This month, we'll look at a blast from the past in the world of F1. Since Team Lotus (or some iteration of it) will be appearing on the starting grid in 2010, I thought I might get you up to speed on the various F1 Lotus models that are out there.
The Lotus 79 (not to be confused with the Lotus 79 that was known as the S1 Esprit), was the next step up from the revolutionary Lotus 78. The Lotus 78 really changed the rules as it was known in the world of aerodynamics... in the case of the 78, it was a unique undertray system, that literally sucked the car to the road. The type 79 continued this formula by winning six World Championship races in a single season!
Fresh from Minichamps comes the Lotus 79 in glorious 1/18th scale...the first of it's size, or in diecast! This model is quite remarkable, with excellent detail, including the bonus of having the removable engine cover. The model that I purchased from Jim at Diecasm was the Andretti version. There is also a Ronnie Peterson version available. Jim can fix you up, but I suggest you contact him early, as there weren't many of these left in stock. For those of you that would like the proper JPS markings, there are decal upgrades out there through various sources on the internet.
Next up is another new release of the Lotus 79 (again, in the black and gold JPS scheme) from Kyosho. It seems that Japan gets all the cool new releases, and this latest Lotus F1 collection is no exception. This collection, in 1/64th scale was a convenience store exclusive in Japan, and was "blind boxed". This means that you didn't know which model you were receiving until you opened the box. I have friends in Japan that were able to track down quite a few of these for me. The detail is spot on (as would be expected by Kyosho). You might be able to track these down via Ebay.
Finally, here's a little blast from the past. Polistil was a diecast manufacturer from Italy that produced models in the 80's. This diecast model is in 1:22 scale, and in the colors of Martini...this paint scheme was toward the end of the 79's lifespan, right before the type 80 was released.
Happy Hunting, and more importantly, Merry Christmas from my family to yours!
