meet the manufacturers

MEET THE MANUFACTURERS
Automodelli Studio
It’s been a little while since we were last able
to bring you an introduction to the people behind
the models in FSW. Sadly time and cost constraints meant that the editor wasn’t able to take
up the generous offer of accommodation from
Dave Eames of Automodelli Studio in Brisbane,
so we had to do things by email instead!
FSW - When and how did you get into modelling
in the first place?
DE - Back in the late 60’s early 70’s I was at
college in London and was into slot car racing.
I built my own slot cars and made my own bodies, very crude by today’s standard using fibreglass repair kits from the local auto shop, these
were 1/24 scale. I also collected/built MG’s in
all scales for myself and others; I was a screen
printer by trade and was able to make my own
decals using hand cut stencils.
Then, around 1975 I was on holiday in
Devon and came across a shop selling model
cars and especially white metal kits you could
build yourself. Armed with several John Day, Mikansue and Auto Replica kits I returned home
to Bedfordshire and sometime during the winter
of 1975 I discovered there was a shop only 15
miles down the road that sold these kits. Early
in 1976 I visited “the shop”, a place called Grand
Prix Models in Radlett, to find there were many
manufacturers making unusual models in 1/43
scale and it’s been downhill ever since.
FSW - What inspired you to take the direction
that you have with your modelling?
DE - Neccessity I guess. After emigrating to Australia in 2002 I found there was little in the way of
1/43 scale models and even fewer kits available
down here. I found a shop in Sydney that had
imported kits at one time and a business in Melbourne that had a very limited supply of them.
I found there were collectors who had bought
kits and had them stored away ‘to be built one
day’ and so I set up as a building service and
so Automodelli Studio was born, building old kits
like those that I had first discovered back in 1975
and I soon realised that there was an opening
for someone to be supplying out of the ordinary
models and I think we are now the only ‘importer’
of 1/43 kits into Australia.
FSW - Do you have a favourite subject and if
so why?
DE - Not really, anything 1/43 scale.
FSW - Do you collect yourself and if so, what?
Yes, but no where near as much as I once did.
Le Mans, Carrera Pan America, Bathurst (pre
1995) and Jaguars are my themes now.
FSW - Which is the model that you have produced that you were most pleased with/proud of
and why?
DE - I guess it must be the very first Automodelli Studio creation, the Chevron B8 (AUT43001)
made with the assistance of Roger Dutemple of
Axel’R. This was the first model I had made and
sold in any quantity and also the first one sold
as a kit. I guess we are fairly unusual as we built
14
other manufacturers kits as well as made our
own and there have been many I have enjoyed
building but also many I have been disappointed
with too.
FSW - Do you have any preferred starting
points, materials for pattern making, particular
kit brands etc?
DE - It really depends on what customers ask
for. If it’s unavailable elsewhere we will consider
making it. Everything we make is very low volume so we tend to buy in kits from other manufactures like Jemmpy, Marsh, K&R and produce
the decals/parts to suit the vehicle we want. To
have a master made at $5/6000 is out of the
questions as we just would not sell enough to
recover the outlay. We do do our own castings
both in resin and white metal and produce our
own photo etching, which enables us to make
parts unique to the model as we require them.
FSW - How much of the time to create a new
model is spent researching it in relation to the
actual modelling time?
DE - This depends on how easy it is to find the
required info. As I’m sure most people are aware
the internet is full of misinformation so we try to
source info from magazines, race programmes,
video, photographs from the actual period or the
current owner. Many cars that were used in Australia were modified or brought in incomplete to
avoid import duty. At one time there was 90%
import duty on cars so many were assembled
here. This means there can be many differences
between them and the American or European
versions. I have spent up to 18 months researching some models, in fact there are several in the
research stage at the moment.
FSW - What would be a typical working day for
you?
DE - There is no such thing as a typical working day. Melbourne is renowned for its versatile
weather so that does determine what, when and
how we do things to a certain extent. I try to do
admin work early in the morning so as not to be
disturbed by phone calls or deliveries. Also during the summer painting can be better carried out
in the early hours when it’s cooler. In the summer
I try to start around 4am which means I can finish
at lunchtime and avoid working during the hottest part of the day. Some afternoons can be in
the 40’s and even with the A/C that is not model
building weather. Those afternoons are reserved
for doing very little except drinking beer.
FSW - What’s next?
DE - More of the same I guess, the one off building side is still the major part of the business. As
for the kit or hand built ranges, that will depend
on what the Chinese ready built market comes
up with, we certainly can’t compete with those
guys.
AUTOMODELLI STUDIO KITS
AUT1000 BMW M3 E30 Art Car Ken Done 1989
AUT43001 Chevron B8 Phillip Island 2005 #48
AUT43010 Holden Torana 1st Bathurst 1978, 1979
AUT43020 Ford Sierra Cos. RS500 Bathurst 1988/89
AUT43021 Ford Sierra Cos. RS500 1st Bathurst ‘89
AUT43021A Ford Sierra Cos. RS500 2nd Bathurst ‘88
AUT43022 Ford Sierra RS500 Bathurst 1987 OXO
AUT43030 Jaguar XJS Bathurst/Wellington 1985/87
AUT43030AJaguar XJS ETC Monza 1984 TWR
AUT43030BJaguar XJS ETC Monza 1983 TWR, Motul
AUT43032 Cooper Bristol Redex Special Brabham
AUT43033 Chevrolet Camaro Bathurst 1979-1982
AUT43034 Cooper Mk9 Formula 3 1955
AUT43100 Porsche 956 Le Mans 1984 Bob Jane
AUT43101 Porsche 956 Silverstone 1984 Bob Jane
AUT43102 Porsche 910/8 1st Targa Florio 1967 #228
AUTAMS001 Ford Escort RS1800 Southern Cross ‘79
AUTAMS0045 BMW 635 CSi Bathurst 1984, 1985 JPS
AUTAMS005 BMW 635 Csi Bathurst 1984
AUTAMS006 BMW 635 Csi Bathurst 1985/86 Bob Jane
AUTAMS007 Mercedes 220SE 1st Armstrong 500 1961
AUTAMS008 Rover Vitesse Bathurst 1984 Mobil
AUTAMS009 BMW M3 (E30) Bathurst 1988 Mobil
Base kits - No decals
AUTBKS001 Holden Torana A9X Bathurst spec.
AUTBKS002 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 Bathurst
AUTBKS003 Porsche 956 long tail Kit with no decals.
AUTBKS004 Porsche 956 short tail Kit with no decals.
AUTBKS005 Jaguar XJS GrA Bathurst Jaguar wheels
AUTBKS005AJaguar XJS GrA Bathurst BBS wheels
AUTBKS007 Porsche 911S 1970 Fuchs style wheels
AUTBKS007A Porsche 911S 1970 Minilite style wheels
AUTBKS010 AC Cobra 289 1963 Wire wheels
AUTBKS011 Porsche 917L
AUTBKS012 Porsche 917K
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