Ken
Gone but not forgotten
Alligator posted a message awhile back (http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38083) about the new Maisto Corvette. Looks like it's selling very well ...
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Hobbyists sure to like Maisto's new Corvette model car
Monday, October 11, 2004
By Don Hammonds, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
After a strong response from an inaugural PG on Wheels review of books and models cars several months ago, we're back with a fresh look at new books and collectibles for car enthusiasts.
First up are a 1965 Corvette Sting Ray, a 1953 Studebaker Coupe, and a 2004 Chevrolet Impala SS, all new model cars from Maisto, a maker of highly detailed one-eighteenth scale model cars and trucks.
As is the usually the case with Maisto products, these come with such features as wheels that can be steered, doors that can be opened, detailed engines and wiring, and highly authentic paint colors. Even better, the models typically cost less than $30 each -- sometimes much less if you can find them at major retailers. I'd suggest trying those stores or the www.maisto.com Web site.
Perhaps the most beautiful of the group was a metallic blue Corvette. The detail is little short of amazing, with tiny emblems in just the right scale to be found on the wheel spinners, gasoline cap and the front fenders. The black leather is exactly replicated in terms of the sheen on the seats, and even the shade of the wood on the steering wheel closely matches the real thing.
The 1953 Studebaker was, in its day, considered to be among the most beautiful cars ever made. It was designed by Raymond Loewy, who was responsible for so many landmark industrial designs.
The interesting thing about this model is that it duplicates exactly the kind of enamel paint that was used on cars of that era, before metallic paints became popular. This is another model on which the details were pretty precise down to gold leaf centers on the hubcaps. The main disappointment I had was an interior that looked more toylike than usual with Maisto models, particularly trim used on the dashboard.
The 2004 Chevy Impala is a rather complicated piece to try to duplicate because of the complexity of all the components of its engine, and because there are myriad surfaces and textures in the interior.
But Maisto was up to the task -- this is another model that was done quite well. Moreover, while there are plenty of versions of the Corvette by other model makers and even a few Studebakers, few if any make the Impala, so this is one for you if the Chevy is among your favorite cars.
Readers of car-related topics will find a number of interesting new products, including a fabulous book on one of the world's most famous luxury models, titled simply "Duesenberg," by Dennis Adler, Krause Publications, $34.99.
For those who don't know, Duesies, as they were nicknamed, were heartbreakingly beautiful automobiles that were the epitome of luxury and performance and were produced during the '20s and '30s.
The color photography is stunning, and given how few of these cars survive today, I think the author managed to get pictures of almost all of them. There are close-ups of various features, components and engines, along with many color copies of advertisements that appeared.
And a bit of trivia for Pittsburghers -- did you know that Fred Duesenberg, the legendary co-founder of the firm, was critically injured on a mountainside road in Ligonier back in 1932? The book talks about that, and more. A historic marker observes the spot.
A more contemporary eye-catcher is the Ford GT, the celebrated rebirth of the legendary car that won many a racing victory for Ford Motor Co. back in the '20s. The development, birth and performance of the new model -- and an interesting history of the previous racers -- is included in "Ford GT: The Legend Comes To Life," by Larry Edsall, Motorbooks International, $24.95.
Early sketches of the exterior and interior of the new car are among the photographic highlights, and you are taken behind the scenes of the studios to get a flavor of what it was like to work on this already prized car. Road test information also is included, as are complete specifications dating to the 1967 race winners.
Only one part of this book rang untrue to me, and that was the inclusion of models that seemingly had little to do with the actual bloodlines of the GT model, such as a Mach II concept car and the 1995 Ford L2K concept convertible. The book doesn't quite make clear why there are illustrations of those cars included in the text, and what they had to do with the new Ford GT.
(Don Hammonds can be reached at dhammonds@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1538.)
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Hobbyists sure to like Maisto's new Corvette model car
Monday, October 11, 2004
By Don Hammonds, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
After a strong response from an inaugural PG on Wheels review of books and models cars several months ago, we're back with a fresh look at new books and collectibles for car enthusiasts.
First up are a 1965 Corvette Sting Ray, a 1953 Studebaker Coupe, and a 2004 Chevrolet Impala SS, all new model cars from Maisto, a maker of highly detailed one-eighteenth scale model cars and trucks.
As is the usually the case with Maisto products, these come with such features as wheels that can be steered, doors that can be opened, detailed engines and wiring, and highly authentic paint colors. Even better, the models typically cost less than $30 each -- sometimes much less if you can find them at major retailers. I'd suggest trying those stores or the www.maisto.com Web site.
Perhaps the most beautiful of the group was a metallic blue Corvette. The detail is little short of amazing, with tiny emblems in just the right scale to be found on the wheel spinners, gasoline cap and the front fenders. The black leather is exactly replicated in terms of the sheen on the seats, and even the shade of the wood on the steering wheel closely matches the real thing.
The 1953 Studebaker was, in its day, considered to be among the most beautiful cars ever made. It was designed by Raymond Loewy, who was responsible for so many landmark industrial designs.
The interesting thing about this model is that it duplicates exactly the kind of enamel paint that was used on cars of that era, before metallic paints became popular. This is another model on which the details were pretty precise down to gold leaf centers on the hubcaps. The main disappointment I had was an interior that looked more toylike than usual with Maisto models, particularly trim used on the dashboard.
The 2004 Chevy Impala is a rather complicated piece to try to duplicate because of the complexity of all the components of its engine, and because there are myriad surfaces and textures in the interior.
But Maisto was up to the task -- this is another model that was done quite well. Moreover, while there are plenty of versions of the Corvette by other model makers and even a few Studebakers, few if any make the Impala, so this is one for you if the Chevy is among your favorite cars.
Readers of car-related topics will find a number of interesting new products, including a fabulous book on one of the world's most famous luxury models, titled simply "Duesenberg," by Dennis Adler, Krause Publications, $34.99.
For those who don't know, Duesies, as they were nicknamed, were heartbreakingly beautiful automobiles that were the epitome of luxury and performance and were produced during the '20s and '30s.
The color photography is stunning, and given how few of these cars survive today, I think the author managed to get pictures of almost all of them. There are close-ups of various features, components and engines, along with many color copies of advertisements that appeared.
And a bit of trivia for Pittsburghers -- did you know that Fred Duesenberg, the legendary co-founder of the firm, was critically injured on a mountainside road in Ligonier back in 1932? The book talks about that, and more. A historic marker observes the spot.
A more contemporary eye-catcher is the Ford GT, the celebrated rebirth of the legendary car that won many a racing victory for Ford Motor Co. back in the '20s. The development, birth and performance of the new model -- and an interesting history of the previous racers -- is included in "Ford GT: The Legend Comes To Life," by Larry Edsall, Motorbooks International, $24.95.
Early sketches of the exterior and interior of the new car are among the photographic highlights, and you are taken behind the scenes of the studios to get a flavor of what it was like to work on this already prized car. Road test information also is included, as are complete specifications dating to the 1967 race winners.
Only one part of this book rang untrue to me, and that was the inclusion of models that seemingly had little to do with the actual bloodlines of the GT model, such as a Mach II concept car and the 1995 Ford L2K concept convertible. The book doesn't quite make clear why there are illustrations of those cars included in the text, and what they had to do with the new Ford GT.
(Don Hammonds can be reached at dhammonds@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1538.)
