History of BMW in 1:18

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History of BMW in 1:18

Post by ihorses » Mon Mar 09, 2020 2:47 pm

Foreword

BMW miniatures are a popular subject among scale model car collectors. Over the years, a wide range of models was released by various manufacturers. Most prominent diecast companies and resin casters - from inexpensive Revell and Maisto to premium AUTOart, Kyosho and Minichamps made bimmers in various scales. Almost every model of the legendary Bavarian carmaker is represented in 1:18th scale, and likely every model and body variant available in smaller, 1:43rd scale. While there are lower number of models in 1:24 and larger 1:12, there are still some very interesting pieces to collect there as well.

This series is devoted entirely and exclusively to BMW miniatures in 1:18th scale. Apart from few obscure models, BMW range is very well represented in this scale. Models from almost every era and every model generation are made, and though some are rarer and harder to find than others, even novice collectors will have plenty of pieces to collect right off the bat.

And after collecting these models for over 20 years and dealing with lack of information on the subject, I decided to compile this guide to help others trying to put together a comprehensive BMW scale model car collection. As of early 2020, this is the most complete guide on 1/18th scale bimmers ever done.

Obviously, being the most popular car series in BMW lineup, 3 series models are the most popular subject of model-makers. These are made in various shapes and guises, including multitude of racing versions and variants. If you ever decide to collect scale BMW models, I can guarantee the 3 series cars will comprise a good chunk of your collection.

3-series

First time the world heard the name 3-series was back in May of 1975. New sporty-looking car was a successor to the very popular 2002 series and was only available as a coupe, although the body styles have been expanded to almost infinite variations with the latter generations.

The most successful model for BMW (3 series sales account for close to 30% of all BMW sales to date) and one of the best passenger cars ever built by any manufacturer, 3 series have been produced for close to 45 years and spans 7 generations. The BMW 3 Series won numerous awards throughout its history. Many consider BWM 3er one of, if not the best compact car money can buy.

To meet the ever-increasing demand for more power, refinement, and luxury, starting with the 2nd generation (E30) in 1988 BMW introduced its Motorsport-division-tuned version called an M3 (starting with the 2015 model year, all M3 Coupes have been renamed M4, with M3 moniker reserved only for sedans). M versions of the 3 series all had more powerful engines, improved handling /suspension /braking characteristics, subtle body enhancements, lightweight materials used in construction.

Based on the M1 racing success, M3 became an instant star of the international racing, winning many titles on various racing tracks around the world in many disciplines. The BMW M3 remains the only car ever to have earned more titles than the venerable Porsche 911 in Motorsport, and is the most successful touring, and grand touring car ever to have participated in racing. M3 racing success is one of the reasons BMW as a brand is enjoying such a strong following of diehard racing enthusiasts.

3-Series Generations

E21: 1975–1981 Coupe/Baur Cabrio
E30: 1982–1991 Coupe/Sedan/Cabriolet/Touring
E36: 1992–1998 Coupe/Sedan/Cabriolet/Touring/Compact
E46: 1999–2005 Coupe/Sedan/Cabriolet/Touring/Compact
E90: 2005–2011 Sedan/E91: 2005–2011 Touring/E92: 2006–2013 Coupé/E93: 2007–2013 Convertible
F30: 2012–2019 Sedan/F31: 2012–2019 Touring/F34: 2013–2018 GT/F35: 2012–2019 Long Wheelbase
G20: 2019-202x Sedan/G21: 2019-202x Touring

E21: 1975–1981

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For quite some time, the only road-going 18th scale model of the E21 was the lonely AUTOart’s 323i release in their excellent Millennium series.

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AUTOart Millennium E21 BMW 323i Alpine Weiss.

The model was released in Alpine white, Polaris silver, and also in Aspen silver as a dealer edition. It is the most detailed and highest quality model in the entire series thus far.
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Full chassis, engine and interior detailing of highest caliber. Many working features and superb paint finish.
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The only knock on AA offering would be lack of interesting colors.
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With original price for the model of just around $60 at the time of the release, their values have skyrocketed almost 10-fold over the last few years.

