www.F1scalemodels.com
... specialising in 1:43 scale model cars (Formula 1, Indy 500, Le Mans, GT and classic and modern road cars)
About www.F1scalemodels.com
Welcome to F1scalemodels (Dunefin Pty Limited). My name is Philip and this is my website (started in 2009) which is dedicated to the hobby of model car collecting. Apart from being a keen collector I'm also a part-time model car trader, trading primarily at several swap meetings and car events around the Sydney (Australia) area.
This site is always being updated and improved (hopefully) and the main purpose is to provide an up-to-date listing of models that are available for purchase at swap meets that I will be attending. As you can imagine it would be impossible to have all my stock at any swap meet, so if there are any particular model(s) that you're interested in, please contact me and I'll make sure I bring them along to the next swap meet. This is an obligation-free service.
Check out the link called "Motorsport Gallery" where I've posted some motorsport related photos. These are some of the photos I've taken over the years at various events.
Mail Order
I've been asked a few times now if I do mail order; the answer is yes. So far I've posted to a number of interstate collectors and also to USA, UK, Estonia, Hungary, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Canada and Malaysia. Australian collectors have a choice of payment options; Direct bank deposit, money order or Paypal. International collectors will need to pay via Paypal. Please contact me with the details of the models you're interested in and I will provide you with a firm quotation for postage.
Swap Meets / Events
I'm planning to attend the following swap meets and events in 2026; please go to the Swap Meets link for dates and other details.
- Sydney Toy and Hobby Fair (Epping)
- Collector Con Penrith
- Shannons Eastern Creek Classic
- Hawkesbury Model and Hobby Show
- All British Day
- Hunter Toy and Hobby Fair
- Australian Diecast Expo
Contact Me
Mobile: 0417 428 668
Email: info@f1scalemodels.com
Updates
This website is updated regularly (at least once a month) with new additions and important or interesting information related to the hobby. All new Recent and Restocked items will be marked with an "R" in the stocklists so please check these lists regularly. I hope you find these updates helpful.
New Additions: March 2026
Welcome to the March update. It doesn't seem all that long ago that I was sitting here writing the last monthly update, I guess it may have something to do with February having only 28 days! Let's get straight into it then. I received some fine examples of road cars from Schuco, a German company that is now a subsidiary of Spark. Other new additions include several from Spark and Minichamps. The stand-outs for me are highlighted below.
The Mirage M9 Renault was a sports prototype racing car developed by Grand Touring Cars for the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans, featuring a Renault V6 2L turbo engine. The M9 was essentially an evolution of the previous year's car with a lower rollbar, and a narrower cockpit compared to its predecessor. Vern Schuppan was joined by Jacques Laffite and Sam Posey as the driver line up for Le Mans. While the M9 was quick in testing, reaching high speeds during private trials on the Interstate 10 freeway in Phoenix, it ultimately could not match the pace or reliability of the factory Renault-Alpine A442B that won the race that year. Engine issues cost the car four hours in the pits and tenth was all it could manage. This Spark model would appeal to those who collect cars driven by Australians or Le Mans cars in general.
Spark: Mirage M9 Renault 1978 Le Mans (S0311)
Officine Stampaggi Industriali (OSI), or “Industrial Stampings Workshops,” was one of Italy’s smaller coachbuilders, established in 1960 to take on smaller projects for its parent company, Ghia. OSI produced some designs based on Fiat and Alfa Romeo chassis, but it was the company’s connection with Ford of Germany that led to its best-known model, the OSI-Ford 20M TS. The 20M TS was based on the contemporary European Ford Taunus and OSI built around 2,200 of them between 1967 and 1969. The 20M TS shared all of its mechanical bits with the production Taunus, it was powered by the most potent engine available, a 1,998-cc version of Ford’s brand-new Cologne V6. Later cars benefitted from the 2,293-cc version of the same engine. They were bought by people who appreciated the combination of hand-built style and reliable Ford running gear, and didn’t mind paying a little extra for the privilege. This example by Schuco would be a welcome addition to any collection of rare cars.
