Is it real or is it........Minichamps, GMP or Carousel 1?

(All photos enlarge when clicked)
For many, many years I've harboured a desire to have really good large-scale models of my favourite racing cars and at the top of the list has always been the Ferrari 330 P4 of 1967, the Tipo 61 "Birdcage" Maserati of 1961 and the Lotus 38 which took Jim Clark to victory in the 1965 Indy 500.
So over the past year I've acquired  each of the cars mentioned above in the form of 1/18th. scale die-cast creations from GMP (the Ferrari), Minicraft (the Maserati) and Carousel 1 (the Lotus).
My photos do not do these models justice - the details are exquisite and have to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. These are display-quality items, jewels of the model-maker's art.

FERRARI P4 SPIDER (open-top)
 (The #6 car raced by Jackie Stewart & Chris Amon at the BOAC 1000kms, Brands Hatch, 1967)

The P4 Ferrari has arguably the most beautiful lines of any sports-prototype racing car ever created. And this model captures those curves perfectly. I fell in love with this car back when I first saw a photograph in the mid 1960s and have held that feeling ever since.

There were four original cars made by Ferrari and I believe that they all exist today. Collectors would pay well into the millions of dollars to own one of these cars.

The model details extend to individual spark-plugs and wires, the seatbelt buckles, foot pedals, mesh over the intake grilles, bungee cords (which actually stretch!) holding the spare wheel in place.

The doors open and close, the steering wheel turns the front wheels and the suspension compresses.

This model is still in production and can be purchased on the internet from several highly reputable retailers in Australia, USA and the UK, to name but three countries.




Next up ...... LOTUS 38
(The #82 car as raced at the Indianapolis 500 by Jim Clark in 1965)

Well, here's proof. Australia is governed by the minorities.

"Carbon Tax Sunday" is now a definite.
On Sunday 10th. July - in two days - Julia Gillard PM will announce that her tax - which she once made a commitment to not introduce (in her pre-election load-of-crap) - will be introduced.

She now has the power to do this because our country is effectively governed by a handful of politicians - several Independents and a couple of Greenies.
They hold the balance of power and in the wheeling-and-dealing that appears to go on 24 hours a day, 7 days per week up at the Big House, these turkeys have it in their power to control what will or will not pass through the house as legislation.

All I can say is that I never dreamed that the future of this country would fall into the hands of a couple of tree-huggers, a would-be cowboy from Queensland and a few wanna-be's.

What a sad day for Australia - and  on the same day that news comes from Europe that the Emissions Trading Scheme in operation there appears to be nothing more than a way for banks to increase their profits and does bugger-all for the environment.

I give up!