When asked when the motoring bug first bit, most dyed-in-the-wool car fans hark back to their youth, reminiscing about the first time they saw a beautiful sports car roar by or perhaps that moment when they got their first ride in something sleek and fast. However this lifelong automotive fascination begins, for most of us it sets in early and leaves us with a car-shaped hole in our lives until that fateful day when we are finally old enough to get behind the wheel ourselves.
For the lucky few, there are exquisite scale-model replicas like these two that make the wait all that much more bearable. The first is a Bugatti Type 35 Junior, finished in dark blue and beautifully made with a handcrafted wooden steering wheel, floorboards and a fully operational dashboard as well as working lights and horn. Equipped with a 36-volt brushless motor, this electric Bugatti is capable of up to 14mph and can run for two hours on a charge. While this is not one of the original run of 500 Baby Bugattis built by Ettore back in 1926, it is nonetheless a very desirable little machine.
The second model here is a California Spider Junior. It’s a half-scale replica of one the most sought-after roadgoing Ferraris ever built and even comes with its own fascinating history. Originally built for famous French playboy Roger Vadim, it is finished in the same Argento paint with black leather interior as Vadim’s personal 250 California Spider. Equipped with a 110cc four-stroke engine mated to a three-speed transmission plus a reverse gear, it even has a limited-slip differential, independent suspension and Brembo disc brakes.
Both tiny vehicles are presented in superb condition and without reserve at the upcoming RM Sotheby’s Villa Erba auction taking place on 25 May along the shores of Lake Como. For the lucky boy or girl whose parents are willing to indulge them in the finer things, or perhaps hope to ignite the automotive passion early on, these two pint-sized replicas are the perfect gift.
Images courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
