I pride myself in creating models with limited resources using innovative techniques that cater to both kit and scratch modellers. My interest is anything automotive, my enthusiasm is pre-1940, and my passion is racing and record breakers. I have been making model cars since Airfix introduced 1/32 scale injection molded plastic kits in the 1950s, some of which I still have but most of which were unsatisfactory to me, lacking scale details, and requiring "adjustment".
I returned to kit modelling a generation later, the kits had improved in detail but still did not satisfy my need for scale detailing. A couple of these kits had to wait until my retirement by which time I had developed the skills to make them what I needed them to be.
With these skills I was now able to scratch build cars that really interested me and were not available in any kit form. My tools were limited but I was able to add to them over the years and I developed sources and techniques to achieve my goals. My biggest resource was now the internet where I could find photos and information about any car, and find sources of materials to build my models.
What is displayed on this site is the result of a lifetime's work of learning how to build miniature version of cars I could not afford or access, or that no longer existed, but that really interested me from a historical or a design perspective. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I have enjoyed building them.
My Latest Project - 1929 Lea Francis Hyper
I will add updates with photos and descriptions from time to time.
Check back regularly
Many years ago when I was old enough to drive and young enough to want to look good in a car, I acquired a 1929 Lea Francis that looked really sporty.
At the time I was not aware of the joys of vintage motoring, but I soon learnt. I was also not aware of the vintage car movement, but I soon learnt. I was also not aware of the place of Lea Francis Motors in automotive history, but I soon learnt.
My car was a custom built special from what had been a V-Type Lea Francis. The V type is essentially an S type Hyper, but with a twin port head and two carburettors instead of the supercharger, and with a Weymann Sportsman’s Coupé body.
By 1927 Lea Francis had been involved in competitive motoring for some time, and model that set it apart from a sporting perspective was the Type S, better known as the "Hyper". After experiments with a variety of superchargers, Lea-Francis adopted the Cozette for use in its competition cars, from which the S-Type evolved, to become the first supercharged British production car. In 1928, a Lea Francis Hyper, driven by Kaye Don won the RAC TT race at the Ards Circuit in Belfast against top international competition.
It has always been my intent to some day build a model of a Hyper Lea Francis, and the time has come.
See the full description of the model on the "miscellaneous" page.