Reviews of products for scale automotive models, including motorcycles and motorized vehicles.

Review Author
Joe Staudt
Published on
Company
Agora Models
Scale
1/8
MSRP
$1,599.00

This review covers packs 4, 5, and 6 of the Agora Models Jaguar build. Please see part 1 of this review for the first 3 packs and more information about the kit.

Pack 4 of this kit starts with building the spare wheel and tire, and then continues with assembling the front subframe.

The wire wheels are probably the stars of this kit and are certainly the part I was both most looking forward to and most dreading. You build the wheels spoke by spoke, 120 spokes per wheel, in a painstaking process that is fear-inspiring for someone as fumble-fingered as I am. Thankfully, the first wheel to be built is intended as the spare tire, so any novice mistakes that can’t be repaired can at least be relegated to the trunk…er, boot. Agora also provides a video of the build process on their website so you can see the procedure in action before you attempt it yourself.

Review Author
Joe Staudt
Published on
Company
Agora Models
Scale
1/8
MSRP
$1,599.00

I expect that all of us have seen ads from various companies for large-scale, highly detailed kits that can be purchased as a monthly subscription. One of those companies is Agora Models, which is based in the U.K. They recently offered the IPMS the opportunity to review one of their kits, and I had the immensely good fortune to be chosen to do the review. I was allowed to choose the kit I wanted to build, and as a life-long car modeler and lover of classic vehicles, I chose their 1/8 scale 1961 Jaguar E-Type. The kit contains over 500 parts, has working headlights and brake lights, windows that roll up and down, and opening hood, doors, and trunk. The steering wheel turns the front wheels, and the brake pedal operates the taillights. The completed kit is over 22 inches long.

Because of the complexity and the unique format of this kit, I will be doing the review in several parts. This first part will cover the “unboxing” and the building of the first 3 packages of the kit.

Review Author
Joe Staudt
Published on
Company
Atlantis Model Company
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$24.99

The Chevrolet Nova was everywhere in the late 1960s. Your grandma may have had a 4-door sedan for getting the groceries, your parents may have had a station wagon as the family car or a 2-door for your dad’s daily commute, and the high school down the street may have had one with a raised rear suspension and Keystone Classics. They could be had with everything from a basic in-line 6-cylinder to a powerful V-8. As a result, many people of a certain age have fond memories of these vehicles, and kit manufacturers have done a fine job providing us modelers with numerous kits of this subject. One of the latest is this 1/32 scale offering from Atlantis Models of a 1969 SS 350. The 350 V-8 was the largest engine you could get on the Nova that year, and it was rated at 300hp.

Review Author
Fred Bachofner
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$30.00

The Mercedes-Benz 770, also known as the "Großer Mercedes" (big Mercedes) was a luxury car built by Mercedes-Benz from 1930 to 1943. It is probably best known from archive footage of high-ranking Nazi officials before and during World War II, including Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göring but also Six and a Quarter as was the nickname of The Reichskommissar of the Netherlands Arthur Seyss-Inquart.

The 770 was extensively revised in 1938, resulting in the new internal designation W150. The all-new chassis was made with oval tubes and was suspended from coil springs all around, with independent suspension at the front and a de Dion axle at the rear.

The engine had the same basic architecture as that of the W07, but was tuned to produce 155 braking power (116 kW) at 3000 rpm without supercharger and 230 rempk (170 kW) at 3200 rpm with. The transmission now had five forward gear ratios with a direct fourth gear and an overdrive fifth.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
Company
Atlantis Model Company
Scale
1:32
MSRP
$24.99

After decades in the Monogram “tomb of doom” Atlantis has saved some of the Route 32 kits from the crypt and reissued them for us to enjoy once again. This model of the 1982 Z/28 Camaro was initially issued in 1982 and is now available as brand-new stock.

Back in the day, because these kits were relatively inexpensive and perfectly sized, many of these kits were primarily adapted to serve as slot car bodies. As fashionable as that was, they were also nicely detailed models when built with moderate detailing. If you collect a lot of models, or you’re concerned with space, 1:32 scale car models are only about 6” long but are good representations of the real thing.

