Last kit I ever built back in the 70s. Wonderful to see this again, just how I remembered it. Electric motor conversions were a thing back then. My brother built a B17 with 4 electric motors in it. The plane could actually taxi!
I'm building a vintage classic version of this kit at the moment. The decals for the dials are reversed, so you would see the details through the clear plastic dash insert. Thanks for showing the original release.
Awesome if whoever got you it can see it completed.. I remember seeing it in my local model shop as a snotty kid of about 10. (Willis’s in Devizes, Wiltshire, UK. toys downstairs, treasure upstairs ❤👍).
A beautiful old kit Harry, and I think it would be a joy to build. While we probably won’t see you build it, I am sure in your hands it will become an iconic example of the old Airfix kits that we used drool over in our teens. Good luck with it in your retirement mate!
Hi Harry, It's a wonderful kit indeed. I built one a few years ago, I replaced the engine's copper and brass pipes with real one, the clear plastic mesh with real mesh (Radiator, headlight and windshield protection), I wrapped the suspension blades with cotton thread and so on... The engine on its own is a beauty. Everything fits perfectly on this kit. The very few things I disliked were big sprue attachments on the side of the radiator cover (it needs to be re-chromed), the weird glass for the dashboard instrument (I laser-cut clear PETG circles instead). The funny thing was the decals for the dials, they are black, then I realized that they should be applied on the clear form the inside, so the white graduations should be printed on the back of the decal...smart, except that it wasn't, they are just black...WTF? I drew the dials on illustrator and printed them, it looks good once finished. One thing about the body, the passenger compartment was dope, for weight in racing, so satin or flat finish, as the bonnet was gloss British green (chassis too). 222 km/h lap record in 1931😲. I have 2 more of this kit (not the original ones, MPC re-box), one is complete, ready for ebay, the second one is mostly parts bags, I'm thinking of making the red Tim Birkin's car, beautifully streamlined body, perhaps in a future life... Good continuation 👋🏻
It’s great to se3 this! I made that kit when I was a lad. I must have been under 12 at the time so it would have been in the early to mid 60s. I could probably never have be3n able to afford to buy it in those days so it so must have been given to me as a present but I’m ashamed to say I can’t remember who it was from. I could have sworn it came in a huge box but Scalemates seems to suggest that it was in a bag with a card header in those days, so my memory must be playing tricks on me. Anyway, I remember that I really enjoyed making it, even though cars weren’t my ‘thing’. Lovely to see it again. Thanks!!😊
Hi Harry. Nice one. I remember this kit from the hobby store in the 70s. It was up there with the 1/24 scale Spitfire and was pretty much unobtanium with my pocket money. Glad you got one for your stash. Not many people will understand the pleasant memories having these unbuilt kits from our yesterdays evoke. If you decide to build one, get the reissue. 😁
One of my fond memories as far as vintage Airfix was when i was living in Warwick '92/93 and there was a stationery shop in the main street which had been bought by a older gentleman who had moved up from Adelaide and he had bought the stock in the shop and on large tables put out all these '70's vintage Airfix kits and they all had the original prices on them and i purchased a 1/24 Stuka off him in the original box and artwork at a very good price..apparently he owned a gift shop toy shop in Adelaide bought this old stock up with him..he was putting the kits out as they sold and wouldn't let anyone look through the stock he had ''Out back'' as it were..he had a lot of Airfix OO/HO railway as well..
