America Roadster

[356]

[356]

Great point Ron, I forgot about the intro of the Corvette in 1953.
~Vance

[revron]

Vance,

How does one tell a '53 Corvette from a '54 or'55?
The AR you pictured has been attributed to Bob Doige, and the picture was taken at the starting line at the 1953 Merced, CA race. The car is most likely 12323 which was white with black leather interior. This would be one of the "middle" cars - it has the round, rather than flattened wheel openings, but the longer cockpit opening. It has the composite "big brakes," that is iron VW drums machined down to just hubs, with large, A-style, aluminum drums fitted over the hubs and held in place with the wheel studs. Other interesting features - the car appears to have been (partly) repainted since the jack spur is white; it has the open-slot trunk handle, and diamond-screen headlight grills, rather than the square-screen used up until 12317, a month earlier.
Ron

[356]

Sounds about right Ron as the Corvette is either a '54 or '55. Any info on this one?
~Vance

[Nur964]

[quote="revron" post=38013]Talked to Vic the other day. He never did an America Roadster. Precision Miniatures did one decades ago. It was OK, but not the best. May be the only, anyone know?
Ron[/quote
They produced different brands. Ma models, looksmart and others.
Quite a bit of information on the American roadster

[revron]

356,
Interesting collection of cars. Photo had to be late 1954, at least, judging from the rocker deco on the "burgundy" Cab. As far as I know, these did not appear until the Speedster model in late 1954.
The silver AR appears to be 12361. The only other silver Roadster was 10455 (the first) and this is definitely a late car.
Ron

[revron]

Talked to Vic the other day. He never did an America Roadster. Precision Miniatures did one decades ago. It was OK, but not the best. May be the only, anyone know?
Ron

[356]

Just noticed this one contains an A.R.
~Vance

[Nur964]

revron
Hey. Thank you. Yes, I want to build a Von Neumann car.


I know about Vic Skirmants. But I like to build everything from scratch. To finish the drawings in scale I need some parameters. Wheelbase. Total length and width.

[revron]

Good point since it sounds like NUR964 may be planning to make a model of the Von Neuman Roadster. Vic Skirmants made a whole series of 1/43 resin, models of various Porsche "vintage" race cars in the 1980's. He carefully scaled these from available photos, I am sure there was at least one America Roadster in the lot. They were quite accurate and reasonably priced. He has long since stopped selling them, and I'm sure they are expensive collector items now. Not sure if the molds are still extant - I will ask him when he returns from winter vacation.
Ron

[Trevor]

Hi Ron,

I was only commenting that the previous post of the car with #49 on the side was the Sauter Porsche, not an America Roadster. I too noticed the door handle location as well as the dual front glass (windshield).

Nice to have you participating here.

[revron]

Trevor,
Still getting used to how this chat room works, so I sent you the following answer to your e-mail . . .

Trevor,
Not sure if there is a question here as the links only take me to the pictures of two cars. The first car is America Roadster 12364, specially ordered by Von Neuman as a race-only car - now in the Factory Museum. The other car is the "odd-door" Sauter roadster, an immediate predecessor to the America Roadster (note the door handle just in front of the number 9). Ray Knight owned and restored the Sauter car over a couple of decades, before selling it to a gentlemen in China a few years ago.
Ron

[Trevor]

Sauter Porsche

[356]

[Nur964]

revron
Thank you. I want to build a model of 1 \ 43. And for this I want to make the right drawing.
Tell me please, there was only one car with such a windshield?


Thanks