Latest additions to the collection

Once a collector, always a collector they say, and it does help having a bit of a focus to one's collecting.  So here are some of my latest Lancias. The first one is by Brumm which still persists in manufacturing in Italy! We have to support them by buying their products :-)

Here we have a Lancia Aurelia B20GT Coupé depicting the car that won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1954. The first win by a Lancia, which won the Monte Carlo Rally 13 times overall! Aurelia, then in 1972 a Fulvia, the amazing Stratos from 1975 to 1977 and again in 1979, the 037 in 1983, the crazy Delta S4 in 1984 and finally by the immortal Integrale from 1987 to 1990 and then finally in 1992...will we ever see a Lancia in anger at a Monte Carlo Rally? The omens as I write in April 2014 look bleak...

Here is a photo os the actual car!

In those days the cars participating in rallies were practically indistinguishable from a production version.

The Aurelia B20 GT was the first car ever to bear that abbreviation and essentially was the forerunner of the genre - a gentleman's express.  Many famous racing drivers had to have one!

Brumm's No. r95 is an excellent reproduction and it appeared in different colours, here in a light metallic blue. Below you see an early packaging style.

Here we have a 1/43 scale Solido, Made in France.  I have another version of this Marlboro sponsored model and at first glance its identical but actually this has some additional decals so a nice addition to the collection. 

Munari & Mannucci won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1975 in a Stratos but by that time Alitalia was the sponsor.  They won the San Remo and Rideau Lakes in Canada in this livery in 1974.

Here is another Solido 1/43 scale model showing the Pirelli sponsored Stratos as driven by Bacchelli and Bernacchini which they drove to 10th place during the 1978 Monte Carlo Rally.

Here a period photo.

As you will have noticed, the Solido model is lacking the two extra spot lights. It also has mismatched wheels front and back...the front ones look a little like what were on the real car but the rear ones are more classic Stratos...a mistake? Intentional?