zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
A Company In England Is Building Small, Drivable Replicas Of Classic Cars
A Company In England Is Building Small, Drivable Replicas Of Classic Cars-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:20

Image for article titled A Company In England Is Building Small, Drivable Replicas Of Classic Cars

Most of us will probably never get the chance to own something like an Aston Martin DB6 or a Ferrari 250 GT. But, as reports, a company in England is willing to make those big dreams come true, albeit in a smaller form.

A company called builds actual operating scale models of classic cars. Working out of an old aircraft hangar in Oxfordshire, England, a small team of 25 hand builds every model. These aren’t just some run-of-the-mill, rich people toys. These are sophisticated, drivable (not street legal of course) models. Think of them as being a few steps above a go-kart in terms of sophistication and features, but still below a golf car and full-on car as far as speed and legality go.

Image for article titled A Company In England Is Building Small, Drivable Replicas Of Classic Cars

How sophisticated are these things? The attention to detail is incredible and ensures that everything, from wheel design to the interior is replicated exactly. We’re talking things like leather seating, LED headlights, adjustable dampers, different power modes for the 13 horsepower electric motor and regenerative braking with Brembo brakes. Can you imagine that? Brembo brakes on something most people would consider a novelty. There are also special keys that remove the speed limiter, which is set at 30 mph. Last year, our own Brett Berk had t. It held its own and he actually managed to get it up to a whopping 42 mph.

The founder of the company, Ben Hedley, told that more often than not, these little cars act as a complement to the actual cars. Something the owners can have fun in since the real cars are too delicate to be driven regularly.

“Many beautiful cars from the past have become too valuable to drive every day. If you’ve got an Aston Martin DB5 and take it out for a 1,000-mile round trip, you’ve just knocked $50,000 off from the value.”

Image for article titled A Company In England Is Building Small, Drivable Replicas Of Classic Cars

The models cost as much as an actual full-sized mid-range to luxury car, but they do cost much less than the cars they are modeled on. Not that price really matters as Hedley told Bloomberg 40 percent of his customers already own a vintage or modern Bugatti. So if you’re buying one of these, you already need to have some cash.

Right now the company only makes two models: a Bugatti Type 35 replica called the Bugatti Baby II that ranges from $37,000 to $80,000 depending on how you customize it; or there is an exact 66-percent scale model of the Aston Martin DB5 called the DB5 Vantage Junior. The DB5 will come out later this year with a starting price of $48,000. The company is planning on making 1,059 examples. Thirty of the 500 Bugattis the company will produce have been delivered to customers, with 90 percent of the available spots for a model sold. The company plans to introduce six more models in the next few years. So if you’ve been eyeing that vintage BMW but you want something you can actually play in, Little Car Co. might have something for you.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
Subaru Had It Right All Along
Subaru Had It Right All Along
When first came to the United States, it sold small funky cars that were decidedly un-American. As the company grew its own identity and became more established in the U.S., it became the first automaker to offer an all-wheel-drive passenger car in 1975. Subaru was also an early-adopter of...
Jul 17, 2025
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I love tiny, of . I have a that is roughly half the size of a normal cat, and she’s perfect. I own a 2013 , which is like the miniature version of a normal-sized vehicle (at least here in Texas) — but beyond that, I also own a Hot...
Jul 17, 2025
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I have two automotive loves: The first is the Miata, the second is off-road racing. For a while I raced air-cooled Volkswagens in the deserts of California and Nevada and I was lucky enough to co-drive in a class 11 stock bug in the Baja 1000 a few years...
Jul 17, 2025
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
At long last, we are about to get behind the wheel of for the first time. Sure, , and sure, , and sure , but hey — what can you do? Anyway, before we get behind the wheel of this three-row electric beast, we want to know what you...
Jul 17, 2025
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
MotorWeek’s is some of the on the internet. The long-running automotive news magazine has a treasure trove of tests after being on the air for over 40 years. Where else can you find detailed instrumented testing of long-forgotten cars like the or a ? MotorWeek’s recent Retro Review upload is...
Jul 17, 2025
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
closed its São Bernardo Plant in November 2023, marking the end of its first overseas production facility. The closure caps off a period of continuous car production in São Paolo, , lasting over 60 years. The plant was home to a Komatsu 700-ton press that predates itself. And now...
Jul 17, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved