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ONE-OFF, SCRATCH-BUILT MODELS (Archives)
Ferrari 330 TRI One-off, 1:43-Scale, Scratch-built Model by Pierre Laugier LP Creation

A selection of one-off, 1:43-scale, fully-opening models built from scratch

These models are no longer available

One-off, 1:43-Scale, Super-detailed, Scratch-built, Fully-opening Model of the Ferrari 330 TRI, Winner Le Mans 1962

One-off, 1:43-Scale, Super-detailed, Scratch-built, Fully-opening Model of the Ferrari 330 TRI, Winner Le Mans 1962

The 330 TRI was driven to victory at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans by Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien, and in doing so became the last front-engined car to win the race overall.  Two other notable achievements from the race are that Hill and Gendebien were the first co-drivers to win the race three times, and Gendebien was the first four-time winner of the race.

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This model is a my first fully-opening, scratch-built model for some time. I have used my own, scratch-built prototype to form and solder the bodywork in brass.  The scratch-built chassis-frame has also been made using soldered brass tube and sheet.  I wanted to use brass as the material is thin enough to create a very fine and realistic body, which will fit perfectly over the chassis frame. As fine sheets of brass are also very strong, it's possible to create bodywork that is more to scale than if using other, thicker materials. 

 

The model has fully opening doors, and front and rear covers for the engine, fuel tank and spare wheel. These covers have also been made from brass sheet, as have the aerodynamic roll hoop, rear spoiler, fuel and oil flaps, and the various air vents.   

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I used the Renaissance TR engine as a base for this engine, and added various scratch-built parts in plasticard and turned aluminium, and added various fuel lines and cables such as the spark plug wires. Individual rivets have been added to the bodywork, and there are scratch-built tyre valves in turned aluminium.  The windscreen has also been entirely scratch-built with the use of wire, rather than a decal, to create the special windscreen particular to the Le Mans version of the 330 TRI.  The rear fuel tank has been scratch-built in plasticard and painted to resemble aluminium. 

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The photographs shows the development of the model from the very early work in the spring of 2021 up until completion in September 2021.

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The model was on display at Retromobile 2022.

Ferrari Dino 246 F1 One-off, 1:43-Scale, All-Opening & Closing, Scratch-built Model

One-off, 1:43-Scale, All-Opening & Closing, Scratch-built Model of the Ferrari Dino 246 F1, Winner of the 1958 French Grand Prix

This 1:43-scale, one-off, scratch-built model of the Ferrari Dino 246 F1 was presented for the first time at Retromobile 2011 in Paris.  It was the first super-detailed, all-opening, brass model made for some time, and had a greater level of detail than previous scratch-built models (as seen in the Archive Gallery) and featured many specially-made parts never before seen on a model by Pierre Laugier. The model could be fully closed.

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The 1958 Grand Prix de l’A.C.F. (French Grand Prix) took place at Reims and marked the first victory of the Ferrari Dino 246 F1, and the first F1 win for a V6 engined car (it used a 2417cc Dino V6 engine with a 65° angle). Driven by Mike Hawthorn, car #4 lead from pole and remained there throughout the whole race, beating the course record with an average speed of 206 km/h. Whilst this was Hawthorn’s only win of the season, he went on to become World Champion that year, beating Stirling Moss by only one point, having secured 5 second places during the season.

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The first element to be made was the frame from various sizes of brass tubing soldered together. The next elements, which were scratch-made in brass, were the rear suspension and de Dion axle. Note the photos that show some parts of the suspension and rear axel already soldered to the frame, together with the brake drums. Some of the parts for the suspension and axle worth highlighting include the transverse upper leaf springs, the rollers for the leaf springs, and the transverse location guide plate, fork and longitudinal radius arms for the axle.

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Work on the model continued during the first 6 months of 2010. Those months were devoted to building the all-scratch engine and the various parts of the all-brass body. After that it was a question of painting the model and putting together all the various parts.

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The photos show the finished model both fully opened and completely closed.

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The model was exhibited for the first time as a "Work in Progress" at Retromobile 2009, and then again at Retromobile 2010.  As already mentioned, the finished model was presented at Retromobile in Paris in February 2011.

