FPP Modelos 1/24 Maserati 8CTF GP 1939

The Maserati 8CTF (8C=number of cylinders, T=head, F=fixed) is an open wheel race car designed, developed, and built by the Italian company Maserati in the late 1930s. To date, it is only Italian-made car to have won the Indianapolis 500. The design featured a supercharged, three liter, inline, eight cylinder, engine and a four speed gearbox. The box section steel chassis was topped by a profusely louvered aluminum body that sported a large and distinctive grill. The 8CTF made its European competition debut in May of 1938. It showed potential, but the approach of WWII caused the races to thin out which hampered the car's development. The car would ultimately claim its place in history when an 8CTF owned by a shadowy Chicago union boss and driven by Hoosier racing driver, Wilbur Shaw, won consecutive Indianapolis 500s in 1939 and 1940.

The Portuguese company, FPPMODELOS, has released a 1/24 scale kit of the 1939 and 1940 Indianapolis 500 winning Maserati 8CTF. The kit has three cast resin parts, 18 3D printed parts, a thin strip of some kind of metal foil, two different diameter aluminum rods, and a small flat piece of clear material (acetate?). Also included are four gorgeous hand laced wire wheels,. The wheels are cast integrally with the tires and both wheels and tires are pre-painted.. The prominent grill is cleverly represented by by wires that have been pre-formed to match the grill's contours and then imbedded in a resin frame. An exploded drawing on a single page are the only instructions provided. They do not appear adequate to successfully assemble the kit and additional references for parts location, decal placement, and painting are going to be needed. The cast resin pieces are for the one piece body, the hood, and the previously mentioned grill frame. The 3D printed parts provide the engine, cockpit, chassis/belly pan, front and rear suspensions (including the brake drums), radiator, windshield frame, mirror, fuel tank cap, and central grill divider. Only the top 2/3rds of the engine is provided, but, to be fair, that is all that will be visible when the model is completed. A representation of the bottom of the oil pan is molded into the underside of the belly pan. The aluminum rod is for simulating the piano hinge that runs down the center of the hood and the piece of clear material is for fabricating the windshield. Waterslide decals are provided to build either the 1939 or 1940 Indianapolis 500 winners. The decals include one complete set of sponsorship logos and tire markings.

FPPMODELOS has a large catalog of vintage sports and Grand Prix race car kits. I believe this is their first Indy Car kit. By choosing to kit the iconic Maserati 8CTF, FPPMODELOS will surely bring joy to many Indy Car modelers. However, as nice as the kit is, it is not for beginners. The mixed materials, complex engineering, and lack of instructions make this a kit for experienced modelers with a few resin kits under their belts. Recommended for modelers with a passion for vintage Indy Cars and who are not afraid of a challenge.

Rob Hart 

March 2025

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