This fact caught the attention of other manufacturers, especially with price of diecast models slowly rising over the last few years as it is. Temptation to earn quick buck prevailed, and late in 2015 and early 2016, three separate model manufacturers released new E21 models. While none of the new models were fully functional (opening features) diecasts – in fact, most of the new models were made from resin – these models filled the holes in the E21 road car collection nonetheless.

Minichamps released 3 resin E21 models that covered 316i, 320i, and 323i cars. All 3 are nice sealed resin models, with just subtle changes to reflect model differences (323i having 4 headlights is the biggest change).
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Minichamps E21 BMW 316i

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Minichamps E21 BMW 320i

Some assembly issues were present, which made these expensive models hardly a bargain at close to $200. Interestingly, only one color for each version was offered, and models were not re-released since initial offering.
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Minichamps E21 BMW 323i

KK Scale released a very basic sealed diecast of 318i that looks nice on the shelf but lacks detailing pretty much everywhere. 3 colors were available – official red and very nice shade of light blue metallic, and “eBay” green version.

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KK Scale E21 BMW 318i

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Difference in the front ends – KK Scale has better shape and correct size headlights, but the grille is better on the Minichamps models. Also note 4 headlights on the 6-cylinder models.

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All models had the same style wheels except for the top of the line 323i. Rear end is almost identical, though 323i has two mufflers to go with the more powerful engine. Minichamps cars have nice interiors, despite being sealed resin.

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Almost entire E21 lineup: Minichamps 316i, 320i, 323i & 318i KK Scale.

Finally, BoS Models released resin model of 323i Baur Cabrio in weird green color, which again looks nice overall but has incorrect body proportions (from certain angles it hardly looks like E21), lacks detailing, and not finished particularly well - especially for resin model. At least both KK and BoS models were not very expensive.

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BoS Models E21 BMW 323i Baur Cabrio

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Not a bad interior, but the wrong body shape far outweighs the good things on this model.

In late 2018 another Asian startup LS Collectibles released several Alpina models in 18th scale, one of which was E21 Alpina C1 2.3 car. Model was released in 5 traditional Alpina colors and stripes and packaged in very nice hard-shell box with model itself mounted on a base with name plaque. While nice model overall and certainly a welcome subject, the model is obviously larger than 1/18the scale, which clearly evident when put on the shelf next to the rest of E21s. Which is a shame and unfortunate mistake when you are a newcomer in the business of making scale models.

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LS Collectibles E21 Alpina C1 2.3

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The main problem with the flat front end is clearly visible in this photo. Excellent wheels, good decals, typical Alpina spoiler and stripped interior are all Alpina specific touches.

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BoS 323i Baur, AUTOart 323i, LS Alpina C1 2.3

So, as it stands at the moment, the only model of the E21 that is not represented in 1/18th scale would be 315i, but since it is visually identical to the rest of the E21 lineup, it is not that big of a deal. In order to have complete E21 road car collection, you need 7 total models. Add 14 racers, and a full E21 lineup in 18th scale would consist of a total of 21 model cars. In 2019 Minichamps teased with some mock-ups of the E21 models at various toy fairs, but so far no new releases have been announced.

BMW E21 3-Series (1975-1983)

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Copyright 2016-2020 Alex Kustov. No copying or reproduction in any shape or form without written permission of the author.
Last edited by ihorses on Mon Mar 09, 2020 5:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: History of BMW in 1:18

Post by [KRAFTIG] » Mon Mar 09, 2020 4:32 pm

This is fascinating and quite in-depth, thanks for sharing... I'm a huge fan of the 3-series new and old. Always been a fan of small, compact, and horsepower.

PS Let me know if we can publish this article on the main website page? TIA.

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Re: History of BMW in 1:18

Post by ihorses » Mon Mar 09, 2020 5:41 pm

[KRAFTIG] wrote:
Mon Mar 09, 2020 4:32 pm
This is fascinating and quite in-depth, thanks for sharing... I'm a huge fan of the 3-series new and old. Always been a fan of small, compact, and horsepower.

