Alpine Renault A110 (Monte-Carlo 1971) 1:24 Scale Tamiya Model Kit #24278 Review

Right On Replicas, LLC Step-by-Step Review 20141112*
Alpine Renault  A110 (Monte-Carlo 1971) 1:24 Scale Tamiya Model Kit #24278 Review

Review and Photos by Alan Mann

Shortly after World War II most of the European car manufacturers were decimated, with France suffering the worst. Parts were in short supply as was funding, and few if any of the smaller car manufacturers had survived the conflict. A few were able to rebuild their businesses after the war although this was not helped by the taxation system of the country imposing penalties for cars with engine displacements larger than 2.8 litres. The cars that replaced the bigger pre-war vehicles also did not last long, leaving the sporting French drivers with little option but to purchase foreign cars or modify their existing Renaults, Simcas, Peugeots and Citroens. The Berlinette A110 was introduced in 1963 and was still in production some ten years later. It underwent a variety of engine capacities. The Alpine Renault A110 raced in rallies around the world from the late 1960’s through to the early 1970’s. The rear wheel drive A110 featured a lightweight FRP body and was powered by a rear mounted 4-cylinder engine. In the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally, this compact design and a powerful 1,600cc engine allowed quick, agile running on the icy mountain tracks, giving the A1110 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for a clean sweep of the podium.

 

For the modeler: This build review covers the Tamiya Kit#24278 Alpine Renault A110. The car is a 1/24 scale and while Tamiya does not use Skill Levels it recommends 10 years old and over. The kit has 110 parts molded in Grey, Metallic Blue, Chrome and Clear with Rubber tires, Poly Caps, Cartograf decals and Photoetch along with a nice ten-page instruction sheet. It is a fairly standard Tamiya product, and being from Japan, English is included but a secondary language. My sample is dated 2005 but as with most Tamiya products this is still widely available online and in some hobby stores. This kit has been released in multiple box arts as both a race car and a street car; the first release was in 1997 so this version is a Re-Release (Re-Pop). Tamiya has a standard build procedure on this with the motor, chassis, interior and then body. Parts are well detailed and there is little to no flash or blemishes. The body is the correct color with a high gloss, you could decal it and display it without painting if you desired. This is a small car for 1/24 scale as overall dimensions are: Length: 6-1/4”, Width: 2-1/2”, Height: 1-3/4”.

Covered in this Review:  If you want to perfect your build; basic construction; preparing parts for better finishing; alternate assembly sequence suggestions for fit and ease of finishing; complete paint and adhesive selections and applications; test fitting; engine construction and detailing; installing “old style” photo etch parts; where NOT to use glue; rollbar installation; installing the Euro plates; using white glue for glass parts; detailing the engine bay; dashboard detailing; authentic interior color scheme and masking; front and rear suspension build sequence; version considerations; using decal setting solutions; chassis installation; painting the coil springs/ shocks for realism; window surround detailing; making realistic tires; suspension construction and detailing; are all fully examined in this 13 page, full-color Step-by-Step review in PDF format.

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