Scale Auto – October 2019

Von Baron Rat Rod

My concept was to create a car that felt like a World War I German

Fokker biplane. There had to be scrapes and bullet holes, and grime —

a lot of grime. What if there was a huge hole in the roof from a shell

passing through? Yeah! I got to it, blending a 1/24 scale Italeri 1933

Cadillac with a 1/25 scale Revell 1959 Cadillac, all the while envisioning

my rat rod pushing through a fierce dogfight as the Red Baron’s ride. I

wanted to incorporate all the recognizable elements from Baron von

Richthofen’s infamous WWI Dr.1 triplane. The Von Baron Rat Rod earned

the People’s Choice for Best of Show Model Car award at the 2018

Concours d’Elegance in Dayton, Ohio.

ONE GREAT MODEL BY JOHN WISE

WWI-esque bomb casings for gas tanks

complete with brass fittings and braided

fuel lines

Fokker wing carved

from balsa wood

Inside are textured seat belts,

a photo-etched pilot’s seat,

stained teak and aluminum

interior panels, and chrome

pistons hanging from the

rearview mirror

34 Scale Auto • OCTOBER 2019