BMW 507

Welcome (or welcome back, as some of you recently unsubscribed/subscribed again to this blog and I have to admit that I've lost track of some of you) to escala43, A.Sivianes, rosslann and Totò. Enjoy your visit(s) here!

A little history

The BMW 507 was another idea from the man who single-handedly made the small Volkswagen Beetle a huge yet unexpected success in America: Max Hoffmann. BMW having nothing more to offer in the U.S. than its baroque 501 and 502 models during the early Fifties, Hoffmann insistently requested a more appealing model for this particular market. BMW had increasing financial difficulties at the time and finally accepted, seeing its salvation in the potential American sales. The Bavarian company answered the call with not just one, but two new models: the elegant 503 coupe and convertible, and the striking 507 roadster. Both cars had been penned by Albrecht von Goertz.

Apart from its stylish body, the 507 tried to make good use of as many parts as possible from the existing BMW models, in order to keep production costs relatively low. Still, it was deemed necessary to enlarge the 2.6-litre light-alloy V8 engine on hand to 3.2-litre in order to reach the level of performance expected from such a car. Fed by two Solex carburettors, it was rated at 150 hp, propelling the 507 at 200 kph.

Alas, despite all the efforts from BMW’s engineers, the cost per unit of this wonderful automobile somehow got out of control. Mainly made from aluminium and other light alloys, the 507, which body was entirely hand-formed, would ultimately sell for about twice its intended price… A commercial success was hard to forecast and, though the car was an excellent image-builder, providing BMW still needed one, its maker could not afford more financial loses. Introduced in 1955, produced from 1956, the 507 retired three years later, simultaneously with its cousin the 503. Their combined production did not exceed a few hundred copies, which did nothing for the company but aggravating its problems. In the end, BMW was not saved by these supercars, but by their exact opposite, as the company started to produce under licence the tiny Isetta, the Italian bubble car.

About the models

Model: BMW 507
Year: 1955
Maker: Motor Max
Scale: 1/24
Distributed by: Motor Max
Acquired: brand new, in December 2005, in Manila, Philippines

Simple, even perhaps crude as Motor Max knows as to produce die-casts, but this time at least, it’s quite well assembled. One last remark: the windshield appears somewhat tall. My rating is 11/20.

















Model: BMW 507
Year: 1956
Maker: New Ray
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: New Ray, "Auto Model Kit" series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2003, in Manila, Philippines

New Ray also proposes this model, as poor as usual: 8/20.









Model: BMW 507
Year: 1957
Maker: Del Prado, or whoever builds models for Del Prado
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: M-Smart
Acquired: brand new, in February 2007, in Shenzhen, China

Finally, this die-cast has been offered by M-Smart, which actually got its hands on a stock on unsold Del Prado press models. And guess what? It is very well made for the price, accurate and fitted with good-looking wheels - only the headlights could have been much better. It deserves a 12/20.

Lamborghini Diablo

A little history

In 1985, Lamborghini decided to replace its most iconic automobile, the Countach. Temporarily dubbed Project 132, the new car was to reach 315 kph, establishing itself as one of the fastest cars in the world. On the outside, penning its body was entrusted once again to famed designer Marcello Gandini, to whom had been credited most Lamborghini designs up to then. Alas, development was slowed down by Lamborghini’s serious lack of funds. Having narrowly escaped a bankruptcy, the Sant’Agata company was still in poor shape by the Eighties. Then, Chrysler entered the stage. The American giant too had closely avoided its ruin, turning the tides around 1980 with successful vehicles such as the L-platform cars (Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni) then the K-Cars (Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Aries). Though it had just sold its many branches overseas, it was willing to add a little prestige to its name by investing the cash it had lacked for so many years into the purchase of a reputed European auto maker.

Lamborghini’s takeover took place in 1987, and though the Italian company lost its independence in the process, it insured that it would have sufficient budget to complete its Project 132. This was achieved, but not without having Chrysler’s management interfere with the car’s development. Marcello Gandini’s radically angular body displeased the American executives, so Chrysler’s designers drew a heavily modified body for the car, which ended up being much more curved and rounded than intended. Dismayed, Gandini left with his drawings and put them to good use to create the Cizeta-Moroder V16T.

The new Lamborghini finally appeared in January 1990 at the Detroit motor show, under the name Diablo. Though its engine was the well-known 5.7-litre V12, this time rated at 492 hp, the car exceeded its initial goal and could reach an impressive 325+ kph. Compared to the departing Countach, the Diablo was also designed to be a much more comfortable GT and not solely a performance-oriented machine, so it came with a long list of optional equipments, though the base model remained relatively spartan.

The early Nineties were a time of severe competition in the supercars field, with many projects from both established companies and newcomers. Lamborghini could not afford to wait too long to update its Diablo, which was done in 1993 with the introduction of the VT. The new variant enjoyed an all-wheel-drive transmission which was based on the experience gleaned from the LM002 off-road vehicle, a new suspension, improved brakes, a new dashboard and a wide array of minor modifications. The car came standard with air-conditioning but, surprisingly, still had to wait for an ABS system.