Thanks, Harry. This was certainly a "big boy" kit in my youth, perched up high on the shelf in the model shop. Out of reach physically and figuratively, and so impressive. Surprisingly, I hadn't seen the kit in detail in all of those decades and so this look at it was very interesting. I wonder if anyone who actually got to build the kit painted it in something other than the green? That would be a bold move :-)
I've just about finished building that exact model, in the same box. Mine was sent to my father in New Zealand by my grandmother in 1974 or 75. The box was mangled by the time it got here, but the parts were intact. Dad gave it to me a few years ago as he was never going to get around to building it, along with a dozen or so other kits, all around the same age. I just finished the Airfix Cutty Sark. The Bentley is quite nice but a few bits had been in contact with the rubber bonnet streaks and the plastic was melted. Nothing a bit of sprue offcuts and putty couldn't fix though. I just have a few bits to attach to the body and it's done. It's looking very nice. The worst thing about it was the way the passenger compartment halves join together on the top. The join is very flimsy and needed a lot of putty to fix the crack which kept opening up when trying to fit it onto the floor. A bit more sprue glued under the join helped a bit. The tyres in my kit are in good condition. They are original 50 year old rubber, just a little bit of slightly sticky residue which cleaned up. The decals did lighten up in the sun and I have used them. Airfix were most unhelpful when I asked for a replacement set, despite them still making this kit (although they do a different number plate). They said they couldn't provide a new set.
I was a member of Airfix Modellers Club, Dick Emery was the patron. I remember this kit as one of their flagship models. I never had one, I don't think I have even seen one built.
My neighbour's dad built this kit, really well in the 1970s. Gorgeous model to a kid and superb box art/size etc. I must get around to finishing my large scale Spitfire and Mustang - sod the rarity of the kits (each to their own though, no value judgements made)✌️👍😊 Yours does look glorious in box though, if rich with a big home, I'd have a boxed and built one, the BoB fighters too✌️👍😊💜 The supercharger does seem to have SU carbs on it AFAICT, part of the intake system to force air fuel mix in🤔✌️👍
The blower is at the front of the engine. On the real thing the supercharger sucks through the carburettors and blows the mixture into the cylinders. The cars had both windscreen and aeroscreens. For Le Mans, open cars were expected to do a certain number of laps with the hood up. Thanks for the look at this kit.
I've seen the electric motors for these 1/12 kits on eBay, oddly enough I have one exactly the same from when I was a little shaver mucking about with electric motors and bits of wire. Since I'm a scunge and never throw hings out I think I'll have a look for it. I only wish the smaller 2 pole, 1 magnet motors for Dinky aircrcraft were still available as I have a Dinky Zero that needs one. The doohicky that gets put together and goes onto the front of the donk shown at 5:52 is a Roots Supercharger I believe. There were only 50 of these beasts built and they had dual ignition, I wonder if part of the startup was to test for mag drop like in a Spitfire ?.
If you want a motor for your Dinky Zero. It's the same one for the FROG 'Spin A Prop' kits. Also, the Airfix 1/24 aircraft kits. I bought about a dozen of them, around 20 years ago. You do need around 3V to 'wake' these motors up, before they'll run on 1.5V. The motor in your Zero can be saved!
Cool! I did get one of these a few years ago at a department store (in the newer release Airfix red box). It didn't have a price ticket on it, so I asked at the till. It got priced at £30, so needless to say I bought it. Alas I knackered the wheels trying to do wire wheel spokes. Maybe a project to sort the wheels now I have a 3D printer...
