’s Taunus. Power was still a modest 55 hp but, once again, the 96’s light weight allowed performances well above its class.

At age ten the Saab 96 was among these few cars (Volkswagen Beetle or Citroën 2CV for example) that, though designed long before, have so well succeeded in creating a style of their own that they don’t even look old anymore. In 1968, a Saab 99, up-to-date but unmistakeably Saab in appearance, had been introduced, but it was a larger vehicle aiming higher in the market. Consequently, the 96 carried on for a second decade, receiving only minor modifications along the way. The very last car was produced shortly after New Year 1980, and left without a direct successor.

About the model

Model: Saab 96 V4
Year: 1972
Event: 1972 Swedish Rally, driven by Stig Blomqvist, navigator Arne Hertz (overall winners)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.46 of its Voitures de Rallye de Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in November 2005, in Souillac, France

A very correct model by Ixo, though the front turn signals are rather symbolic. My rating is 12/20.

Chrysler Sunbeam

A little history

In poor financial state during the Sixties, the Rootes group was taken over by Chrysler, eager to build for itself the same kind of global empire its main rival General Motors and Ford already had at their disposal. Alas, as we already discussed earlier, Chrysler was soon moribund itself. Furthermore, the American giant multiplied mistakes in its management of its European subsidiaries: throwing away the old Rootes nameplates to which the British drivers were attached in order to make space for the lone “Chrysler” name, sacrificing the traditional Rootes quality on the altar of cost... you can check here for a few additional idiocies perpetrated under American “direction”. By the mid-Seventies, with its coffers desperately empty, the former Rootes group’s production was limited to the old Imp, the old Hunter and the not-so-old-but-rapidly-becoming-older Avenger. See the picture?

Chrysler’s big shots got an idea to insufflate new life into the dying body of the old firm. They approached the British government and blackmailed it: if public funds would not support the company – in other words if the taxpayer’s money would not pay for the American management’s blunders – the factory would be simply closed. The economic circumstances were perhaps more problematic in Britain (and yet more in Scotland where the factory stood) than they were in the rest of the world at this time, so the government, eager not to send more people to the dole, signed the check. The financial effort was certainly a large one for the government, but was still insufficient to alleviate Chrysler’s disaster. If it allowed to introduce a new model, simply called the Chrysler Sunbeam, this car was nothing more than a stopgap.

The Sunbeam was a compact hatchback, only available with three doors. Though the body was brand new, under the skin virtually all components were carried over from previous models. The platform was a shortened version of the Avenger’s one, which meant rear-wheel-drive was retained at a time when most popular cars had turned to FWD. Surprisingly, it would have been easy to draw parts from Chrysler-Simca as Chrysler’s French subsidiary then had most of its models powered through the front wheels, though this wasn’t the company’s choice. Base engine was the small 900cc already provided by Coventry Climax for the Imp, and a larger 1.3-litre block.

The Chrysler Sunbeam was ready for the 1978 model year, a precious addition to a range from which the Imp and the Hunter were now absent. Despite its limitations (anaemic base engine, limited range, unpractical rear hatch) the new car appeared fresh enough to sell in decent numbers. Nonetheless it would probably be forgotten today if not for its performance versions. In early 1979, Chrysler applied the Volkswagen Golf’s methods and introduced a Sunbeam Ti, fitting into the small car a 100-hp, 1.6-litre engine lifted from the Avenger. An even more potent version of the Sunbeam was just a few weeks away: the Sunbeam Lotus. Chrysler had secured Lotus’ help to design a very special version of its car, aimed at rally racing. Lotus squeezed its own 2.2-litre engine, good for 150 hp under the bonnet.

As it turned out Chrysler would never see its Sunbeam race in rally racing. Before the development of the car was over the whole European subsidiaries were turned over to PSA. They were not even sold, considering their extremely poor state, but given instead, the only requirement for the French group being to shoulder their huge debts.

By mid-1979 Peugeot revived the old Talbot name in order to replace the Chrysler badge on all the products it inherited from the American company. The British models were condemned, though they were kept in production for the time being. Peugeot made good use of the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, which after initial successes during the 1980 season went on to win the whole world championship for manufacturers in 1981 (Ari Vatanen got the driver’s title at the wheel of a Ford). Nonetheless the car was now in its very last year. All the remaining “genuine” British models, the Sunbeam and the Avenger, were removed from the range at the end of the 1981 model year. Production of the Sunbeam stood at 200,000, with about 2,200 of these being of the famed Lotus variant.

