Alpine A108

A little history

Many artisans sprung up in France during the Fifties, with a large part of them producing nimble sports cars. Such a trend was favoured by the availability in the country of two small production engines that were excellent bases for racing preparation, the flat-twin Panhard and the Renault 4CV’s inline four. None of these companies, some of them only enjoying a brief existence, was more successful than Alpine.

We have already seen how Jean Rédélé, Alpine’s founder, created the A106. By the late decade some more modern cars had been introduced, while the 4CV’s, from which the A106 drew most of its parts, had been joined in Renault’s range by the Dauphine. Rédélé’s logical step was to commission a new car based on Renault’s newest popular car, calling it the A108.

Alpine’s very limited production at the time allowed great flexibility, but is an automotive historian’s nightmare today. Hardly two cars were alike, and even the switch from the A106 to the A108 was gradual. Therefore, the very first A108s, introduced during the 1959 Paris motor show, were hardly different from the A106s they replaced. They enjoyed some technical refinements but overall looked similar. Still, the final A108’s design was already in embryo, in the form of specially-bodied A106 prototypes presented over the years. The first “true” A108 appeared in 1960, surprisingly not during a motor show, but on the starting grid of a racing event. For the Tour de France, Alpine had developed a special A108 coupe, the fastback “berlinette”, which proved a success and was immediately nicknamed “Tour de France”.

The 1960 A108 Tour de France now had all the characteristics of what is today perceived as a classic Alpine. A central tubular backbone supported a small Renault inline four, set at the extreme rear of the car, and a fiberglass body that was sealed into place. This arrangement made the A108 incredibly light: the car would only weigh in the vicinity of 580 kilos.

The A108 was good enough, but its concept was soon further refined into the mythical A110. For a time both models were produced, but the berlinette version of the older car retired in 1963. The A108 nonetheless survived in two forms. First was a 2+2 coupe, introduced in 1961, which enjoyed a lengthened platform and a different body. Designed by Chappe & Gessalin, a coachbuilder associated with Alpine since its very beginnings, but which would soon develop its own sports car, the Alpine-inspired but Simca-powered C.G., the A108 2+2 had odd proportions and seemed out of balance. Performances were comparatively disappointing, and the 2+2 was often seen as a lady’s car. It was produced in limited quantities until 1965, though a much more elegant GT4 had been added long before. The second A108 survivor was built in faraway Brazil as the Willys Interlagos, available in a full range of berlinette, coupe and convertible models. Though the American company had concentrated on Jeeps and trucks in its homeland, its local subsidiary was still building road cars, among them an updated version of the Aero sedan and, starting in 1960, a Renault Dauphine built under license. In 1961, Willys clinched another contract for the soon-to-be-discontinued A108, to be constructed in the Americas as the Interlagos after the famous local circuit. If I’m not mistaking – our Brazilian friends may correct me if I’m wrong – this license owed much to “Bino” Heins, a young local pilot who was killed a few years later at Le Mans while driving an Alpine, and his father, the brand’s local importer.

About the models

Three models today… but none of the most obvious A108 berlinette type!

Model: Alpine A108
Year: 1959
Maker: Eligor
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.29 of its Alpine & Renault Sportives press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2011, in Souillac, France

The model itself is nicely done and correctly assembled, but the paint job is a complete disgrace. For this reason I’ll limit my rating to 9/20, though with a nicer paint it could have been much higher. Interestingly, this doesn’t to be an isolated problem for Eligor, as I already complained about the poor quality of the A106 convertible.







Model: Alpine A108 Coupé 2+2
Year: 1961
Maker: Universal Hobbies
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: M6 as no.52 of its Renault Collection press series
Acquired: new with neither box nor stand (probably a production overrun or quality control reject), in January 2007, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Overall proportions and respect of scale are correct, but could have been better. Many separate parts have been fitted by Universal Hobbies. At any rate the model is more good-looking than the original, arguably the ugliest Alpine ever produced. My rating is 12/20.











