The Super Models

Want a vintage Bugatti, a classic Ferrari or a modern McLaren supercar at a fraction of the cost? Amalgam Collection will build one-at-a fraction of the size.

- Chuck Tannert

Sandy Copeman and his team of master craftsmen in Bristol, England, build cars that enthusiasts covet: The 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Mille Miglia, 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO 3589GT, 1961 Jaguar E-Type Series 1-3.8 Coupé and 1957 Porsche 356A Speedster, to name a few. Each car is an impeccably detailed, beautifully painted handmade masterpiece—and costs a fraction of what these vintage vehicles and contemporary exotics would sell for at auction or through a dealer.

Then again, they’re also one eighth the size. That’s because Copeman’s company, Amalgam Collection, special ises in building meticulous scale models of vintage and modern automobiles. In fact, without a visual clue to reveal the relative size, it’s often hard to tell Amalgam’s miniature masterpieces from the real thing. “That’s the goal,” says the 65-year-old founder. “If you can take a high-resolution photograph and put it in front of somebody, and they have no idea whether they’re looking at a model or the real car, then we’ve done our job.”

Some of Amalgam’s models even perform like their full-size cousins. For example, the new 1:8 scale McLaren Senna, which costs a little more than $13,000, features headlights, taillights and hazards that light up via remote control. The doors are motorised and can move up and down on command.

Copeman’s interest in tinkering developed when he was a teenager. He built a reflecting telescope when he was 14, as well as a couple of electric guitars. One of his greatest passions was modifying and racing mopeds. “I used to strip all the steelwork offthem and turn them into lean, mean machines and then race them in my parents’ garden in London,” he recalls with a chuckle.