3 Litre Gordini Tour de France 1953
 
 
 

Those with long memories will remember that last year, I made a 1/32nd Gordini for the Bordeaux vintage slot race. Whilst looking for pictures for that project, I found this newspaper on Ebay France.

I really like the way Gordini used a center drive car, and squeezed the poor navigator against the door.

It must have been quite uncomfortable.

Because MMK has launched a very similar car in 1/32nd, I decided to go for 1/24th instead.

 

 
 

The body was carved out of a single block of balsa, and the detail work was added using milliput.

The shape is more complex than last year's car, and I had a lot of problems carving the panel lines, even though I used templates.

 
 

In order to get the thickness of the door correct, I cut out the balsa and replaced the whole door with one made of aluminium.

The grille was built from thin brass wire, soldered together, the toast rack looking thing at the bottom of it is made from a eyelash comb sanded to shape.

 
 

Now taking shape, I still have plenty of small details to add.

 
 

The car is modelled the day after the newspaper was published, they are making their way along the northern coast of Britanny, and, as you can see, the navigator is having a read instead of consulting his map

Those of you with sharp eyes will notice that it is the correct map