About the model

Model: Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
Year: 1981
Event: 1981 Rallye do Brasil, driven by Guy Fréquelin, navigator Jean Todt (finished 2nd overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.20 of its Voitures de Rallye de Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Souillac, France

A very average job from Ixo for Altaya. The all-red rear lights of this version are particularly annoying. I'll give a 9/20 to it, no more.

Triumph TR7

A little history

To replace the beautiful TR6, its iconic roadster, Triumph unveiled the TR7 coupe in September 1974. Nonetheless the TR6 would remain available until 1976 on its home market, all of the new TR7s produced heading at first to the United States, where the high demand and the income it generated were much welcomed by the faltering British Leyland corporation. Alas, this would not last. Though the wedge-shaped design of the TR7 was appreciated, its limited performances, poor building quality and increasingly high price tag due to the problematic exchange rate of the sterling pound soon capped its sales.

Triumph did its best to boost its car’s sales, but its rally racing involvement, the addition of a convertible version and a TR8 variant powered by Rover’s 3.5 litre V8 didn’t help much. The last TR7 was produced in October 1981, and wasn’t replaced. Triumph itself was sadly agonizing. Within a few months, the old company was reduce to producing a rebadged Honda, the Acclaim, which wasn’t as well received as its name could have let hope. When the Acclaim was retired in mid-1984, its replacement would be the Rover 200: Triumph was gone.

About the model

Model: Triumph TR7 V8
Year: 1978
Event: 1978 Manx Rally, driven by Tony Pond, navigator Fred Gallagher (finished 1st overall, thanks to José António for the info)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.24 of its Voitures de Rallye de Collection press series
Acquired: second hand with stand but without box, in November 2007, from a fellow collector from Marseilles, France

Far from the Stratos and Escort, another late-Seventies rally car that is rather forgotten today. Correct, though not extraordinary. My rating is 12/20.

Lancia Delta (1st generation)

Here is for JDMike, who enjoys rally cars and just confessed that he also liked hatchbacks.

A little history

When the Delta was retired in 1994, I was incredulous – why replacing a car that still seemed so fresh? Well, a quick glance to the rearview mirror told me the compact Lancia was then fifteen years old. I still believe that it showed no wrinkle by then.

That’s indeed in 1979, during the Frankfurt motor show, that Lancia unveiled its very first hatchback car, a smaller vehicle than anything the Italian company had constructed up to then. Engines were 1.3- to 1.6-litre fours that provided very decent performances for a car of its class. Transmission was to the front wheels. Last but not least, this Dorian Gray of a car found the secret of eternal youth in the form of a splendid body, an elegant Giugiaro design which was simultaneously elegant and racy. To all the aforementioned qualities it has to be added that the Delta was rather well built, something very few Italian cars of the time could boast of. Following the Beta and Gamma models, the new Lancia was logically called the Delta.

The excellence of the Delta was acknowledged by the motoring press in 1980, when the car was awarded the coveted European Car of the Year prize. A 1.9-litre diesel version was soon added, but more important for the car’s future was the introduction of a sporty HF Turbo in 1984. Combining a 130 hp engine and excellent handling, the HF was a joy to drive.

Lancia had then a long tradition of rally racing. By that time, its standard-bearer was the Abarth 037, a rear-wheel-drive coupe that was increasingly powerless when faced to the newer Group B prototypes, most notably the Peugeot 205 and the Audi Quattro. Lancia decided to regain supremacy with a purpose-built machine, the Delta S4. The S4 shared no more than its name and basic shape with the road-going Delta, though. It actually owed much to the 037, adding to the initial design a transmission to all four wheels, a carbon fibre body and a twin-charged (both turbo- and supercharged) 1.8-litre four conservatively rated at 550 hp. A wonderful machine, the S4 was also the synthesis of all the excesses of the Group B era. After Lancia’s pilot Henri Toivonen and his navigator were killed during the 1986 Tour de Corse, the FISA announced that Group Bs would be forbidden for the next season. Rally racing had never been this popular, and many, including myself, grumbled when they heard the news. In retrospect, it was probably a wise though brutal decision. It’s only years later that I learned that during a test the very same Toivonen had lapped the Estoril track with its S4 at a pace that would had given him the 6th place on the grid of that year’s Formula One Grand Prix. I think that says it all about how crazy these cars were.