The kit consists of 47 pieces for the single-purpose version of the 1982 Camaro Z/28. It is molded in color and includes a detailed one-piece body, interior, and engine, along with scripted rubber tires, chrome-plated and clear parts, instructions, and waterslide decals.

Review Author
Mr. Paul Dunham
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1:24
MSRP
$35.92

NuNu of Macau in cooperation with Platz of Japan offers an interesting assortment of European and Asian racing cars in their range.A recent release and the subject of this review is their new Volvo S40 as raced in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) of 1997. The kit includes a body and six parts trees molded in white plastic, a tree of chrome parts, a tree of clear parts, soft rubber tires, polycaps, several sheets of decals, a sheet of window masks, a black and white instruction booklet, and a full-color decal placement guide. The parts and decals are protected in plastic bags.

Review Author
John Noack
Published on
Company
Atlantis Model Company
Scale
1/24
MSRP
$16.99

Courtesy of Peter Ventri at Atlantis Models, a number of new product releases were provided to us at the Madison National Convention. This review covers both the "plain base" and the "cobblestone base" versions of these display cases, the only difference being the street surface under the model.

Both cases are molded in clear acrylic, measuring 9 1/8” L x 3 7/8” H x 3 5/8”. The extra height allows for open hoods and trunks as well as for (obviously) taller vehicles to be displayed. Each case is nicely packaged not only in a secure box but a clear plastic wrap that eliminates scratches and scuffs from shipping damage. An added bonus is that the cases can be stacked (see images). Also supplied is several lengths of thin craft wire with instructions on how to secure a model to the base for more secure handling and transport.

Review Author
Chris Smith
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1:24
MSRP
$74.00

ICM continues to bring us modern tooled kits of subject’s modelers really want. Produced from 1927 to 1932, the Ford Model A followed up on the success of the model T. Several body styles were mounted on a chassis powered by a four-cylinder 201 cubic inch engine making 40hp. Coupled with a three-speed manual transmission, the Model A was capable of speeds up to 65mph. Almost five million Models were sold in the US when production ended in 1932.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
Company
Atlantis Model Company
Scale
1:24
MSRP
$29.99

This review covers Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen’s Rear Engine Dragster kit. It’s a 1:24 Scale kit from Atlantis Models #M7529. Rescued from the scrap heap by Atlantis and re-released in 2024 it hasn’t been seen in decades. It’s not for the average builder, but with some forehand knowledge, it’s not that hard to get this nostalgic model on your shelf.

Tom “The Mongoose” McEwan was half of a tag team with partner Don "the Snake" Prudhomme that’s been called The Greatest Rivalry in Drag Racing. Known for his endless promotion, Tom ushered in a new era for motor sports when he got a sponsorship deal with Mattel’s “Hot Wheels” franchise. Aside from being NHRA winners this put the team in the hands, and minds, of nearly every boy in America. It was a stroke of marketing genius - bringing non-automotive sponsors into the sport.

Review Author
Jim Stepanek
Published on
Company
Atlantis Model Company
Scale
1:25
MSRP
$29.99

The Studebaker is a wonderfully designed automobile that lends itself to streamlining for racing purposes. In this case, I built a race car for the gas coupe class with a blown Hemi. The kit also supplies a 421 ci Pontiac engine for use in a different drag racing class. Yellow ignition wires are included in the box.

I’m guessing that this kit is very old. There was so much flash on all the parts that I could have probably melted all of it and made another kit. Just terrible.

Kit instructions are somewhat difficult to follow due to lack of details.

Decals flowed on very well.

Kit is molded in red plastic so I used Duplicolor red oxide primer covered with House of Color Cinder Red followed by 2 coats of Nason 2K clear.

The Studebaker body is beautiful and I’d like to thank IPMS and Atlantis for the opportunity to build the kit.