1930 Mercedes SSK "Black Prince" Road and Track September 1992

[Hoffman]

Ralph Lauren has owned this particular car for about 40 years now. CMC created a very nice 1/24 scale model of the car, depicting what it looks like today. Over the course of it's history dating back to 1930, the car has appeared differently during different era's. As an example, the wheels have been painted red at one time, covered with polished aluminum full wheel discs at another, and featured chrome wires for a long time before the current look of black painted wheels. Personally, with rare exceptions, I pretty much hate black painted wheels. So, naturally, I gravitate towards chrome wires much more readily.

My goal for this model was to bring the looks more in line with how the car was featured in Road and Track, September 1992. To do that, I replaced the wheels and tires, lowered the front end, and painted the brake drums to represent polished copper. From the CMC factory the model featured red painted drums, almost pink. No bueno! The wheels I came up with are from an unlikely source. They're actually SpecCast Model A Ford wheels, or at least that's what they intended. I modified them to shorten the center hub cap as much as possible, then add the Mercedes knockoffs in the center. The tires are from a Danbury Mint Hispano Suiza. I made a front license plate to match the one on the car when in Road and Track. That's about it. Enjoy!

 

[Hoffman]

[Hoffman]

[keyser]

Nice work. Tom Perkins had it quite a few years prior to RL. He had collection of supercharged 8 cyl pre war sports cars. He also had Bugatti Atlantique RL bought and overrestored ?. I’m unsure if RL bought the 500K special roadster Tom had, or the amazing 2900B. His Squire has disappeared as has his Bugatti 55. His favorite 57SC was the ex-Malcomb Campbell car, he kept that for awhile. Multiple Pebble Beach winners. Pretty amazing to wander in the shop. 

[Hoffman]

7 minutes ago, keyser said:

Nice work. Tom Perkins had it quite a few years prior to RL. He had collection of supercharged 8 cyl pre war sports cars. He also had Bugatti Atlantique RL bought and overrestored ?. I’m unsure if RL bought the 500K special roadster Tom had, or the amazing 2900B. His Squire has disappeared as has his Bugatti 55. His favorite 57SC was the ex-Malcomb Campbell car, he kept that for awhile. Multiple Pebble Beach winners. Pretty amazing to wander in the shop. 

Great commentary, thanks! I guess Tom was interviewed at his apartment in San Francisco just a month before he passed away back in June, 2013.  From that article:

Our lunch is at Perkin's' newly acquired apartment in downtown San Francisco. As we take a scenic route through the pretty architecture of Pacific Heights and Nob Hill, he discusses his lifelong attraction to owning classic and performance cars. "At the height of my collection I had about 45 classic cars, each a gem," he reports. The most memorable? "My Bugatti Atlantic, built for a Mr Pope in 1935; then there was the 'Maharajah' Duesenberg Type SJ, and the streamlined Mercedes-Benz Count Trossi SSK dating from 1930, all cars of world renown." "You know," he continues, "while I owned them I really loved them, but when I sensed the bottom was about to fall out of the market, I sold them all for vast sums of money. It was a good decision, as my prediction came true. Today, I own just one classic, a 1955 'gull wing' Mercedes 300SL in perfect concours condition. I now have this Lambo and a Ferrari 599 GTO, both new cars. I just love to drive them."

[keyser]

Love the GN SJ. A favorite. Tom showed it a ton, and it never won. Bugged him. 
Here’s his ex-Campbell Corsica 57SC. Had 16k miles on it, was unrestored. Just amazing. Here’s pic stolen off web. Why this never modeled I have no clue. Sorry for tangent, but never again a collection like Tom’s. 

[misterNNL]

 Beautiful art deco streamlined car. I would love to find one of these cheaply enough to cut it up for the fenders and that boat tail rear section. Thanks for posting.

[1959scudetto]

Nice model, but something looks definitely wrong for me - compared with the real car:

Body and fenders front and rear are too short (should be stretched at bit), the exhaust pipes should point backwards when leaving the hood, and the wheels are a bit too big - all together make for a toyish look which certainly was not intended - the upper doorline is also not correct in my eyes. 

