Thanks @fiveten and @johnb. I’m planning to ramble on a bit before the postman comes. He may be delayed because we’ve had some very heavy rain recently causing some local flooding. So here goes.
To some extent I blame my dear departed father for the purchase of this kit. Our @editor has also asked me to try uploading some pictures.
First I need to give you a little family history. My mother was admitted into hospital shortly after my birth, and sadly passed away not long after. Therefore I was brought up by my aunt, and only saw my father, who was a teacher, during the school holidays. I was born in 1950, and there was still rationing in force in England, here’s my ID card:
At the time my aunt lived in Lowestoft, the most easterly point on the UK mainland, and one summer holiday my dad took me to the local Woolworth’s dept store, which stocked all the range of Airfix kits. He bought me a 1/72 Spitfire kit, and that was the start for me.
However my dad was a veteran car fan, and he built the Airfix 1/32 series of cars, Ford Model T, Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, etc. He was a staunch Riley cars fan, and his last car was a Riley Elf, basically a badge-engineered Mini, of which he was very proud.
After he retired he lived on the Brighton Road in south London so that he could watch the old “crocs” on their annual London to Brighton run. I can picture him now sat looking out of his window, a cigarette in one hand and glass of amber liquid in the other. Sadly he passed away while I was in my early twenties and we never had time to enjoy the classic car events together. Riley’s disappeared, along with many others, after being taken over by BMC, later British Leyland.
Anyway, back to the Bugatti. I couldn’t decide what to build after the Alfa Romeo F1 car. I was torn between the Italeri Alfa Monza, the new Meng McLaren MP 4/4,
The BEEMAX Lotus,
But eventually went for the Bugatti.
Here’s one waiting for action at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
It was driven up the hill climb by Julian Majzub. It was terrific to watch him start, letting off the fly-off handbrake at just the right moment.
@editor, these two photos were uploaded from my iPad.
My philosophy with my models is to have them in as original condition as possible, clean, but not bulled up, with perhaps a little wear and tear here and there.
Here’s a very clean example I found on the US IPMS web site.
Compared with these slightly worn examples.
I’ve already bought the main colours I’m planning to use.
And I’m planning to try some of the Mr Color metallic paints.
Hope I haven’t bored you too much, happy modelling. @editor, these photos appear to have uploaded OK from my iPhone 12.
