27 replies to this topic

[Steve Okeefe]

Auto Hobbies Bodies

 

 

Bill Sippel's Auto Hobbies got started in 1963 with a series of fiberglass bodies, and later became involved with Veco Products, producing a series of vacuum-formed bodies, which were also used to top off some of Veco's R-T-R cars. Some photos and scans:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TSR]

Bill Sippell also started Select bodies in collaboration with Veco, but by that time, the pattern maker was no longer himself but his friend Ron Von Klein, who had already made many of the Auto Hobbies vac forming molds for him.

[mdiv]

Here's one I don't see on your list, don't know part number, but seems to be a Lancia D50.

 

Any thoughts?

Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Steve Okeefe]

Mike,

 

I believe you are correct; it is a Lancia D50 (without the side tanks).  I am familiar with this fiberglass body, only I too don't have a part number.      In fact, I'm not even really sure it's an Auto Hobbies product. 

[TSR]

Steve, it is, the LASCM has some of these inside their original bags. I will try getting you a stock number ASAP.

 

Also it is necessary to separate the 1/24 and 1/32 scale bodies in both fiberglass and vacuum form. Not an easy task.

[TSR]

A relatively rare Auto Hobbies 1/24 scale Lotus 40 body shows its extended sides designed to bend and fit under the chassis, so that those totally unsightly and unacceptable pins or clips would not be seen by the revolted eyes of total-scale purists. Never mind that the body itself, like most Auto-Hobbies contraptions, is a rather crude device in itself and certainly did not warrant such extravagant  and unnecessary treatment:

 

 

 

Interestingly, this 1966 Auto-Hobbies McLaren-Elva has conventional sides...

 

 

 

 

 

[Steve Okeefe]

Philippe,

 

Thanks for the photos! 

 

I see both bodies listed on my chart, and the "McLaren 1965 Riverside" listed in the text of the April 1966 ad 

 

Further, I see the full description and retail price on the McLaren body paper insert, but still no part number.  Did Auto Hobbies just not "do" part numbers? 

[TSR]

Steve, there are stock numbers on some of the bodies. That Lotus has one, a 4-digit thing at that!  But it is going to be very difficult to find them all. I will try to help with everything we have at the LASCM including a catalog we have that has mostly the earlier bodies.

[Gary Bluestone]

Is there some reason why the Cobra GT is not included ? It was 1/32 injection molded plastic. I can send photos of the body kit box or other shots if needed !

[TSR]

Gary,

That's another subject altogether and really a VECO product... 
 

Pictures of the kit and assembled cars are HERE.

[Steve Okeefe]

Philippe,

 

Thanks for any help you can provide, although these part numbers are pretty much a detail.

 

Not like anyone is going to be able to run down to their local raceway and buy one... or six... 

 

In fact as rare as these bits are, finding one (especially an unused one) on the open market is a serious long shot.  What a shame. 

[TSR]

Steve,

I still will do the best I can, but it will have to be sometimes in September... I am absolutely buried in work! At the same time I will assess what we have as far as Auto-Hobbies vac and glass bodies and take more pictures.

[dc-65x]

A relatively rare Auto Hobbies 1/24 scale Lotus 40 body shows its extended sides designed to bend and fit under the chassis, so that those totally unsightly and unacceptable pins or clips would not be seen by the revolted eyes of total-scale purists. Never mind that the body itself, like most Auto-Hobbies contraptions, is a rather crude device in itself and certainly did not warrant such extravagant  and unnecessary treatment:

 

Philippe, didn't Auto Hobbies evolve into the Select brand of La Cresenta, CA?

 

I have the same Lotus 40 body as you pictured Philippe with the extended sides and a Select paper insert, part number 152.

 

I love Auto Hobbies. I visited their shop as a young boy in the early 60's and will never forget the sight of dozens and dozens of their fiberglass bodies on display hanging on the wall. And the smell, that resin smell, it smelled like.............well I still love it today.

 

Steve, here's another 1/24 AH body for your list. This side extension reads, " AH 9558"

 

 

This side reads, "MAS . 450S":

 

 

It's is absolutely beautiful!

 

 

[Lone Wolf]

Hey DC, apparently those fumes over at Select did not effect your memory

 

Here is an Auto Hobbies/Veco body and a Select piece. Painting and finishing instructions are verbatim so they probably are related as you said. However, notice that costly move necessitated a price increase of two cents. What a price gouge!

