Volume VIII, Number 1

POLISTIL SPORTS RACERS IN SMALL SCALE
by David Cook




BRM P154 (above and below)



UOP Shadow DN4

Renault Alpine A441

In the 70's, the Polistil company of Italy produced a line of then-current sports racing cars in small-scale to complement it's output of F1 cars and other vehicles. They represent a picture of top-level sports car racing in Europe in about 1974. What is really striking about these models is that they appear so large for their scale ­ 1/55. Each model is very close to 3" long and 1&1/2" wide. The paint, construction and detail are all up to the usual high Polistil standards.



Model No. RJ.30 is the BRM P154 (above) built originally to compete in the North American Can-Am series. Although it was never a winner in the series, it did manage a few podium finishes in 1970-71. The cars were then adapted for the European Interserie in 1972 through 1974.

Model No. RJ.31 is the UOP Shadow DN4. UOP also sponsored an F1 Shadow program. This sports racer competed in the Can Am series. The DN4 took the Can-Am championship in 1974, winning 4 out of 5 races in the hands of George Follmer and Jackie Oliver.

Model No. RJ.32 is the Renault-Alpine A441 designed for the world sports car circuit and especially for the LeMans 24-hours. It's older brother, the A442B finally won this famous race in 1978.

Model No. RJ.33 is the Ferrari 312P and may be the best known. I am sure there are more examples of this model around than the others. The 312P began its racing career in 1971 and over it's life won many famous races including Daytona, Sebring and the Targa Florio. It was the winner of the Constructor's Championship in 1972 but a LeMans win proved elusive.

Model No. RJ.34 is another Italian product, the Alfa-Romeo TT3312. This car won races in 1974 and almost swept the board in 1975, winning the Constructors Championship.

Model No. RJ.35 is the Matra-Simca M680. The M680 was a development of the M670 that took a hat trick of LeMans wins in 1972, 1973 & 1974. It was entered in the 1974 race but failed to finish. Matra withdrew from racing after this except as an engine supplier to the Ligier F1 team.

Model No. RJ.36 is the Gulf-Mirage GR7. This car was a classic British racing design ­ a combination of Gulf Oil sponsorship, Mirage chassis technology and Ford-Cosworth engine power. The GR7 finished 4th at LeMans in 1974 but it's older brother the GR8 won the classic 24-hours in 1975 and continued to race successfully through 1977.



Ferrari 312P

Alfa Romeo TT3312

Matra-Simca M680

Gulf-Mirage GR7

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