A (Big) Tobacco Batch

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Here’s another batch of tobacco decals applied to pre-built 1:43 scale models (these ones are all from Spark) with before and after photos of each.

  • 1980 McLaren M29 Ford (John Watson, Brazil GP)
  • McLaren was one of two Marlboro liveried teams in F1 from 1980 to 1983 (the other being Alfa Romeo) and lots of drivers had personal deals with the Phillip Morris brand.
  • 1976 Ensign N176 Ford (Jacky Ickx, Italian GP)
  • Just one small Marlboro decal for the helmet.
  • 1989 Lola LC89 (Michelle Alboreto, Portugal GP)
  • The multi-coloured Lamborghini-powered machine now with the Camel branding
  • 1968 Brabham BT20 (John Love, South Africa GP)
  • John Love only ever competed in his home Grand Prix, racing in them almost every year from 1962 to 1975. This model represents his ’68 entry which, for the first time, was under the Team Gunston banner.
  • 1977 Ligier JS7 (Jacques Laffite, Swedish GP). Spark even include the really tiny 🧐 decals for the Gypsy Woman logos on the driver overalls.
  • Using French engines (Matra) with French sponsors (Gitanes cigarettes, Norev model cars), this was the first Formula One win for French driver ‘Jolly’ Jacques Laffite and French constructor Guy Ligier.
  • 2013 McLaren MP4-28 (Jenson Button, Australian GP). Unfortunately, the chrome-like body colour on this model has deteriorated over time and now appears as a flat, frosted silver 🙁
  • These are alcohol, not tobacco, decals and they’re bloody tiny! Johnnie Walker on the mirrors and helmet visor strip
  • 1981 Alfa Romeo 179C (Mario Andretti, USA West / Long Beach GP)
  • This is the car Mario raced at the opening round of the 1981 season. Fourth placed turned out to be the F1 highlight of his year. Spark has not left enough room for the Marlboro to fit on the cockpit sides, and the Marlboro decal for the nose is too small.
  • 1987 Lotus 99T Honda (Ayrton Senna, Monaco GP)
  • This is Senna’s famous Monaco GP winning Lotus (the first of his many wins in the Principality), now complete with Camels. The decal across the front of the cockpit has to be cut to clear the tiny aerial.
  • The Camel decals are nice and glossy and really set this model off.
This one has me confused. Gold Leaf decals for the sides have to be applied by the collector, yet spark has already printed Gold Leaf in a much larger font across the rear wing. Go figure…
This was a straight forward application and the decals lined up perfectly with the decoration already on the model.
The Frank Williams Racing Cars team fielded pay drivers for several seasons. This is a few years before Williams Grand Prix Engineering was born and the Arab money that led to World Championship success.
Now with all the Marlboros in place. The black decal for the rear wing must be cut before applying as it needs to sit down between the vertical fins. The ‘point’ of the chevron on the front of the car is supplied as decal; on the model as it comes from the factory the point is actually a radiused curve.

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