1/43 Model Review: 1997 Stewart SF1 Ford

Background

Three Time World Champion, Jackie Stewart would be funded by Ford to start up a Formula One team on their behalf, running the team with his son, Paul Stewart, and hiring current Autosport analyst, Gary Anderson as designer with Alan Jenkins. The team, through its various incarnations is the current Red Bull Team who are double World Constructors' Champions. Rubens Barrichello drove all three years for the team, and finished second in the Monaco GP in its debut year. The car was able to battle for points positions, but poor reliability hindered the team from scoring more points.

I remember in the UK when the F1 broadcast moved from the BBC over to ITV and I wasn't looking forward to the race being interrupted by adverts, but they did some special features in the build up for the first race, one being a documentary on the new Stewart team. I remember enjoying watching that quite a few times when I was younger.

Minichamps

Minichamps 430970022

Minichamps 430970023

I do miss the days when there were more differences between teammates so from a longshot you could identify which car was which, Magnussen running with a blue headrest and blue on the nose cone. The model itself is quite nice, but it could do with more defined shapes, like the airbox and hte sidepod openings, it's just a little simplified. The tartan looks good and the chrome wheel rims are nicely done. A solid budget model for the time.
Score: 7/10

Tameo

Tameo TMK250

The Tameo kit model is based on the Monaco GP with removable engine cover and wet tyres. A fabulous model, with fantastic detail, even underneath the engine cover is nicely reproduced. I can't find many pictures of this model, so I can't review the model in any detail, but knowing the quality of models that Tameo produce, it looks like a great model.
Score: 9/10

1/43 Model Review: 1969 Matra MS10 Jackie Stewart Review (Spark)

Background

Jackie Stewart won his first of three World Championships for Matra International, a non-works team ran by Ken Tyrrell. The opening race was won in the MS10 which had already earned three victories in 1968 and won in South Africa in 1969. For the majority of the rest of the year, the MS80 was used. The MS80 ran with the fuel tank to the sides of the driver in sidepods. High mounted wings were banned early in the season due to safety concerns. Stewart won 5 GPs in the MS80, and the Matra is the only car, other than Ferrari, to have won a Championship having not been built in the UK. Jacky Ickx was competitive in the second half of the year in the Brabham, substituting for an injured Jack Brabham, but Stewart's points tally was too much to overcome.

The MS84 was Matra's attempt at 4 Wheel Drive, but Stewart never raced it as it was overweight and difficult to handle. 

Spark S7183

I'm aiming to have owned a World Championship car for every Formula 1 Season, but the 1969 car had always been a Quartzo car of the MS80. Spark have released the Matra MS10, albeit the old car used only for the first race of the season, but I wanted to tick that off my wish list. 

I was really happy with the model when I received it, it was much more impressive than I expected. Another thing I always wanted a model of was with the early and primitive wings, bolted high over the car, directly onto the suspension. 

The cars proportions are nicely recreated, though it isn't the most complex of shapes overall, but it's all the attention to detail that I love about it, from the rivot joints, to the piping along the bottom of the car, it just all makes this a really nice model.

The mirrors are not an after-thought, but carefully modelled with a nice chrome paint. The driver figure is nice, and for a change, I really like the Spark helmet. It's a half helmet with a 3D transparent visor, with Stewart's face under a balaclava nicely modelled. 

Another shot into the cockpit shows a nice steering wheel and dashboard, as well as a good windshield and nicely shaped monocoque.

Moving onto the engine and you can see the detail of the pistons are individually made, twisting around metal rods. Then engine is clearly defined and the cylinder covers look great.

The Cosworth DFV engine from another perspective shows some nice modelling. The extra wing supports is a nice touch.

The rear exhaust area is nicely done, with the red cylinder attached at the top. There's nice detail on the main driveshaft and it all looks fantastic to me.

There's care and attention to detail all over this car, with the wing supports showing nice detail. 

Score: 9/10

1/43 Model Review: 1999 Stewart SF3 Ford

Background

The third Stewart saw a new car design philosophy that appeared to copy much of the successful McLaren's of Adrian Newey. Johnny Herbert was brought in as the second driver alongside Rubens Barrichello. The car was competitive, though fragile in terms of reliability, with the highlight of the year being a first and third place finish at the Nurburgring, with Herbert claiming the teams first and only win in F1.

However it was Barrichello who was usually the more competitive, claiming further podium finishes and a pole position, and could have had more but for reliability issues. The team finished a credible 4th place in the Constructors' Championship.