Schuco: OSI-Ford 20M TS Coupe
Okay, that's it for another monthly update, so what's on in March? As with last month, not a lot going on except the regular first Friday of the month Sydney Toy and Hobby Fair on March 6th. So, until next month, happy collecting.
Le Mans
- 1995 McLaren F1 GTR, Delétraz/Giroix/Grouillard (50) 5th Le Mans (Spark)
- 1978 Mirage Renault M9, Schuppan/Laffite/Posey (10) Le Mans 10th (Spark)
Road Cars
- 1965 Alfa Romeo Guilia Sprint GTA in red (Schuco)
- 1954 BMW 502 V8 Limousine in black (Minichamps)
- 1965 BMW 1800 TiSA in silver (Minichamps)
- 1973 De Tomaso Pantera GTS in red (Schuco)
- 1975 Mazda RX-5 (Cosmo AP) in red (Schuco)
- 1978 Mazda RX-7 Savanna in yellow (Schuco)
- 1953 Mercedes-Benz 180 in metallic green (Minichamps)
- 2019 Morgan Plus Six in grey (Schuco)
- 1968 OSI-Ford 20M TS Coupe in red (Schuco)
- 1972 Porsche 916 in silver (Schuco)
- 1997 Porsche Boxster (986) Hardtop in silver (Schuco)
- 1998 Porsche 911 (996) Cabrio in yellow (Schuco)
Misc Scales
- 1962 Porsche 356 Carrera 2, with luggage rack/skis in red 1:64 (Schuco)
After Thoughts: "JLP Racing - A Story of Speed and Weed."
John Paul Sr. was by all accounts, a very unpleasant, volatile and abusive bully. Born Hans-Johan Paul in 1939, a year before Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands, his earliest memories were of deprivation and uncertainty under Nazi occupation. The trauma of wartime occupation left its mark on the young boy. In 1956, his family emigrated to the United States, settling in Indiana, where he reinvented himself as John Lee Paul. Brilliant with numbers, he earned a scholarship to Harvard, completing a master’s degree in business. By his early thirties, he was a millionaire Wall Street fund manager. Success came quickly and motor racing became his passion. Then came 1971. A Wall Street slump devastated the fund market. His marriage collapsed; his wife returned to Indiana with their young son, also named John. Paul Sr. liquidated everything, bought a 37-foot yacht, and crossed the Atlantic solo - twice. After drifting through the Caribbean for two years, he returned to the U.S., where his son, John Paul Jr. chose to live with him.
Back on American soil, Paul Sr. launched JLP Racing in 1977. The team’s cars were unmistakable: baby blue with splashes of yellow. He sent his son to the Skip Barber Racing School, where instructors judged the young man “hopeless.” Undeterred, Paul Sr. bought him a Formula Ford and raw talent surfaced quickly. Meanwhile, Paul Sr. competed in IMSA with a Porsche 911 and later a Corvette C3. In 1978, he finished fifth overall at Le Mans in Dick Barber’s Porsche 935. The following year, he acquired his own 935, operating from discreet workshops in Lawrenceville, Georgia—close to Road Atlanta, yet removed from prying eyes.
Spark: JLP Racing Corvette Road Atlanta 1978
In 1980, Paul Sr. brought his son into his team and they won their first IMSA race together. After that race Paul Sr. married his 2nd wife, Chalice. For 1980, JLP campaigned a Kremer-developed Porsche 935 dubbed the JLP-2. Paul Sr. finished second in the IMSA championship, and the pair placed ninth overall at Le Mans. In 1981 came another Porsche 935 (JLP-3), alongside a Lola T600. In a textbook start to the 1982 season, father and son won the Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours and at season's end, the talented 22-year-old Paul Jr. became IMSA's youngest champion.
