By Will Silk Spark Models has been around for a little over a decade now, and recently the company released a 1:43 scale replica of Porsche’s all new GT3R Hybrid racing car. Selecting the GT3R Hybrid to model in 1:43 scale offers Porsche enthusiasts the opportunity to snatch what is probably the most technologically innovative car to ever emerge from the Stuttgart firm. The 997 GT3R Hybrid made its public … [Read more...]
Reviews of books, model cars and automobilia, plus stories and information about other automotive collectibles.
Ferrari, F1 and a Season on The Limit – Book Review
By Edward Lenahan Among the many reasons to read Michael Cannell’s newest novel “The Limit,” which accurately reanimates the 1961 Formula One world championship with sharp writing and fastidious research, none is so important or rare as the book’s honest portrayal of frailty in those too often romanticized as superhuman. It’s no secret that books and movies about auto racing have long suffered from a glut of … [Read more...]
Shelby Cobra Fifty Years – Book Review
Review by Wallace Wyss With John Bentley doing the ghostwriting, Carroll Shelby wrote his book The Cobra Story in 1965, at a point when the Cobra story wasn’t done yet — not by a long shot. So you could say he began building the legend of Shelby American even before he was done with the first phase of the Cobra and, remarkably, he is still building them 50 years later! There have been many books since, most … [Read more...]
Mickey Thompson Racing Legend – Book Review
Mickey Thompson: The Fast Life and Tragic Death of a Racing Legend By Al Axelrod OK...finally a book on a wild and crazy guy, whose accomplishments are little noted or recognized. Why, you may ask , was it written? The tragic life-ending event for the Thompsons--murder--has somehow made all sort of folks want to quickly forget the man, his mechanical skills and his leadership abilities. But his life was … [Read more...]
The 1000 Mile Dream – Book Review
By Will Silk James Fontana’s new book The 1000 Mile Dream is a fictional piece that parallels the actual running of a Mille Miglia event during those glorious days of the early 1950s. While purists and historians will have to take a moment to perhaps adjust from time to time in reference to how close the author gets to the actual event, the story is nonetheless very entertaining and filled with action and … [Read more...]
Toyota Under Fire – Book Review
Toyota Under Fire: Lessons for Turning Crisis into Opportunity By Martin Swig In the last two years, Toyota has been the target of more negative publicity than any auto company in recent years. Some of the fault lies with Toyota, but most of the blame must be on an inept, maybe even deceitful Department of Transportation, a UAW anxious to bloody their longtime nemesis, and a thoroughly gullible press … [Read more...]
Silver Clouds: The 1934 Grand Prix Season – Book Review
By Will Silk Silver Clouds: The 1934 Grand Prix Season written and illustrated by renowned motorsport artist Paul Chenard of Halifax, Nova Scotia is a nicely crafted and creatively packaged piece that any automotive historian or Grand Prix enthusiast will find incredibly entertaining. Chenard’s short, but insightful; forty-four page book provides a historical snap shot of one of the most epic seasons the Grand … [Read more...]
Car Guys Versus Bean Counters – Book Review
Car Guys vs. Bean Counters: The Battle for the Soul of American Business By Martin Swig In the 1950s and 1960s, General Motors ruled the automotive world. Their market share in the United States was over 50%. Each of their brands (Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac) was the benchmark in its market segment. Product planners at Ford and Chrysler could only hope to anticipate GM’s next move, … [Read more...]
Auto Union Type C Streamliner by Schuco – Model Car Profile
By Will Silk The Schuco Rennsport-Legenden Auto Union Type C Stromlinienwagen (Stream-line car) is a leap back to the way toys were produced before 1960, to the days when Schuco was producing a variety of wind-up cars and motorcycles. Schuco is a toy company that was founded in the early 20th century by Heinrich Schreyer in Nuremburg, Germany. With the help of a young toy visionary by the name of Heinrich … [Read more...]
Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV – Model Car Profile
By Will Silk With Alfa Romeo celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2010, Auto Art released a line of Alfa replicas in 1:18th scale diecast metal. While many will remember the Italian manufacturer for the 1967 1600 Duetto Spider that appeared in the American film classic “The Graduate”, hard core enthusiasts will gravitate more towards the Milan auto maker’s production coupes of the 1960s, known at first as the … [Read more...]
Griffith Series 200 Tribute by Automodello – Model Car Profile
By Will Silk Automodello is producing 85 Griffith Series 200 race replicas in 1:43 scale for this year’s Ultimate Griffith Reunion to be held March 12th and 13th at Bill Warner’s Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Sports Car Digest previously reviewed Automodello’s 1:43 scale street going Griffith 200 replica, and just when we thought that model couldn’t be outdone lands this metallic blue with white racing … [Read more...]
Ford Motor Company Image Archives Offered to Public
Thousands of images dating to the earliest days of Ford Motor Company are being hauled out of the Ford archives and licensed for sale for the first time. FordImages.com features more than 5,000 images for sale including commemorative and limited-edition prints, vintage signs and advertisements. The site launched in January. Hundreds of more images are being added weekly with another 5,000 to be added by the end of … [Read more...]
Auto Union Type C Electronic Scale Model
Audi will unveil the latest in its range of e-tron concept studies – an all-electric, 1:2 scale version of the 1936 Auto Union Type C Grand Prix car – at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg from 3 to 8 February, 2011. The electrically-propelled reworking of the Thirties racing classic is a half-size model, based on the limited edition pedal car. Its electric motor develops a modest 1.5PS, and a top speed of … [Read more...]
Le Mans TV Series Drama – ‘The Drivers’
In late January, 2011, the dynamic duo of the Scott brothers announced that they will be producing a TV series for international sales named 'The Drivers', a drama based on the 24 Hours of Le Mans during the 1950s and 1960s. Tony and Ridley Scott will join Headline Pictures and Sennet Entertainment to co-produce. The TV show will be based on a book by Sports Car Digest contributor Wallace A. Wyss, entitled SHELBY … [Read more...]
Club Artistes Auto Searching for New Members
By Will Silk Artists Nicolas Cancelier of Belgium, Paul Chenard of Canada, Anna-Louise Felstead of the United Kingdom and Rick Rucker of the United States have created an international organization of automotive artists entitled Club Artistes Auto (CAA). The goal of the new organization is to assist automotive artists on an international level by pooling resources to get their art more widely known across the … [Read more...]