1/24th Academy Ferrari 250LM model, using a Dynamic chassis and a 26D.

Quite accidentally, it is the same colour as last year's 1/24th car! Still who wants to see yet another red Ferrari?

This car was inspired by the excellent article by Mike Sells " A Cavallino of a different colour" on Mark Gussin's website

This picture was taken during the final testing, to make sure everything is actually working before packing for Bordeaux.

Now for 1/32nd, I have attempted something a little more ambitious. Last year, I build as much detail as possible in a 1/32nd car using a rather large vintage motor (It would have been much easier to use a modern Mabuchi). This year, I have chosen a much simpler model with very few details.

So I decided to do one of the stunning little Gordinis which raced in the early 50s, for obvious reasons, I selected a simple shape and carved it out of balsa wood. This I found surprisingly easy compared to shaping cars out of Milliput.

I used superglue brushed into the wood the give it a tough easy to sand finish.

Chassis is part Atlas, part scratchbuild.

To get the front wheels to sit in the body just right, I always use an Iso fulcrum. The Atlas motor is OK but lacks breaks!

Here is the car mostly finished, before taking the biggest gamble I have ever taken, weathering a build car. Get it wrong, and you could destroy 4 months worth of work.

There it is, the Gordini T24S of Robert mazon as driven during the 1953 Carrera Panamerica race.

The little Gordini with previous years entries. Notice that part one of the weathering process has been done. I am not too sure about it, but there is no going back now.

I wanted to use a LMM driver, but it did not have goggles, I could not see Robert Mazon driving around in the Mexican dust without goggles. So I scratchbuild a pair and glued them to his nose.

I tried to use photo-etched buckles, but they looked really flat and sad, so I scratchbuild a couple using 0.25mm brass wire and Tamyia masking tape painted brown, they look so much better.