The Lamborghini Diablo’s range was widely augmented during 1995. The year saw the introduction of a long-awaited VT Roadster, and a new version fitted with a conventional rear-wheel-drive transmission, the SV. Finally, after Chrysler sold Lamborghini to the VAG group, the Diablo was facelifted, receiving a front end treatment that was somewhat reminiscent of the Bugatti EB110, ironically another Marcello Gandini creation. It also gained a V12 engine enlarged to 6.0-litre and good for 550 hp, and a modified all-wheel-drive transmission… which wasn’t necessarily an improvement over the previous version. Under this latest guise, the Diablo was produced until 2001, when it was succeeded by the Lamborghini Murciélago.

About the model

Model: Lamborghini Diablo
Year: 1990
Maker: Maisto
Scale: 1/18
Distributed by: Maisto
Acquired: second hand with neither box nor stand, in April 2007, in Brive, France

This is a correct yet inexpensive model of the Diablo. Nothing extraordinary about it, and furthermore the thick plastic-made harnesses fitted to the seats somewhat spoil the passenger compartment, but still worth a 13/20 rating.











Model: Lamborghini Diablo
Year: 1990
Maker: Bburago
Scale: 1/24
Distributed by: Bburago
Acquired: second hand with neither box nor stand, in April 2007, in Brive, France

This die-cast is simple, even toy-ish perhaps, but correct enough and extremely cheap. Bburago has always had a problem with the width of its tyres, which the Italian brand represents much too wide, but it’s obviously not really an issue with this particular model. My rating is 10/20.







Model: Lamborghini Diablo VT
Year: 1993
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.

Del Prado has offered a surprisingly agreeable model of the Diablo – this cannot be said of all die-casts proposed by the Italian distributor. This effort is certainly worth 12/20.

Jaguar E-Type

That’s now something as four weeks that I didn’t write anything on this blog. To tell the truth, a post about the E-Type should have followed the last one within the usual three-day delay, but I simply lacked any inspiration for writing it...

A little history

...for what is still to be written about such a mythical car? It probably is the ultimate sports car of the Sixties, a sleek, powerful, glamorous yet relatively affordable roadster. By affordable, I obviously mean that it enjoyed a rather low factory price in its time, keeping in touch with the Jaguar tradition, as it saw since then its value skyrocketing at auctions. And what is marvellous with this car is the fact that, more than any other Jaguar, with its muscular, tastefully curved body, it fully incarnates the animal the Coventry factory took its name from.

Jaguar had to replace its long-running XK series. All what its engineers learned during the Fifties with the C- and D-Type racing cars was put to good use when designing the road-going E-Type. The most noticeable similarity between the Le Mans-winning D-Type and its heir was the rounded bodysides/small track combination, a typical characteristic that was supposed to favour high speeds on long straights. Another heritage was the four-wheel disk brakes system. It had been pioneered in motor racing by Jaguar with its C-Type, and was now made part of its road-going cars’ equipment. Power came from the trusted 3.8-litre DOHC straight six used by the XK150. Available as two equally rakish roadster or fastback coupe, the E-Type was introduced in March 1961.

The car’s career would last for fourteen years, during which it didn’t change much overall, or rather, evolved by constant yet tiny steps. Jaguar tried to improve two aspects of its E-Type: its comfort, which, as with most other British roadsters of the time, wasn’t its main quality; and its performances, in order to stay competitive as younger rivals were seeing light.

More than anywhere else, comfort was crucial on the American market, where the car was widely sold as the XKE. New seats and a fully-synchromesh gearbox solved a few of the limitations of the initial car. Jaguar couldn’t avoid offering an automatic transmission, which was done by 1966. Simultaneously, a 2+2 coupe was added to the strict two-seater offered at first.

Regarding performances, the early E-Type’s 3.8-litre block was replaced by a larger 4.2-litre six as early as 1964. The new engine also addressed a common problem of the first production cars: overheating. Finally, Jaguar was able to squeeze its 5.3-litre V12 under the E-Type’s bonnet in 1971.

More than 38,000 E-Type left the Jaguar factory before the model was discontinued in 1975, in favour of the larger, heavier and somewhat blander XJS. Commercial success was its first goal, and was fully attained. As an iconic automobile, the role played by the E-Type to further enhance Jaguar’s image cannot be measured. On the other hand, the racing career of the E-Type was, unlike that of the XK series, virtually non-existent, except during its very first years when a special “lightweight” version was developed.

About the models

I often said that I prefer to spend my money on scale models of vintage cars rather than modern ones. I should add that among my priorities, I buy die-casts of plain cars rather than classics. For this reason, all of my E-Types are very simple and cheap models – one day perhaps I’ll finally buy a decent model of this great car.