Spark: Porsche 935 1st Sebring 12 hr 1982
Paul Sr. retired as a driver at the end of 1982 to devote his time managing his racing team. However, Paul Sr. remained extremely unpopular with other drivers and was known for his quick and irrational temper that could explode into violent outbursts, on and off track. He once crashed into another competitor on a slowing-down lap in retaliation for his son being blocked on track. Unsurprisingly, few dared to confront him.
John Paul Jr. with his father, John Paul Sr.
By 1982, Paul Jr. noticed troubling signs. The team had no major sponsors, yet money flowed freely. A plain black transporter carried endless spare parts and engines. They outspent factory teams. The truth was staggering: the operation was financed by Paul Sr.’s marijuana smuggling network. Confronted with reality, Paul Jr. became complicit, helping unload bales of contraband from boats bound for hidden storage facilities. By 1983, the FBI had built a case with help from a key witness, an associate of Paul Sr. who had been offered immunity. Learning of his impending arrest, Paul Sr. accosted his associate and shot him five times. Miraculously, the man survived. Paul Sr. was arrested - then astonishingly released on bail. When he failed to appear for trial, an international manhunt followed and he was captured in Switzerland over a year later and extradited. Convicted of attempted first-degree murder, drug smuggling, racketeering, and tax evasion, Paul Sr. received a 25-year sentence. Paul Jr. was sentenced to five years, serving 28 months but his promising racing career that had now extended into Indy cars was stalled.
Porsche 935 JLP-3 1982 Riverside
Upon release, the racing community - remarkably - welcomed Paul Jr. back. Many believed he had been bullied into criminality by his father. His formidable talent meant he was still recognised as one of America's very best drivers and against the odds, he managed several more IMSA wins but his great desire was to return to Indy car racing. He raced the Indy 500 six times, albeit, driving for the smaller teams. He retired in 2001 and died in 2020 at age 60 after a long battle with a neurological condition.
However, John Paul Sr.’s story took a darker turn. Soon after he began his prison sentence, he and another prisoner made an attempt to escape but was quickly recaptured. He seemed to have behaved himself after that and he was paroled in 1999 after serving 13 years of his 25-year sentence. Not long afterwards, he became romantically involved with Colleen Wood. Together they prepared a 55-foot schooner for a five-year world voyage, in violation his parole, but then Colleen suddenly vanished. Her credit card had been used to withdraw $40,000 and when detectives sought a warrant to search the schooner, both Paul Sr. and the vessel were gone. Meanwhile, Paul Sr. also became a suspect in the mysterious disappearance of Chalice, his second wife whom he married in 1980. She had vanished without trace. Colleen's case also remains unsolved and John Paul Sr. remains the only suspect. However, authorities, to this day have never been able to locate him.
New Additions: February 2026
Welcome to the February update. Can you believe that one month has already gone in 2026? The first Sydney Toy and Hobby Fair on January 2 was well attended by both vendors and visitors despite being just a day after New Year's day. It bodes well for the rest of the year! This month I can report the arrival of some road cars, many of which are from the Maxichamps stable. These value-for-money models in their distinctive orange outer boxes are made by Minichamps and are popular with budget-conscious collectors. However, the model I'd like to highlight this month is a model from Minichamps.
The Lamborghini Urraco is a 2+2 mid-engined coupé produced between 1972 and 1979, designed by Bertone as a more affordable alternative to the Ferrari Dino and Porsche 911. It was named after a line of Miura-bred fighting bulls. A total of 791 units were produced during this period. Featuring a 2.0L to 3.0L transversely mounted V8 between the rear wheels, this car combined 1970s wedge styling with everyday practicality, though it initially struggled with production quality. The early versions of the Urraco had a lot of quality and reliability problems, which damaged the reputation of this car. However, the Urraco was appreciated for superb roadholding, agile handling, powerful braking and benign behavior at the limit. The Urraco served as the basis for later Lamborghini models, including the Silhouette and Jalpa. Lamborghini's first attempt at offering a mass production model became a complete failure, nevertheless, the Urraco is now a highly regarded collector's item. Similarly, the 1:43 Minichamps model is also highly regarded by model car collectors.
