MG K3 Magnette -- Airfix 1/32

Hi, all... Hi, all... this is the Airfix 1/32 scale MG Magnette. For those who aren't familiar with Airfix's range of car kits in 1/32, there are really three "classic" generations. The first, mostly veteran cars, dates from the late 50s/early 60s, and is very much in line with the "Highway Pioneers" range from Gowland and Gowland and then Revell - old-fashioned cars with very simple models, somewhat crude, and occasionally dodgy in scale. The second generation, in the later 60s, were often issued as slot cars, and included many "current" racing and family cars, like the Sunbeam Alpine, Ford Escort or Porsche 906. Finally, in the mid-1970s, Airfix issued several vintage racers -- an Alfa Romeo 8C, Bugatti 35 and this MG Magnette -- the Vauxhall "Prince Henry" and "Monty's Humber", a WW2 Staff Car with figures. These kits, although kerbside, are characterised by very high levels of detail and moulding finesse, and along with Matchbox's 70s range, probably represent the pinnacle of mainstream 1/32 car kits.

This Magnette is destined for a diorama alongside a Spitfire IX and several RAF pilot figures from various sources. It's one of the few readily available (on eBay at least) 1/32 cars that is believable in a WW2 RAF setting - the Matchbox Aston Martin Ulster, for example, looks the part, but was really a pure race car, built in small numbers. Although the Magnette was a race car, it was a road car as well, and there were rather more of them than the 28 or so Ulsters.

http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/photos/i-qh2QNGf/0/L/i-qh2QNGf-L.jpg
http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/photos/i-D49MRgs/0/L/i-D49MRgs-L.jpg
http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/photos/i-GXJvJRj/0/L/i-GXJvJRj-L.jpg
http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/photos/i-n2Vx8RJ/0/L/i-n2Vx8RJ-L.jpg
http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/photos/i-MsDfWKg/0/L/i-MsDfWKg-L.jpg
http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/photos/i-WDd9G4H/0/L/i-WDd9G4H-L.jpg
http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/photos/i-tcQRVGh/0/L/i-tcQRVGh-L.jpg

...and for the diorama:
http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/photos/i-kxRBzmM/0/L/i-kxRBzmM-L.jpg

The kit version I had was moulded in rather brittle plastic, which caused a few problems, but it's basically out of the box. The only modifications I made were to widen the seats (the Airfix driver figure is tiny, because the seats are narrowed to fit inside the out of scale thickness body and its attachments to the floor, and there's no way any of the accurately 1/32 diorama figures could possibly have climbed out of this car as it is moulded); to replace the shallow and uneven radiator grille detail with a piece of Easter Egg ribbon; and finally to redirect the exhaust over the rear mudguard, because as moulded it stops the rear wheel fitting properly. I also made some tread decals for the tyres to give them some texture.

All in all, a very nice little kit, I reckon, and worth seeking out if you either have Tamiya Spitfire looking for some company, or you want to expand a collection of 1930s racers in 1/32 beyond the obvious Matchbox suspects...

bestest,
M.

Excellent! Hard to beileve the tyre tread is a decal - it looks very realistic.

Tread decal?! You're kidding! It looks fantastic!

I like the diorama idea. Please show us the progress on it as well. :)

Very nice, the exhaust is cool but it's also almost like a vacuum attachment..I've been cleaning today :P

Fantastic build! Attention to detail is beautiful especially it being in 1/32 scale.

We're at war!!! get in your car and report it to the general!!! hahaha very beautiful the details are perfect!!!