Post by 1961redlegs on Jun 19, 2024 19:00:40 GMT -5
Today I finished my latest project: a replica of the Maserati Harry Schell drove in the 1951 Swiss Grand Prix. The race, run on May 27, was the opener of the 1951 Formula One championship and plagued by rain showers throughout the contest. Schell qualified 17th and finished 12th, four laps behind race winner Juan Manuel Fangio.
Schell was the son of racing enthusiasts and was an early American grand prix driver. In the ‘50s and ‘60s several Americans ran in Formula One, with varying degrees of success. Schell was a talented driver and one of the most well-liked drivers in the paddock. He raced throughout the ‘50s and died in a crash practicing for the International Trophy race at Silverstone in 1960.
The car is an old Merit Maserati kit from the 1950s. The old Merit kits are pretty minimal in terms of detail, but the lines are good and it allowed me to scratchbuild an interior and suspension pieces to make it a little more accurate. The only things not from the kit are the interior frame, steering wheel, and wheels/tires.. The kit came with louvers that are raised instead of recessed as it would've been in real life. My way to resolve this was to have louver decals made by 3 Amigos decals (they also did the car numbers), which give the desired effect. The wheels/tires are from Fernando Pinto, the car is painted Tamiya Italian red, and the grille is painted with Revell chrome paint. All-in-all, it turned out well indeed. Thanks for looking!
Schell was the son of racing enthusiasts and was an early American grand prix driver. In the ‘50s and ‘60s several Americans ran in Formula One, with varying degrees of success. Schell was a talented driver and one of the most well-liked drivers in the paddock. He raced throughout the ‘50s and died in a crash practicing for the International Trophy race at Silverstone in 1960.
The car is an old Merit Maserati kit from the 1950s. The old Merit kits are pretty minimal in terms of detail, but the lines are good and it allowed me to scratchbuild an interior and suspension pieces to make it a little more accurate. The only things not from the kit are the interior frame, steering wheel, and wheels/tires.. The kit came with louvers that are raised instead of recessed as it would've been in real life. My way to resolve this was to have louver decals made by 3 Amigos decals (they also did the car numbers), which give the desired effect. The wheels/tires are from Fernando Pinto, the car is painted Tamiya Italian red, and the grille is painted with Revell chrome paint. All-in-all, it turned out well indeed. Thanks for looking!
