Worlds smallest scale model car is resin

I once saw some model vehicles meant for the deck of a model aircraft carrier. They were tiny, but still identifiable as vehicles. My eyes probably aren't good enough to identify this model, without access to a microscope. 

Very tiny Indy Car model 

Photo from Wired 'Autopia' Blog

How small is this model ? It is 285 micrometers, or 1/100th of an inch. Smaller than a human hair or a grain of sand! It has been constructed by Austrian scientists using a very advanced form of 3D printing and uses resin as the agent to build the object with. They built this as a demonstration of the new technologies they are developing. 

Of course one has to ask why Austrian scientists in Vienna built a model of an Indy Car, when they could have chosen from any of the fine Austrian cars that have graced the autobahns of Europe. 

I'm not sure if they will be producing any other cars in this scale, or if this is a one off, but its an impressive demonstration of future scale model technology. 

If anyone can advise exactly what scale this is - I'd be grateful.

Revolution Models Holden Torana GTR-X in white

Revolution Models have just released their 1:43 scale Holden Torana GTR-X concept car in white. It is a very limited edition of 300, and 100 have already been sent to a UK supplier - so if you want one I suggest you contact Revolution Models quickly.  I will be reviewing this model for the next edition of Detail, but thought I'd post a few photos now. 

 Attention to detail is as always - spot on. 

Beautiful lines. This is not the same casting as the Models56 GTR-X from a few years ago. 

Nice fliptop presentation case and certificate

You can contact Revolution Models by email anthonywhanna@hotmail.com or by phone 07 5522 4741. 

See also:

A resin Revolution

Questions answered - Code 3 acquisition by a non-collector

Capital Diecast Garage Australian diecast forums - become a member today!

A Resin Revolution – Revolution Models enters the market

This was originally written for the second issue of 'Detail' magazine, but bumped due to inclusion of other articles (to be fair, there were three articles on Revolution model cars...). 

Revolution Models Holden Hurricane and Torana GTR-X

Longtime collectors of Australian diecast cars are aware that compared to just a few years ago, production numbers of 1:18 and 1:43 cars are down considerably and few new castings are appearing. Where the diecast companies routinely churned out 10 thousand plus of any particular casting, that is not the case right now. Production numbers of new releases are often only a few thousand in 1:43 and less than a thousand for 1:18 scale cars. With low numbers like these, the business case for new model tooling isn’t there. Is there a solution?

Yes - there is still a market for new Australian market cars that can be fed by delivering new designs to the collector market place, but it requires the use of a material that has historically been used by model car builders – resin. Technology developed by European and Chinese model companies has recently been adopted by Australian model makers, and now we are seeing small runs of cars being produced that may never be produced in diecast form.

Taking advantage of the skills developed in crafting diecast models, the lower tooling costs for resin models, and the higher quality that resin models can deliver, several new companies have appeared offering limited edition cars, mainly in 1:43 scale, in resin only. Models56 and Trax (with their Select range) have now been joined by a new company with an experienced Australian model maker at its helm – Revolution Models.

Anthony Hanna, a freelance model maker who has been making models of Australian cars for many years, operates Revolution Models. If you own any Trax cars it’s likely that you already own some of his work. The first model he designed was the Dinkum Classics 1:43 VL Walkinshaw Commodore. He has also modelled several cars that have appeared under the Models56 range, but has now struck out on his own producing limited edition, highly detailed resin cars as ‘Revolution Models’.

Revolution Models offer very highly detailed models

Anthony started Revolution Models in late 2010 with the 1:43 Captain Nitrous FJ (reviewed in the last edition of Detail). He sells some cars through the Models56 website and appears at car shows selling his models. He plans to setup a website soon, and is also keen for retail outlets to contact him.  Although Revolution is currently producing limited edition resin 1:43 models, Anthony would like to move into producing diecast cars, but wants distribution through retail outlets before that occurs.

