REVIEW: Laudoracing-Models Lancia Scorpion 1976 • DiecastSociety.com

REVIEW: Laudoracing-Models Lancia Scorpion 1976

Laudoracing-Models is a resin model manufacturer that primarily focuses on Italian cars both in street and racing specifications. They have been producing miniature model cars since 2013, and their passion for cars was their inspiration. Over the years, they produced some interesting cars which were not available from any other manufacturer. For those looking for very unique Italian specimens, they would definitely savour their model lineup. Browsing through their website is a treat, and to treat all the Italian car addicts out there, today I will do a review of their 1:18th scale 1976 Lancia Scorpion in green.

Lancia Scorpion has a very striking and unique design, one that should appeal to the niche car enthusiast. Powered by a 1756 cc, 4-cylinder posterior-layout engine, producing 81 horsepower and weighing only 970 kilograms creates a very interesting proposition from Lancia. This very unique Lancia was able to reach a top speed of 192 km/h – not too bad for 1976. Let’s then quickly race to the model featured here.

Laudoracing-Models produces interesting models in very limited numbers, crafted in resin with no opening parts. This one however is an exception, as it has a removable roof panel. My metallic green Lancia Scorpion (Product code LM134D) is limited to only 350 pieces. Since I have not seen a real car in person, this scale model was a must in order to be able to appreciate its design up close. How has Laudoracing done on this gem? Well, there are some positives and also quite a few items that require improvement.

I do appreciate Laudoracing’s external packaging effort as it is filled with pictures of the model inside. It also includes a little synopsis of the real cars’ technical data. It’s nice to get some information about the real car, so why not print it on the box? I have to admit, I do like that approach. Inside the outer box, you will find an inner styrofoam shell that protects the model inside. The model is then wrapped in paper and protected inside a clear bag – this is very similar to the OttOmobile packing style. The inner styrofoam is a little soft and a gentle unboxing operation is required to avoid styrofoam pieces everywhere. Laudoracing models are priced somewhere in between OttOmobile and GT Spirit, slotting them on a budget end of resin models available today.

The first impression of the model is decent, however, when you start looking a little closer you will notice a few shortcomings. The model weighs about 900 grams, which is not bad as it is a small two-seater. The overall paint has a nice shine however my example has a couple of scratches in the top left corner of the engine cover close to the back window and a small paint bump on the top right again close to the back window – definitely far from perfect. Thankfully it is in an area where your eyes will not lead you at first glance.

At the front, I am saddened to report that no perforated grilles are present, which is disappointing as the front grille looks plasticky and toyish. The Lancia emblem is there, but again looks rather weak – the inverted rounded triangle should have more depth. Another big problem is the line that is supposed to run down from the front nose to the side of the headlight – it should be continuous and not just disappear before reaching the headlight. This is equivalent to having pop-up lights but without the cut-out in order for them to open! I feel Laudoracing could have done a lot better here.

Moving on to the side, I do like the stance – it is such a unique design. For the most part, everything here looks acceptable, however, after comparing it with real examples online, I do think the side mirror should have been mounted a little closer to the front of the door opening. Also, the round gas tank cap is very noticeably too big. On the passenger side, the rain guard needs some serious refinement – please take a look at the close-up pictures. Everything else looks acceptable – and I am glad it does. Door shut lines are spot on with just about the perfect depth and window application is good as well. All other panels around the windows look on point to me as well.

Moving on to the rims, they look accurate. Valve stems are present but a little refinement would be welcome. Brake calipers and rotors are mostly hidden by the rims – nothing wrong as they are true to the original. Tire thread is present, however, tire branding is not which seems to be in line with other manufacturers in this price range.

The back of the model has some shortcomings just like the front. A solid piece of plastic is used where a mesh would have been the preferred choice. The rear lights are missing refinement with no screws replicated. The real car has very noticeable screws on the rear lights – two on each piece (top and bottom of the turning signal, left and right of the brake light, and top and bottom of the reverse lights). This is very obvious on the real car – I would have accepted some splash of black paint for each screw to make it look like the original. Sadly there are none. The engine cover on my example (which was still factory sealed), has a couple of scratches mentioned earlier and the paint application is not the finest either. Please also take a look at the black paint which is simulating vents – it is very poorly applied. On the positive side, I am happy to report that chrome on the bumper is approved. Moving on to the exhaust – it has decent depth and a splash of black paint on the inside is welcomed. The rear window defogger is present and looks great. Lancia Scorpion’s scripted license plate is appreciated.

