Win an AMT Shelby GT350

15 January, 2015

Forget about tailor-made models — it’s time to check out some model kits from AMT; the perfect way to while away a few lazy hours while keeping out of the sun this summer. What better kit to build than this 1:25 Shelby GT350? Moulded in black, this beast comes with all the Shelby goodies — including Kelsey-Hayes wheels and Firestone tyres, chromed valve covers, grille and centred lights, and Shelby tail lights.

Thanks to good guys at Toymod Ltd — the New Zealand AMT distributors — have given us one example of the 1:25 Shelby GT350 to give away to a lucky reader, just answer the following question:

Q: What’s the origin of the ‘350’ in the GT350’s model name?

 

This competition is now closed

The motor car as an art form

We have certainly come a long way since the exhibition entitled 8 Automobiles, shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in the autumn of 1951, the first exhibition concerned with the aesthetics of motor car design.
It was here that the often-used term ‘rolling sculpture’ was coined by curator Philip C Johnson, director of the department of architecture and design, when he said, “An automobile is a familiar 20th century artefact, and is no less worthy of being judged for its visual appeal than a building or a chair. Automobiles are hollow, rolling sculptures, and their design refinements are fascinating. We have selected cars whose details and basic design suggest that automobiles, besides being America’s most useful objects, could be a source of visual experience more enjoyable than they now are.”

More to the point

This Daimler SP252 is so rare, few people know it exists. It’s one of a kind. It’s the only surviving, in fact the only SP252 ever completed; the would-be successor to the SP250 Daimler Dart. It is also the last sports car to have been designed by Jaguar’s legendary founder, Sir William Lyons.
Perhaps one of the original Dart’s biggest problems was it’s somewhat-divisive looks. It certainly went well enough to win fans, although Sir William wasn’t among them. It crushed the opposition in the Bathurst six-hour race, finishing five laps ahead of anyone else, and it was snapped up by police forces in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, as it was the fastest thing on the road.
So you’d think a stunning new body with the magic Lyons touch would have been a surefire success. Why this car never made it into production is still something of a mystery, as the official explanations barely stack up.