So, I may not have been actively working on models but that hasn't stopped me from browsing my model websites for potential new cars to add to my miniature garage.
To start with, I purchased a VW T1 Camper van. A friend of mine always wanted this camper. It reminds us of a simpler time in the 60's when you could pack up and head to the beach for a few weeks and live on the road. Bonfires and beer out side the van on the sands not to mention the girls and the lingering smell of something herbal in the air. I just have to think of a great colour scheme that will suit this icon.
It was my birthday in May and my mother said to me, "It's difficult to buy for you, I never know what to get you for your birthday." my reply was simple and, of course, sarcastic; "Yeh, it's not like I have a well known hobby or anything like that." The result was my mother giving me one of those looks and a couple of weeks later a familiar shaped, gift wrapped gift for me. Upon opening it I found a beautiful Shelby series 1. A convertible. "You spend so much time and effort on the interiors of your cars and yet, it's so difficult to see, so I thought a convertible would be a good idea!" Thanks Mum!
I hadn't bought a model for a while after that. My depression hadn't allowed me to want to work on any models or even look at new ones, which is probably for the best because when i saw on facebook that Heroboy had new stock in September, my mood had lifted enough to want to check out new models. First on the list was the Subaru Impreza WRC 2001. My friends and I loved this car when we were in our early twenties it was second only to the Nissan skyline. Although this isn't the model we drooled over, It's still a great car.
Then came the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren or as we used to call it, the McMerc! It looks just so aggressive and the real life engine sound is something to behold, Not only that this was one of the very few hyper cars (yes hyper car, not just a super car but a HYPER car!) I could actually drive in real life as it was an automatic. The fastest Automatic Transmission road car in the world! Those gull wing doors are a call back to the 300SL and I love every inch of this car.
I also can't resist a fast Ford. a fast, aggressive, working class hero of a muscle car and there is none better than the Ford Mustang. I saw the road car version of the GT4 on the 'Grand Tour' and it is pure muscle. I found a racing version and it looks amazing.
However there is only ONE fast Ford that every petrol head thinks of when it comes to motor racing. Trouble was, every model of this car I looked into was astronomically expensive. So imagine my surprise when I saw it on Hiroboy for a very reasonable price! ADD TO BASKET! This car is a legend when it comes to motor sports, born out of petty vengeance and American thick-headedness it was, and so far still is, the ONLY race car that was given a blank cheque to develop. Sure, race cars are expensive to develop now, but there is always a budget, this car had NO budget it had every resource of the Ford motor company behind it including it's huge fortune and it's soul purpose? To destroy Ferrari at Le Mans! That car was the Ford GT40 MkII!
When Ferrari rebuffed Henry Ford II's attempt to buy the bankrupt company, only to have Fiat sweep in and purchase the company themselves HF2 was furious and set his vast fortune squarely on the seemingly unbeatable Ferrari in the renowned Le Mans 24 Hour race.
Ford Teamed up with Carrol Shelby and Ken Miles to produce the GT40 and with Ken at the wheel, the car was unbeatable! In the year 1966, Ken drove that car to it's limit and became the hero of the race only to have the lead stolen from him for Ford's pride when HF2 demanded that all three Fords cross the line together because it would be a great photo op! Because Le Man is an endurance race, the car that does the most laps wins, which was Miles, until he slowed down to left the other 2 Ford's catch, as requested. When they crossed the line, it was deemed that the number 2 Ford had travelled further so won the race by 8 meters!
Ken Miles died later that year in a horrific car fire while testing Ford's next Le Mans racer. Ford vs Ferrari is the epic motorsport motorsport battle ever. It was immortalized on film with Christian Bale portraying Ken Miles and Matt Damon as Carol Shelby in the film "Ford vs Ferrari" and if you even have the slightest interest in this battle of Titians, this film must be on your watch list.