Hot Wheels (Mattel)

Hot Wheels 24527

Hot Wheels produced the Stewart car. Again I like the treatment of the wings, though it looks quite plasticy in white. The fins just in front of the sidepod lack definition, as does the rollover bar and the sidepod flip up winglet. It's not my favourite Hot Wheels car of the 1999 batch to be honest, but it could be worse, it's not that bad really.
Score: 6/10

Ixo / Formula 1 Car Collection

I am pretty certain this is from the same mould as the Hot Wheels car, so the differences lay primarily in the finish, the wheels and the driver and helmet. Whilst I prefer the Hot wheels tyre and rims, I prefer this clean and smooth looking helmet.
Score: 6/10

Tameo

Tameo TMK282

This is the European GP, with the high exhaust exits that were all the rage in 1999. This is an excellent version of the Stewart, in my opinion one of the nicest cars on the grid that year. It's a shame they reverted to a straightened sidepod opening, as the angled one looked much more aggressive. This was of course the race in which Stewart won their only Grand Prix, albeit Herbert's green number 17 rather than Barrichello's. The model has some great detailing, like the rivet marks on the exhaust, the blue steering wheel, nicely sculpted mirrors and rollover bar, just a masterclass in modelling from Tameo here.

2019 Preview: Historic Team Names

They say its easier to buy an existing company than start up your own. Only a handful of teams are Ferrari, McLaren, Haas and Williams (though you could argue it is Williams version 2.0 (version 1.0 being bought out by Wolf (not Toto Wolff (though he did own a bit of Williams V2 at one stage) but Walter Wolf)) phew!).

Two teams have changed hands once Toro Rosso used to be Minardi, and Alfa Romeo used to be Sauber (with a few years as BMW, but they still retained the Sauber name).

However there are four teams that have a more colourful history.

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Team Silverstone

Jordan

>>>

Jordan started the team from 1991 having run various lower formulae teams. When a contract dispute with Vodafone didn't go his way and Honda deciding to pair with BAR, the team quickly ran into money problems and went to the back of the grid. 2005 was the final season under the Jordan name.

Midland F1

In 2006, for the most part, it competed as Midland F1. Except they didn't make it all the way through the season.

Spyker

>>>

Spyker quickly reliveried the car from the Italian GP, but thankfully we had a much toned down version in 2007.

Force India

>>>

From 2008, Vijay Mallya bought the team and it was then known as Force India right through to 2018, well the middle of 2018 when it became...

Racing Point

So apparently the point is a full stop. With the title sponsor, the team is then "SportPesa Racing ."
It's like a joke that you have to explain isn't funny, I get its trying to be clever but I suppose I preferred they didn't revive the Lola name when they had nothing to do with them. The best 'pound-for-pound' team will receive a cash boost with this latest change of ownership and they will be looking to regain 4th in the Constructors' Championship.

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Team Enstone

Toleman

Toleman competed between 1981 through to 1985. I only had two Tolemans in my collection, this one with Senna driving.

Benetton

>>>

The clothing company, Benetton, bought the team and introduced its bright colours to the grid. Winning two championships with Schumacher in the mid-90s, the team would eventually sell up in 2001 to Renault.

Renault

>>>

Renault also won two championships with Fernando Alonso. Renault left the sport at the end of 2010, with the team being bought by Genii capital.

Lotus

>>>

They called the team Lotus, even though there was another team called Lotus because they correctly bought the rights, but Proton who owned actual Lotus wanted this team to be called Lotus. Lotus (the other team) became Caterham and Renault transitioned from Lotus Renault to Lotus...

Renault

... and back to Renault again when the manufacturer saved the team from a dire financial situation towards the end of the 2015 season. Renault will be looking to catch the leading three teams in the coming couple of years. This season they will want to be a clear 4th, but that seems like it is not going to be an easy task.

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Team Braxley

Tyrrell

>>>

Ken Tyrrell ran Matra cars from 1968, before making his own cars and entering as Tyrrell in 1970. The team were successful in the early 70s, but their competitiveness began to wane, until they were eventually sold to British American Tobacco when they had sunk to the back of the grid in 1998.

BAR

>>>

BAR told us they would win their first Grand Prix. They didn't even score a point all 1999. They wanted to run two seperate liveries, but ended up with the two sides of the car in different liveries. So I'm posting a picture of their much better testing livery. Consistent podium finishes in 2004 saw the team bought by Honda in 2005.

Honda

>>>

The team became Honda in 2006, but the team slipped backwards in competitiveness. It wasn't until 2009 that they would produce a competitive car, but Honda were suffering in the recession and pulled out of the sport at the end of 2008.

Brawn GP

For one glorious season, we had Brawn GP. From the brinks of closing down, this team won it all in 2009 before being bought out by Mercedes.

Mercedes

In 2010, with Rosberg and Schumacher at the wheel, Mercedes began their F1 come-back which has so far seen them win 5 Championships in a row to date. Will they make it a sixth straight year? It looks like they have their biggest fight yet going into 2019.

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Team Milton Keynes

Stewart

>>>

Jackie and son Paul Stewart entered a Fords works backed team in 1997. They made good progress, producing a quick but slightly fragile car in 1999. They won their first Grand Prix that season, by which time Ford wanted to buy him out. 

