Schlesser Buggy

A little history

A nephew of the unfortunate Jo Schlesser, who was killed during his very first Formula One Grand Prix, Jean-Louis Schlesser made himself known first on racing tracks. As his uncle, he even appeared in Formula One at a rather ripe old age, making himself famous during the only race he actually started (the 1988 Italian Grand Prix) for a mishap with race leader Ayrton Senna. Schlesser was much more successful in endurance racing, where he clinched two world championships in 1989 end 1990.

Nonetheless Schlesser had already had an attempt in the Paris-Dakar race by then. From 1989 he became a regular competitor and, after giving up his race tracks activities, decided to compete with his very own machine starting in 1992.

Schlesser didn’t make things easy for himself, choosing to build a buggy. This type of cars had often been entered in the Dakar in the past, but all attempts had ended in complete failure. The pilot-constructor’s original approach was to design a vehicle which light weight would allow being competitive with no more than a two-wheel-drive transmission. Furthermore, Schlesser would be alone on board, assuming the functions of both the pilot and navigator (he would later revert to a more traditional division of tasks). Though he was able to record some early wins in a few rally-raids, his regular entries in the extremely difficult Paris-Dakar were, for several years, said to be courageous but doomed to failure.

His first major success came in 1998, when his regularity brought him a world title in rally-raid racing – he would retain the crown until 2002. A victory in the Dakar finally stopped eluding him in 1999. The bold approach of the stubborn Schlesser had finally paid off and, even better, the Frenchman would renew his victory in 2000.

Today, Jean-Louis Schlesser’s little team is still active in rally-raids, though its heydays seem over. Actually, after being powered by Porsche (1992-94) and Seat (1995-96), the buggy’s brighter days date back to the cooperation with Renault (1997-2002), which PRV V6 was both powerful and reliable. After a switch to Ford engines in 2003, results significantly dropped and, furthermore, an apparent partiality of the FIA towards large, money-laden factory teams at the expense of the smaller outfits played against Schlesser.

About the models

We could have so many more models if the little game between die-cast manufacturers wasn’t to copy each others!

Model: Schlesser Mégane Buggy
Year: 2000
Event: 2000 Paris-Dakar Rally, driven by Jean-Louis Schlesser, navigator Henri Magne (overall winners)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.31 of its 100 Ans de Sport Automobile press series
Acquired: second hand with stand but without box, in December 2008, in Brive, France

Altaya distributed this Ixo-made model a few years ago through one of its early series. Competition was scarce back then and standards of quality were therefore low, so this die-cast could seem a little crude by today’s standards. My rating is 11/20.







Model: Schlesser Mégane Buggy
Year: 2000
Event: 2000 Paris-Dakar Rally, driven by Jean-Louis Schlesser, navigator Henri Magne (overall winners)
Maker: Norev
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: M6 as no.11 of its La Légende du Paris-Dakar press series
Acquired: brand new, in June 2006, in Souillac, France

When M6 started its own “Dakar” collection, imitating De Agostini which had already done the same on the Italian market, several of the models provided by Norev were similar to the ones already sold by Altaya (we’ll see some others in later posts). Though roughly identical, they enjoy a few improvements here and there, justifying a slightly higher 13/20.











Model: Schlesser Mégane Buggy
Year: 2000
Event: 2000 Paris-Dakar Rally, driven by Jean-Louis Schlesser, navigator Henri Magne (overall winners)
Maker: Bburago
Scale: 1/26
Distributed by: Bburago
Acquired: second hand with neither stand nor box, in December 2011, in Brive, France

A simple but sympathetic model of this car at a larger scale. My rating is 11/20.

