MFH 1/12 model car kit K869 Corvette C1 Le Mans 1960. New release from the Japanese company MODEL FACTORY HIRO.
Again a new multimedia kit from Hiro with superior quality: perfectly produced white metal parts, photo etched parts, Decals, turned and milled parts, cast resin castings and many other components. Detailed engine under the cover. Graphical instructions in English / Japanese. Made in
Japan.
A white car adorned with blue stripes and powered by an American V8 engine, the“C1 LM 1960” was the class winner of 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1960. However, behind the wheel there was another story to tell: one of the American-born ace driver John Fitch and the events surrounding his life that changed the history of American car racing. The story begins five years before, during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955 where Fitch, as one of the drivers for the Mercedes team, witness his team involved in the worst accident in racing history. Vowing to never let a similar accident happen ever again, the event spurred him into devoting his life to improve safety in racing and driving in general. Of his many safety inventions one was the Fitch barrier – a plastic barrel filled with sand designed to absorb impact. Inspired by sand-filled fuel cans used to stop bullets that he saw during his time as a pilot in WW2, Fitch filled barrels with various amounts of sand and performed life threatening crash tests on them in his own backyard with a used car. The resulting Fitch barrier was first used on American highways in 1960s, and managed to rescue drivers unharmed from collisions that would have previously been fatal. Since then the Fitch barrier have been installed in highways worldwide, including Japan, and have saved ten of thousands of lives to date. Despite his devotion to safety, Fitch did not abandon this racing spirit. However he believed that in order for motorsport to be accepted by society, they would need to show the world that they could use American technology to ensure the safety and capability of the sport. This belief resonated with the “Father of the Corvette” - Zola Dantov, who was slowly transforming the Corvette (initially mockingly labeled as a “Plastic Fantastic”) into a proper sportcar at the time. However due to the after effects of the 1955 Le Mans disaster, the AMA (Automobile Manufactures Association) issued a ban on motorsport participation to all manufactures. With the ban in effect works racing was no longer possible, but Fitch and Zola would find a workaround to continue their racing dreams. Zola used a loophole to have race spec V8 engines and brakes categorized as “general aftermarket parts”, allowing them to be sold as “privateer” items. This allowed the race spec C1 to be bought by the wealthy Briggs Cunningham as an “individual”. Briggs then appointed Fitch as his driver for his “privateer” Cunningham Team, thus allowing the C1 to enter the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans. For Fitch, the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans was his first Le Mans race since the 1955 disaster, and it proved to be a grueling test for him at the Circuit de la Sarthe. As the two other Cunningham team cars retired due respectively to a rain related crash and mechanical issues, Fitch's Car #3 would experience overheating during the final stages of the race. A retirement would have ended the Corvette's challenge, but in a final effort the team found a loophole to cool the engine down: the use of liquids was prohibited, so instead the team would try to cool down the car by throwing ice into the engine room during every pit stop. This allowed the battered Car #3 to make its way to the goal line, where it managed to take 8th place overall along with a class victory. At the time the top 7 places were all European prototypes (Ferrari, Aston Martin etc.), so having the heavyweight production-based C1 place right after those prototypes sent the American media into a frenzy, declaring that “American toughness has overcome European sophistication”. This “victory” proved that American cars had the potential to be a top competitor to the sport, and that potential would be fully shown in the future with the C.Shelby Cobra and Ford victories in future Le Mans races. Fitch would further contribute to the race world and the safety of it – Fitch would later design and build the Lime Rock Park circuit in Connecticut, the world's first modern racetrack built with the top priority of safety for both drivers and spectators. In 1966 he designed the road legal GT car, the “Fitch Phoenix” - while only one was produced and mass production never came to fruition, it was an advanced sports car that prioritized safety. In 2003, at the ages of 86, Fitch attempted to break the land speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats in a Mercedes 300SL. In 2010 at the Le Mans 50th Anniversary event Fitch would be reunited with his C1 No.3, which was sold after the race in 1960 and rediscovered by an avid collector later who restored it to its original condition. The 93 year old Fitch would drive the car for a demonstration run during the event among the cheering from the crowd. In 2012, John Fitch passed away at the age of 95 at his home near Lime Rock Park. He would not be remembered only as a racer who loved the thrill of speed even in his final days, but also as a person who devoted to safety on the roads that allow such speed thrills to continue to exists will now and from here on.
- Based on the three C1 [Team B.S.Cunningham] models that raced at 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1960, which includes Car #3 piloted by J.Fitch/B.Grossman that finished in 8th place and placed 1st in its GT5.0 class.
- a full detailed, multi-material kit featuring white metal, resin, photoetch parts, turned metal parts, rubber tires, silk screen decals and various cords allowing for maximum representation of the original Vehicle.
- aluminum turned parts used for wheel rims, headlight rims, muffler ends, wheel shaft and locknut.
- front bonnet, rear trunk and doors can open and close post construction, allowing full view of the detailed interior after completion.
- seat fabric for interior floor also included for realistic representation.
- tires pre-printed with maker logo.
- a full detailed, multi-material kit featuring white metal, resin, photoetch parts, turned metal parts, rubber tires, silk screen decals and various cords allowing for maximum representation of the original vehicle.
- aluminum turned parts used for wheel rims, headlight rims, muffler ends, wheel shaft and locknut
- tires pre-printed with maker logo.
This MFH kit is a new design. There is only one version: (K869)
Attention: this item is no toy and it is not suitable for children below 14 years!