Model: Willys Interlagos
Year: 1964
Event: 1964 Brasília 12 Hours, driven by Emerson Fittipaldi (finished 2nd overall)
Maker: Eligor
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.8 of its Alpine & Renault Sportives press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2007, in Souillac, France

Basically Eligor’s A108 fitted with a different paint; as Axel’R’s version of the very same car is noticeably dissimilar (see this limited edition – 50 pieces only – collectible on our friend Tohmé’s excellent blog), and though I never saw a picture of the original vehicle, I suspect that Eligor’s budget version doesn’t mind much for accuracy. I’ll give a 11/20 to this otherwise nicely made model.

Simca Vedette

A little history

By the early Fifties, discussions were easy between Simca and Ford. To cope with the new Aronde’s success, Simca wanted to increase its industrial capacities and develop its range. Ford S.A.F., the French subsidiary of the American giant, was willing to sell its large and modern Poissy plant, complete with the right to manufacture its range of V8 saloons and trucks. The deal was signed in 1954.

Simca’s new top-of-the-line model was the Vedette. The first generation Vedette had been produced since only 1948 but its bulbous body was now totally out of fashion. A few months before the agreement, Ford therefore introduced its second-generation Vedette, a large, chromed, slightly finned saloon which unmistakeably had a Ford look. Engine was again a V8, displacing 2.4 litres for 80 hp. The ride was as soft as could be expected from an American ersatz, while the gas consumption was, well, consequent...

Simca was all too happy with its new model. Though of Italian origins itself, it is interesting to see how the company maintained an American approach to this particular range, revising its models every year as was the habit across the Atlantic, adding more chrome, extending the fins, creating several lines with different names depending on their equipment, adding an estate presented as a luxury rather than utilitarian vehicle and, soon, going as far as introducing one of the only Continental kits ever seen in Europe!

Originally, the Vedette, sold as the plain Trianon, the fancier Versailles and the luxury Régence, sold rather well, appreciated by those who wanted a trendy American car without paying the hefty prices asked for the genuine thing. The roomy and well-appointed estate, called Marly, was introduced in 1956. Though the lack of an automatic gearbox was the only American touch that was absent from the car, a semi-automatic contraption was proposed as an option from 1957. Actually, the only real concern about the car regarded its brakes: the size of the wheels having been reduced to a small 13 inches, the surface of the drums was too limited for them to be truly efficient.

Nineteen fifty-seven was indeed a busy one for the Vedette. A heavily reworked car was being prepared, and was introduced at the Paris motor show in October. The cars were now christened Ariane 8, Beaulieu and Chambord. With new, tall rear wings, panoramic windshield, chromes all around, Dagmar-fitted bumpers and flashy two-tone paint, the Chambord was as American as Simca could make it. Nonetheless, an event had occurred a few months before that would change the car’s career.

A few months before, Great Britain and France partnered in a military plan set up to recover the Suez canal, which had just been nationalized by Nasser. Along the way, they garnered the help of the Israelis. The operation was a complete success, a few days being enough to grab back from the Egyptians this strategic passage between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. On the diplomatic stage though, this was another matter. Fearing that an increased communist influence in the region would be the outcome of the operation, the United States disavowed its allies. Ironically condemned by both Washington and Moscow, the Anglo-French task force, though victorious, had to withdraw. Triumphant, Nasser blockaded the canal by blowing up the ships seized while travelling through it.

So, what this all has to do with the Vedette, could you ask. Well, the closure of the Suez canal effectively deprived Europe from most of its much needed fuel, provided for the major part by oil fields recently discovered in the Gulf. With gasoline prices taking a steep rise and sales regulated by coupons in France, gas-guzzlers as the Vedette were facing hard days. Simca cleverly reacted by immediately introducing the Ariane, a model which combined the Vedette’s large body with the Aronde’s economical 1.3-litre four. This makeshift model encountered an instant success, while the sales of the V8-powered Simcas collapsed. Despite the introduction in 1959 of a truly automatic transmission, Simca’s “Rush-Matic”, and the addition of a luxurious Présidence (leather interior, glass separation between front and rear seats, telephone, and the above-mentioned Continental kit), nothing helped, so Simca subsequently gave up all efforts towards its Vedette in order to concentrate on more saleable models. The last Vedette was built in 1961, while the Ariane was retained for two more years. No successor was given to the Vedette, while the 1300/1500 followed the Ariane as Simca’s new top-of-the-line – a more modest car perhaps, but sold in much larger numbers!