Peugeot 405

A little history

The Peugeot 405 was introduced in July 1987 for the 1988 model year. An upper-middle range saloon, it used the platform and the engines of the Citroën BX, but adopted the much tamer appearance the more traditional patrons of Peugeot enjoy. Classic elegance is indeed a Peugeot trademark, and the 405, as most cars proposed by the Sochaux manufacturer before and after it, was designed by Pininfarina. Though an estate version was proposed for model year 1989, the envisioned coupe never materialized in other form than the Paris-Dakar racing version. A Pininfarina coupe based on the mid-size Peugeot had therefore to wait until the 406 was released.

Though the 405 was an instant hit both with the public and the press, the latter awarding it the European Car of the Year prize for 1988, the Paris-Dakar race did a lot to boost the sales even further. Taking over from the 205, a 405 Turbo 16 won the difficult race in both 1989 and 1990, before PSA’s standard in rally-raid racing was grasped by Citroën.

The sign of success, the 405 seldom evolved over the years. Most important than any other, a new turbocharged, four-wheel-drive T16 version topped the range starting with model year 1993. With 200 hp, the T16 could reach 235 kph and accelerate from 0-60 in 6.5 seconds – not bad for what was basically a family car.

In October 1995, the Peugeot 406 was unveiled, and the production of the 405 saloons was immediately suspended. In pure Peugeot fashion, a 406 estate appeared only later, so the 405 estates carried on until 1997. Two and a half millions 405 had been built, but was that really all? Many factories around the world, but outside of Europe, were still building 405s. Most have stopped since then, but the car, now more than twenty years old, is still presently built in Iran, a country which has selected it as its new national car, succeeding the ubiquitous but outdated Paykan.

About the models

Model: Peugeot 405 Turbo 16
Year: 1989
Event: 1989 Paris-Dakar Rally, driven by Ari Vatanen, navigator Bruno Berglund (overall winners)
Maker: Norev
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: M6 as no.5 of its La Légende du Paris-Dakar press series
Acquired: second hand with stand and box, in November 2007, through mail from a fellow collector from Saint Doulchard, France

Simply looking at this fine model guarantees me many souvenirs from the great hours of the Paris-Dakar - enough to grant it a 14/20 rating!









Model: Peugeot 405 T16
Year: 1993
Maker: Norev
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.60 of its Collection Peugeot press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2008, in Souillac, France

A nice model that could have been even nicer if not for poor workmanship - the plague of the models Norev reserve for press series... I’d give 12/20.

Volkswagen Iltis

A little history

The VAG group answered the need expressed by the German army for a light four-wheel-drive vehicle by proposing the Typ 183 “Iltis”, an Audi but in name. Its engine was indeed a 1.7-litre Audi, as was the 4WD transmission that would soon find its way into the Quattro.

The Volkswagen Iltis competed with Mercedes-Benz for the lucrative market and, thanks to a lower price, clinched the deal with the military. Production started in 1978. Ironically, MB’s project, the G-Wagen, would enjoy a longer career and a much larger success than its rival.

The Iltis wasn’t a bad vehicle at all, but unfortunately, nobody apart from the German army really seemed to care. A few foreign countries bought handfuls of Iltis for their own soldiers, while the car’s launch on the civilian market proved a total flop despite the good publicity generated by a lucky win during the second Paris-Dakar rally in 1980. After fulfilling its last military contracts, VAG suspended the car’s production in 1988. Less than 10,000 had been built.

(This car’s history will be expanded in due time, please be patient.)

About the model

Model: Volkswagen Iltis
Year: 1980
Event: 1980 Paris-Dakar Rally, driven by Freddy Kottulinsky, navigator Gerd Löffelmann (overall winners)
Maker: Norev
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: M6 as no.4 of its La Légende du Paris-Dakar press series
Acquired: second hand with stand and box, in April 2007, in Brive, France

Though the wheels and the canvas top and doors have this unfortunate "plastic look" about them, Norev's Iltis is good-looking overall. Mirrors are delicately done and the many decals are well applied. As all other models of this series, the base is made of yellow plastic moulded into a piece of Saharian desert, a thoughtful detail. I'd give a 13/20 rating to this model.