1/32-1/35 Mille Miglia 1931

[Challenger77]

Hello,
i have started another big Project, a different theme for a Diorama, rarley seen.
i will build a Scene from the 1000 miles Race 1931 trough Italy. This was held from 1927 on to 1957, 1000 Miles in one Day ! then it was cancelled, much to dangerous a race on normal Streets with also normal traffic, there where severeal heavy Accidents and dead People. Today this "race" is a historic Event , held on the classic Route but in 4 days.

okay so, i use the old Matchboxkit mercedes SSKL as rudi Carraciolas/ Werner Sebastians (Mechanic) Ride to Victory and a much older , around 1966, kit from Pyro for the second placed Alfa 6c with Giuseppe Campari behind the Wheel and his Mechanic Attilio Maroni.

Here is how matchbox Kit look, for the Age and Scale not so Bad , i have seen Carkits in 1/24 from Today they look not as good....some Flaws are here, so the fenders where a dark Red not Black, some Details are a bit crude







Well the Alfa is another Thing, the overall Dimensions are right, but crude Details. See the 2 half Wheels, no Spokes just plain Plastic......





The first Thing to change are the Wheels, i will use etched Ones with Alurims, a bit complicated but ....see yourself









I want a Drive-trogh-town-scene so i try a few MiniartKits and a Verlinden Relief fassade









and this is how it should look







First i altered the Italian Townbuilding. A lot of Sanding requiered since this Kits are Vacuformed and have some faults and round Edges.....and to line up the 2 Wallsections is a challenge too







Hope to get it ready for Siena Modelshow in June 2019

[Wiking]

Fantastic plan!
I like that!

Very, very well made wheels. Great idea how to do it.
What about drivers, people for that time in 1/32?
Ore the huge 1/35 range of figures will do?
The 1/32 cars and the 1/35 house will work.
I too think that cars around that time need houses as background.
Somewhere I read about vacuformed models:

There are two groups of model builder.
The one who will do a vacuformed model and the one who will never do a vacuformed model.

Good luck.
The start look promising.

[Challenger77]

Hello Wiking,
thank you
Well the Rims are not made by me, these are Kits from Peter Thomas-Saeger ( https://sites.google.com/site/peters132wirewheels/ )
I have them here since 2015, got the last ones, he made only few Sets. The only Problem are the Tires, in this Scale the right Size is aChallenge. I use Scalexrtric Spares Front Tires for the Ferrari F1 Sharknose from The Fifties. OK the Tread is not right, but better than Slicks....

For the Figures i use what ever will fit , Drivers come from Le Mans Miniatures









Some cheap Copies, never seen before, via Aliexpress and Miniart, see the Priest.....a well known Face











and for a little funny Side kick......



But this is a long term Project, as always i have 2-3 projects same time running........

[Challenger77]

oh and i see 1 Pic of your Racedio in a Modelfan, anywhere some more pics to see ? What i see on this little Pic i like

[Wiking]

Thank you for the very nice reply.
I see you think more forward as I expected first. And you watch out in other categories like the slot cars in 1/32.
And a few civilians in 1/35 too.
Trophy girls!
You have done for sure your "Homework"!

Challenger77 wrote:
oh and i see 1 Pic of your Racedio in a Modelfan, anywhere some more pics to see ?

I build three of them. All in 1/72. To see in this forum in the section Gallery.
(It was not so easy to get driver and civil figures. I use finally WWI pilots and converted soldiers most.)

The race is on
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=17967

Cross the finish line
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18979

In the Air
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19528

Hopefully you get a good idea for your Mille Milga 1931 plan.

Because in my mind a plan jumped around to do a Dio like I do in the past but in 1/35.
In the last few years MB, Tamiya, Bronco etc. do some civil cars used for the military in that timeline. Additionally civil figures sets are available too.
I am looking really forward to your work.
And how it will go on.

Have a lucky hand.

[Challenger77]

Hello again,
thanks for your Replies too

Oh yes i look always around what i can use, as i write befor iam also interessted into SF and there i love scratchbuilding. So i take a Bradley Tank and tune it up or a Sahariana with a big gatling, etc etc.

Civilian Figures are in all Scales hard to find, in 1/35 there are only a few Sets from Miniart and the Preiser ones. But none of the Ladies fit Clothwise in the Year 1931............The Clothes of the Gents differ not that much. And the still available MRRC and Carrera Racetrackpeople are way to modern and not so good sculpted. A few but expensive Resincast are around, lets see what i can do .

Here a few Examples, Carracciola with his Wife and Officials





on The Way



Campari and his Alfa 6 C



with Tazio Nuvolari bevore the Start



a short Stop at the MM



And the "Trophygirls" where for a little funny Gag.........you will see it

Thanks for the Links, but i cannot see the Pics, only text "image"........