The Group B’s departure let the production-based Group A cars as the major contenders in the world championship. Peugeot and Audi lost interest, but Lancia was determined to hold fast. The year before the promising HF Turbo had been superseded by an all-wheel-drive evolution, the HF 4WD. This is how the Delta, then in its eighth year, made its debut in rally racing. Thanks to several successive versions (Integrale 8v, 16v, Evoluzione…), the Delta would remain the car to beat in the world championship until its very last days.

This busy racing career would make one easily forget about the production Delta, which indeed didn’t change much along the years. The introduction in 1993 of a second-generation Delta – a tamer car that wasn’t intended for racing – announced its imminent retirement, which took place during the following year.

About the models

Only rally racing Deltas here – I still need a road version.

Model: Lancia Delta S4
Year: 1985
Event: 1985 RAC Rally, driven by Henri Toivonen, navigator Neil Wilson (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.30 of its Voitures de Rallye de Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2005, in Souillac, France

A pleasant model but, being highly visible, the engine would have looked much better if a tad more detailed. My rating is 12/20.









Model: Lancia Delta HF 4WD
Year: 1987
Event: 1987 Rally della Lana, driven by Dario Cerrato, navigator Giuseppe Cerri (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.61 of its Voitures de Rallye de Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in June 2006, in Souillac, France

Unlike most Altaya-distributed Ixos this Delta benefitted from twin-colour rear lights. Decoration is very nice - okay, I admit I used to love the Jolly Club's "Totip" cars when I was a kid. My rating is 14/20.





Model: Lancia Delta HF Integrale
Year: 1992
Event: 1992 Rallye de Portugal, driven by Juha Kankkunen, navigator Juha Piironen (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.13 of its Voitures de Rallye de Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2005, in Souillac, France

Unfortunately this Delta hasn't been as lucky as the previous one and has to content itself with plain red lights at the rear. Beyond this, I can't help finding this model too much simplified: 11/20.

Citroën C2

A little history

When the Saxo was replaced by the C3 in 2002, Citroën was temporarily left without a two-door saloon in its lower range. This void was filled in October 2003 with the introduction of the C2.

Donato Coco, who had already penned the C3, designed a very compact hatchback, featuring sharper lines than its larger sister in order to attract younger drivers to Citroën showrooms. With engines ranging from 1.1 to 1.6 litre, the C2 offered great economy but was far from thrilling, even if its more potent version, the 125 hp VTS, was capable of interesting performances. Nonetheless Citroën felt necessary to make the C2 a worthy successor to the Saxo in rally racing. This goal was perfectly achieved, the C2, competing in the 1600cc Junior World Rally Championship, bagging several titles, including a 2001 crown for the promising Sébastien Loeb. Despite these successes, the commercial career of the C2 remained inglorious. Often ignored by Citroën which preferred to concentrate its efforts on the more mainstream C3, the C2 fought in the same league as the Twingo, without being able to unseat the ageing Renault as the supermini champion.

Still produced today, the C2 is due to retire in 2010.

About the model

Model: Citroën C2 S1600 Sport
Year: 2004
Event: 2004 Rallye Rias Bajas, driven by Miguel Fuster, navigator José Vicente Medina (finished 3rd, thanks to interdomin and José António for their help)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.35 of its Voitures de Rallye de Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2005, in Souillac, France

After wining the Spanish rally championship with a Saxo the previous year, Fuster upgraded to a C2 for 2004. Ixo made a correct model of the Spaniard’s car, which nonetheless suffers from the flaws common to most models of this Altaya series. In particular, the all-red rear lights somewhat spoil the final result, which is a pity. On the other hand, the front end and the tiny mirrors (which “glasses” are simply painted in silver though) are well modeled. My rating is 12/20, but I have to add that this certainly is one of the best models in the Voitures de Rallye series.