Minichamps: Lamborghini Urraco
Okay, that's it for another monthly update, so what's on in February? Not a lot, is the answer. Just the regular Sydney Toy and Hobby Fair on Friday 6 at the Epping Creative Centre, 26 Stanley Road, Epping starting at 6:00 pm. There is an event called "HobbyCon" on February 28 at the Wentworth Park Stadium, 5 Wentworth Park Road, Glebe, however, I will not be attending this event. Also, the first Collector Con is on March 1 at Penrith, and I will not be attending this event either. So, until next month, happy collecting.
Road Cars
- 1999 Audi A8 (D2) in white (Maxichamps)
- 1991 BMW Z1 (E30) in metallic black (Maxichamps)
- 1968 Fiat 850 Sport Spider in black (Maxichamps)
- 1994 Ford Mustang Cabriolet in white (Maxichamps)
- 2005 Ford Mustang Saleen S281 in metallic silver grey (IXO)
- 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 in metallic green/white (Solido)
- 1974 Lamborghini Urraco in metallic blue (Minichamps)
- 1978 Lotus Esprit Turbo in silver (Maxichamps)
- 1955 Mercedes 300SL Coupe (W198) in red (Maxichamps)
- 1992 Mercedes 600 SEC (C140) in black (Minichamps)
- 1975 Opel Rekord D Coupe in light blue (Maxichamps)
- 1992 Opel Calibra Turbo 4x4 in metallic grey (Maxichamps)
- 1961 Porsche 356B Coupe in dark green (Maxichamps)
- 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.0 in green (Maxichamps)
- 1991 Renault 19 Cabriolet in yellow (Maxichamps)
- 2020 Toyota Supra in white (IXO)
- 1998 VW New Beetle (Type 9C) in red (Maxichamps)
After Thoughts: "Frankenheimer's "Grand Prix" (1966): Cinema at Full Throttle."
When John Frankenheimer’s "Grand Prix" hit cinemas sixty years ago in 1966, it did something no film had ever truly achieved before: it captured the raw speed, danger and romance of Formula One in a way that felt real. Six decades on, it remains one of the most authentic and visually spectacular motorsport films ever made, capturing Grand Prix racing’s golden era.
Posters
The plot of the film follows several drivers as they navigate rivalry, ambition, love and mortality across a season of racing. James Garner plays American driver Pete Aron, a talented but controversial racer fighting for redemption. Yves Montand portrays the seasoned Frenchman Jean-Pierre Sarti, while Brian Bedford (Scott Stoddard) and Antonio Sabàto (Nino Barlini) round out the fictional driver lineup.
Yves Montand as Jean-Pierre Sarti (Ferrari) at the Monaco GP
Rather than relying on studio sets and staged sequences, Frankenheimer insisted on filming during actual Formula One race weekends across Europe. Real crowds, real paddocks, and real racing infrastructure became the backdrop for this fictional championship narrative. The production embedded itself within the 1966 World Championship season, capturing real cars, real drivers and real circuits in action. Locations included Monaco, Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, Brands Hatch, Zandvoort, and Clermont-Ferrand. Cameras were mounted on racing cars, helicopters were used for aerial shots, and specially modified Formula 3 cars stood in for the F1 machines during close-up scenes.
