But now, MMK of France has released a limited production, hand built Maserati 151 in 1/32 scale, a fine model:
I obtained mine from Electric Dreams. Here, an East New York mechanic inspects the body work. Decals are good, and flaws in the finish are few.
What's inside? A standard Mabuchi, a slightly off center brass pinion, and a medium-quality crown gear. The motor is loose in the cast-resin chassis, and a few dabs of Goop are needed to ensure a solid mount and optimal gear alignment. The guide shoe fractured where the leads are inserted, necessitating a quick change to a blue Scalextric guide (same size as original). The axles and wheels seem true, and the tires are appropriately grippy on my painted wood track:
Now down to business. The car competes successfully in "NC1" class, against the other early-'60's types. In real life, the Ferrari 250 GTO was the intended target of the big Maser. Racing showed that the real Maser could not compete, although it was fast in a straight line. The MMK model is a pleasant drive, and holds its own due to its good balance between power, weight, center-of-gravity, and traction. Although the mechanical parts are not first rate, they are entirely adequate, with a little tuning. Is it worth $165? Sure, if you want a Maserati 151 bad enough!
2 comments:
The dark specs in the photo are tire dust from driving. But there ARE flaws in the finish, on the hood (dirt or specks in the clear coat or the color coat), and the blue stripe decal is lifted as you say. The numeral 3 on the tail is silvered. It looks like a home-built, but a good one. It is not as perfect as the best of the RTR's today. It is not "contest quality" by modern plastic modelling standards. I also have some questions about the general proportions and contours of the body.
I bought it because of my nostalgic attachment to the car; I ran the pictured 1/24 blob Maser in the summer of 1965.
Thanks for the comments!
Your site is on top of my favourites - Great work I like it.
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