The Magic of Merit: Merit 1:24 Scale Model Kits

[jcf]

New on Veloce Today:

https://www.velocetoday.com/merit-124-scale-model-kits/

[PR19_Kit]

Ooooooh, fond memories! I built most of those back in the day too, my fave was the Lotus 11. 

Two of them had engines as I recall, the Talbot Lago was one, but I'm darned if I can remember the other one.

[Later] Having read the link it seems the other 'engined' kit was the Alfa 158, a straight eight too! I loved the Copper Norton too, and some years later converted one to a slot racer, when it would have been MUCH more sensible to have done that to the Lotus! 

A cracking link JCF, many thanks for that. 

[jcf]

I figured my fellow motor-heads would enjoy the story. 

[zenrat]

Thanks Jon.
I wonder if the moulds survived?

[PR19_Kit]

IIRC some of them resurfaced in the Eastern Bloc for a while, SMER comes to mind as a vendor.

[loupgarou]

IIRC some of them resurfaced in the Eastern Bloc for a while, SMER comes to mind as a vendor.

Yes, at least for the 2 superkits: Talbot Lago and Alfa.
BTW, the range had been also sold in France under the Sitaplex brandname.

[jcf]

The Talbot-Lago and the Alfa have been reissued by Atlantis Models in the
last few years. First in a double-boxing and currently separate boxings, the
Alfa with this rather amusing boxtop.




As far as I know SMER still own the moulds.

[zenrat]

I sent the link to the gentlemen old blokes of the Australian Model Car Club.  I've had two replies.  One tells me he has the whole set (I have requested he bring them to a future meeting - if he does i'll post pics) and the other reminisces very movingly about his father buying them for him.

[PR19_Kit]

I wonder how long a 158 would have lasted at Le Mans? 

And would it even have been fast enough down the Mulsanne Straight?

[loupgarou]

I wonder how long a 158 would have lasted at Le Mans? 

And would it even have been fast enough down the Mulsanne Straight?

Well, in 1948 or 1950, also the real LM contestants weren't at modern level.

[PR19_Kit]

I wonder how long a 158 would have lasted at Le Mans? 

And would it even have been fast enough down the Mulsanne Straight?

Well, in 1948 or 1950, also the real LM contestants weren't at modern level.

Yes, I think I knew they weren't that fast back then, I listened to the commentary on the radio every hour through the night...............

Actually the 1950 event was won by another Merit kit effectively as Louis Rosier drove the 4.5 l Talbot Lago to victory that year, and that car was essentially a Talbot F1 car with two seats and mudguards. But it's notable that they used a 4.5 litre normally aspirated engine whereas the Alfa 158/9 used a supercharged 1.5 litre engine.

The 1950 race was also notable for the first appearance of Jaguar, with the XK120 coupes, and the awesome 'Le Monstre' Cadillac entered by Briggs Cunningham, possibly the largest car to ever compete at Le Mans.

[zenrat]

I sent the link to the gentlemen old blokes of the Australian Model Car Club.  I've had two replies.  One tells me he has the whole set (I have requested he bring them to a future meeting - if he does i'll post pics) and the other reminisces very movingly about his father buying them for him.

As promised a photo of John's Merit cars.  The theme for Monday night's meeting was British Cars and he brought some of his collection of 1/24 Merits.
Merit Model Cars by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The two smaller blue open wheelers at the front are not by merit but the green one is - it's a Cooper with a Manx Norton engine.
I'm not sure what the other cars are (except the Vanwall obviously - and the one on it's left may be a Cooper Climax) but I am sure Jon  or Kit will be along in a moment to tell us.  Or you could look at Jon's original linked document as it might tell us there.

[loupgarou]

Shame on you! 
The leftmost one is a Jaguar D, then the Connaught, on the right of the Vanwall the Lotus XI, then the Aston Martin DB3S.

[zenrat]

Thanks Loupy.  I am suitably shamed.
My head is hanging.

[PR19_Kit]

What a cracking collection, I'm seriously impressed. 

Those two smaller Coopers to the right in the foreground must be 1/32 scale I guess, and they're darn good too!