Model: Microchamps/Paul’s Model Art McLaren F1
Line: unknown
Where to get it: give eBay a go
Why I am featuring it: We all have that one car. The car we’re utterly in love with. Our background picture on our computers and phones. The car we always choose on games. The car that dominates our diecast collections. For me that car is the McLaren F1. The F1 is the first car I was truly in awe of. Even now I put it top of the list of my favourite cars of all time. I had a small book when I was little, The Pocket Book of Supercars. It must have been about 1995/1996. At that time McLaren had claimed a top speed in testing of 231mph which made it the fastest production car in the world. And the law of awesomeness states the fastest car in the world is instantly the coolest car in the world, especially to a wide-eyed kid. I was truly geeked out on the F1. I memorised the technical details, horsepower, price, acceleration, and the details of the 240mph top speed run in 1998. I don’t recall rightly how old I was when I saw this in the window of a long disappeared toy shop in a nearby town to my home, but I know I must have given my parents real ear ache as I ended up leaving with it. I was made up. My new prized posession, a model of my favourite car. And so it has remained, one of the most cherished things I have, reminding me often that I’m still that awe struck kid deep down.
Other than (probably) Kyosho, this does seem like the only sub-64 model of the base F1 ever, though I could be wrong.
This is one of the first detailed 1/64 models that hit the market. It is great. I have 3 versions of it, green, silver and red. They will stay in the collection until the end. Even with all of the advances this still holds up.