Anyone have one or opinion on the 1/5 Ferrari F1 cars?

I have been selling and distributing the 1/5 line of Ferraris since their inception in 1998 and have sold several hundreds of them. Let me know what questions you might have, and I can answer them with photos.

 

The biggest problem in the industry is the misconception of quality as a component of price. As I handle models up to $30 000, I can tell you that very few miniatures at the high end come close to the accuracy or complexity of something like a 1/18 CMC for US$225. The bottom line is that most of the larger models are made by smaller companies with relatively tiny budgets and in fewer numbers. When Autoart makes a 1/18 model, they spend about $250-$500K on dies and tooling. They sell thousands of these to recoup their investment. When a builder in the UK makes a 1/8 330P4, there are no CAD and CAM files, and he extrapolates the lines of the car with an overall sensation of 'feel'. He might make as many as 25-50 a year, with a few hands helping, not an entire factory. It's kind of like comparing a Panerai to a Swatch, neither one tells better time....but often people like buying something in limited numbers that is hand made.

The 1/5 SportsEurope models were released in 1998. Their first car was the Ferrari F300. At the time it was pretty good, with little else to compare it to. As the years progressed these models have been more and more refined. The current F2004 & F2005 models are really well done, and feature details the earlier models did not have - carbon fiber decalling, multipiece rear wings, cloth seats, etc. The Enzo was made in 2003 and was this company's first attempt at a road car. It is quite nice, but not as detailed as the 1/12 Kyosho or Tamiya for a fraction of the price. That being said, the other models don't have the same 'presence' - they are not 3 feet long and 45 lbs, and are unlimited in quantity, not 1 of 399. Is it worth the money? So far 300+ people have thought so....roughly the same number of clients that bought 550 Barchettas.

I have some great 1/5 250 GTOs that are made by an independent builder, but they are several times the price of the SportsEurope ones.

In my opinion, the best 1/5 scale model is the newest one - the FXX. I have sold a ton of these since their Nov'06 release....they are alot finer than the Enzos. But again, don't expect this model, which costs the equivalent of ten 1/12 Tamiya Enzos to offer the same detail with opening parts, wired engine, etc.

Many people don't understand the allure of Ferrari. Many feel a Corvette offers beautiful lines and stunning performance for a fraction of the price. These are not the people buying 1/5 models.....

Keep in mind these models are all authorized by Ferrari and done with their full support. Ferraris standards are high - in fact, one of these 1/5 scale models was given to the Pope himself in 2004 - see below.
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i've seen an f1 at fow. it was awesome.

 

i don't know the exact scale, but it was big. it's in the waiting area on a shelf.

 

I have sold them (Allie Ash) several large scale models....

 

We used to race 1/5th scale RC cars... they introduced F1 ones as well

That was a pretty expensive hobby.. cost us around £10,000 a year when competitively racing in the UK...
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Many, many thanks to Morry for helping me find one of these. Perfect center piece for the modern man cave. A work of art. Best, David
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Looks awesome, thanks for your business!

 

These are handmade pieces of art!

You can't compare them with any brand of diecast!
(as I explained several collectors that thought my handbuilts were less quality than their diecasts).

Recently I saw several CMC's and 1:18 BBR's.. they are perfect!! But lack the feel of any of my Brianza's and others..

(my profile-albums show several)

Hans

 

Agreed... I didn't really "get it" until I got my hand made 1/12 scale Breadvan, which even still, it built on a 1/12 Revell GTO chassis with a handbuilt body.

 

Yes - large models are typically not as precise/detailed as some of the smaller ones like CMC, nor do they provide the same 'bang for the buck'. However, they offer a lovely sensory feel and are more visually impressive as they border more on artwork than the smaller ones IMO.

Morry

 

Here is a photo of the Pope F1 1/5 next to a 1/18 Enzo Hotwheels model for size comparison. Cheers, David
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I just came across a 2004 1/5 scale die cast car it's three foot long. I would like any info on this car don't know what I have.