This month, we take a peak at a couple of new releases from Spark, in all their l/43 handbuilt glory. Those who have been following my articles know that I have been very impressed with the Lotus line from Spark. First, they release models that might not otherwise see the light of day (a lifeline, if you will, for diehard Lotus collectors). Second, the detail is incredible (again, hard to believe this from being handbuilt). And third, they are limited releases (which means, possibly, a return on the investment at a future point in time). These two models are no exception!
For those of you who have made a trek to the Indy 500 museum (and I highly recommend you do at some point), you no doubt have seen the Lotus Type 56 on display. The 56 was a joint collaboration between Colin Chapman and Andy Granatelli (hence the STP moniker), and was very revolutionary for it's time. Imagine a car with a Pratt & Whitney gas turbine, and Ferguson four-wheel-drive tearing down the track. And tear down the track it did, sadly to fail with just nine laps remaining...all due to the failure of the fuel pump drives. Lotus had requested to run with steel driveshafts in the pump, but the manufacturer had fitted phosphor bronze items! As a side note, Colin and Andy got along like oil and water...for a great read about their relationship, I suggest the book "Team Lotus - The Indianapolis Years", which has just been reprinted. Enough of the history lesson, here's the model:
Some great details abound...note the yellow front, and yellow wheels. This was done to tell the cars apart! It appears the details are spot on..including all the TINY sponsor decals! In the past, we had the Carosel 1/18th of the Type 56 (unobtainium at this point, and one I failed to buy), and the very crude MPC model kit in 1/24th scale...now collectors can rejoice again with this model, in all it's day-glow orange beauty! !
To my knowledge, the next model, the Lotus Type 30, had not been released before in completed form (possibly as a white model kit, however). This particular version was raced by Jim Clark at Goodwood in 1964. The Lotus Type 30 S1 used a backbone chassis similar to the Elan (and others), with a rear Y fork that contained the engine (Ford's cast iron 289 V8 - allow it to compete in the Group 7 racing series) and suspension assemblies. Never a contender, it won a few races when the Type 30 Series 2 was released. The paintwork on this model was absolutely flawless. Also note the photoetch engine bay vents, fuel filler cap, and front hood latches!
This view gives you a better idea of the care that went into the windshield assembly, if you look very close, you can even see lines on the side windshields (where the door would open up). Also note the photoetch tri-eared knock offs! Outstanding! As always, every Spark model comes with a wooden base, and an acrylic cover to protect it.
Both of these would be a nice addition to your collection. These models that I photographed came from Jim at Diecasm. Happy Hunting!!
