Thirty grand is a lot to spend on a car. What if we told you some people will spend that on a model of a car?
Honda is working with supremo model creators to produce a 1:8 scale version of its RA272 Formula 1 car, which won driver Richie Ginther the Mexico Grand Prix back in 1965.
It’s here to celebrate the 60th anniversary of that win.
Petrol-heads and F1 buffs can get hold of one of these 1:8 scale models too, but it will cost you an eye-watering $28,995 — about £21.5k. Only 30 are being made, while there’s also a smaller 1:18 scale version, which costs $1,735 (£1,280) and is part of a 300-strong limited edition.
The models are made by the Amalgam Collection, and it says each 1:8 scale model takes 450 hours to create, including the casting of the 1600 parts, the construction, painting and finishing.
It also says 4500 hours were spent actually developing the design and the construction process, which includes the making of casts for the masses of pieces, large and small. While we don’t have exact dimensions for the model yet, Amalgam’s other 1:8 scale pieces are around 60cm long.
Pole position accuracy
As the aim is to crystallise a part of motoring history in miniature form, the Amalgam Collection worked out the design using digital scans captured at the Honda Collection Hall. That’s a museum home to more than 300 Honda cars, located a two-hour drive from Tokyo.
“This RA272 model is more than a tribute, it's an invitation to own a piece of our motorsport history. Racing is deeply embedded in the DNA of Honda, and this model is a reminder where our success began,” says Koji Watanabe, Honda Racing Corporation’s president.
Even the Honda V12 engine is reconstructed, piece by piece. It’s no LEGO set — although we’d take a LEGO Honda RA272 as well, thanks.
The 1965 Honda win arrived just a year after the car-maker entered Formula 1 for the first time.
Honda is set to make a big return to Formula 1 in 2026, supplying the engines for the Aston Martin team.
More into automotive history than modern races? The wider Amalgam Collection catalogue is well worth a browse.
Its all-timer classic car models are made in larger batches than the Honda RA272. For a mere £18,995 you could pick up a beautiful 1:8 Aston Martin DB5 Vantage, while a 2016 Bugatti Chiron is pocket money at £9,995.
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