 

Also notice that Select address at La Crecenta ! Can't argue with the man, what a memory from almost 50 years ago

 

 

[TSR]

Quick excerpts from a certain book that is being massaged right now:

 

AUTO-HOBBIES/VECO

Bill Sippel was one of the model car racing pioneers in United States. Following in the steps of Jim Russell, Dick Dobson and Bob Braverman, he built his own fiberglass and vacuum formed bodies that were designed to fit Strombecker chassis, sold under the Auto Hobbies brand. In 1965, the company was partnered by the long-established model aircraft company VECO that wanted to step in the expanding new business. By 1966 and with the help of accomplished Midwest club racing expert Dick Dobson, hired by VECO president Jack A. Henry on the recommendation of Bill Sippel, VECO tooled a superb 1/32nd Cobra Daytona Coupe kit, still to this day, one of the nicest slot car models ever produced. VECO had injection molding facilities used for producing parts for their line of model airplane kits as well as die casting their well-known petrol powered engines. The body pattern had been carved by Dobson who had temporarily moved from Illinois to California for this project. The lightweight injected plastic body was extremely simple and while not that accurate it captured the stance of the full-size car perfectly. The windows were made of vacuum formed clear butyrate, a technology well known by VECO and extensively used to produce cockpits for their model airplane kits. In 1982, Bill Sippel reported to the author that he actually had little to do with the Cobra kit, as while VECO had acquired his company, his duty was in the production of the new Select line of bodies that competed with his own Auto Hobbies line. The beautiful Cobra kit was unfortunately not a big sales success as 1/32 scale models had a hard time competing with their larger brothers. Auto Hobbies ceased to exist in 1968 and VECO went back to the tried and true model airplane business. Bill Sippel marketed the hundreds of leftover Cobra body kits well into the 1970s. 

 

[Steve Okeefe]

Rick,

 

Wow!  A real part number!  Why, it's almost like Christmas...  Gee, thanks! 

 

Gorgeous Maserati too! 

[racer4life]

Here are a few 1/32 Auto Hobbies cars built byJames Rittmueller. The 1940 Maserati's manufacturer is unknown to me and the Lister Maserati stumped me as to what it was. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TSR]

The dark # 5 car is a Tojeiro-Climax, that later received a Buick 3.5-liter engine. It ran better with the Climax!

[don.siegel]

Great looking cars, thanks for posting.

 

Could the Maserati be a plastic kit by Aurora? They did a line of Indy 500 winners in a sort of indeterminate scale...

 

Don

[Steve Okeefe]

Thanks for posting, Ed!

 

Looks like that Lancia-Ferrari has a swivel front axle. 

[TSR]

Could the Maserati be a plastic kit by Aurora?

 

Don, excellent observation. There were two kit companies in the USA that did that car in a size between the 1/24 and 1/32 scale. I believe that this is not Aurora's but the "other" company of which the name escapes me so early in the morning, and I held the actual kit in my hands yesterday!!! Getting old sucks.

[don.siegel]

Amen, Philippe!

 

This one actually looks a bit small for the Aurora, but I didn't know there was another company that did this car... could it be Premier? I think those were mostly in a real 1/24 however...

 

Don

[TSR]

No, it is a company with an odd and obscure name and they made four different Indy winners. The bodies are smaller than the Aurora's. The Maserati 8CTF seen here is the one used by Ted Horn at Indy. I will remember the name of the kit after I get some coffee...

 

You know, now that I think of it, not a single slot car company made a model of this fabulous, two-time Indy 500 winning car that could easily have won six times with a little bit more luck! The 8CTF was undoubtedly the best Indy car of the late 1930s all the way to 1948.

[VintageSlotCarRacing.com]

I have just discovered that I seem to have a Auto Hobbies body. Charlie pointed out that the Lister Jaguar fiberglass body I use on a car for the Melbourne Model Raceway 1/24 vintage group has all the hallmarks of Bill Sippel's handiwork.

 

The body is in need of restoration (far right of photos), so it is basically as purchased a few years ago. The temporary driver is my bad!

 

BTW, the class is for 1950s sports car class, powered by Plafit Pointer motor on an aluminum 'ladder' type chassis. The Revell chassis is a popular choice so far.

 

 

 

[don.siegel]

Sounds like a great class, and that Lister-Jag body is very nice - could well be the AH! The only competitor of the time with some national distribution was really the Braverman bodies, and those seem to be scarcer. 

 

Don

 

This reminded me that I have an AH fiberglass body in its original bag, shown here. The header card does say Part No., but after that just GTO is written in by hand! The instruction sheet is very brittle and falling apart, so just shot the beginning, where the master mold credits are given to Gene Byers and J.C. Benedick.