With recent publication of another photoboook, MRO F1 Engineering Volume 1: Hesketh 308 (1975), it’s an appropriate time to release a short four minute video I made of the car during restoration in June 1998 (308/2).
I hope the limited views whilst walking around this iconic car supply a little inspiration to supplement the still photographs of the car taken at BS Fabrications, some of which are shown in the book. Other photographs in the book are of the same chassis during a later rebuild fifteen years later in preparation for entering the car for the 2014 Monaco Historic Grand Prix (WDK Motorsport). There are are also many photographs of the model I made in 1998/9 before I had access to the real car, such that by the time I did have access to it via BS Fabrications only the details of the car could be incorporated into the model. With later models, more complete access to the car was relied-upon before starting the model. Other photographs of the actual car in competition, on display and demonstration runs appear in the photobook, all fully supported by explanatory text, the theme running through the book being the racing life and subsequent years, exclusively of 308/2. Hesketh 308/2 will be remembered for its Grand Prix win at the hands of James Hunt in the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort and in the photo book this momentous event is celebrated by a visit to Lord Alexander Hesketh in the autumn of the year 2000. I hope you find the photobook enjoyable and well supported by this video!
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Raison D’Etre
If anything I have made brings pleasure and a degree of wonder, please do give God the glory and praise, for it is merely the talent He has given, that I am exercising. Amongst the F1 designs I have incorporated as wall tiles in my workspace, are two with the Bible texts John 3 v 16 and Romans 10 v 9 which help me keep my mind focussed on what really matters. Do give them a read. These models were built as one-off, hopefully unique cars of the 1970's mainly (some late 60's and fewer 90’s and later) which I am now prepared to sell from my personal collection, to the right special people. Over the years, I have been unable to accept commissions due to lack of time and an over indulgent approach. Each model is a museum-display exhibit and they are not in any sense 'working models'. Over many years, I have built 1/12 scale F1 models almost exclusively, each being in the order of 12-14" (30-36cm) long. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, my aim was to increase in a small way, the 1/12 scale representation of Grand Prix car entries to the F1 World Championship that were not available commercially, as kits to be built. Since 2010, Model Plus and Model Factory Hiro especially, have supplied more and more of these older subjects to model makers. The models shown here, perhaps represent my desire to own the the full-scale car, yet that is not feasible or practical (unless you are Bernie Ecclestone) and each of my models feels like the real thing to me, having often spent so much time with the actual car. The photographs of the original cars were taken with special permission. Out of respect to the owners of actual Grand Prix cars or race 'shop owners, these photos are not available for further distribution, nor are my own inexpert engineering drawings. The models are built with the idea of 'no effort spared' and to look as realistic as possible. I will go to eccentric and sometimes otherwise unreasonable lengths to replicate every detail of design and engineering in order to satisfy myself that I have something properly accurate. This includes the concept that all bodywork should be removable in the same way as on the full-size car though not actually with working miniature fasteners of course, but instead faithful visual representations of these important details. In this way, I am able to allow the model to reveal the engineering within. Additionally the underneath of the car is also modelled, for there is much to be enjoyed regarding 'how it all works' from seeing what is not normally visible. I have felt that in this way, these models may serve to educate interested folk as to what makes a Grand Prix car 'tick', for access to the real thing is rare and makes this aspect somewhat mysterious. I have shown some of those I consider the better models at shows, but do so relatively infrequently due to the effort and logistics of getting to often far-flung venues, not to mention the potential accelerated ageing effect on the models themselves, in transporting them. Inspiration comes from the great model makers such as Henri Baigent, Gerald Wingrove, also my friends involved in the same hobby and in particular folk like John Shinton here in the UK and especially Andy Matthews from America who produces 1990s 'gems', which are wonderful to study. Hopefully that covers everything; now all it remains is to enjoy! MRO, August 2010 (updated November 2023)