Thanks for posting this Harry. After seeing this model behind you a few days ago, i went looking for it. i found that Airfix still offers it in the 1/12 scale, but only saw it listed for their outlet here in the states called Hornby Hobbies. Sadly with a price of $159.99 USD. But Heller does offer 2 different one of it in a 1/24 scale model for 29.95 and what i think is the symbol for the Euro, a C with a middle line in it. I have a hobby shop here in the states to notify my when back in stock. It will be around $45 USD. Not sure if molded in color like that one, but even if it is ,i may still paint it. Again thanks for the video and gave a good day, Mike
That kit is what I would like to call: 'Kit porn'. It's a model that does exactly what it says on the box; it's big, beautiful, and people have lusted after it. Even if you're not a fan of cars, the 1930's 'Blower Bentley' was a sexy beast. And I'm not being funny here: it's one of those objects that you see, and immediately think: 'Oh, my god!' This kit is, for it's age, astonishing. No CAD when this was decided on - a small team of Airfix designers paid a visit to a bloke who owned one, and using cameras, rulers, and vernier callipers, measured every body panel, nut, bolt, and engine component. I remember reading somewhere, that they had to create special tools, solely for the Bonnet straps, as they had to work as on the real vehicle. Totally out of my price range, when introduced, although my dad rather fancied getting one: mum would probably have killed him if he had. A teacher at my school had one, and brought it in when finished. Probably the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my young life. Glad you've got one, and I hope you enjoy building it one day. Nice one. 👍👍👍
Hi Harry; I had a train kit [ 00 gage/size] that was of the same molded era N colour that also had the electric upgrade" capeability. N lets face it quality lasts / endures 🙃
I build one a long time ago the dashboard decals are reversed printed u just put them on the back of the glass part so u put the glass in the dashboard u can see the dial faces
That's the ''Connoisseurs Series'' kit.....It should have had the electric motor with extra wiring and a switch in the kit, the batteries went under the rear seat, obviously someone has misled them or sold them on.
It was two bags of parts and a kit box… I was lucky to sort out and find enough bits for one complete kit. So who knows where the electric motor went years ago.
@@HarryHoudiniModels Airfix also at the time did a bulb set for the front lights & dash, these wired straight up to the battery box, turn the car on and the rear wheels turned and the front & dash lights illuminated, wasn't intended as a toy to play with, car sat on a base lifted up with the wheels turning, many years ago my older brother went the whole hog making his look beautiful and work perfectly, it took him awhile to make the drive system work smoothly, plenty of test fitting and test running & grease was needed before it ran nice, as he got older and his interests in models declined it ended up in a charity shop.
Don't wait till your retirement Harry , put it in next years builds . This is one of the original" Super Kits" I never could afford as a kid .
You may well temp me, but I need to whittle down my Work in Progress pile first
Last kit I ever built back in the 70s. Wonderful to see this again, just how I remembered it. Electric motor conversions were a thing back then. My brother built a B17 with 4 electric motors in it. The plane could actually taxi!
Glad it brought back fond memories
Nice to see a revival of interest for this amazing oldie from Airfix. This kit is high in my -to purchase- list 😃
I am also an amazing oldie!
@@HarryHoudiniModels haha 😂 yes you are 😉
I'm building a vintage classic version of this kit at the moment. The decals for the dials are reversed, so you would see the details through the clear plastic dash insert. Thanks for showing the original release.
Thanks for that matey, enjoy your build
Oh lovely. This is on my kit wish list.
I'll look forward to watching you build this 😉
Be a little while but yes, going to be a fun one
I had one of these as a Christmas present when I was 14 in 1971. I retire at the end of the month and have promised myself that I will build it.
Sounds like a plan…
Awesome if whoever got you it can see it completed.. I remember seeing it in my local model shop as a snotty kid of about 10. (Willis’s in Devizes, Wiltshire, UK. toys downstairs, treasure upstairs ❤👍).
I absolutely love this model, I have always wanted one, the original 70s issue box makes yours extra special!
I was very lucky to have found this one
A beautiful old kit Harry, and I think it would be a joy to build. While we probably won’t see you build it, I am sure in your hands it will become an iconic example of the old Airfix kits that we used drool over in our teens. Good luck with it in your retirement mate!
It will be a fun project when .i get around to doing it
Hi Harry Made this kit about a year ago it was the 2020 boxing really nice kit
Good to know it’s still a good one after all these years
How effective is the electric motor?
Capt'n H: Smashing kit...All you need is a mini "John Steed" behind the wheel! Enjoy building this classic kit in your "golden years"😊
…and a scantly clad Emma Peel to make it absolutely fabulous
Emma Peel, Tara King, Purdey.
