Month: June 2020

Several 1/18 scale new product announcements from TECNOMODEL on Friday, including the McLaren M8F Group 7 cars driven by 1971 Can Am Champion Peter Revson (above) and teammate Denis Hulme. This was the fifth and final Championship for Team McLaren in this iconic era of unlimited sports car racing.

Also on TECNOMODEL’s agenda are a series of Ferrari 166 S Coupes and Ferrari 348 Zagato sports cars.

Advance order deadline for these new items is July 13, but these Limited Edition models will probably be sold out well before that date. We’ve reserved a significant quantity of the Team McLaren M8Fs, but they are going quickly. No procrastination, please.

OUR DOWNERS GROVE GALLERY IS CLOSED UNTIL MONDAY, JULY 6.

We are accepting online orders as usual while we’re away. I’m checking emails frequently and voice mails daily. Have a great Fourth of July.

by Peter Higham

When the World Championship was first held in 1950, red Italian cars predominated, from Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Maserati, and continued to do so for much of the period. But, by the time the decade closed, green British cars were in their ascendancy, first Vanwall and then rear-engined Cooper playing the starring roles, and BRM and Lotus having walk-on parts. As for drivers, one stood out above the others; Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio becoming World Champion five times. Much of the fascination of this era also lies in its numerous privateers and also-rans, all of which receive their due coverage in this completist work.

• Year-by-year treatment covers each season in fascinating depth, running through the teams — and their various cars — in order of importance.
• Alfa Romeo: these supercharged 1½-litre cars dominated the first two years, with titles won by Farina (1950) and Fangio (1951).
• Ferrari: this new marque steamrollered the opposition in two seasons run to Formula 2 rules (1952–53), Ascari becoming champion both times, and took two more crowns with Fangio (1956) and Hawthorn (1958).
• Maserati: the fabulous 250F, the decade’s most significant racing car, propelled Fangio to two more of his five championships (1954 and 1957).
• Mercedes-Benz: the German manufacturer stepped briefly into Formula 1 (1954–55) and won almost everything with Fangio and up-and-coming Moss.
• Vanwall: green finally beat red when the Vanwalls, driven by Moss and Brooks, won the inaugural constructors’ title (1958).
• Cooper: the rear-engine pioneers signposted Formula 1’s future when Jack Brabham became World Champion (1959).

• Over 600 photos from the superb archives of Motorsport Images show every type of car raced by every team and driver, presenting a comprehensive survey of all participants.
• About the author:Peter Higham works in motor racing as a freelance writer and project manager. For nearly 30 years he worked for Haymarket Consumer Media, publisher of motor racing magazines and websites, and for half of that period he was director of LAT Photographic (now Motorsport Images), the world’s largest motor racing photo archive. A motor racing enthusiast since watching his first race in 1973, he has written six previous books, including the acclaimed International Motor Racing Guide and World Encyclopaedia of Racing Drivers. He has been a columnist for Autosport and Motor Sport and was instrumental in running the prestigious Autosport Awards for over 25 years. He lives in Twickenham, Middlesex.

Hardbound | 280x235mm | 304 pages | 600 photos (b&w and color

AVAILABLE EARLY JULY – RESERVE NOW!

$79.95 – ORDER HERE

Yesterday, we added the latest models in development by Spark Model for future release to our website. The listings cover a wide selection of 1/43 scale current and historic Formula One, Le Mans, Rally and road cars and the latest National Series offerings.

Highlights include commemorative models in both 1/18 and 1/43 scale of Lewis Hamilton’s 2019 World Championship clinching Mercedes from last fall’s US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.

More than 50 new models are available for pre-order in our New Model Announcement section under the following catagories:

• 1/43 Spark – Due 06/30/20
• 1/43 Spark National – Due 6/30
• Spark – Hamilton 2019 Champion
• 1/43 Spark – Sebring ’57
• 1/43 Spark – Additional Prod.

Advance order deadlines range from June 23 to June 30.

Spark Model has announced additional production of their 1/43 scale #6 Lola Mk.6 GT as driven by David Hobbs and Richard Attwood at Le Mans in 1963. The Lola Mk.6 was the forerunner of the Ford GT that made it’s Le Mans debut the following year.

$80.00 – Reserve ASAP

We are tracking two inbound shipments of 1/43 scale Spark Models. Most items are completely pre-sold out but we’ve listed information on the remaining items below.

• The first shipment, arriving next week features a pair of 1/43 scale Mario Andretti driven Parnelli VPJ4 Grand Prix cars and the Hutcherson/Bucknum Ford GT MkII from Le Mans 1966 seen here. Click HERE for the complete list of remaining items.

• The second, arriving around mid June, contains the third and final 1/43 scale Parnelli VPJ4, the #27 Swedish GP car that Mario drove to a 4th place finish, the high water mark for the Vel’s Parnelli Jones effort and several other Le Mans, F1 and Dakar subjects. Click HERE.

AS TOLD TO JADE GURSS

SEPTEMBER 2020 RELEASE – RESERVE NOW!

John Andretti’s life was driven by family and fueled by a passion for racing. In Racer, Andretti candidly recounts how these powerful forces shaped a diverse professional driving career. The honesty and character that defined Andretti’s life offer a behind-the-scenes look at racing at all levels full of lessons in racing and life supplied by this fiery and fiercely competitive driver.  

John is a wonderful storyteller, and the book is comprised of a series of John’s stories as told to bestselling author Jade Gurss (Beast, In the Red, Driver #8). The book opens with John’s memories of growing up as a member of auto racing’s famous family. His father, Aldo, is the twin brother of Mario Andretti. The book offers an intimate look at the interplay between these two men, and how their intensity and integrity shaped John’s life.

John was one of the world’s most versatile race car drivers, and Racer includes John’s remembrances of scoring wins in the NASCAR Cup series, IndyCar, IMSA sports car racing, and in sprint cars and midgets on dirt ovals across the country. He also tells about his experience winning the 24 Hours of Daytona, competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and even his colorful venture racing an NHRA Top Fuel dragster.

The powerful narrative includes John’s substantial charity work, and the story of how he contracted colon cancer at age 53 and turned his affliction into a public awareness campaign.Racer is an intimate look at racing at the highest levels as well as life lessons from one of the world’s most celebrated motorsports family.

$35.00 – RESERVE HERE FOR SEPTEMBER DELIVERY

Motorsport Collector is joining Publisher Octane Press in donating ten percent of our proceeds from your purchase of Racer to Riley Children’s Foundation, the fundraising arm of Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health and the founding organization that opened Riley Hospital in 1924.Today, Riley Hospital is recognized as one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation and is the only comprehensive children’s hospital in the state of Indiana. The charitable Race for Riley was initiated by John Andretti and Dave Wilson in 1997 and since then has raised more than $4 million for the Riley Children’s Foundation.

You can make an additional donation in John’s name HERE!