[Challenger77]

And as another "easteregg" i will include a Figure of Alfred Neubauer, the Legendary Racdirector of mercedes. He was in Brescia , the Start and Finish Place, for the whole race, so its not historical correct, but i love the Idea.........and perhaps he had a doppelganger

This Figure and a 30's Photographer also , is from http://www.immenseminiatures.com Le mans Miniatures have another one.

[panzerman825]

I'm enjoying the progress of this wonderful project, Nice to see a non military diorama. Work looks terrific. Keep having fun.
Bill

[Wiking]

Better late as nerver. I hope you can see the pic now.

The race is on.







Cross the finish line.







In the Air.

[Beano Boy]

This is certainly a fun time project that I like. Very good input too,and that makes it even more interesting. I like all those old time racers photographs,yes real people living in the dangerous fast lane of history. BB

[Challenger77]

Hello Wiking, thanks for the Repost of your Pics !
looks terrific, congratulations
Is there a historic Story behind or just for fun ?

[Wiking]

Thank you very much for your kind words again Challenger.

Challenger wrote:
Is there a historic Story behind or just for fun ?

It was build just for fun.
The historical fact is that all cars exist before or short before WWII. The time there race like that (Mille Miglia) are very, very popular. I came across the information that the last one was held in Hungary one or two weeks after the 1st September of 1939.
And the name Farina (very first F1 Champion 1950) as Goldie (British racer of that time) are for real. If they drive against each other, I don`t know. Artistic freedom!
So for the Dio "The race is on" and "Cross the finish line" it is wrong that a mechanic sit beside the driver. At that time (1938/39) I read there was only a driver. I ignore that fact for more fun and action into the scene.

Hope to see soon more "engine sound" of your work.

[Challenger77]

Thanks Wiking

Well the vacukits from miniart took more Work then expected, and i altered two of them a bit.
So the italian Building will not have the big Balcon, i moved the inner wall forward, will add a small balcon like on the Verlinden Building.

So it should look, Boxart



Paper Mockup



Work in progress





Size Comparsion Verlinden-miniart, Minart uses much bigger Windows and Doors.....





First try with the full Scale Buildings











a very slow build.....i know....

[Wiking]

I like the black/ white pics in your last post.

[Challenger77]

Verlinden Ceramic =White and Miniart Plastic=Grey so you don't need any Filters or Photoshop

[Challenger77]

Slowly change a Ruin into Giuseppe Bottazzis Workshop / Office
If anybody not know who this is. .....

[panzerman825]

Delightful large scale motor race diorama. So much detail going on.....eyes just dance about feasting in the beautiful work. Poor Arab guy on roof by the radio....the snake behind him will be a surprise. Hahahahaha.
Bill

[Wiking]

Challenger wrote:
If anybody not know who this is. .....

The upper on told the down one that he get a surplus tank from the retreading German in the past.
And the down one saw the star at the Sherman tank and told the upper one.
It was not the retreading German. It was the advancing American.
The upper one answer then. German, American. Italy is like the the see. People come, people go.
More or less in in the German TV version.

Building House cost a lot of time. Nice to see some progress. Go on !

[Peter]

Wonderfull and big project! Can't wait to see the next steps!

And I see that Don Camillo and Peppino will take part in this project! Great!

[Challenger77]

Hello and thanks to All

here is a little update. I added the Royalmodel Sicilian house to the Project, i like the Shape. As most of the offered buildings, this is a plaster made ruin, so i must first rebuild it to not damaged. But only after glue the broken Walls togheter, like a puzzle ....i manage this with Lego and patafix , making a partial Mold, then pour Artist Plaster in this, a little Sanding and voila....







So here it is glued togheter with out the Stonebench before the Wallfountain.







With that i play around with the Layout. The Cooktop is the Size, so a bit of the House to cut off. The Small one on the Right side will be a little Church.On the Leftz Side i think on the Alfa 8 C with tirechange, nuvolari suffered from 9 changes on this race, the SSKL in Front , behind the Alfa 6c and in the Doorway the Bugatti. What do you think?







And i began the work on the MB SSKL. The matchbox Kit has a good fit and is finly detailed,but in a few Spotzs tehy are wrong. As all Modelmanufacturers , even CMC, they molded too much Holes in the Frame, on Original pics you can spot somewhat like a Sheet over the Holes, so i build this with thin Plasticard. Drilled the remaind holes with 0.5 and 1.00 mm and also rebuild the Frontdamperrod





And i have the Idea to light all this Stuff up, but no Idea how to get this done .......