Another strength of the film was its integration of actual Formula One drivers and teams. Legends such as Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark, Graham Hill and Jack Brabham appear throughout the film, lending it enormous credibility. Phil Hill and Bruce McLaren also contributed driving footage for the racing sequences. Some of the footage was captured by Phil Hill, driving a modified Lotus Climax fitted with a camera in some sessions during the actual Monaco and Belgian Grand Prix. This was some of the earliest experimentation with in-car cameras for F1. In order to realistically film the racing cars at speed, another camera car, a Ford GT40 was used for much of the filming. The production team often decided to include unplanned accidents caught on film in the final movie. For major accidents that were part of the story-line, the crew constructed a special cannon-like device that could fire gutted cars a considerable distance. Shot in Super Panavision 70 and Cinerama, the film was designed for the largest screens possible. Its split-screen editing style, allowed Frankenheimer to show multiple perspectives simultaneously — drivers, crowds, mechanics and track action. The sound design was equally revolutionary. The roar of the engines, the scream of gear changes and the thunder of the crowd were captured with remarkable clarity.
Ford GT40 Camera car
Camera mounted on Garner's GP car
Scene from camera on Garner's car
However, not everyone was enthusiastic about the intrusion of the production crew; the filming process meant disrupting vital practice runs and otherwise getting in the way of the actual racers' activities. In particular, Enzo Ferrari did not allow the Ferrari name to be used and refused to let his cars to be filmed fearing the trivialisation of his brand. Undeterred, Frankenheimer spliced together approximately thirty minutes of detailed footage after filming in Monte Carlo, and sent the short piece to the Ferrari factory. He received such a positive response from Enzo that he gained unprecedented access, being allowed to shoot inside Ferrari's production floor alongside the real racing vehicles. The director used this relationship to push other parties to help with the film-making process. Because Yamura Motors was a fictional race team, the producers struck a deal with Bruce McLaren's newly formed McLaren team to have his car, the McLaren M2B, painted with Yamura's colours.
Phil Hill driving the Lotus-Climax camera car
The actual level of driving ability possessed by the movie's actors varied wildly. Bedford (Stoddard) could not drive at all and was only ever in the car for close-up type shots. Montand (Sarti) and Sabàto (Barlini) both struggled with even basic skills. Garner (Aron), on the other hand, proved competent enough that he trained exclusively with driver Bob Bondurant. Garner's driving talent became strong enough that some of the professional drivers, remarked that the actor could have been a successful Grand Prix driver if he had not gone into making films; in fact, Garner later went on to sponsor his own Formula racing team.
Garner getting some driving tips from Jack Brabham
The film grossed $20.8 million in the United States and Canada. It was one of the ten highest-grossing films of 1966. However, it received only three Oscar nominations at the 39th Academy Awards. While not nominated for Best Picture or Director by the Academy, it won all three categories in which it was nominated; Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Effects.
Frankenheimer with Montand on set of Grand Prix
Today, Grand Prix is still regarded as the benchmark for motorsport cinema. Later films such as Le Mans, Rush and F1: The Movie, owe a debt to Frankenheimer’s pioneering approach. For Formula One fans, the film remains essential viewing — not just as entertainment, but as a tribute to a bygone era. Frankenheimer didn’t just make a movie about Formula One—he turned Formula One into cinema.
Vale: Hans Herrmann, German F1 Driver. (23/2/28 - 9/1/26)
New Additions: January 2026
Welcome to the first update for 2026. I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing time during the festive break and I wish you all the best for the new year. Last year was another difficult year for everyone with the cost of living challenges and I realise collecting model cars sometimes had to take a back seat. The forecast for 2026 looks like it could be a repeat of last year, but I guess we have to remain optimistic for better times ahead. We start off the new year, surprisingly, with no new additions to report, so I thought I would focus on a couple of significant models that I had received late last year.
The Ford Mustang GT3 was unveiled at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans as Ford's new global GT3 challenger, with its actual racing debut scheduled for 2024 at the 24 Hours of Daytona, followed by Le Mans in June 2024. The Mustang GT3 was designed and developed by Ford Racing and Multimatic Motorsports according to GT3 regulations while M-Sport, Ford's long-term partner in the World Rally Championship helped to develop the 5.4-litre naturally aspirated Ford Coyote-based V8. At its launch, it was confirmed the German racing team, Proton Competition would be the first customer team to run the Mustang GT3 in 2024. The Mustang made a highly successful debut at the 2024 Le Mans, competing in the new LMGT3 category; this marked the first Le Mans appearance for a Mustang (the Saleen-Mustang) since 1997. Three cars were entered by Proton Competition (Cars #44, #77 and #88). The #88 endured early challenges but showed consistency throughout the race, a clever pit strategy helping the car maintain a top-five position and eventually delivering a third place in the LMGT3 class. The #44 car also secured 4th place in class. The #77 and #88 cars have been modeled by Spark and would make a welcome addition to any Le Mans or Mustang collection.
