A handful of new 1:43 scale material will soon be available from AutoCult Scale Models later this month.  The feature model is the old school 1905 Panhard et Levassor Type Q Double Phaeton.  Other new material includes the 1936 Tempo E400 Kombiwage, 1939 Kamm K3, and 1956 Tatra JK 2500.

About the Panhard et Levassor Type Q Double Phaeton…  “The engineer Julius Kubinski moved to Brno in 1946, where he earned his living as a designer in the automotive industry. In 1951 he began working on the project with the company-internal designation JK 009. His then-employer gave him plenty of scope and Kubinski went for a very sportive, two-seated passenger car. Regarding the design some Italian cars served as an inspiration.  Later on Julius Kubinski decided to realize his car by himself. Under financial straits and material shortage the engineer and his sixteen employees created a real sports car, which was definitely on par with its Mediterranean role models. Finally in 1954 the car was ready and was christened as JK 2500; the initials of its designer and the volume of its engine displacement. Somewhat disappointing was the later on reached driving performance. The engine produced only 75 hp, which speeded the 1,160 kg two-seater up to only 170 km/h. The car was initially presented in a car magazine in January 1956. The Czechoslovakian heads of state apparently liked the car so much that they instructed the nationalized company Tatra to scrutinize a potential series production. It was not until 1956 that a decision was made. Now the car was examined very carefully at the Tatra-Work. A modified eight-cylinder engine of the Typ 603 replaced the old low-powered engine. Now the car was able to reach a top speed of almost 210 km/h. Internal calculations and a two-week intense test phase reached a result, that for the development of the existing prototype into a car ready for series production expenses of almost 20 million Czechoslovakian koruna would have accrued.”

Product# 02008 / 01004 / 04012 / 06017