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Model vs Prototype #2

Trumpeter 6001P - „Red Flag" CA770



It's a courageous step to invest money in the development of an 87th scale Chinese sedan - and to anticipate a result of this test, this money hasn't been wasted…

The Chinese authorities didn't set great store by their car industry until they realized that they needed a representative vehicle, the 50s then saw the release of different small series limousines, all built by hand. To make up for the neglect, the "HongQi" (Chinese for "Red Flag) was presented in 1958, equipped with an 8 cylinder engine. The design was inspired by contemporary American cars and could just be admired by the common people since the car was - throughout it's entire production time - available to statesmen only. The Trumpeter version is modelled after the facelifted 1966 model which was built until the 1980s when it was replaced by an Audi based successor.

The Red Flag is huge by nature and so is the miniature: despite it's demand for showcase place it appears solid and heavy, partially because the plastic is certainly thicker than the Herpa polystyrol. On the other hand there are many small details like the door handles and the front and taillights, each with fine silver printed rings around them. All in all, there are over 20 different prints on the model and you can even make out the little "HongQi" sign on the back (with magnifying glasses of course!).

Another highlight is the opening hood revealing the chromed engine. The opening mechanism is quite efficient, because after having opened the hood it stays in the desired position. When closed there is hardly any gap between the parts. The multi-colored interior and the detailed bottom plate underline the model's appearance as one of the finest on the market, although Trumpeter has clearly made compromises: the wipers are simply engraved in the windscreen and the body surface shows minor polishing traces. The rubber white-wall tires on chromed rims are slightly too big, they don't allow the model to roll properly.

All in all it's an exceptionally well done miniature, not too expensive and just beautiful. And of course, Trumpeter is on the safe side with a parallel development of the same model in 1/24 scale, which makes us hope that there will be more to come…

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