BMW V12 LM and LMR

A little history

Though the association of BMW and Williams’ names is more reminiscent of Formula One than endurance racing, the two companies’ cooperation indeed started with the construction of a sportscar. It was called the V12 LM – the combination of a Williams chassis and a BMW engine, a 6.0-litre similar to the blocks that had powered the McLaren GTs. BMW wouldn’t run its own cars, delegating this task to Schnitzer instead. Poor reliability due to deficient engineering and imperfect aerodynamics caused a rout during the LM’s only race, the 1998 Le Mans 24 Hours. BMW immediately abandoned the car, deciding the return only when an improved machine would be ready.

This new car appeared for 1999, as the V12 LMR. After a successful outing at Sebring, the Schnitzer team concentrated on Le Mans. This time, BMW was victorious, its very first win in the Sarthe as a constructor despite its long history.

In 2000, BMW’s involvement in Formula One as an engine manufacturer brought the Bavarian company to scale down its endurance racing’s program. Its efforts were limited to the American Le Mans Series, where the LMR now faced an implacable opponent: the new Audi R8. At the end of a meagre season, the BMW spyders were retired for good.

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

About the model

Model: BMW V12 LMR
Year: 1999
Event: 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Joachim Winkelhock, Pierluigi Martini and Yannick Dalmas (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.29 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Souillac, France

Alfa Romeo 1900

A little history

With its 1900 model, Alfa Romeo turned the page of the low-volume, handmade automobiles and entered the era of mass production. Appearing at exactly the right time, the 1900 probably saved Alfa from an otherwise inescapable fate: would they have had such a car to produce, most probably companies such as Hotchkiss or Salmson would still be around today.

The 1900 was designed as a replacement to the pre-war 6C-2500 model. After a prototype was unveiled at the Turin motor show in May 1950, further development was needed and the production model wasn’t introduced to the press before early October. A few days later, the new car was officially launched during the Paris motor show.

A rather modern vehicle, the 1900 featured an elegant though conventional pontoon body. The car had been designed as a monocoque, but despite the lack of a separate chassis many coachbuilders would present special bodies based on this car during its lifetime. A brand new 1.9-litre twin cam four had been created for the 1900. Fitted with alloy cylinder heads, it was rated at 80 bhp, enough to make the new Alfa Romeo, with its 165 kph top speed, a worthy heir to all its pre-war ancestors. Transmission was unsurprisingly to the rear wheels through a 4-speed manual gearbox. Suspension was independent at the front, while a live axle had been fitted at the rear.

Initially available only as a saloon, the 1900 saw several other models appearing from 1951 on. During that year, Alfa Romeo presented a shorter 1900C chassis which was used by Touring to develop a Sprint coupe and by Pininfarina to design a Spyder convertible. Though only these two models were sold through Alfa Romeo dealerships, many other creations were based on the 1900C, usually signed by Zagato, Ghia, Bertone or Boano. More powerful versions were also added, starting with the 100 bhp “TI”, later followed by the 2.0-litre Super and TI Super.

A car bearing the Alfa Romeo name should race, and the 1900 was no exception. Apart from standard saloons and coupes raced by private entrants, the most noteworthy model was the Disco Volante, a Touring design officially named 1900C 52. Juan Manuel Fangio drove a Disco Volante to second place during the 1953 Mille Miglia. If I’m not mistaking that should be the year in which the great Argentinean hid to its mechanics the little problem he had to deal with – when the steering wheel was turned, only one front wheel would move…

Other special 1900s included the BAT prototypes by Bertone, research vehicles designed with best aerodynamics in mind, and their complete contrary, the Matta four-wheel-drive jeep using the engine and a few mechanical parts from the 1900.

Production of the 1900 lasted until 1959, when it was succeeded by the Alfa Romeo 2000.

It has to be mentioned that the 1900 was produced under licence by two other carmakers: the agonizing Imperia in Belgium in 1953 and 1954, and by Kaiser’s Argentinean branch as the IKA Bergantin, the latter being powered by less-noble Willys engines.

About the model

Model: Alfa Romeo 1900 SS Zagato
Year: 1954
Event: 1956 Mille Miglia, driven by Paolo Lena (finished 36th)
Maker: unknown
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.38 of its Alfa Romeo Sport Collection press series
Acquired: new with neither box nor stand (probably a production overrun or quality control reject), in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Though its wire wheels look a too much plastic-like, this is otherwise a very acceptable model deserving a 12/20.

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

A little history

Ferrari’s 2+2 coupe, the 456, was withdrawn from production in 2004, and replaced by the 612 Scaglietti. Despite being a real 4-seater, the 612 could offer very high performances – including a 315 kph top speed and only 4.2 seconds from 0 to 100 khp – thanks to its V12 inherited from the Maranello, a 5.7-litre block rated at 540 hp. Transmission was to the rear wheels through a 6-speed gearbox, either manual or semi-automatic. Body styling was co-authored by Frank Stephenson, Ferrari’s in-house designer, and its traditional partner Pininfarina, reportedly inspired by a special 375 MM built during the Fifties. Not only the passenger compartment had been enlarged in order to comfortably accommodate the car’s occupants, the front section had been elongated to such an extent that, in my opinion, made the car’s profile terribly unbalanced.

Another nostalgic touch, the name of the new model was intended to celebrate both the 612, the late Sixties Can-Am spyder, and the coachbuilder Scaglietti, which regularly collaborated with Ferrari since the Fifties and was actually given the task of producing its namesake’s bodies.

