Mick Walsh From the cockpit
‘Aged 22 in 1946, ARA filed his first patent for miniature spoked wheels, and a Mercedes W154 was launched in 1947’
The latest lockdown package from my pal Kerry Horan included a real gem from the early days of model-making: a Grand Prix Series kit of the Alfa Romeo Tipo 159 produced by Scale Model Equipment Co Ltd in Steyning, West Sussex. Released in 1953, the 1:32 set is rare today but amazingly this mint survivor hadn’t even been opened. The SMEC boxes didn’t feature the finished model but a drawing or photograph, and this is illustrated with a cut-out of Giuseppe Farina. The great Italian champion had won the 1951 Daily Graphic Trophy in the exotic Alfetta at Goodwood, just 20 miles from Steyning.
It had been bought as a present that was never gifted, and had for 67 years been stored in an attic. The paper wrap on the distinctive red box hadn’t been cut, and briefly I debated even opening it. Collectors pay a premium to be the first to break the Cellophane and smell the fresh aroma of the polystyrene mouldings. I’m not obsessed, but there’s something special about being the first to open an undisturbed kit packed by the small team in the Charlton Street factory.
The series, including Mercedes-benz W154, Bugatti Type 59, Alta and ERA E-type, was expensive when released and, at £12 6d (£20 today), very much aimed at adult enthusiasts.
The contents under the scrunched brown paper were far removed from the plastic kit phenomenon that developed later in America with Aurora, AMT and Revell. Today’s youngsters would be very disappointed to discover the partly cut wooden body, rubber tyres, machined wheel inserts, and selection of metal and printed components. As well as the written instructions, a sheet of plans gave you former shapes to complete the hand carving of the bodywork. The building required a good degree of skill, not just to shape the body but to cut out the cockpit and make the seats, let alone preparing the wood to get a smooth finish for painting – if you got that far. Not surprisingly most kits were never completed, abandoned looking nothing like the subject.
Keen to know more about SMEC, I found a fascinating history written by former employees Leonard and Guy Alston-roberts-west. The firm was founded by Alastair RobertsonAikman, whose model-making talent brought him several national prizes in his youth. He helped the war effort by making aviation parts, but in his spare time ARA, as he was known, made a series of impressive racing-car models.
Aged 22 in 1946, ARA filed his first patent for miniature spoked wheels, and together with friends he hit upon the plan of manufacturing a kit series. Various components were made by local engineers and the first release, a Mercedes W154, was launched in 1947. By 1948 SMEC had expanded to a staff of eight and a shop floor packed with lathes and wood-cutters. Such was the early demand, SMEC acquired a Fordson Model Y van for deliveries and attending events.
The range soon expanded to include sports cars with an HRG Aerodynamic, Maserati A6GCS and Jaguar XK120. Makers could motorise their kits to run tethered from a power source to claimed scale speeds of 150-180mph.
The most sophisticated kit produced by SMEC, but branded Autocraft, was a beautiful XK120. Now the rarest of the range, it featured a moulded plastic body and more detailed finished parts but the price had doubled to 25 shillings (£40 today) and it arrived too late. SMEC eventually moved away from car kits in 1957 and focused on other products.
I’m really conflicted about what to do with this Alfa kit. The unmade product has a special historic charm, but I also relish the challenge of building it. So far I’ve just started carving a separate piece of wood as practice, using brass templates made
from the SMEC plans.