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17/05/2026 10:23 am
Founded in 1904, This Barcelona based Hispano-Suiza company began producing automobiles including electric vehicles with varying degrees of success. The brains behind the engineering was Swiss engineer Marc Birkigt who came on board for WWl to design and build the 13 liter SOHC V12 aircraft engine. Known as the HS8A, it had a cast aluminum block with thin steel liners making it light weight and reliable. 50,000 of these aircraft engines were built for the war. After the war, it was decided to produce a 6 cylinder engine by using one bank of the V12, Thus began the production of the HS8B chassis that was sold as is either to or commissioned from buyers to various European coachbuilders to create the powerful and luxurious cars that graced the roads during the inter-war years. This 1925 cabriolet was commissioned by the Maharaja of Alwar to take tiger hunting and was built by Kellner of Paris. This Kellner cabriolet along with a landaulet bodies HS8B still exist today fully restored.
Although this Franklin Mint model is old tech, it's really well done for its time. I'm guessing the twin poll mounted spot lights where installed for night hunting.
The white tires began prior to WWl before carbon black was added to increase durability and tread life. The naturally beige colored rubber was turned white with the introduction of zinc oxide that helped harden the rubber.
This topic was modified 3 months ago 2 times by Rich Sufficool
17/05/2026 12:21 pm
I have cast my gaze over this model several times, but the tires put me off. Nice pics, though. Thank you, RS.
Topic starter
17/05/2026 1:06 pm
@gdh Funny. It was the white tires accenting the deep burgundy that attracted the model to me. The only other model that has those vintage white tires is the 1908 Thomas Flyer but I weathered those for a little diorama.
This post was modified 3 months ago by Rich Sufficool
17/05/2026 3:59 pm
I used to attend IPMS shows and I can't remember seeing such a fun and interesting auto diorama.
17/05/2026 5:23 pm
Great pics, RS. How did you get the 'dirt' road effect?
Geoff Jowett and Geno reacted
17/05/2026 7:09 pm
Great pics of both models Rich. That dio is killer. 💯
Topic starter
17/05/2026 7:13 pm
How did you get the 'dirt' road effect?
I started with a styrofoam substrate, slathered a slow setting plaster of Paris. sprinkled fine silt and ran the model through it for the ruts, airbrushed a relatively uniform soil color and added fine modeler's 'grass' added grass and shrubs from my collection of weird plant life. The rocks are actually thick bark chips. two of the figures are chopped up and reconfigured 1/24 JU87 "Stuka" pilot and gunner. The other two were mostly hand sculpted with appendages from the parts bin reconfigured. The clothing is sculpted, made from lead foil, dissolved styrene, and A+B epoxy, The sheep skin colors are plastic micro-bubbles. If there's anything else that catches your eye, I'll try to remember how the hell I did it. LOL Here's a couple more pics that I have:
This post was modified 3 months ago by Rich Sufficool
18/05/2026 1:34 am
Rich, your diorama reminds me of a 1:1 diorama that was featured at the Petersen Auto Museum before it was remodeled 15 or so years ago. It was an Underslung stuck in the mud in the Hollywood hills.
Rich Sufficool and Geoff Jowett reacted
Topic starter
18/05/2026 9:41 am
@pete-rovero It looks kinda weird with chocolate 'mud' on the tires while it's stuck in beach sand instead of mud.
This post was modified 3 months ago by Rich Sufficool
Pete Rovero and GDH reacted
18/05/2026 10:56 am
@rich-sufficool As a lifelong beach-goer and one who has been stuck in the mud, before, I was thinking the same thing.
Thank you for sharing your how-to with the dirt road. I am trying to get a similar result with a small hunting diorama.
By the way, RS, did you hold down the space key too long in your last message, before posting it? There is a rather large gap after your sentence.
This post was modified 3 months ago by GDH
Rich Sufficool reacted
18/05/2026 11:00 am
@bob-jackman I've seen the first one posted on eBay.de, but the second one - the 1908 Thomas Flyer - he used in his diorama is new to me.
Topic starter
18/05/2026 11:06 am
By the way, RS, did you hold down the space key too long in your last message, before posting it? There is a rather large gap after your sentence.
I fixed it and I have no idea how I did that. 😖
This post was modified 3 months ago by Rich Sufficool
GDH reacted