26 October 2021
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Autocult 1941 Hunt Hollywood House Car
PRICE: £113.99
REF: ATC 09015
SCALE: 1/43
I always think that a good marker for how desirable and good a model is, is if it makes me want to either think about buying a real one or, in this case due to its rarity, at least investigate further to find out more about the vehicle. This is definitely one of those occasions.
Designed by John Roy Hunt, a well-known and much-respected American cameraman and cinematographer, he was famous, not just for his work behind the lens in Hollywood, but for being very technically creative, always tinkering and making gadgets to improve his camera set up.
His first design, the 1937 Hunt House Car, has already been modelled by AutoCult, released in 2016, so this later version makes for a perfect companion.
In contrast to the first design, Hunt went for a wider track, which allowed him to position the wheels closer to the outside of the car body, creating more interior space. For this version he fitted both headlights onto, rather than into, the aluminium body, which certainly simplified the production of the vehicle. Additionally he also modified the attachment of the bumper, the rear-view mirrors and the positioning of the side windows.
The entire aluminium body consisted of several small parts, which were welded together. The new design also featured a much bigger grille, now at the rear of the car, probably due to the installation of a 1939 Mercury V8 engine - 95 bhp powered the heavy 2.5 tons and 5.4 metre (18 foot) long camper.
AutoCult's work here is astonishing - super quirky design aside, the metallic finish effect, most evident to the sides of the model, is a superb example of this model manufacturer's attention to detail. The weld runs to the top of the body, both front and rear are another, as is the finesse of the work on the grilles.