The past few months have seen a whirlwind of releases hitting the market. I think it's safe to say that if you have a favorite Lotus model, there is a manufacturer out there that will produce it! Spark continues to be at the forefront of producing the most Lotus subject matter, at an incredible rate! If you will recall, Spark is the manufacturer that produces resin models (handbuilt = limited editions!), that come with a nice acrylic cover on a wooden base. Strictly in limited supply, so if you see a model you want, I would shoot Jim Cowen at diecasm an email!!
First up from Spark is this beautiful model of the Lotus 25, as driven in the Italian GP of 1963. What I particularly like about this model (apart from the detail), is that it includes Jim Clark in the cockpit! Spark has done an outstanding job on this one. Here's another photo of the car. If you're an F1 fan of Lotus (and aren't most of us?), then it belongs in your collection!
Another release from Spark (again in 1/43 scale), is the beautiful Lotus 23 - as raced at Laguna Seca in 1963. Flawless paint, excellent detail (including a photo etch wiper blade), and unique subject matter, make this one a nice addition to anyone's collection! Next month, we'll look at a particularly interesting Lotus 23 - a lotus with a Porsche engine?? Stay tuned!
If a 1/43 scale model is just too big for your collection, you can always park a 1/87 Exige in your garage! Yes, not to be outdone with the release of the 1/87 Lotus Seven that we discussed in an earlier newsletter, spark has released this Exige in all it's tiny glory!
Moving onto a few models in the 1/18 scale range, AutoArt has you covered. The Lotus Cortina MK1 was born of the partnership between Ford UK, and Lotus Cars. The Lotus Cortina took the best of the Cortina, and made it better (and lighter, of course) with aluminum hood, trunk, and door skins. Likewise, the suspension was completely redone, and in the engine bay, was the Lotus twin - cam engine. One of the unique features of the car is the paint scheme of "Ermine White and Lotus-Sherwood Green "striping. A nice touch on this particular model is not only the Lotus badging (not decals, a raised actual badge!), but also the small details such as an engine bay prop. Take a look at the rear trunk latch!! Rather unique engineering! To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time that the Cortina has been released in 1/18th scale. As an interesting note, the Cortina was named after the Italian winter resort "Cortina di Ampezzo", where the 1956 Winter Olympics were held! The fit and finish on this car are first rate. I think that with AutoArt models (at least in the Lotus range) the quality keeps getting better and better.
Finally, we round out the AutoArt models with the Elan S/E Coupe'. If you recall, the Elan was a replacement for the Lotus Elite... which Lotus lost money on every one they made. Beautiful car to look at, horrible car to work on. The Elan became a top seller for Lotus, with 12,220 produced in total. The first Elan models were the roadster versions (of which AutoArt has produced, and I believe Jim at Diecasm may have some left in stock), followed by an optional hardtop for the Type 26 (as it was known), then finally in coupe' form, staying in production until 1973. As with the Cortina, AutoArt doesn't disappoint in the details. It's a heavy model, and once you delve into it, you realize why. Doors open, hood (or bonnet, I guess) opens, rear trunk opens, and... the headlamps pop up! I think these are more reliable than the vacuum assisted ones on the real car! From the knock off wheels, to the carpeted interior - complete with cloth seatbelts and photoetch buckles - I think they have hit this one out of the ballpark. Contact Jim at Diecasm to order one of these beauties...I am sure he would be more than happy to fix you up.
