I recently acquired inventory of the new Spark 1:18 Ruf/Porsche 911 (964) CTR Coupe. During a simple photoshoot of the car, I decided to dust off the classic Spark 1:18 Ruf/Porsche 911 (930) CTR “Yellowbird” I had. A couple of photos of the pair would be interesting. As thought, the pair do look lovely together. What caught me by surprise is how much more the older of the two pieces was in overall detail. It seems diecast and opening isn’t the only medium that’s taken a step back.
A little about Spark. At the time of the Yellowbird release, the true medium was still diecast. The shift to resin becoming the primary manufacturer material of choice started in the late 2000s and has evolved to what the state of the hobby is today. Back in the day Spark and a handful of others (BBR, MR) were producing resin and sealed examples. This was still foreign to me, and I’m sure others.
With diecast still leading by example, Spark definitely had an up-road battle to compete with. And in comparison, they weren’t exactly cheap price-wise. Well, based on their price point versus the typical popular diecast brand of the time. They were a premium brand. And in their defensive, their bread and butler is race and livery, which is still true today.
So, what is this detail I speak of? Well, the proof is in the pudding, in this case, the photos. As we know the typical undercarriage execution of a resin model is little to none. On the Ruf/Porsche 911 (930) CTR, it provides loads of detail. It includes motor, exhaust, suspension highlights. And this goes from front to back.
Multiple layers help with the definition. The colouring on the individual component and sections provide a realistic view and one that resembles metal-like material. It is brilliant in comparison to resin models of today.
There is more, from the top view one will notice that all the panel and opening parts are defined with Black paint. This provides more depth and realism and moves the scale model further away from a simple static piece. Even the grille work here is completed with perforated metal grilles.
In comparison to the model presented in 2019, the Ruf/Porsche 911 (964) CTR Coupe, we are missing such details. The undercarriage is non-existent, there is no Black defining the panel gaps, and even the only grille is crafted with a solid piece of plastic. Yes, its 10-12 years later and the model cost about $90-$100 more, but why are we getting less? So folks, when you’re complaining about the lack of depth in diecast and opening models, can’t hold a candle to models of the past please include resin here too!
There will be a complete review of the Ruf/Porsche 911 (964) CTR Coupe coming soon. In the meantime, please share your experiences with resin in general or its history and evolution. As always enjoy the pics!
Thanks for this! In the end it’s not a huge surprise. A lot of decline in quality and increase in prices is due specifically to higher cost of labor in China, MUCH higher than 10 years ago.
There was no question that the prices of models were going to go up, but it seems many companies decided to simplify their models with less details than the past to keep the labor down so prices didn’t increase too dramatically. With a few manufacturers I do wonder though if they used this as an excuse to both dramatically decrease model detail while still dramatically increasing the price (well past inflation), subsequently giving them much higher profit margins than before.
Anything is possible. It sucks for seasoned collectors that have seen this swing. Again, we need to vote with our wallets in the end.
I think you are spot on in your analysis. I just wish we were offered an option of a line of model with 360 openings, high quality and lots of detail at a higher price. Not happening and instead we see the proliferation of high end and very high end static pieces brought to market at an ever increasing pace.
Aren’t we? What about CMC, BBR diecast, Almost Real Huayra for 400 Euros?
All the opposite sir!!
Exoto is dead. CMC is still alive and well but part counts and details keep going down. Maybe that 600 Pullman will surprise us…
BBR diecast was a good opportunity but execution is just a bit better than a 8yr old HWE. And I am reserving my judgement on that AR Hyuara we have been waiting for years. What else, am I missing something?
It sounds about right!
Well, easy way out: Quit collecting and don’t buy.
Spot on analysis, no surprises, inside and outside the hobby. Everything seems to be getting worse these days, washing machines, dish washers, services. Our world is not getting any decent quality done anymore. Produce crap, bin it, buy new crap. I have got things that are 40 years old and they’re still good, and I have thrown modern things out after two years. Cut costs and you cut quality, as simple as that. Make it overly clever and complicated, make it prone to break.
That’s a bummer to hear. This model’s been on my eBay list for some time. I’ll have to keep an eye out on which one I’m bidding on.
Has anyone compared the old Spark Yellowbird to the GT Spirit?
We haven’t seen one on the flesh from GTS, but based on the many models we have reviewed from the brand it will be closer to the Ruf/Porsche 911 (964) CTR Coupe and far like the Yellowbird.
A quick google actually turned up this post 2 years ago: https://diecastsociety.com/gt-spirit-new-porsche-ruf-ctr-yellow-bird/. It looks to be the Yellowbird as well, not the 2017 CTR though it’s hard to tell which has better lines and/or details.
Believe us, its the Spark!