Spark To Do Alan Jones Championship Winning Williams In 1:18!

Spark will produce Alan Jones’ World Championship winning Williams FW07B from 1980 in 1:18 scale.

This is the first time this car has been modeled in 1:18 and should prove to be very popular. In fact, even though I’m not a 1:18 collector, there’s a real chance this one might end up in my display cabinet!

Williams changed the specification of the FW07B throughout the year (different wing mounting post, sidepod shape, front wheel size and rim style, with and without front wings, plus the usual decoration changes that can happen from race to race). I’m hoping Spark do a version such as the one illustrated below:

Williams FW07B (pic via Oz Spark distributor Apex)
Williams FW07B (pic via Oz Spark distributor Apex)

I also hope Spark will do a 1:43 version.

Minichamps has already modeled it in 1:43 (pretty much all in plastic, not diecast), but it’s not a particularly great model in my opinion. It was made with removable bodywork which, when fitted, just doesn’t look right.

Pretty much all of the kit companies (Tameo, Western, SRC, Hi-Fi etc) have done this car in varying degrees of quality.

Toy companies such as Polistil and Yaxon have also had a crack at it and Scalextric did a (pretty decent for the time) slot car in 1/32 scale.

Minichamps #430800027. Ride height has too much of a nose-up attitude. The side skirts on the ground effect cars of the era went all the way to the ground, not stuck up in the air like on this model.
Minichamps #430800027. Ride height has too much of a nose-up attitude. The side skirts on the ground effect cars of the era went all the way to the ground, not stuck up in the air like on this model.
Lift-off top body cowling is a poor fit and leaves terrible gaps when placed on the model. Note to 1:43 model manufacturers: leave the lift off body panels to the kit constructors! Paint and decoration is, for the most part, excellent.
Lift-off top body cowling is a poor fit and leaves terrible gaps when placed on the model. Note to 1:43 model manufacturers: leave the lift off body panels to the kit constructors! Paint and decoration is, for the most part, very good.
yaxon williams fw07
This old Yaxon FW07 is a mere toy. Originally it had front wings but one was badly bent, then broke when being straightened. I subsequently removed them and did an ‘enhancement’ job to make this an early-1980 season version. Despite the poor paint, I sold this to a collector looking for such a model quite a few years ago. (Oh, and the purchaser was aware of the modifications and bad paint before buying!)

Leave a Comment