It has to be noted that Vedettes were assembled in two countries outside France: by Chrysler in Australia, inaugurating a cooperation between the two companies that would last until the American corporation took over the French company, and, as our Brazilian friends shall know, in their own country, as late as 1969 as the restyled Simca Esplanada – a strange mix of Mopar’s Sixties-style front grille and rear ends, sandwiching a typically Ford central section dating back from the Fifties...

About the models

Model: Ford Versailles
Year: 1955
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.28 of its Nos Chères Voitures d'Antan press series
Acquired: brand new, in March 2005, in Souillac, France

A nice and rather accurate model. I think it’s fair to allow it a 13/20 rating.





Model: Simca Régence
Year: 1957
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.21 of its Les Belles Années Simca press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2007, in Souillac, France

Another correct model by Ixo, though unfortunately betrayed by ugly wheels. My rating is 11/20.







Model: Simca Chambord
Year: 1958
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.41 of its Nos Chères Voitures d'Antan press series
Acquired: brand new, in October 2005, in Souillac, France

Good model with a nice paint but few separate parts - door handles and various decorations are moulded with the body then painted. But my main reproach is actually the fact that it has apparently been modeled from a collector’s car and features some elements (front position lights and hubcaps) that belong to different model years and are therefore incompatible. My rating is 12/20.







Model: Simca Présidence
Year: 1958
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.2 of its Les Belles Années Simca press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

A very nice model, and my favourite Vedette when I was a child. Simca intended the car for businessmen and ministers. The latter almost never rode in it, preferring the Citroën DS. My rating is a good 14/20.





Model: Simca Ariane
Year: 1959
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.6 of its Les Belles Années Simca press series
Acquired: second hand with stand and box, in October 2007, through mail from a fellow collector from Rouziers de Touraine, France

Perhaps riding a little too low but otherwise very acceptable and worth 12/20.





Model: Simca Vedette Présidentielle
Year: 1959
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.16 of its Les Belles Années Simca press series
Acquired: second hand with stand and box, in October 2007, through mail from a fellow collector from Rouziers de Touraine, France

Nice and impressive version of the presidential parade car based on the Vedette, though some details such as the tricolore perched onto the bonnet somewhat lack finesse. Seldom used by the presidency as General de Gaulle disliked its American style, it nonetheless carried president Kennedy on his visit to Paris. My rating is 13/20.





Model: Simca Marly
Year: 1960
Maker: Eligor
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Atlas as no.11 of its Les petits utilitaires des années 50-60 series
Acquired: second hand with neither stand nor box, in October 2007, in Brive, France

Details can seem rather symbolic but that isn’t without reason, as Eligor is producing this die-cast from the moulds used by Norev to produce a plastic version of the same car during the Sixties. Having this car makes me very happy as I had the original Norev when I was a child - that is, until I unfortunately stepped onto it... To modern standards, this car is probably not worth more than 9/20, but once again, this is the reproduction of an old toy which, in its times, was splendid.

Citroën Type H

Though by the Fifties Citroën had given up the first rank among French vehicles manufacturers in favour of Renault, there’s rarely a French movie from that era in which you don’t spot either a 2CV, a Traction Avant or a Type H van in the background – all Citroën products. Today we’ll discuss about the latter.

A little history

We have seen how Renault hid the studies of its 4CV from the Germans during World War Two; Citroën did the same and discreetly developed both the 2CV and the Type H. Though the little passenger car existed as pre-series models even before the conflict, the Type H was studied from 1942 on. Design was supervised by engineer Pierre Franchiset, which followed CEO Pierre Boulanger’s instructions: a simple vehicle, cheap to build and to operate, that would use as many existing components as could be. The resulting van looked as a wheeled box made of corrugated metal, a choice made because of the possibility it offered of building a rigid monocoque body out of thin sheets of metal. The Type H carried over all of the TUB’s characteristics: front wheel drive, cab-over design, independent suspension, unibody construction, lateral sliding door for loading and unloading, etc.