 

[Hoffman]

4 hours ago, 1959scudetto said:

Nice model, but something looks definitely wrong for me - compared with the real car:

Body and fenders front and rear are too short (should be stretched at bit), the exhaust pipes should point backwards when leaving the hood, and the wheels are a bit too big - all together make for a toyish look which certainly was not intended - the upper doorline is also not correct in my eyes. 

 

Helmut, I really wish you hadn't said that.......because I was thinking the same things while comparing the photos as I posted them. ? The replacement wheels and tires are actually smaller than the originals from CMC. I experimented with some that were smaller still, but they didn't look quite right in the wheel openings. Anyway, I agree, the proportions are slightly off. There's a 1/18 scale version of this car that looks better. The biggest difference between the two seems to be the length of the cockpit, which is proportionally longer on the 1/18 version. Now, the 1/24 car looks great on the display shelf, don't get me wrong. Parked next to a Franklin Mint SSK the wheels and tires seem about right. The wheelbases of these two 1/24 cars are different though, and they should match, as SSK's. The CMC car is shorter. Proportionally, the body length vs. height is a bit off. I think if it were stretched in a couple areas it would look better. Not gonna do that though! ?

 

[Hoffman]

[keyser]

I think changing pipes would make huge diff. Pull the eye down and back, so everything else loses”height”. 
Really love the disc covers. 
Fernando Pinto makes some hand laced wires that may fit, I’m unsure. 

I have the Gurney-Nutting SJ resin. Someone did PE wires for Duesies but I never got any, can’t recall who did them. 
Fun model and thread. Thank you. 

[1959scudetto]

Sorry Tim, for being the partycrasher and ruining your day - I didn't want to bring you down.

I myself have several models that are misproportioned and just don't look correct. I kept some and sold off some other.

Years ago, I took every car that I liked - now I'm more selective in my choices and let them pass more often (a few years ago I had the opportunity to pick up the Black Prince on ebay, it had a few issues that easily could be adressed to, but I let it slip away and don't regret it)

(My FM Bugatti 57 Atalante has also some issues that I don't like, maybe I'll get rid of that one, too...)

Edited October 19, 2022 by 1959scudetto

[Gramps46]

I thought it was just me who was getting a distorted view due to a lousy head cold I have been fighting.  Jim has done a super job with the model so I knew it could not be him.  Now that i see the comparisons I think the hood appears too short and as said above, swiping the exhaust pipes to the rear would make a difference and are worth a try.  Now where did I put those tissues, hack, hack, sneeze, sneeze, even the dog is keeping her distance.

[keyser]

Gary, that mean you’re a stuffy old man??

I resemble that remark. 

[Hoffman]

6 hours ago, 1959scudetto said:

Sorry Tim, for being the partycrasher and ruining your day - I didn't want to bring you down.

I myself have several models that are misproportioned and just don't look correct. I kept some and sold off some other.

Years ago, I took every car that I liked - now I'm more selective in my choices and let them pass more often (a few years ago I had the opportunity to pick up the Black Prince on ebay, it had a few issues that easily could be adressed to, but I let it slip away and don't regret it)

(My FM Bugatti 57 Atalante has also some issues that I don't like, maybe I'll get rid of that one, too...)

No problem, Helmut! No offense taken whatsoever.

5 hours ago, Gramps46 said:

I thought it was just me who was getting a distorted view due to a lousy head cold I have been fighting.  Jim has done a super job with the model so I knew it could not be him.  Now that i see the comparisons I think the hood appears too short and as said above, swiping the exhaust pipes to the rear would make a difference and are worth a try.  Now where did I put those tissues, hack, hack, sneeze, sneeze, even the dog is keeping her distance.

Thank you Gary, hope you're feeling better soon!

2 hours ago, keyser said:

Gary, that mean you’re a stuffy old man??

I resemble that remark. 

Keyser, thanks again for good conversation! Glad you guys enjoyed it. On to the next one (hint, Ferrari + Fernando Pinto.....Gotta keep the artist in business)