Hi Harry,
It's a wonderful kit indeed. I built one a few years ago, I replaced the engine's copper and brass pipes with real one, the clear plastic mesh with real mesh (Radiator, headlight and windshield protection), I wrapped the suspension blades with cotton thread and so on... The engine on its own is a beauty. Everything fits perfectly on this kit.
The very few things I disliked were big sprue attachments on the side of the radiator cover (it needs to be re-chromed), the weird glass for the dashboard instrument (I laser-cut clear PETG circles instead).
The funny thing was the decals for the dials, they are black, then I realized that they should be applied on the clear form the inside, so the white graduations should be printed on the back of the decal...smart, except that it wasn't, they are just black...WTF? I drew the dials on illustrator and printed them, it looks good once finished.
One thing about the body, the passenger compartment was dope, for weight in racing, so satin or flat finish, as the bonnet was gloss British green (chassis too). 222 km/h lap record in 1931😲.
I have 2 more of this kit (not the original ones, MPC re-box), one is complete, ready for ebay, the second one is mostly parts bags, I'm thinking of making the red Tim Birkin's car, beautifully streamlined body, perhaps in a future life... Good continuation 👋🏻
Thanks for the tips
It’s great to se3 this! I made that kit when I was a lad. I must have been under 12 at the time so it would have been in the early to mid 60s. I could probably never have be3n able to afford to buy it in those days so it so must have been given to me as a present but I’m ashamed to say I can’t remember who it was from. I could have sworn it came in a huge box but Scalemates seems to suggest that it was in a bag with a card header in those days, so my memory must be playing tricks on me. Anyway, I remember that I really enjoyed making it, even though cars weren’t my ‘thing’. Lovely to see it again. Thanks!!😊
Mine is the original 1971 first release, so that’s probably when you did yours
Hi Harry. Nice one. I remember this kit from the hobby store in the 70s. It was up there with the 1/24 scale Spitfire and was pretty much unobtanium with my pocket money. Glad you got one for your stash. Not many people will understand the pleasant memories having these unbuilt kits from our yesterdays evoke. If you decide to build one, get the reissue. 😁
There’s never enough unobtainium to go around…
@@HarryHoudiniModels 😁
One of my fond memories as far as vintage Airfix was when i was living in Warwick '92/93 and there was a stationery shop in the main street which had been bought by a older gentleman who had moved up from Adelaide and he had bought the stock in the shop and on large tables put out all these '70's vintage Airfix kits and they all had the original prices on them and i purchased a 1/24 Stuka off him in the original box and artwork at a very good price..apparently he owned a gift shop toy shop in Adelaide bought this old stock up with him..he was putting the kits out as they sold and wouldn't let anyone look through the stock he had ''Out back'' as it were..he had a lot of Airfix OO/HO railway as well..
Great memory
Thanks, Harry. This was certainly a "big boy" kit in my youth, perched up high on the shelf in the model shop. Out of reach physically and figuratively, and so impressive. Surprisingly, I hadn't seen the kit in detail in all of those decades and so this look at it was very interesting. I wonder if anyone who actually got to build the kit painted it in something other than the green? That would be a bold move :-)
It must be green, them's the rules hehe
I've just about finished building that exact model, in the same box. Mine was sent to my father in New Zealand by my grandmother in 1974 or 75. The box was mangled by the time it got here, but the parts were intact. Dad gave it to me a few years ago as he was never going to get around to building it, along with a dozen or so other kits, all around the same age. I just finished the Airfix Cutty Sark. The Bentley is quite nice but a few bits had been in contact with the rubber bonnet streaks and the plastic was melted. Nothing a bit of sprue offcuts and putty couldn't fix though. I just have a few bits to attach to the body and it's done. It's looking very nice. The worst thing about it was the way the passenger compartment halves join together on the top. The join is very flimsy and needed a lot of putty to fix the crack which kept opening up when trying to fit it onto the floor. A bit more sprue glued under the join helped a bit. The tyres in my kit are in good condition. They are original 50 year old rubber, just a little bit of slightly sticky residue which cleaned up. The decals did lighten up in the sun and I have used them. Airfix were most unhelpful when I asked for a replacement set, despite them still making this kit (although they do a different number plate). They said they couldn't provide a new set.
