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Model vs Prototype #
3V&V 100 - Melkus RS 1000
A sportscar, with a two-stroke engine -
the only racer the GDR ever had.
The Melkus RS 1000 was constructed
by Heinz Melkus, a GDR racing legend who took the opportunity to construct his
own car under the most difficult circumstances. In 1969, after having build a
prototype on a Wartburg chassis, Melkus got permission for the actual production
of his car. It was primarily meant as a racing vehicle (a special cup was run
from 1970 till 1976), but the RS 1000 had also been built in regard to daily use
beyond the racetrack. Of course, with a tuned Wartburg engine (70 hp, and up to
118 hp in an experimental car) and 680 kg it was not exactly suitable for the
normal driver, who was unlikely to afford the car anyway considered that it
doubled the price of the original car that donated the mechanics.
| Prototype | Prod.- time | Engine | Performance | Dimensions in mm. | Units made |
| Melkus RS 1000 | 1969 - 1980 | R3, 70 hp | 165 kph | 4000x1650x1070 | 101 |
Not only the Melkus' performance was similar to Western competitors (such as the Thurner RS or the NSU TTS): the fiberglass body was that of a real sportscar.
The V&V model had originally been issued for a German modelcar shop and is now available as whitemetal kit or assembled model. The miniature which is pictured here is the original factory built version in 'racing orange' (a silver variant without decals is also produced).
The people at V&V did a great job with converting the Melkus to 87th scale. The proportions are exactly prototypical and, moreover, the quality of the assembled model is convincing. The paint is smooth, the decals are accurately put and the photoetched parts are neatly fixed. Only the wipers are included seperately. It is however a bit disappointing to see the solution chosen for the headlights. It would have been prototypical to make them appear transparent, but they were just painted orange with the body. Using some silver color could have been acceptable, but that's up to the owner of the model now. Other points of criticism are the ill-fitting vacuformed glazing as well as the styrofoam inlet for the box, which is known to attack the paint.
| Model | Itemnr. | Material | Prod.-time | Price | Dimensions in mm. | Box |
| Melkus RS 1000 | 100 | MSC-R | 1997 - | ca. 18 € | 48x20x11 | P02 |
Taking into account that the model
is a small series product, manufactured with a high effort, one can easily draw
the conclusion that it's a top of the line miniature in its category, although
not perfect. For all those who can't live with the faults of the assembled
version, there is still the kit!
