jinx
09-03-2007, 05:09 AM
Another unusual choice of model from Spark - but what an inspired choice!
The Ecurie Ecosse Transporter was originally built in 1959/60 by Alexanders of Falkirk in Scotland on a modified Commer bus chassis. The engine of this beast was one of the strangest - a two-stroke, three cylinder with six horizontally opposed pistons, supercharged diesel......
The vehicle was designed by an aeronautical engineer called Shelby Howgate and could carry three cars - a series of hydraulic rams & cables lifting the ramps to enable two cars to be carried on top & one underneath.
Ecurie Ecosse retained the vehicle into the mid '60s - it thereafter passed the the hands of several owners before being fully restored in 1993 by Lynx Engineering - famous for their work on various Jaguar cars.
As for the model, comparing it to the 1:1 photographed for the December 1993 Classic & Sportscar magazine (from which most of the above info was gleaned), the shape would appear to be spot on. The metallic blue painwork is applied very well & the "Ecurie Ecosse" script on the sides is in the correct form.
There are representations of the loading ramps in the truck bed, but, these are non-operating - neither does the rear loading door open - this is a resin model and such features would be too delicate.
I have teamed the transporter up with the winning Ecurie Ecosse D-type from the 1957 Le Mans 24 Hours - not strictly correct as the car won the race two years before the transporter was built!
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Commer/02090714.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Commer/02090713.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Commer/02090706.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Commer/02090705.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Commer/02090701.jpg
:wave:
Steve
The Ecurie Ecosse Transporter was originally built in 1959/60 by Alexanders of Falkirk in Scotland on a modified Commer bus chassis. The engine of this beast was one of the strangest - a two-stroke, three cylinder with six horizontally opposed pistons, supercharged diesel......
The vehicle was designed by an aeronautical engineer called Shelby Howgate and could carry three cars - a series of hydraulic rams & cables lifting the ramps to enable two cars to be carried on top & one underneath.
Ecurie Ecosse retained the vehicle into the mid '60s - it thereafter passed the the hands of several owners before being fully restored in 1993 by Lynx Engineering - famous for their work on various Jaguar cars.
As for the model, comparing it to the 1:1 photographed for the December 1993 Classic & Sportscar magazine (from which most of the above info was gleaned), the shape would appear to be spot on. The metallic blue painwork is applied very well & the "Ecurie Ecosse" script on the sides is in the correct form.
There are representations of the loading ramps in the truck bed, but, these are non-operating - neither does the rear loading door open - this is a resin model and such features would be too delicate.
I have teamed the transporter up with the winning Ecurie Ecosse D-type from the 1957 Le Mans 24 Hours - not strictly correct as the car won the race two years before the transporter was built!
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Commer/02090714.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Commer/02090713.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Commer/02090706.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Commer/02090705.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/jinxvrs/Commer/02090701.jpg
:wave:
Steve