When I asked Anthony if he felt that collectors would appreciate the high quality models, he said that initially collectors find the high price a bit of an issue, however, when they compare the much higher quality that can be achieved through resin, they appreciate the reason and can accept it. The models are marketed as premium items, in quality packaging and with detailed booklets and certificates reflecting that these are very limited edition (around 500 of each) models.

One thing that is certain is that Anthony wants Revolution Models to steer away from mainstream model cars, and offer unique premium models. Revolution are looking for the gaps in the Trax/Biante/Classics range and plan to fill them with small, limited edition high quality models. Anthony indicated that Revolution wasn’t just looking at Australian cars, but also overlooked cars from other parts of the world - especially specials and prototypes. Although these models will be in 1:43, Revolution is also planning to offer truck models in 1:50 scale. 

This is a strategy that just might work. Cars currently in planning are the Tank Fairlane, the Buckle Mini Monaco, the Bristol 603 and one very desired and famous late 60’s Australian racing car – which I cannot reveal – but will definitely buy!

Revolution Models has just released the Torana GTR-X in its mid 80’s paint scheme, the Holden Hurricane in luscious red and a range of Clubsport, GTS and SV99 VT Commodores.

Prices and Production numbers

Torana GTR-X is $90 with only 500 pieces made

Hurricane is $120 with only 500 pieces made

Clubsport, GTS and SV99 Commodores  $85 each with only 100 pieces of each car made

You can contact Revolution Models by email anthonywhanna@hotmail.com or by phone 07 5522 4741. 


See also:
'Detail' magazine issue 2
Revolution Models HSV VT Commodore range
Sneak preview of 'Detail' issue 2' Holden Hurricane and Torana GTR-X

Revolution VT HSV Commodore - Detail Magazine preview

As one door closes another one opens, so when I enquired about the publishing date of the latest Detail Magazine (this Sunday) I was told my Hot Wheels FG Falcon Race Car article had been shelved, so I enquired whether there was time for an article on the Revolution VT Commodore range.... there was. I had one day to write that article! I present these images of Revolutions 1:43 resin VT Commodore range as a teaser. There are only 100 of each of these models - if you want one order it quickly as they will be snapped up. No one else will do these cars in this scale again. 

Clubsport, GTS and SV99 Commodores  $85 each with only 100 pieces of each car made. 

If you would like to place an order, you can contact Revolution Models by email anthonywhanna@hotmail.com or by phone 07 5522 4741. Revolution are also looking for retail outlets to carry their range. 

 
See also:
Revolution Models Torana GTR-X and Holden Hurricane
Hot Wheels FG Falcon V8 Supercar (coming soon)

Pre-production shots from ARMCO/Models56 - Brock GTR-X, Ford Landau and Geoghegan Mustang

While I was writing the reviews of the ARMCO FC Holden and GTHO Super Falcon for Detail magazine, I emailed a few questions to Models56. They shared with me some of their upcoming products - and have given me permission to post a few photos here. 

This is a 1:43 resin Torana GTR-X in 'what if' brock bathurst livery. I believe its endorsed by the Brock Foundation. This is a test shot for the decals. 

A more complete pre-production test example. With rear spoiler, racing wheels. This version will have an opening bonnet, and an engine. A first for 1:43 resin in Australia. 

This is a resin test shot of the pattern for the Pete Geoghegan 67 Mustang. Note the open bonnet and highly detailed engine bay. I dont know how far away this model is. 

A very early pattern of a 1:43 Ford Landau. Once again, I do not know how far away this car is from delivery, but am looking forward to it.

If you collect high quality 1:43 Australian cars, I'd recommend visiting the Models56 website.

See also:

Armco Models - FC Holden Station Wagon and McCormack racing Charger

Interview with John Pisani of Models56

Revolution Models Holden Hurricane and Torana GTR-X

Revolution Models Holden Hurricane and Torana GTR-X

A sneak preview of the Revolution Models Holden Hurricane and Holden Torana GTR-X, in resin in 1:43 scale. My full reviews of both models will be in the next issue of Detail magazine. They are both available right now from Revolution Models. 

