Entex 1/25 Marlboro #17 BRM P160B
KIT #: | 9033M |
PRICE: | $? |
DECALS: | One option |
REVIEWER: | Mark Hiott |
NOTES: |
BRM-P160B, incomplete decals, plastic
tires |
HISTORY |
BRM was
founded just after the Second World War by Raymond Mays, who had built several
hillclimb and road racing cars under the ERA brand before the war, and Peter
Berthon, a long-time associate. Mays' pre-war successes (and access to pre-war
Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union design documents) inspired him to build an
all-British Grand Prix car for the post-war era, as a national prestige project
(which, naturally, he would drive himself!) with the backing (both financially
and in kind and labour) of the British motor industry and its suppliers
channelled through a trust fund. Their last victory was when Jean-Pierre
Beltoise drove a stunning race to win the rain-affected 1972 Monaco Grand Prix
with the P160. The 1972 campaign was generally chaotic: having acquired major
sponsorship, Louis Stanley originally planned to field up to six cars (three for
established drivers, three for paying journeymen and young drivers) of varying
designs including P153s, P160s and P180s and actually ran up to five for a mix
of paying and paid drivers until it became obvious that it was completely
overstretched—the team's sponsors insisted that the team should cut back to a
more reasonable level and only three cars were run in 1973 for Beltoise, Lauda
and Regazzoni.
The last notable performance was Beltoise's second position in the 1974 South African Grand Prix with the Mike Pilbeam- designed P201, an attractive car with pyramidal monocoque, very different from the curvy "coke-bottle" Southgate cars. The Owen Organisation ended its support of the team and it was run on a lower-key basis by Louis Stanley and some of the Bourne personnel as Stanley-BRM until 1977.
THE KIT |
Not
sure when this was made, but I figure it dates from the early 80’s. The parts
are molded in white and chrome. The body is one piece, molded in white. The kit
also includes a clear windscreen. Medal axles are also included. No flash was
noted on any of the parts, nor are there any ejector marks. Fairly complete
engine detail is provided as well as suspension detail. It has the same 1-piece,
hollow tires as the Tyrrell. The instructions are 2 pages with 6 assembly steps
and a parts layout. No painting call outs are given but as the car is overall
white, so that’s no problem.
The decals are generic for a #17 car and show just a hint of yellowing. J. P. Beltoise drove the actual #17, but the decals don’t include the complete set. The Marlboro emblems are part of the red decal and may be hard to replace.
CONCLUSIONS |
These
Entex kits are simple, but this kit should build into a nice model of a BRM. The
old decals may be a problem as replacements are going to be hard to come by.
However, if you want a BRM, it’s the only game in town.
REFERENCES |
Wikipedia for the history
July 2009
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