Spark: Mustang GT3 #77 Le Mans 2024 (S9153)
Spark: Mustang GT3 #77 Le Mans 2024 (S9153)
Spark: Mustang GT3 #88 Le Mans 2024 (S9159)
OK, that's it for my first update of the year. January is always a quiet month, but thankfully we have the Sydney Toy and Hobby Fair on January 2. Located at the Epping Creative Centre, 26 Stanley Road, Epping. Until next month, happy collecting.
After Thoughts: "Umbeto Panini: The Cheesemaker Who Saved Maserati's Car Collection."
As Maserati celebrates its 112th anniversary this year, it's worth remembering that a vital part of the brand's history nearly disappeared in the 1980s. At the time, Maserati was under the ownership of Alejandro De Tomaso. When De Tomaso purchased Maserati in 1975, a historic car collection came with the manufacturing operations. Although the company had launched the sharp-edged Biturbo range and sold a minority stake to Chrysler, the financial health of Maserati remained fragile. In a move to raise quick capital, De Tomaso made a dramatic decision: he would sell Maserati's priceless collection of historic road and race cars. The collection included some of the most important machines in the company's history, among them Juan Manuel Fangio's legendary 250F Formula One car, the exquisite "Birdcage" Tipo 61, the elegant A6G/54, and iconic grand tourers of the 1960s and 1970s such as the 3500 GT, Ghibli, Khamsin, Mistral, and Merak. Had they been sold individually, many of these cars would likely have left Italy forever.
Photos clockwise from top left: Maserati A6G/54, 5000GT, Bora, Khamsin (at the Hombre Farm Museum)
Just a few miles outside Modena, Umberto Panini was quietly building a very different empire. Famous worldwide for the Panini sticker albums cherished by generations of children, Panini had invested his success back into his homeland. He founded Hombre, an organic farm producing Parmigiano cheese, and began filling its barns with a remarkable collection of cars and motorcycles. When Panini, a proud Modenese, learned that Maserati's historic cars were at risk of being scattered across the globe, he could not accept the idea of such cultural treasures leaving the region. "In 1986, my father saved the Maserati classic collection," recalls his son, Giovanni Panini. "He tried to form a local committee, but in reality, he was the only one seriously negotiating with De Tomaso."
By the summer of that year, an agreement had been reached. Contracts were signed in September, and by November, the cars had arrived at Hombre, safely housed and displayed together once again. That collection became the Collezione Umberto Panini, a free museum nestled among cowsheds and cheese-making facilities, and home to 22 historic Maseratis. Almost overnight, it became a pilgrimage site for enthusiasts worldwide.
Umberto Panini with his collection (photo: D.Dowsey)
Remarkably, nearly every Maserati in the collection remains fully drivable. Only a prewar 6C with a serious engine issue is currently sidelined. The rest are exercised regularly, driven, raced, and showcased as living machines rather than static exhibits.
In 2025, the entire museum was relocated from the Hombre Farm to a more central site in Modena. The new address is Via dell'Aeroporto 140, Marzaglia, Modena. Under Stellantis ownership, questions once again surround Maserati's future. But thanks to Umberto Panini's decisive action four decades ago, the brand's past, its soul, its triumphs, and its most iconic machines remain safe, intact, and proudly Italian.
Collezione Umberto Panini, at the new location: Via dell'Aeroporto 140, Marzaglia, Modena