Inside, you are greeted with a splash of colour – Laudo’s effort is visible here. I would definitely display the model with the Targa top off to show the interior. The right amount of attention on the dashboard and gauges – it even shows the car’s mileage. Some model brands go with boring black, and this two-tone brown definitely stands out. Carpeting is not present, but that is expected for this price. I feel this interior is equivalent if not a little better than most resin models in this price range.

To sum things up, l think this is a mix of good and bad. I do not think anyone else will produce this model, so if you like the car I say get it. Think of it like an old Italian car – absolutely beautiful to look at, but not perfect, with some refinement and assembly shortcomings. Could the model be better? Absolutely! I hope Laudoracing-Models reads this review and makes some improvements for their future releases. If you follow your heart, you will fall in love with this perfect spec of green over tan interior. If you collect based on the level of detail, then this may not be the model for you. For me it’s a unique car, one I can appreciate in the form of a 1:18th scale model – thank you Laudoracing-Models for making one!

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8 Responses to "REVIEW: Laudoracing-Models Lancia Scorpion 1976"

  1. DS Team says:

    Thanks for sharing! It seems you came to some of the same conclusions we did on a recent LR purchase. This example looks more like a pre-production sample than a final customer piece! The fit and finish are extremely poor! Outside of the awesome subject matter, one would be hard-pressed to purchase one!

  2. Kostas says:

    Thank you Luk for the very nice review of the LR Lancia Scorpion. I have 2 LR models in my collection, the Alfa Romeo 164 Q4 and the Alfa Romeo 75. I agree with you that LR models are a mix of good and bad, but in general their VFM is very good as they are budget friendly models and moreover I like their shelf presence, stance and overall looks. I also agree that the LR models have interesting boxes, as they have very nice pictures of the model car on them and also provide its technical data and specs.

    Not so long ago, I also added the Mitica Alfa Romeo 155 alongside them, in order to complete my favourite trio of 80’s and 90’s Alfa Romeo saloons.

  3. InTheFastLane says:

    You are welcome Kostas.

    I noticed Mitica and Laudo Racing both made Alfa 155. I wonder if they are related or share castings in any way.

    • Kostas says:

      Interesting question, I do not know if they are related, but when I did my search before I buy the 155 I found the Mitica version just a little bit better then the LR one. Moreover Mitica offered it also in Bordeaux Metalizzato, a very nice colour that I preferred over the classic red of the LR version.

  4. Atalante says:

    Laudo is good at selecting excellent subjects but as others have mentioned the fit and finish is just bad. I had in mind to pre-order one their coming Alfa 33 Stradale but in the end decided that it wouldn’t be worth it based on another model I have from them.

  5. Todd F Radke says:

    I’ve owned a 1976 Lancia Scorpion for over 30 years. I previously purchased Laudo’s Lancia Montecarlo model and found it to be very accurate. The car’s name had to be changed to Scorpion (in honor of Carlos Abarth) for the US market because Chevrolet already had the rights to Montecarlo in the US. The chassis tub/passenger compartmen of the Montecarlo was used to create the Lancia Rally 037 1983 World Rally Champion and the 1981 World Sports Car Champion the Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo.

  6. jay says:

    My God, what a beautiful model!

  7. Todd F Radke says:

    Long time Scorpion owner: Just a couple more comments about the review. There is no mesh on the front of back end of the Scorpion. In the front there is a long horizontal black plastic piece molded to look like louvers. This piece has an stainless steel flattened “shield” shape surrounding the Lancia emblem. In the back there is a long molded black plastic piece that holds the taillight with a pair of small louvered areas flanking the license plate area. The taillights are held in place with special screws with transparent molded heads in three colors matching the clear, red and orange taillight lenses. These are fragile and deteriorate over time and are often replace with plain metal screws,

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