When first unveiled at the Paris motor show in October 1947, the Type H was using the 1.9-litre four-cylinder engine from the Traction Avant 11CV, and was rated at 1.200 kilograms of cargo. The very first Citroën vans had to wait until June 1948 to be available to the public. Most of these brand-new Type Hs were painted grey, and this colour would remain, by far, the most common throughout the vehicle’s lifetime.

The Type H remained basically unchanged for thirty-four years. Various wheelbases, an elevated-top van, diesel-powered variants became available, but the basic H, later called HY, was virtually identical until December 1981, when the very last one left the factory. Almost half a million had been built, quite a feat for a commercial vehicle.

About the models

Model: Citroën H
Year: c.1957
Maker: Norev
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.46 of its Police et Gendarmerie press series
Acquired: brand new, in July 2006, in Brive, France





Model: Citroën H
Year: 1958
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.37 of its Nos Chères Voitures d'Antan press series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2006, in Souillac, France







Model: Citroën H
Year: c.1958
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.2 of its Nos Chères Camionnettes d'Antan press series
Acquired: second hand with stand and box, in October 2007, through mail from a fellow collector from Rouziers de Touraine, France





Model: Citroën H
Year: c.1958
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.5 of its Michelin press series
Acquired: brand new, in November 2007, in Souillac, France





Model: Citroën H
Year: c.1958
Maker: Eligor
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Atlas as no.21 of its Les petits utilitaires des années 50-60 series
Acquired: second hand with neither stand nor box, in October 2007, in Brive, France







Model: Citroën HY
Year: 1964
Maker: Universal Hobbies
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Atlas as no.2 of its Véhicules postaux d'hier et d'aujourd'hui press series
Acquired: brand new, in April 2007, in Souillac, France





Model: Citroën HY
Year: c.1964
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as a gift to subscribers of its Nos Chères Voitures d'Antan press series
Acquired: brand new, in April 2004, through subscription in France





Model: Citroën HY
Year: c.1964
Maker: Norev
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.1 of its Police et Gendarmerie press series
Acquired: brand new, in August 2004, in Brive, France

Renault 4CV

After the rebadged thing, here is the original.

A little history

Designed during the war, the Renault 4CV became the symbol of the return of peace and prosperity. It also was the first really popular French car, giving access to motorization to the country’s working class which up to then had to content itself with motorcycles and bicycles. As a matter of fact the 4CV became the first French car to be produced in more than a million copies.

In 1940, the German invaders put their hands on virtually all of the French industrial facilities. Renault was a jewel among the booty. Not only was it the second automobile manufacturer in the country after Citroën, it was one of the main trucks producers, and was heavily involved in aeronautics (the company had built aircraft engines since the birth of aviation and had bought airplane manufacturer Caudron during the late Thirties) and armoured vehicles (Renault was a main tank producer since the introduction of the FT17, the first modern tank, back in the Great War). From then on, Renault had no other choice than support the Third Reich’s war effort.

Nonetheless, as soon as 1940 the company’s designing team started to imagine what a postwar Renault would look like. Working in utter secrecy, far from the preying eyes of the Germans, the engineers were able to produce a prototype in December 1942. After miraculously escaping from an Allied air raid which flattened most of the Billancourt factory, the car was able to undertake its first discreet road tests shortly after New Year’s Day, 1943.

A very compact car, the 4CV prototype was a rounded two-door saloon built in aluminium. It was fitted with a rear-mounted four displacing 760 cc and, despite its modest output, the lightweight car can achieve a correct level of performance. Many have noted a strong resemblance with the Volkswagen Beetle which, considering the Renault Juvaquatre-Opel Olympia connection, was probably not a coincidence.