Thanks for the tips David
I was a member of Airfix Modellers Club, Dick Emery was the patron. I remember this kit as one of their flagship models. I never had one, I don't think I have even seen one built.
There are a few on UA-cam
@@HarryHoudiniModels yes, I have never seen one in the flesh, so to speak.
My neighbour's dad built this kit, really well in the 1970s. Gorgeous model to a kid and superb box art/size etc.
I must get around to finishing my large scale Spitfire and Mustang - sod the rarity of the kits (each to their own though, no value judgements made)✌️👍😊
Yours does look glorious in box though, if rich with a big home, I'd have a boxed and built one, the BoB fighters too✌️👍😊💜
The supercharger does seem to have SU carbs on it AFAICT, part of the intake system to force air fuel mix in🤔✌️👍
Yes I think you are right.. all blowy bits together
Oh Man Harry......that's gonna be a cool project....great scale....!
It is a classic
Just finished making a reissue 1/12th Bentley, i did mine in matt black just as a "what if", it does look good in black!!
Sounds like the one Brian Johnson from ACDC has
The blower is at the front of the engine. On the real thing the supercharger sucks through the carburettors and blows the mixture into the cylinders.
The cars had both windscreen and aeroscreens. For Le Mans, open cars were expected to do a certain number of laps with the hood up.
Thanks for the look at this kit.
Yes of course… the blower had to be with the carbies… thanks for the info
Easily the best kit I have ever made - in 1996! It takes pride of place in my collection.
Thanks for that
I've seen the electric motors for these 1/12 kits on eBay, oddly enough I have one exactly the same from when I was a little shaver mucking about with electric motors and bits of wire. Since I'm a scunge and never throw hings out I think I'll have a look for it. I only wish the smaller 2 pole, 1 magnet motors for Dinky aircrcraft were still available as I have a Dinky Zero that needs one. The doohicky that gets put together and goes onto the front of the donk shown at 5:52 is a Roots Supercharger I believe. There were only 50 of these beasts built and they had dual ignition, I wonder if part of the startup was to test for mag drop like in a Spitfire ?.
Yes I realised my supercharged fauxpar later on…
If you want a motor for your Dinky Zero. It's the same one for the FROG 'Spin A Prop' kits. Also, the Airfix 1/24 aircraft kits. I bought about a dozen of them, around 20 years ago. You do need around 3V to 'wake' these motors up, before they'll run on 1.5V. The motor in your Zero can be saved!
Cool! I did get one of these a few years ago at a department store (in the newer release Airfix red box). It didn't have a price ticket on it, so I asked at the till. It got priced at £30, so needless to say I bought it. Alas I knackered the wheels trying to do wire wheel spokes. Maybe a project to sort the wheels now I have a 3D printer...
You may find a file online for the wire wheels, or something close you can modify. You could just print some rims and spoke it yourself.
@@HarryHoudiniModels I suspect that's what I'll do, print new hubs and rims, then relace them :-)
Wow, just, wow.
It is a gob smacker
Nice one Harry, you devil. (envy monster is out). I have look at this kit for a long time but costs to much. All the best. 😁🤑
It was a lucky find, but a gamble that just paid off
Hi Harry made this kit in 1976 ish hours of fun
Well done, great to hear
Thanks for posting this Harry. After seeing this model behind you a few days ago, i went looking for it. i found that Airfix still offers it in the 1/12 scale, but only saw it listed for their outlet here in the states called Hornby Hobbies. Sadly with a price of $159.99 USD. But Heller does offer 2 different one of it in a 1/24 scale model for 29.95 and what i think is the symbol for the Euro, a C with a middle line in it. I have a hobby shop here in the states to notify my when back in stock. It will be around $45 USD. Not sure if molded in color like that one, but even if it is ,i may still paint it. Again thanks for the video and gave a good day, Mike
Wow even the new price for the reboxed Classic is steep. The $50 AUD I paid for the White Box was only $32 USD.