PS Let me know if we can publish this article on the main website page? TIA.
Thank you!
Definitely - I would be honored if this goes on the main page.

If there is interest, I can continue - I have plenty of material and models :) I almost finished the 2 parts about racing E21s which I will post here soon.
Cheers!
Alex

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Re: History of BMW in 1:18

Post by [KRAFTIG] » Mon Mar 09, 2020 8:12 pm

Thank you. Absolutely!! Anything you can share is appreciated. We'll post some soon

PS, who should we give credit to?

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Re: History of BMW in 1:18

Post by ihorses » Mon Mar 09, 2020 9:38 pm

Sent you a PM. Thanks!

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Re: History of BMW in 1:18

Post by Gavin » Tue Mar 10, 2020 10:52 am

That was a great read...very detailed, written by someone who knows that brand & models very well.

Keep it coming, I'd definitely be interested in reading & learning more. I know BMW's, but not even close to this level.

One suggestion I'd make, if you don't mind, is maybe a new/different thread for each Model series (3/5/7, etc), instead of all in one thread.

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Re: History of BMW in 1:18

Post by [KRAFTIG] » Tue Mar 10, 2020 11:10 am

One suggestion I'd make, if you don't mind, is maybe a new/different thread for each Model series (3/5/7, etc), instead of all in one thread.
Yes, goos idea :okay:

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Re: History of BMW in 1:18

Post by ihorses » Tue Mar 10, 2020 6:45 pm

Gavin wrote:
Tue Mar 10, 2020 10:52 am
That was a great read...very detailed, written by someone who knows that brand & models very well.

Keep it coming, I'd definitely be interested in reading & learning more. I know BMW's, but not even close to this level.

One suggestion I'd make, if you don't mind, is maybe a new/different thread for each Model series (3/5/7, etc), instead of all in one thread.
Thanks! As far as separating the series, trust me - by the time we are done with all 3ers, I will need a separate thread!

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Re: History of BMW in 1:18

Post by ihorses » Sun Mar 15, 2020 1:02 pm

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Racing E21 1:18 model lineup from Minichamps

Of course the story of E21 would not be complete without many excellent race cars that were based on this model 3-series. Until Spark Models introduced its own line of racing E21 resin replicas in late 2018, all racing E21s were based on a very good Minichamps tool, which was developed a few years back when BMW decided to launch their BMW Art Cars series.

Roy Lichtenstein E21 320i Art Car was spectacular. One of the better looking E21 due to the 4-headlight configuration and bronze colored BBS wheels, made for a one striking model:

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BMW E21 320i Art Car Roy Lichtenstein. 1977 24h Le Mans Gr.5 9th Place.

Like all models in the series, Roy Lichtenstein 1977 320i Art Car comes with a nice display case, a book about the program, and a nice packaging to show its exclusivity and limited release status.

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BMW E21 320i Art Car Roy Lichtenstein. 1977 24h Le Mans Gr.5 9th Place.

Only this model has double-headlight configuration. Other 6 racing 320 cars have either a single headlight fascia, or a double-headlight setup with covered inner lights.

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But as it is usually the case, to better utilize the developed tool in addition to the Art Car Minichamps also cranked out 6 different racing versions of the E21 320i in various liveries from the 1977 racing season.

Unlike Spark’s sealed resin versions that followed, Minichamps models are full diecast, with opening doors, detailed interiors and chassis, removable hoods and trunk lids and nicely detailed engines and trunk spaces.

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BMW E21 320 #4 Warsteiner. Team Warsteiner GS-Tuning, Div. 2 DRM 1977.

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BMW E21 320 #13 WÜRTH. Team BMW Junior, DRM 1977.

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BMW E21 320 #23 UNILOCK. Team BMW Faltz Assen, Mosport 6 Hours 1977 (Class Winner).

