SCALE MODEL NEWS

WHEN THIS KIT WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED we expected it would be a stock Ford Torino, with no real connection to the TV stars, Starsky and Hutch. Mat Irvine: However, this Revell-Germany kit is virtually identical to the original US release, only lacking the Starsky and Hutch names on the box. The primarily red and black styrene components seem to be exactly as the US release, and look as if the parts come from the same batch. Obvious differences between the old and new kits include the box design and instructions, which are now in full-colour Revell-Germany style. The box base ( below ) includes useful detail photos, and a parts layout shot.   A welcome extra with this 1:25 scale kit is the new and larger decal sheet, which is more comprehensive than the original. Besides the iconic Starsky and Hutch stripes, you also get additional details, including a set of eight vertical bar patterns. These previously had to be painted on to the chrome-plated grille.   The new decal sheet ( bel...

WHEN THE ORIGINAL TV SERIES STARSKY AND HUTCH was being made, the producers needed suitable wheels for David Starsky (Paul Michael Glazer), who drove the car.  Mat Irvine: The producers came up with the then current - 1974, later 1975 - Ford Gran Torino Sport. With the added white stripe, it became one of the most recognisable Star Cars ever, though it was only recently issued as a commercial kit, by Revell. Click here for my review at SMN. But… what if the TV production had been a couple of years earlier, what would Starsky have driven then? Staying with the Ford Torino, how about the 1972 version? This was arguably a more stylish design, even if it only lasted for that year. By 1973, the US Federal Government had introduced the infamous ‘five miles an hour’ front bumper, which had to withstand an impact at that speed without damage.  Consequently, bigger bumpers were introduced, which definitely spoiled the overall lines. But the earlier 1972 version was not shackled by thi...

THE FAMED RED-AND-WHITE FORD TORINO from the 1970s cop-thriller TV series, Starsky and Hutch, is one car you would have thought would have been made as a kit years ago. There have been diecast and slot car versions, but it’s taken 40-odd years for a 1:25 scale kit to be released - and here it is. Mat Irvine:  This new Revell kit features the 1975 Ford Torino, as driven in the series by David Starsky, played by Paul Michael Glaser. The gaudy colour scheme earned this particular Torino a nickname, the ‘Striped Tomato.’ The box ( below ) features the human stars of the TV series, Starsky is the dark-haired one. Box sides feature useful detail shots. The 1:25 scale Revell Ford Torino kit is straightforward to assemble. The body and interior are moulded in red, the rest in black. The kit is midway between the old-style ‘unassembled promo’ (solid chassis, fixed hood, no separate engine) and a modern kit with detailed suspension, axles, and engine. This Revell kit has a separate exhaust s...