Ferrari 612P One-off, 1:43-Scale, Scratch-built Model

One-off, 1:43-Scale, Scratch-built Model of the Ferrari 612P from the 1968 Can-Am Challenge Cup, Las Vegas Stardust Raceway

The model of the Ferrari 612P, chassis #0866 is a unique, one-off, all-opening, scratch-built model from LP Creation, which was built using many of the same techniques that were developed during the making of the Maserati ’Birdcage’. Like the ’Birdcage’, this model resembles as near-as-possible the car that took part in the race.

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Ferrari entered their only car in the race with Chris Amon at the wheel. Unfortunately the car was plagued with problems, even during practice, but managed to quality in 9th place. Despite this, the car only made it to the first turn before dropping out when sand jammed the throttle slides.

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The three main sections of the bodywork were all made fom 0.15mm brass, each individual pieced moulded and shaped around resin casts before being soldered together. The resin casts were made especially by LP Creation. The distinctive Can-Am rear wing was also made from 0.15mm brass.

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The central section of the bodywork was then attached to the chassis frame, which was made from various lengths of soldered brass tubing, before the internal workings of the car were fitted in place. The front and rear sections of the body are fully removable.

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All the internal and external workings of the model - including the engine, suspension, carburettors, exhaust, cooling system, hinges and connections - were built from scratch using plastic, resin, aluminium and brass.

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The finished car was presented for the first time at Retromobile 2007.

Lancia D50 One-off, 1:43-Scale, Scratch-built Model

One-off, 1:43-Scale, Scratch-built Model of Ascari’s Lancia D50 from the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix

This Lancia D50 was driven by Ascari at the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix where he famously crashed it into the harbour. Sadly it was the great champion’s last race as he died a few days later testing at Monza.

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This scratch-built, unique model was presented at Retromobile 2006 in Paris. Like other recent, scratch-built models by LP Creation, everything from the chassis frame, internal workings of the car and the bodywork were individually hand-made specially for the model.

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The two side tanks, which are such a unique feature of this car, were made from fine sheets of 0.15mm brass, and each one has more than 120 hand-made rivets individually inserted into specially-drilled holes. The rest of the bodywork - like all the one-off models from LP Creation - was also made from 0.15mm brass sheets. The various apertures and vents were each individually cut and the pieces soldered together before being attached to the chassis frame.

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The front and rear sections of the body are fully removable so that the engine and other internal workings of the car can be seen. All the internal and external workings of the model - from the carburettors, the exhaust, the cooling system, the engine, suspension, hinges, even the smallest rivets - were built from scratch using brass, aluminium, resin and plastic.

Maserati ’Birdcage’ Tipo 63 One-off, 1:43-Scale, Scratch-built Model

One-off, 1:43-Scale, Scratch-built Model of the Maserati ’Birdcage’ Tipo 63 from the 1961 12 Hours of Sebring

The Maserati Tipo 63 Birdcage, chassis #63.006 SWB, was a unique, one-off, all-opening, scratch-built model from LP Creation that took almost two years to make. The intention was to make a model car that would as close-as-possible resemble the real race car at Sebring.

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The car was entered by Team Camoradi at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March 1961. Driven by Masten Gregory and Lucky Casner, the car did not finish the race, as it suffered with a collapsed rear suspension.

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After the initial research on the original car and the drawing to scale of a working plan, the build really started with the bonnet, which was made from three individual pieces of 0.15mm brass moulded to shape with a hammer around a resin cast. The pieces were then soldered together and additional apertures for the radiator and the lights were cut out. All the resin casts used for the model were specifically cast by LP Creation.

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The remaining parts of the bodywork were also made from 0.15mm brass, including the surround for the windscreen, all doors and opening panel and covers, and the rear wings. Just the rear body took three months to get to the stage where it was soldered together.

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The ’Birdcage’ frame was built by soldering together 0.3mm, 04.mm and 0.5mm tubular brass. Lateral tanks in cast resin were then attached. Four prototype frames were made over a six-month period before the final frame was constructed.  It took over one year to get to the stage of having a brass body to fit over the tubular frame.

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Over the following year the various other parts of the model were built, including the engine and gear box, the seats, hinges and other internal workings of the car.  All were built from scratch using plastic, resin, aluminium and brass.

 

Once painted and decorated, the model was finally complete and presented for the first time at Retromobile 2006 in Paris.

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It would not have been possible for Pierre Laugier to make the car without the kind assistance of renowned Maserati expert, Willem Oosthoek.

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