Kit: AMT/MPC 1/20 McLaren M8D  

Kit Number:

Price: $25.00

Media: Injected Plastic

Decals: two versions; Bruce McLaren and Dennis Hulme

Date of Review:

Review and Photos by Scott Van Aken

Mention the name McLaren to today's auto enthusiast and visions of the current and past dominant Formula One racers will come to mind.  To those of my generation, McLaren meant a pair of dominating orange Can-Am racers, and later Indy and Formula 5000 cars.  Bruce McLaren began his car building with sports racers and was at the height of his domination in Can-Am when he was killed in a car wreck. From there the business went to Indy Cars and Formula One.

MPC's kit of the early 70's has been rereleased by AMT and I for one am glad. Originally released as the high-winged M8B, it was rebodies as an M8D.  The M8D included decals for cars of Dan Gurney and Dennis Hulme as Bruce McLaren had died before the M8D saw the track.  Why AMT gave us M8B decals is beyond me, as it limits the kit to depicting just the one of Dennis Hulme. It is also in the rather odd scale for the time of 1/20.  The benefit is stronger pieces, the downside is the impossibility of using parts from other kits.

This time the kit is not molded in orange, as was the original, but is in AMTs now standard light grey. As is usual from these rereleases, there is a considerable amount of flash that needs to be cleaned up, especially the exhaust pipes, but other than that and a few sinkholes, the moldings are in very good condition.  A bit of early warning, it would be smart not to cut the body into the three sections mentioned in the instructions as the fit is rather poor when separated.  Instead, a complete lift-off body is more desirable and does not detract from the kit.