Non-Australian car fans can be easily forgiven for not knowing anything about Ken Tubman, but to older Aussies (like me), and French car fans (like me) this man is a bit of a legend. In his home town of Maitland in the Hunter Valley, the bypass is called "Ken Tubman Drive", and to people in the long-distance car rallying world, Ken Tubman wasn't just a guy who got lucky and won once. He competed for many years and took out several more prizes (including the London-Sahara-Munich World Cup rally in a Citroen in 1970), but all that aside, Ken Tubman will forever be the guy who won the initial Redex Reliability Trial of 1953, and it's the story of the win in the unassuming little Peugeot which is the one that has inspired this diorama.
So it was with real pleasure when I opened the Heller kit box to spot that small 203A rear window. I've got the correct model! |
I've already made the very small number of decals needed, the main one being the stencil on the door (in red, the colours of the race's sponsor company, Redex). At the rear passenger window is an ad for Edgell canned goods and on the rear bodywork is a Kellogg's ad. That's it! Minimalist decals.
Easy changes include switching over the steering wheel so it's right-side driver, and adding a radio aerial. Either side of the radiator, against the front grille, will sit two extra headlamps.
The final mystery object to add is a "thing" on the bonnet (or hood) of the car. See the photos below, and if anyone knows what this is for, I'd love to know. Most cars in the rally seemed to have them.
You can just see it side-on here as Tubman passes through the cheering crowds in Kipling, South Australia. It's in the centre of the bonnet, both lengthways and crossways, and is only a few inches high. |
And here is the "thing" viewed from the front passenger seat. Its shape and purpose is a mystery to me, but I am going to add one to the Tubman car simply because it's there! |
The "thing"is a bug deflector. Widely used during the 1950's. The early 203 is just a 203. The 203A is actually identified as such on the makers plate. It incorporated several changes notably a larger back window while still retaining the old roof gutter line. Great models.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments ... but wasn't the 203C the one with the larger back window?
ReplyDeleteThe body of the 1954 model 203A was identical to the 203C from the outside. The 203C had a little more power and a synchromesh gearbox. Yes, they are confusing. If you want I can send you a pdf of the changes.
DeleteYes, thanks, I'd like to see that PDF. My blog's email address is
ReplyDeleteshrunkencars@gmail.com
I owned a 203C all through the 1980s. It had 300,000 miles on the clock when I bought it for not much at all, then I spent a small fortune "restoring" the engine, suspension, brakes, interior and paintwork to much tidier condition. It was a wonderful car to drive on dirt roads. I enjoyed several long drives in the country in my 203.