Model: Jaguar E-Type
Year: 1961
Maker: High Speed
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: High Speed, "Model Collection" series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2005, in Manila, Philippines

High Speed over-simplified its E-Type. The front end suffered most. The rear window has odd proportions in my opinion, while the wire wheels... oh no, better not to even mention them. My rating is 6/20.







Model: Jaguar E-Type
Year: 1961
Maker: High Speed
Scale: 1/87
Distributed by: High Speed, "Model Collection" series
Acquired: brand new, in August 2005, in Manila, Philippines

Obviously, High Speed's approach is less damageable in the smaller HO scale, though the wheels remain unacceptable. I'll increase my rating to 10/20 for this model.





Model: Jaguar E-Type
Year: 1961
Maker: New Ray
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: New Ray, "Auto Model Kit" series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2003, in Manila, Philippines

To make it short: it's a New Ray, period. My rating is 2/20. "No more?", some of you could ask. Oh no, believe me.





Model: Jaguar E-Type
Year: 1961
Maker: Del Prado, or whoever builds models for Del Prado
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Del Prado through an unknown Japanese press series
Acquired: second hand without box but with stand, in April 2006, in Manila, Philippines

...and the winner is...
Only marginally better than the previous models, this Del Prado features more details, and is proportioned correctly enough. Headlights don't receive any cover, though, which was only a trait of the last E-Types built. Wire wheels aren't good (Del Prado definitely has no idea about how to make them, whatever the model) but are still better than the ones of its rivals. Let's give it a 9/20.

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.

Oldsmobile Toronado

A little history

Among all General Motors brands, Oldsmobile had long been the one best known for its sense of innovation. Modern automatic transmission through torque converter was an Oldsmobile first, while the short stroke V8 engines introduced right after World War Two ignited a crazed race towards ever more power and performances. In 1965, Oldsmobile was up to its reputation when it launched a front-wheel drive automobile.

Actually, front-wheel drive cars had already been built in the U.S., let alone abroad, but the last vehicle using such a technology in America, the Cord, had been discontinued almost three decades earlier.

Oldsmobile started toying with the idea of building a front-wheel drive car as early as 1958. Launching a mass-produced vehicle equipped with a technology that was new for its maker, and therefore not time-tested, would have been a risky gamble. The opportunity to build a smaller-volume automobile, and with it the possibility to advance from the experimental stage, arose during the early Sixties.

The original Buick Riviera was due to be replaced by a new vehicle for the 1966 model year, and General Motors, which was then expanding its personal luxury range, allowed Oldsmobile to venture simultaneously into this growing market. The Toronado – the name was taken from a show car presented a few years earlier – would be a close relative to the Riviera. This meant that the whole drivetrain of the Toronado would have to fit under the bonnet of a car similar in proportions to a conventional rear-wheel drive, in itself a tour de force. Engine was a 7.0-litre V8 “Rocket” taken from the top-of-the-line 98 range, with an output boosted to 385 bhp.

To match its mechanical originality the Toronado received an uncommon body, based on a design by David North. With its fastback profile, its peculiar wheel arches and long, sloping bonnet, which included retractable headlights sitting on top of a wide grille, Oldsmobile’s luxury coupe looked like nothing else on the American highways of the time.

After its introduction as a 1966 model, the Toronado received good reviews and won the coveted Car of the Year award from Motor Trend magazine. The handling was found to be particularly good, and not at all disturbing for American drivers used to conventional rear-wheel drive. Acceleration and top speed (the car could pass 215 kph) were extremely good. The main critic aimed at the brakes, Oldsmobile having chosen to fit its heavy coupe with drums on all four wheels, which proved highly inadequate.

On the commercial side the Toronado sold correctly, but nothing more. Starting in 1967, Cadillac competed on the same ground as Oldsmobile with its new Eldorado, which too was a front-wheel drive personal luxury coupe. Like all American cars at this time, the Toronado received yearly facelifts. For 1967, much-needed front disk brakes were added to the option list, while a new 7.5-litre engine good for as much as 400 bhp was adopted in 1968. Despite this increase in displacement and power the Toronado was being gradually shifted away from performances in favor of luxury alone. It was built until the end of the 1970 model-year, when a brand new “Toro” hit the market.

About the model

Model: Oldsmobile Toronado
Year: 1966
Maker: unknown
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: definitely a Del Prado model, but curiously sold in a box by Universal Hobbies, from its "Eagle's Race" series. Could it be a production overrun by Del Prado which was taken over by Universal Hobbies, or more simply a mismatch between the model and its box?
Acquired: seemingly brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Correctly made, at least when compared with other Del Prado models. The Italian company did well in chosing this particular car to reproduce, as its body is relatively simple and not as heavily ornate than other American automobiles of the era, thus limiting the risk of having it botched when reproduced in scale. Fitting standard blackwall tyres instead of the too-often-seen whitewalls is also welcomed. On the other hand its main problem concerns the wipers which have been molded with the windshield, instead of being separate parts. However, affordable reproductions of American cars are scarce in 1:43, so let's be content with this one, which is well worth a 12/20 rating.