Several prototypes saw light during the long and difficult development of the car, which had to be suspended every time the German officials supervising the factory suspected anything. The main evolution of the 4CV during this period was the addition of two more doors, making it a tiny (3.66 meters long) but practical car. When this last prototype, now very close to the production model, appeared in November 1945, the war was then over. Many changes had taken place at Renault, the new French authorities, eager to grab the huge factories of the manufacturer, having thrown into jail its founder Louis Renault, charged with collaboration with the enemy. The old man had the good taste of dying while behind bars, allowing the government to make its plans come true. Well, he was actually helped by the poor sanitary conditions within the prison and the regular beatings of the wardens. Indeed, the circumstances in which was born what was to become the pride of the French state-owned industry for many decades to come was tantamount to murder.

The 4CV was ready for production in 1946 but, by that time, the company was still rebuilding its widely-destroyed factory, so the launch had to be postponed. Despite being formally introduced during the Paris motor show in October 1946, no 4CV could be produced before August 1947. Nonetheless, it became the first brand-new car thrown to avid French motorists since the end of the conflict, easily beating the Citroën 2CV, still under development despite being on the Javel’s drawing boards since the late Thirties. The head of the newly-formed Régie Nationale des Usines Renault (RNUR), Pierre Lefaucheux, insisting on concentrating all efforts on a single model, the 4CV became the only passenger car produced by the company, another wartime project for a large, American-styled 11CV saloon being abandoned, except for its roomy estate variant that would be introduced as the Colorale.

Despite a tricky handling due to a combination of a heavy tail, a very direct steering and a sensibility to crosswind, the 4CV immediately seduced most people thanks to its low price and the practicality of its four doors. Having not seen a new car in years, the French public didn’t mind either if the very first 4CVs, owing to the take-over by Renault of large stocks of paint abandoned by the German army in retreat, were only available in Afrikakorps sable or Wehrmacht kaki green…

Success immediately greeted the 4CV’s introduction. Some new models were progressively introduced, such as the “découvrable” (convertible saloon) or the “commerciale” (commercial saloon loaded and unloaded through the rear doors, as a hatchback couldn’t be added to the rear-engine car). Another evolution was the replacement of the original R1060 type (760 cc, 17 hp) by the R1062 (747 cc, 21 hp). As you probably noticed the newer version received a smaller engine than its predecessor, a rare occurrence as engines are generally enlarged as time goes by. The reason was that the 4CV’s block had found a huge popularity in motor racing, and the new R1062 engine allowed competing in the 750 cc class, in which the car soon had no worthy competitor. A version specially designed for racing, the R1063, was even created. With 35 hp, the R1063’s road version could reach 120 kph, but a track-prepared R1063 would be good for 140 kph. Still, when Renault decided to enter a large factory team in the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours, it would take brave men to drive such cars which, rushing through the night at this pace on the Mulsanne straight, could be rammed at any time by Jaguars, Ferraris or Talbots going at almost twice this speed…

By the early Fifties, the 4CV had been improved to such an extent it wouldn’t evolve much for the remainder of its career. A huge success within France, it started attracting interest abroad. Renault’s Spanish branch Fasa launched its automobile production in 1951 with the 4CV. Hino built it under licence in Japan from 1953. Large quantities were exported in the whole of Latin America and, more surprisingly, in North America. Another large export market for the tiny Renault was Australia.

The 4CV was extremely popular as a base for many a little manufacturer constructing small series of special coupes or convertibles. A few among them were Alpine, V.P., Rosier or Autobleu. It was also adopted as a patrol car by the Parisian police. Such cars were soon nicknamed “voitures-pies” because of their paintjob (“pie” means magpie in French, so the expression is quite similar the English “Panda car”). A voiture-pie would receive special doors allowing for quick exit, a two-way radio set and a 30 hp engine.

Though an electromagnetic “Ferlec” clutch, purchased from Ferodo, was available as an option from 1956, and an improved heater introduced two years later solved one of the car’s main problem, the 4CV wouldn’t change much as Renault’s attention now focused on the new Dauphine, a larger rear-engine saloon. The very last 4CV was built as late as in July 1961, when it was succeeded by the ground-breaking hatchback, the Renault 4.