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Back in the day, these were some of the most premium diecast replicas you could buy (retailed for about a $100 while most comparable replicas sold for under $80). They were packed in Minichamps premium boxes with styrofoam clam-shells and nice glossy outer boxes with pictures of the model and brief history and technical characteristics of the car.

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BMW E21 320 #8 Fruit of the Loom. Team Fruit of the Loom, Div. 2 DRM 1977.

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BMW E21 320 #21 HAT. H.A.T. Freizeit Racing Team, DRM 1977.

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BMW E21 320 #15 Jägermeister. Team Faltz, Div. 2 DRM 1977.

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All models in the series are very similar with few minor details, but aside from the liveries there are a few other little details that were different on several models.

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As mentioned earlier, some models had double-headlight configuration, some single headlight setup, and some double-headlights blocked-off by black or silver covers. Some trunk lids had holes for the fuel filler necks, some did not. Trunk lid and hood underside on the Art Car was painted in flat black, while regular releases were body color.

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Lichtenstein Art Car was also built much nicer in general – better detailing of the cockpit with more decals and some additional details added, wheels were correct shade and had proper markings on the tires, driver door had a neatly woven real-thread net, while other models did not have the net at all. Overall, even the body paint was better on the Art Car.

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One of the most interesting variations among the models was the fact that some had different engine details. If you look closer, you can see that some engines had black cam covers with BMW M Power stamped in silver letters, but had different color plug wires and silver brake ducting. Warsteiner car had bronze-colored covers with silver print on it, and Fruit of the loom car had completely different cam covers with photoetched EIDEGGER badges on it. Talk about attention to detail!

It has been about 15 years since their release, and they are getting rather hard to find these days. However, with recent resurrection of M1 and E30 M3 molds, there is always hope that Minichamps will bring these (hopefully with new liveries as well) back. If you want to collect all racing E21s made by Minichamps you will need to buy a total 7 models.

In my opinion Art Car would be the most expensive to buy, but not necessarily the hardest to find. From my experience, Unilock-livered car was the toughest to acquire – perhaps due to the fact that it was released the last in the series.

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Copyright 2016-2020 Alex Kustov. No copying or reproduction in any shape or form without written permission of the author.

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Re: History of BMW in 1:18

Post by [KRAFTIG] » Sun Mar 15, 2020 1:37 pm

Brilliant, love the detail and the photos! What are your camera setting? TIA.

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Re: History of BMW in 1:18

Post by ihorses » Sun Mar 15, 2020 6:21 pm

[KRAFTIG] wrote:
Sun Mar 15, 2020 1:37 pm
Brilliant, love the detail and the photos! What are your camera setting? TIA.
Thanks!
I shoot with Nikon D5000, manual, ISO400, 1/8 to 1/6 shutter, F14 or 16 usually. Nikkor AF-S DX 55-200mm VR II lens. Tripod is a must, 1 sec delay on the shutter. Post process in Lightroom, mostly levels and color/contrast correction.

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Re: History of BMW in 1:18

Post by [KRAFTIG] » Sun Mar 15, 2020 7:43 pm

ihorses wrote:
Sun Mar 15, 2020 6:21 pm
[KRAFTIG] wrote:
Sun Mar 15, 2020 1:37 pm
Brilliant, love the detail and the photos! What are your camera setting? TIA.
Thanks!
I shoot with Nikon D5000, manual, ISO400, 1/8 to 1/6 shutter, F14 or 16 usually. Nikkor AF-S DX 55-200mm VR II lens. Tripod is a must, 1 sec delay on the shutter. Post process in Lightroom, mostly levels and color/contrast correction.
It working! Thanks for sharing :clap:

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Re: History of BMW in 1:18

Post by ihorses » Fri Mar 20, 2020 12:27 pm

This would be the last chapter in the E21 series. In addition to Minichamps models covered last time, there were several sealed resin E21s made by Spark Models and one car made by a company called CMF. Spark racing E21 models are all 320 Turbos from 1979-80 DRM seasons, and 1980-81 Macau races.

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BMW E21 320 Turbo #55 Rodenstock Racing /Sachs Racing. Harald Ertl.