Leyland Force 7 and its German doppelganger from Audi

Last weekend I went to the EPIC Swapmeet (which was an EPIC fail...), and I snapped a foter of this early 70's Audi coupe in 1:18, by a company I had never heard of called 'Anson Collectibles'. It struck me instantly as 'Force 7ish'... Coincidentally, I received on the following Monday a 1:43 Trax Select Leyland Force 7 coupe, in resin. I plan a detailed article on this model, but thought i'd post this now so you could all see just how similar the Audi and Leyland designs are. I like to think the Force 7 is a little more modern...

Anson Collectibles 1:18 diecast 1974 Audi 100 Coupe

Trax 'Select' 1:43 resin 1974 Leyland Force 7 

Its pretty amazing that both companies had cars that looked so similar, in the same year! 

2010 Queanbeyan Swap meet - Diecast Haul

Unlike last years Queanbeyan Swapmeet, this years had much better weather with no rain! There were many vendors selling diecast, not just in the dedicated diecast hall, but also scattered among the individual sites, with people just selling off parts and general car related (mostly) stuff. A full report on my two days at the swapmeet can be found on my other blog 'On Four Wheels'.

I came very close to buying this, but I have other 3 inch service stations that just sit in their boxes, and no room to display, so i left it behind for someone else to take home I did circle back several times while I ummed and aahed about it though. I think it was Australian made, from the late 60's.

I've never seen this many Micro models in one place before. When I arrived serious negotiations were under way over the tanker in the front. It ended up going home with a gentleman. I own one Micro, and thought about buying a few more but none fitted my collecting themes.

Here is my haul! Issues 1-100 of Restored Car magazine, in excellent condition, for an embarrassingly small amount. A few novelty number plates, a tyre ash tray, a 1982 Bathurst Book, a Sidchrome adjustable spanner - and 14 diecast cars.

 

Matchbox 'Midnight Magic' in black and silver - the only diecast I picked up from the dedicated diecast vendors hall. It cost 2 bucks. A bargain I thought, although it needs a cleanup. Three Australian themed matchbox cars, a Falcon, a Commodore and an FJ. I already had the FJ and Falcon, but not boxed. 5 bucks each.

Three Fun Ho diecast. new Zealand made toys roughly Lesney sized. A Ford truck, a Bedford and an articulated lorry. All very rough, but complete. My first Fun Ho and as anything that you have more than three of is a collection...

These two Ford GT's are kids toys. Made by Kinsmart. I picked them up and thought that apart from the odd 1:36 scale, not bad for 5 bucks each. The Anglia behind it was from the same vendor, and is also a kids toy, also in 1:36, by Saico.

A golden Trax FJ Holden in 1:43 - I have no idea what its worth, but I paid about what it cost new. The two Matchbox Kingsize were IIRC ten bucks each. In excellent condition. The K-7 Racing Transporter has no racing car, but is complete apart from that, clean glass and stickers. I love the K-7, and have a small fleet of them.

Overall I had a great day looking for Ford and Leyland parts, old motoring books and magazines, and of course tiny cars. When I was laying out my treasures to photograph I realised I only bought one car from the vendors in the dedicated diecast building. Why? Several reasons- firstly, I already had a lot of the cars that they had on sale that fitted my collecting themes, secondly, many of the vendors have unrealistic pricing on their wares. Especially on items where the box is atrociously worn, and has obviously been packed and unpacked from show to show. If I am paying a premium I want it mint and pristine. One person had a recent range of 1:32 Australian cars on sale at 60 dollars each - you can still buy them at Toys'R'Us for 15 dollars less!  Then again, some vendors had quite reasonable prices and some would haggle. It never hurts to make a lower offer than the stated price - and I always do.

There were a few exceptions to this diatribe, and I must single out Trevor from Trax. Trax have always had a stall at this swapmeet, and they do sell their cars at their retail price, with a big array of show specials priced at 30 dollars. Sadly I already had everything on the table that fitted my collecting themes so I didn't spend a cent with Trax - but I had a great chat and found out a few things coming up from Trax.

