Intervista con Jürgen Renardy (parte II)

Romue Models, Porsche 962C Gr.C Kremer-SAT Norisring 1986.

Ecco la seconda parte dell'intervista a Renardy, nella quale vengono affrontati aspetti più specifici del suo lavoro. La foto si riferiscono ad alcune sue realizzazioni più o meno recenti: montaggi da kit (più o meno standard) ma soprattutto trasformazioni da basi esistenti per ottenere versioni inedite o poco conosciute.

Alba Gruppo C2 Le Mans 1986, montaggio su base MRE con molte (ma molte!) modifiche. Definire primitivi questi kit sarebbe far loro un complimento. C'è voluta tutta la pazienza di Renardy per tirarne fuori un risultato soddisfacente.

M.A. Models, Porsche 935 IMSA Bayside Hanna, 12 Ore di Sebring 1981.

What are the main characteristics of your builds? Under a technical point of view your models are exceptionally strong. I have had some built models of yours for more than 20 years and they still look perfect. Do you have any particular tip to obtain this?
Attention to details like correct hood fasteners, screen clips or extinguisher/cut-off switches etc., a fine ride height including correct rim and tire diameters which with a lot of kits is quite elaborate to realize, correct type and colour of safety harness thats the stuff my customers acknowledge most. And, most important for at least much decalled subjects...2K clear varnish oa. which is a must for ancient kits of the eighties and nineties. We know thats anything but original appearance but it saves the decals for infinity ....I hope. Other than additional clear coat there's nothing special about my builds to last longer than others eventually. The rest depends on how collectors handle their valuables I believe.

Sauber C7 Gr.C Fuji 1983

Montaggio e trasformazione su base Remember, Ford Escort Gr.5 Mampe 1000km del Nuerbugring 1977.

Recentemente Renardy ha realizzato una serie di montaggi piuttosto complessi su basi MRE, aggiungendo notevoli dettagli, cambiando i cerchi e studiando accuratamente la documentazione dell'epoca. Considerata la crudezza del kit d'origine, il risultato è davvero soddisfacente.

Porsche 936 Most 1981 e Porsche 908/2 Flounder Daytona 1974.

Which other builder do you admire the most? And who were your main masters at the beginning of your career?
The one and only André Marie Ruf, unforgettable. Back in 1985 very much impressed by his sub-contractors like JPM and others, from their builts I learned quite a lot. Admittedly I nearly have no contact to current colleagues, all those twenty or forty all over the world who work in similar ranges of artisanal quality do different subjects I estimate.

Porsche 944 Turbo Cup con i geroglifici egizi, un classico della produzione Porsche Modell Exclusiv-Starter. Il Porsche Modell Club aveva in vendita versioni diverse non presenti nella gamma Starter.

Surely this or that hint on improvement was and is welcome, but my field of activity is that unique, hope that doesn't sound too sparkish. At least I had/have a bit of communication with John Simons of Marsh Models, who's involved in a very similar sujet. But he produces complete kits, not my profession, so he still has a lot more experience in the whole market.

Is still there enough market for a “classic” kit builder in the era of Spark and Bizarre?
Hope so, but I am quite confident, there are still that many niches not yet discovered by "premium chinese" as Spark et alii. And they even nowadays cannot realize every livery/each race of chassis-no.123xyz, which is my speciality. On the other hand every month I see one or two new editions from far East of models twenty years ago I was proud of doing as a painstakingly researched and converted one-off, thats the wind of change.

At a time (1991 or so) you even came with a new small in-house production, the Porsche 936 Vegla. Can you tell something more about that project?
Yes, that unique VEGLA three-tone livery very much attracted me in the beginning of the ninetees and I wanted to realize a small series of a hundred as a follow up to the above mentioned Speedy Specials. Master came from well renowned Peter Lindemeyer (famous for his detailed Vroom Porsche kits), but in the event I cancelled that project simply fearing not to find enough prospective buyers for those delicate and logically pricy models when Minichamps were available for about 15-20% of my estimated selling price. So only three built now, guess who has?

Alcune carrozzerie e chassis del progetto 936 Vegla.

Some of your production for the most demanding clients covers one-off models with special decals and versions never produced before. Do you have a vast net of technical contributors to bring out specific decals, parts, and so on?
You are right, my main reputation the last decade or so comes from orders for one (or two)-off models converted from standard kits from the past. I tackle all sorts of body- and decoration-modifications when any customer wants a certain race, a certain different driver or whatever is wished. So my mods start with simply a changed rear wing or a different set of wheels, but can go as far as matching a rear engine cover/hood from one kit to another front base, which quite sometimes was necessary on certain Porsche 962 special bodies.

Tre Porsche 908/3 Turbo realizzate su base Tokoloshe.

Coppia di Porsche di Georg Loos: 911 Nuerburgring 1969 e Carrera RSR 2.8 Le Mans 1974.

Porsche 917PA Gelo Barth Interserie 1973.

The other possible conversion theme is using an existing race car kit for the same or similar type in another race team with complete different livery. Then all decals necessary for that have to be designed new, about 50% of that I do myself and the remainder done by a friend who is printing those too on his ALPS printer. No need for that much further outsourced contribution, I have a vast stock of old kits/bodies/parts and decals collected over the decades I can use as basis for any wished transformation.

I think you are mostly skilled in 70s-80s Group 5, 6 and Group C cars. Is there any particular reason for it?Particular reason? Simply for my generation that was the most interesting era of motorsports, not that much commercialized as today and a lot more simple mechanics than those "fly by wire" cars of nowadays. Group C than in the eighties/early ninetees originated fascinating designs where different constructors still had their own ideas how a race car should go and you still could visibly discern all marques even if they would have used the same livery.
Nowadays except colours and sponsoring they all look the same within one series. But all depends on age of any person interested in that kind of sports I presume.

Coppia di Porsche 935 realizzate su base Madyero.

Altre due Sport Gr.6 su base MRE.

Ford Capri RS2600 Gr.2 Tour Auto 1973, base Provence Moulage.

Colorazione Vegla per questa Porsche 908/3 Turbo, montata a partire da un Tokoloshe.

La Tecma di Le Mans 1975, kit MRE, completamente riveduto e corretto.

How did the market change throughout the decades? 70s, 80s, 90s and the new century?
Seventies... cottage industry, a bit above particular hobby, nearly no marketing at all, only some enthusiasts on all three areas: production, sale and prospestive customers. Eighties...interest, market and production growing, but still "fabrication artisanale". Nineties...China appearing on the tablet, cheap mass production, at least then in quality still not reaching the far more elaborate handmade European modelling experts. Current century...CAD wins! Ok, already used in the eighties, but now comes to near perfection and -yes- I admit a recent Spark at least equals or even surpasses my own quality, but these are still done as series of about 300 or 500 pcs. So one-offs, there's still a market for at least one or two decades I estimate.

TOJ Le Mans 1979, kit JPS (in questo caso preverniciato).

Altra livrea complessa per questa Chevron di MRE.

Porsche 935 K3 IMSA 1981, base MA Models.

Is there any particular project you still would like to tackle?
Quite a lot, but I don't want to wake the Chinese dragon, lol. Ok, one example, as a German I am still missing the Stefan Bellof F2 Maurer-BMW 1982/83. But not for long I "fear". Ah, another one I have been missing for a very, very long time, and a car still to be worth of doing for completing the Group44 history (surely from its Triumph heritage, one of my favoured teams all time), the IMSA GTO Triumph TR8.