Harry, with your scratch building skills you might try to convert it into a boat tail Birkin Bentley and end up with a truly one of a kind model.
I could have probably done that with the second back of left overs…
Waiting for the day for when you build it now. 😊
Don’t hold your breath… I still have 2 dozen WIP to get done first
I believe Fernando Pinto makes hand laced wire wheels for this kit. Pricey but beautiful.
Thanks for the info
Needs a reissue in this original box art
With the same formula original plastic too!
That kit is what I would like to call: 'Kit porn'. It's a model that does exactly what it says on the box; it's big, beautiful, and people have lusted after it. Even if you're not a fan of cars, the 1930's 'Blower Bentley' was a sexy beast. And I'm not being funny here: it's one of those objects that you see, and immediately think: 'Oh, my god!'
This kit is, for it's age, astonishing. No CAD when this was decided on - a small team of Airfix designers paid a visit to a bloke who owned one, and using cameras, rulers, and vernier callipers, measured every body panel, nut, bolt, and engine component. I remember reading somewhere, that they had to create special tools, solely for the Bonnet straps, as they had to work as on the real vehicle.
Totally out of my price range, when introduced, although my dad rather fancied getting one: mum would probably have killed him if he had. A teacher at my school had one, and brought it in when finished. Probably the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my young life.
Glad you've got one, and I hope you enjoy building it one day.
Nice one. 👍👍👍
Thanks Brian
Hi Harry; I had a train kit [ 00 gage/size] that was of the same molded era N colour that also had the electric upgrade" capeability. N lets face it quality lasts / endures 🙃
Very cool!
I build one a long time ago the dashboard decals are reversed printed u just put them on the back of the glass part so u put the glass in the dashboard u can see the dial faces
Thanks for that…
Love the content been watching them all you give it as it is
I think those dial decals are reversed, so they go on the inside back of the clear dial pieces.
Oops! Just seen @celticwest 's comment saying the same thing already.
Yes so it seems
Hi, I had this kit, If you're putting the motor in slightly open up the hole for the diff.
Thanks for the tip
That's the ''Connoisseurs Series'' kit.....It should have had the electric motor with extra wiring and a switch in the kit, the batteries went under the rear seat, obviously someone has misled them or sold them on.
It was two bags of parts and a kit box… I was lucky to sort out and find enough bits for one complete kit. So who knows where the electric motor went years ago.
@@HarryHoudiniModels Airfix also at the time did a bulb set for the front lights & dash, these wired straight up to the battery box, turn the car on and the rear wheels turned and the front & dash lights illuminated, wasn't intended as a toy to play with, car sat on a base lifted up with the wheels turning, many years ago my older brother went the whole hog making his look beautiful and work perfectly, it took him awhile to make the drive system work smoothly, plenty of test fitting and test running & grease was needed before it ran nice, as he got older and his interests in models declined it ended up in a charity shop.
Built this as a kid
You lucky bugga
The shame is most of these kits will never be made just kept as boxed collection items.
Mine will be eventually… but you never know who might find one is a deceased stash and get a big surprise
@@HarryHoudiniModels I have bought several collectable kits given to local charities from deceased people stash's.
I don't really give a fark about much these days Harry but I do like that Bentley
You have taste Sammy.. and sight, and ears, and touchy pokey things too
When racing , they were called the fastest lorries in Europe 😂
They were like bricks on wheels
Ferrari him self , no less.
I always wanted to build this kit. My skill level, and pocket depth, isn't quite there 🙂
All takes time matey
James Bond drove one of these in the early books.
Certainly did Momeypenny.