About the models

A big “s” at the end of the word “model”, as there are plenty of them this time!

Model: Renault 4CV R1060
Year: 1947
Maker: Eligor
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.1 of its 4CV Renault press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2008, in Souillac, France

Eligor designed this scale model of the 4CV well enough, though nothing about it is truly extraordinary. Unfortunately the manufacturing’s standard of quality is far from great. I’ll give 11/20 to this model.





Model: Renault 4CV R1062
Year: 1950
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.1 of its Nos Chères Voitures d'Antan press series
Acquired: second hand with stand but without box, in December 2008, in Brive, France

A nice 4CV overall but lacking in details. My remark about the door handles is obviously the same that the one I made about Ixo’s Hino, built with the same mould. Pleasant but probably not worth more than 12/20.







Model: Renault 4CV R1063
Year: 1951
Event: 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by François Landon and André Briat (finished 24th overall, class winners)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.59 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2006, in Souillac, France

Certainly an original car, though unfortunately Ixo doesn’t reproduce any other Le Mans 4CV than this one. My rating is 12/20.





Model: Renault 4CV Commerciale
Year: c.1952
Maker: Eligor
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Atlas as no.26 of its Les petits utilitaires des années 50-60 series
Acquired: second hand with neither stand nor box, in October 2007, in Brive, France

It’s basically a poor-quality 4CV with a “BIC” decal glued to it. Fine, there are many collectors of commercial vehicles out there, but are they gullible enough to buy such a model car? (I mean, to buy it new at 22.50 euros - I got mine for 2 euros, and I would have had regrets if I had spent more.) My rating is 7/20.





Model: Renault 4CV Découvrable
Year: 1952
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.68 of its Nos Chères Voitures d'Antan press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Souillac, France

The open roof revealing a pleasant dashboard and the (uncomfortable) seats of the 4CV allows to distract from the flaws of the Ixo reproduction of the little Renault. My rating is this time a good 13/20.





Model: Renault 4CV Commerciale
Year: 1954
Maker: Solido
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Solido, “Pompiers” series
Acquired: brand new, in February 2004, in Brive, France

A simple reproduction, Solido-style some would say. It suffers from the very low ground clearance which totally changes the appearance of the car, and the absence of any decal on the registration plates. My rating is 8/20.





Model: Renault 4CV
Year: 1955
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.66 of its Taxis du Monde press series
Acquired: brand new, c.October 2004, in Souillac, France

Ixo reproduced its 4CV as a Tunis taxi, not only changing the decoration but altering its mould to represent the new, simpler front grille introduced in 1954. Sympathetic, though not necessarily indispensible: 12/20.





Model: Renault 4CV “Voiture-Pie”
Year: 1956
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as a subscribers’ gift to its Nos Chères Voitures d'Antan press series
Acquired: brand new, in March 2004, through subscription in Souillac, France

A rather pleasing rendition of a Paris voiture-pie. Ixo correctly reproduced the front side windows, which present an overhang over the cut-out doors - a detail I never noticed on pictures of the real car until I got this model - and enlarged the rear window. My rating is 13/20.





Model: Renault 4CV “Voiture-Pie”
Year: 1956
Maker: Eligor
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Atlas as no.3 of its Les petits utilitaires des années 50-60 series
Acquired: second hand with neither stand nor box, in October 2007, in Brive, France

Same car, different reproduction. Eligor’s mould is older and this cannot be hidden. Many omitted details and several mistakes justify a 6/20 rating.





Model: Renault 4CV “Voiture-Pie”
Year: 1956
Maker: Eligor
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.2 of its 4CV Renault press series
Acquired: brand new, in January 2008, in Souillac, France

Eligor again, but this time with a brand-new mould. Following the popularity of the voiture-pie among Paris policemen, the tiny principalty of Monaco wanted the same car for its own constabulary. Here is the result, reproduced well enough to deserve a 13/20.