Jaguar

>>>

And Ford called the team Jaguar and brought a welcome green livery back to F1. Unfortunately the team never enjoyed any success and Ford sold out to a drinks company. 

Red Bull Racing

Red Bull made slow initial progress, and the arrival of Adrian Newey did not see much of a boost initially. But with new regulations in 2009, Newey and his team worked with Renault to produce some competitive cars, winning four straight championships. In 2019, a new era with Honda engines promises a return to the front in the near future. How soon can they start competing for championships again is the big question. 

1/43 Model Review: 1973 World Champion Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell 006 Ford Cosworth)

Background

Jackie Stewart would win his third and final Drivers' World Championship with Ken Tyrrell in 1973, knowing he would retire at the end of the season. He retired one race early, due to the death of his team mate, François Cevert, which would have been Stewart's 100th GP. Stewart won 27 Grand Prix in his career, a record at the time, 5 of which came during this season.

The 006 was first introduced in the tail-end of 1972, and it was the first Tyrrell chassis to become a model number rather than a chassis number i.e. more than one of these existed. The car also ran some of the early races in 1974. Whilst Stewart won the Driver's title convincingly, it was Lotus who won the International Cup for F1 Manufacturers that season.

Minichamps 

Minichamps 430730005

Minichamps released this model and it became very rare and highly sought after, often selling at around £100. Since the re-release in the World Champions Collection, the price has halved in the second hand market.
For me, I bought this from a local seller, not long after I started expanding my collection, as part of their collection of Tyrrell's for around £15 each, so I was overjoyed to come away with such a bargain for this rare model.
The car is another nice car from Minichamps, back in the era where there were huge rollover bars, fat rear tyres, and the beginnings of the engines being covered up. My only complaint is just how low the driver sits in this... is it a child in there? How can he see where he's going?
Score: 7/10

Minichamps 436730005

As mentioned above, the same model, with very minor updates, was released as part of the World Champions Collection, this being from the German Grand Prix which Stewart won. Despite a new driver figure, it's even lower than the original, you can't even see the visor at all now!
Score: 7/10

Ixo/Formula 1 Car Collection

The Formula 1 Car Collection series of magazines also included this IXO car. Not bad for a basic cheaper model.
Score: 6/10

Tameo

Tameo TMK174

There's a number of kits you can buy to build your own too, here's Tameo's version, which has its usual high quality. This is from the Monaco GP.
Score: 9/10

Tenariv

Tenariv 148

I've also stumbled across this kit by Tenariv which is from the German GP.
Score: 6/10

It's a shame all of these lack a driver figure, but then again, Minichamp's version would probably look better if it didn't have one either. That Tameo car is brilliant though.

For more from this series of World Champions, click here: https://fongugp4.blogspot.com/search/label/World Champions

1/43 Model Review: 1971 World Champion Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell 003 Ford Cosworth)

Background

Jackie Stewart had won the 1969 championship with Ken Tyrrell who ran customer Matra cars at the time, but for 1970 they spent most the year designing and building their own chassis and fixing initial problems. Come 1971, Stewart returned to winning ways winning six races on his way to his second Drivers' Championship.

Francois Cevert ran the 002 and Stewart the 003 during the season, though they were minor differences between the cars. Both retained their chassis for the majority of the 1972 season, but were outclassed by the Lotus 72, only winning races when the Lotus retired. The Tyrrell 003 would be the team's most successful car.

I've recently moved near Edinburgh, and the actual 003 is currently residing at a museum there, so I look forward to making a visit soon.

Minichamps

Minichamps 430710011

The original version 1/43 from Minichamps was a nice model that I think is based on the German Grand Prix. No real complaints for the quality produced at the time, but the models produced today are much more detailed and so this is starting to look a bit dated.
This model was quite rare and you could get one between £50-£75. Despite the success of the Tyrrell 003, it is actually the Tyrrell 005 (by Minichamps) of that era that was harder to purchase second hand.
Score: 7/10

However the value of this car has dropped since the updated World Champions Collectors Version arrived...

Minichamps 436710002

The same model is used again for the World Champions Collection, even though the releases are well over a decade apart. This is from the German GP where Stewart won. The blue is a bit closer to the real thing, the decals are a bit sharper and more consistently applied. The mirrors look improved too. Minichamps have a habit of charging modern day prices for something that was a third less on original release. Without updating the model, it looks a bit simple compared to the modern resin models, the shapes are not quite as pronounced and sharp. But for what it is, it's a nice model of the car.
Score: 7/10

Other Versions

Quartzo 4046

I did own an Quartzo version from the British Grand Prix, but unfortunately I don't have particularly good photos of that car to show you. The shape did have more pronounced contours, but the additional plastic parts, like the mirrors, take away from it. The driver model is not particularly good either.
Score: 5/10


So with that, I am quite happy to stick with the Minichamps version.

For more from this series of World Champions, click here: https://fongugp4.blogspot.com/search/label/World Champions