• The Legends series has a second item in the planning stage featuring Mick Doohan and his World Championship bike. Licensing with Honda is under way. This would be the first motorcycle model from Top Gear. 
• A Trax 1:43 HQ Statesman is coming out at the end of the year. 
• No more 1:24 cars are likely, only recolours and different liveries of existing cars.
• No recolour of the 1:43 Leyland P76 is on the horizon (as far as Trevor knows anyway). 

Trax had a Legends 1:43 Brabham car on the table, so I picked it up and inspected it closely. It doesn't fit any of my collecting themes, so I haven't bought one, but I was very impressed with the first resin from Top Gear. Crisp lines, excellent detail for the scale, good paint, it was a really nice little model.

I had a great two days at the Swapmeet and recommend it to every car and diecast enthusiast. I spent some money, found some treasures and looked at great cars - all in beautiful Canberra weather.

Related posts:
2010 Queanbeyan Swap Meet/All Ford Day Part 1 of 6

 

Interview with John Pisani of Models56

When you have your own model company, you can model your personal car - John Pisani's FC Station Wagon.

John Pisani – Models56.

When did you start Models56?

In 2006 because no one built models I liked, we started with the XB Falcon Coupe Diecast street machine in 1/24th but Oz is a 1/18 town of box collectors.

You started out with caricatured Falcon Coupes in diecast, why the shift to resin for the current range? 

The cost of tooling is lower.

I note that although they are resin, they are made in China - what are the reasons for this?

China is the only place available; if we were to build the cars here they would be around $250.00 per car. Resin has the advantage of very low production costs as no tooling just patterns

The GTR-X sold out quickly. did you think before you commenced that project that the response would be so good ?

Yes, it was a world first as are most of our cars. Feedback was 10/10.

The Armco models range has focused on 'niche interest' models such as 70's touring cars and super sedans. What was the decision making process that led to these particular models?

No one would produce them in diecast, meaning they would probably never be made.

The FC Holden Station wagon is a beautiful representation of that car. Did you use any particular car as a reference?

Yes – mine!

Occasionally when making a scale model you have to make a decision between human perspective of a car, and accuracy. Were there any compromises on the FC Holden Station Wagon or McCormack Charger? 

Yes sometimes accuracy gives way to appearance. The smaller the car the harder to get the shape right so yes we agonise over this point.

Are you likely to do recolours of the Holden wagon in the mode of Trax, Biante and Classic Carlectable ?

There is very little chance of that, and if so it would be several years away, and we would also add accessories to keep the models unique.

The presentation when you open the box is first class. Is that a conscious decision to ensure that people view these as high quality collector models? 

Yes only 500 people in the world will own a set of our cars so the presentation has to suit the rarity of the product.

Your range is lower in volume and higher in cost than other Australian 1/43 models. Do you think that your volume will grow to match those of the big three?

No, 500 is where we are staying we want exclusivity not volume. 

Do you make the castings yourself or contract that out? Who else is involved with designing the castings? 

We have several pattern makers here and abroad but will not disclose names.

Can you explain the process involved in getting a resin car built?

There is lots of correspondence from owners and drivers and reference material consulted on paint and trim colours etc (for each car). Then a pattern is hand shaped from resin. This is sent to china and they do a master, then we do all the corrections, send it back to China to have another master made and then correct again, if required, then go into production.

Recently Trax had a problem with their Chinese manufacturer leading to collector complaints about cars arriving with parts adrift. Have you had similar problems?

No problems at all. We have very stringent mandatory QC checks that we have initiated before they can proceed to the next step, and this is easier with small volume runs.

Do you find customers just buying one particular car, or are your customers buying cars on your reputation now?

Yes the repeat business is very strong regardless of subject. Owning one of 500 in the world has appeal.

You sell the 1:24 Falcons in retail shops, but I haven’t seen the Armco Range. Are they only available from you directly?