The 612 Scaglietti is still currently in production.

About the model

Model: Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
Year: 2004
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.49 of its Ferrari Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in April 2007, in Souillac, France

A model good enough to be given a 13/20 rating.

Austin 1800 and 2200 (ADO 17)

A little history

Shortly before the merger that would create the unfortunate British Leyland conglomerate, BMC was still a very successful carmaker. The company had released the Mini, then the 1100, two very strong sellers on the home market and, at least for the former, in foreign lands. BMC’s staff supposed that the basic recipes which had make these cars the hits they were could be applied throughout the range. This is how the ADO 17 was born.

The larger family saloons offered by BMC had been rather conventional up to then. When introduced, the ADO 17 proposed an incredibly roomy passenger compartment - thanks to the fact that it had all four wheels pushed to its corners -, front-wheel-drive and Hydrolastic suspension. Even with the help of Pininfarina, Alec Issigonic seems to have struggled to make the car presentable: it appeared as a ridiculously outgrown Mini, not exactly the kind of things BMC’s conservative customers wanted to be seen riding in.

The ADO 17 was unveiled in September 1964 as the 4-cylinder Austin 1800 and 6-cylinder Austin 2200. Despite its many qualities (comfort, handling, extreme structural rigidity), the car’s look played against it. While the Austin 1800 received the coveted European Car of the Year award in 1965, its sales were disappointing and it soon gained the ungraceful nickname “landcrab”.

Morris stuck for a time to the conventional Oxford model, but an ADO 17-based replacement was scheduled for it too. It appeared in 1966 as the Morris 1800 and 2200. During the following year, the Wolseley 18/85 and Six were launched, featuring higher quality standards and the traditional Wolseley front grille, but few other differences whatsoever. An automobile’s development spanning years, BMC was the victim of its programs’ inertia and the same mistakes were repeated again in the 3-Litre, its new top-of-the-line saloon presented at the London motor show in October 1967. Despite the fact that it retained a traditional rear-wheel-drive transmission, the 3-Litre inherited the central section of the ADO 17 and its Hydrolastic suspension arrangement – it ended in complete disaster and was soon removed from the market.

Another failure was to adapt the car to the Australasian market. After producing a virtually unchanged ADO 17 in Australia, two heavily modified Austin Tasman and Morris Kimberley were introduced in 1970. Unsurprisingly, the technologically refined cars couldn’t do much in a country which liked antiquated, American-style gas-guzzlers. These models disappeared in 1974, shortly before the British company’s Australian operations were definitely closed down.

If the luxury 3-Litre had been scuttled early on, BMC didn’t have such an easy way out with its more mainstream ADO 17. The company did what it could to improve the car, facelifting it in 1968 (Mark II version), adding further modifications in 1972 (Mark III), and trying to address the quality problems that were beginning to plague the British motor industry. All its efforts were to no avail. The whole ADO 17 range was retired in March 1975, when the wedge-shaped Princess on which rested most of BLMC’s hopes was introduced.

About the models

Model: Austin 1800 Mark II
Year: 1968
Maker: Corgi
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Vanguards
Acquired: brand new, in February 2008, in Manila, Philippines.

A very acceptable model of the Austin 1800. Rear lights are simply painted, but it’s so nicely done that no one will probably mind. The front end’s rendition is excellent. A Vanguards’ touch is the photo-etched wipers, a rarity in this price range. My rating is 13/20.





Model: Austin 1800 Mark II
Year: 1968
Maker: Corgi
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Vanguards
Acquired: brand new, in August 2007, through a friend from Shanghai, China.

Same model as the above, with a different decoration: 13/20 again.

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.

Opel Kadett

A little history

After the name had been momentarily used before World War Two, the first modern Opel Kadett appeared in October 1962 as a boxy and very conventional popular car powered by a 1.0-litre engine. An instant success, the car appealing to the German motorists who wanted something else than the ubiquitous Volkswagen Beetle, this first-generation Kadett nonetheless didn’t last more than three years as, for model year 1966, a totally new Kadett was introduced. A lower, wider car, this new model extended the nameplate’s success to foreign markets. It also introduced a sporty Rallye version powered by a 1.9-litre, 106 hp engine.

The second-generation Kadett lasted much longer than the first, until it was replaced in 1973 by a modernized car carrying over most of its predecessor’s flair. The car’s success turned into a triumph when its production started all around the world, notably as the Vauxhall Chevette in England, the Isuzu Gemini in Japan, or the Chevrolet Chevette in the United States. The iconic Rallye was maintained in the range, and was joined by a new GT/E coupe.

The Kadett was at a crossroad when its fourth generation was unveiled in 1979. A compact and boxy front-wheel-drive hatchback, it was above all a family car devoid of any glamour. Though keeping the same character, the fifth and last Kadett, introduced in 1984, at least featured a pleasant styling, which was also one of the most aerodynamic of the time. It was built until 1991, when the Kadett was succeeded by the Astra.

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

About the model

Model: Opel Kadett GT/E
Year: 1975
Maker: Detail Cars
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Detail Cars, “Platinum” series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2005, in Manila, Philippines

Detail Cars produced this pleasing third-generation Kadett in its fastback coupe variant, both as a road car or a rally car. The moulds were taken over by Solido after the Italian brand’s demise. My rating is 13/20.