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15/02/2026 8:08 am
An Esval Delage D6-70 Letourner et Marchand Cabriolet arrived yesterday and it wasn't a model I was searching for, but it caught my eye and was listed at a competitive price. So, the inevitable occurred and it is now on my desk. It arrived with a slight hiccup, which is the right side 'chrome' strip had delaminated and will have to be re-glued. The seller is being very gracious and instead of me sending it back we are discussing a reduced price for another model. There is always an amenable solution to any problem.
Pics of the 'chrome' strip issue. It will be a delicate undertaking and as my hands aren't that steady, anymore, I will have my helper step in to reattach it.
16/02/2026 2:08 pm
Mine also arrived with both sides trim unglued. It seems to be an issue with all models, all of them have the trim undone. And gluing these is not a trivial task... The model has awful wheels, bad chrome and ellipsoid rim shape, I am thinking of installing wired wheels. Definitely a good project material, would not recommend the model based on quality issues. If you want it, wait for discounts, sellers will drop the prices in the 70's, no way worth it $100. Looks like I paid $73 for new model shipped, not terrible.
18/02/2026 5:59 pm
@gdh I've seen this problem crop up on Neos, one Silas model, and the Esval black Duesenberg town car. Yes, p/e reattachment takes a lot of patience.
19/02/2026 3:44 am
Please note, that the initial car of this specific model isn't a Letourneur car, but a newly-built car that slightly resembles a creations of great French carrosserie. The real car has these awfull wheels, so Esval did copy it right (unfortunately). I have no idea why did Esval choose this specific car, instead of choosing from hundreds of beautyful Golden Age creations to copy in 1/43, but that what we have. From my connections with Alexander Kotlyar, the founder of Esval I realized the production had been moved to another Chinese factory, so the quality should be better now. Anyway this specific model is pretty old (was produced more than two years ago) and still has the faults of early Esval (that could be fixed pretty easyly). I wouldn't recommend to replace the original wheels with the wire ones due to original car has the same awful ones 
GDH and Karl Schnelle reacted
Topic starter
19/02/2026 8:56 am
@hobbydragon It was the full-disc wheels on this model that caught my eye. It was a nice change from the large-spoke wheels of most the Delage automobiles I have seen, including this original 1939 D6-70:
I do like how this 1938 D6-70 has 'dolled up' the large-spoke wheel rims with a bit of bling:
David Green reacted
Topic starter
19/02/2026 9:01 am
@mg-harv I just spent a bit of time reattaching the trunk to the 1:24 1929 Rolls and that was no picnic, for sure. I also had a couple of hiccups with hood ornaments, both of which have left me to ponder the rationale of continuing with collecting Rolls Royces, but they are back where they are supposed to be, although one of them has taken on a somewhat drunken appearance.
David Green reacted
19/02/2026 9:12 am
Please note, that the initial car of this specific model isn't a Letourneur car, but a newly-built car that slightly resembles a creations of great French carrosserie. The real car has these awfull wheels, so Esval did copy it right (unfortunately). I have no idea why did Esval choose this specific car, instead of choosing from hundreds of beautyful Golden Age creations to copy in 1/43, but that what we have. From my connections with Alexander Kotlyar, the founder of Esval I realized the production had been moved to another Chinese factory, so the quality should be better now. Anyway this specific model is pretty old (was produced more than two years ago) and still has the faults of early Esval (that could be fixed pretty easyly). I wouldn't recommend to replace the original wheels with the wire ones due to original car has the same awful ones
I agree, the wheels of this car are awful to start with, my point was also they are poorly executed on the model. The shape of the wheels on the model I received are oval, not circle, the chrome is pitted and the spinner is not a separate part but molded in the wheel. The chrome trim on the side of the car besides being detached, is poorly designed and does not follow the lines of the hood panels and the louvres. Regarding your comment on the wire wheels, it looks much better with wire wheels, didn't you make this model?
GDH reacted
19/02/2026 9:55 am
@chav Where did you find that gem?
Technically we are not supposed to post links to active sale sites here, as this forum is owned and sponsored by Mint Models. Just search Esval Delage D6-70 on ebay and sort by price (highest first). Note the name of the seller. The model looks great, it is hard to find appropriate wire wheels, so this modification is worth the money (assuming it is done right).
GDH reacted
Topic starter
19/02/2026 10:03 am
@chav I admit to some confusion, though this is nothing new as I continue collecting models, but do owners of models remove wheels and then glue on new ones?
19/02/2026 10:09 am
@chav no links, but that's the car that I'm selling and I've customized that by myself. I'm buying the wheels from Laura Brianza (from ABC Brianza fame) and wipers from some russian guy and technically can customized everything that worth customizing
This post was modified 2 months ago by HOBBYDRAGON
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