Yes the Armco range is only available from www.models56.com.au we do not want to retail to shops.

What have you got planned for the future?

I would have to kill you but seriously we are going to stay on the same path but several new lines will appear this year that will get tongues wagging. At present the Gardner Corvair and Thomson VW are in production.

Is there a car you would like to make but cant justify financially? 

63 Studebaker GT Hawk, but I will do it.

What does John McCormack think of the Charger model? 

John loved the car.

Thanks to John Pisani for answering my questions. You can buy Armco models from the Models56 website. Tell them you read about them here!

Armco Models - FC Holden Station Wagon and McCormack racing Charger

'Models56' have recently started to build a strong reputation for producing highly detailed quality 1:43 scale resin cars with appeal to Australian collectors. There is a small niche in the Australian diecast scale model car market where the big three (Biante, Trax and Classic Carlectables) won’t operate - where the car is interesting and desirable to perhaps 500 people. 

These cars are problematic for model companies, as they will never get a return on their investment if they produce a mould that can only be used once. They are used to producing designs for cars that will be reused in different incarnations to build the same basic car in tens of thousands. The world needs as many 1:43 XY Falcons as can be produced.

Into this niche steps 'Models56' with their 'Armco' range. Last year they produced what I considered to be the best 1:43 model of the year – the Holden GTR-X. It was sold out within weeks.

Armco models are able to compete in this niche as they are a range of high quality resin models, produced to the same high standards as diecast cars, and with premium packaging, detailing and quality. Being resin, the production costs are much lower than the costs for a diecast car, and the production run can be lower with the venture still being profitable. The disadvantage is that the moulds for the cars cannot be used in large production runs, and when the run is completed, that is it.

Last month, Models56 released two new models – an FC Station Wagon and the McCormack racing Charger. Once again, both models are limited to 500. I immediately placed an order and received these models in the mail recently. Once again, I was very pleased. Both are high quality models, beautifully presented and nicely modelled.

The GTR-X issued by Models56 last year was designed by Tony Hanna, who has also modelled many of the 1:43 Trax models. He also designed the John McCormack racing Charger presented here today. Darryl Montgomery designed the FC Holden Station Wagon. 

First the McCormack Charger:

This is what you see when you open the box. No unsightly screws. Plastic bubble holds the model in place. 

Nice squat racing stance. It just looks right. 

Beautifully presented, high level of detail and accuracy. The interior is a replica of the race car, far higher detail than Ive seen on any other Australian 1:43 car. Even the rear window is accurate.

How do you display this car ? Wipers, rear fuel filler. Beautiful. You can see in this photo how far back the engine sits (into the cabin area). Nice Valiant badge on the front.

The base plate is not detailed, but look at how wide those tyres are. 

Now the FC Holden Station Wagon.

Beautiful presentation upon opening the box. Nicely wrapped for travel. I have removed the plastic bubble which holds the car in place. 

The exquisite detail warrants the premium price that these models command. 

Its so easy to make a good model look bad when it comes to grilles (like the Trax HQ vans) but this is impressive. Even the headlights look real, not just clear plastic shapes.

Tony Hanna who designed this model, also designed the Trax FC Sedan. I think this is better than the Trax sedan.

Station Wagon interior is very accurate and detailed for this scale.

Nice view. The lines are just right. Nicely presented tiny 1:43 door handles.

A far more detailed baseplate than the McCormack Charger. 

The FC Holden is limited to 450 in this colour scheme, with 50 being made in white only. The white version is already sold out. I am confident these models will be highly sought after in the collectors market in the future. I urge you to visit the Models56 website and look at the cars they have produced, and plan for the future. You wont be disappointed. 

Ratings

Armco McCormack racing Charger

Quality  8

Design    9

Colours   9

X-factor  8

Rating: 34/40

Armco FC Holden Station Wagon

Quality  9

Design    9

Colours   9

X-factor  9

Rating: 36/40

Coming soon – an interview with John Pisani of 56 Models.