WARNING: Viewing of the following images might cause you to uncontrollably and against your will, partake in the smoking of cigarettes!
A few of my recent Spark Formula One purchases have resulted in a little surprise when I went to unpack the models and put them in the display cabinet: a small plastic bag with the missing tobacco markings!
Hallelujah! Spark has the balls to provide the collector with all the appropriate markings to complete the model as an accurate historical representation of how the car raced at the time. Spark are preserving history here, not selling smokes…
Unfortunately, only some of the models include the wonderful little bag of decals, so it’ll be off to one of the many aftermarket manufacturers for the rest.
Above & Below: Before and after the JPS decals were applied to the 1974 Lotus 76 by Spark. This version of the car was raced by Ronnie Peterson at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Above & Below: Before and after the Gitanes decals were applied to the 1976 Ligier JS5 by Spark. This version of the car was raced by Jacques Laffite at the Long Beach Grand Prix. As with the Lotus, the water-slide decals went on easily. Spark even provide all the miniature markings for the driver’s helmet and race suit!
Above & Below: The Lotus & Ligier prior to receiving their ‘baccy logos. Gotta love the differing shapes of 1970s F1 cars, and Spark are doing a brilliant job at reproducing them.
Hmm… Now, despite working with and viewing all these tobacco logos, I still have no inclination to take up the habit.