They are nicely proportioned models with great graphics and high-quality overall finish. Being sealed resin pieces, the detailing is limited to what you can see on the outside, with chassis detail being very sparse and, for the most part, inaccurate.

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BMW E21 320 Turbo Gr. 5 #2 Dunhill/Dunlop. Hans Stuck.

They look great on the shelf, but lack the detail offered by Minichamps replicas. However, what is present is done to a high standard, with many unique details faithfully replicated in scale.

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BMW E21 320 Turbo #6 Jägermeister Racing / GS Tuning Team. Marcus Hottinger.

Three of the cars are limited released of only 300 pieces each for a German model shop Raceland, and they were sold only in that shop. Being the only distributor, Raceland sold them for a bit more what typical Spark models sell for ($170). But overall, they were a decent value, especially considering how prices went up after the models were sold out.

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BMW E21 320 Turbo #4 Rodenstock Wurth, Team Schnitzer. Manfred Winkelhock.

These models do represent cars never released by Minichamps and add to the collection in this regard. Cars are nicely packaged in styrofoam clamshell boxes with superb designs on the top and sides and mounted on black wooden bases similar to Spark’s 1/43 scale releases.

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Spark BMW E21 320 Turbo lineup.

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You have to give credit to Spark for making each model unique – all the subtle differences in configuration of front wings, splitters, supports, headlights, etc – all were modeled correctly after the prototypes.

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Four different cars – four different rear wing designs. Pretty good attention to detail, often not seen on the models from mainstream manufacturers.

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Wheels were identical on all four models, but all of the interiors were different. Air ducts, dashboards, instrument setups, and even the correct right-hand steering on Jagermeister car. Outstanding job by Spark.

Curiously, in addition to the traditional E21 320 racing body style, Spark also released couple E21s with outrageous bodywork in Viceroy livery from 1981 Macau Race, and Rodenstock livery ran by team Schnitzer in Division 2 on Nurburgring in 1979.

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BMW E21 320 Turbo #4 Rodenstock Wurth, Team Schnitzer. Manfred Winkelhock.

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BMW E21 320 Turbo Gr. 5 #1 Team Viceroy — Sime Darby. Manfred Winkelhock.

Not to be outdone, virtual newcomer Chinese-based resin maker CMF made the same car, but from Zolder race of the same year. CMF model is very similar in quality and detail, though not as polished as Spark version and as such, look a bit cheaper when sitting on the shelf next to Spark. They do make a good looking set, though.

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BMW E21 320 Turbo #4 Rodenstock Wurth, Team Schnitzer. Manfred Winkelhock.

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Spark and CMF E21 320 Turbo lineup.

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Minor differences on the car implemented between the races are faithfully reproduced in scale. Different kick-panel design, exhaust configurations, headlights, grilles, etc. Viceroy car has completely different bodywork!

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Just like on the earlier cars, wheels are the same on Sparks, but CMF sport a different design. Both CMF and Spark have similar rear wing on their #4 cars, but Viceroy-liveried car had a much more elaborated wing design. Terrific attention to detail from both manufacturers.

As of the time of writing, Spark promised a couple of other E21 racing variants, but until this materializes a complete collection of racing E21s would consist of 7 Minichamps models, 6 Sparks, and a CMF for the total of 14 pieces. This concludes E21 series – until we get new models, that is.

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BMW E21 320 Turbo #6 Jägermeister Racing / GS Tuning Team. Marcus Hottinger. Probably my favorite model out of the bunch.

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Re: History of BMW in 1:18

Post by [KRAFTIG] » Fri Mar 20, 2020 12:40 pm

Nice detail sir. That VICEROY car is just delcious!

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Re: History of BMW in 1:18

Post by ihorses » Fri Mar 20, 2020 1:29 pm

[KRAFTIG] wrote:
Fri Mar 20, 2020 12:40 pm
Nice detail sir. That VICEROY car is just delcious!
It is! Its huge too. All the extra bodywork and gigantic wing sure adds up to the length.

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