FSW Weekly Edition #13/2026

Prost’s Active Williams

Spark’s Williams FW15C 1st France 1993 #2 Prost captures one of the most technologically advanced Formula 1 cars ever to race. Developed under the formidable partnership of Patrick Head and Adrian Newey, the FW15C represented the absolute peak of early 1990s innovation, combining active suspension, traction control, anti lock braking and a semi automatic gearbox into a package of remarkable precision. This level of technical sophistication allowed Alain Prost to control the 1993 season with calculated authority, and his victory at Magny Cours, his home Grand Prix, perfectly illustrated both the car’s dominance and his measured race craft from the front.

Spark’s 1:43 resincast interpretation faithfully preserves the FW15C’s distinctive high nose architecture and clean, purposeful proportions. The crisp Canon and Camel livery is sharply applied across the sculpted bodywork, while the poised stance reflects the car’s balance and technical intent. It is a model that captures not only a landmark design in Formula 1 history but also the quiet efficiency with which it delivered results, widely regarded as one of the most complete Grand Prix cars ever produced.

The Williams forms part of a major Spark shipment announcement. Spark also places particular emphasis on the 2026 Formula 1 season, with pre orders now open across almost the entire grid once again covering all teams bar Ferrari, with initial selections including Alpine A525, Aston Martin AMR26, Audi R26, Cadillac MAC 26, Haas VF26, McLaren MCL40, Mercedes W17, Racing Bulls VCARB 03, Red Bull RB22 and Williams FW48, drawn from the Australian, Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix. This early and comprehensive release gives collectors an immediate snapshot of the new season and reinforces Spark’s position as the go to brand for full grid representation. Alongside this, the Spark shipment also includes the Lotus 49 and BRM P261 in 1:43, linking the active suspension era back to the classic 1960s Grand Prix machines that preceded it.

The wider Formula 1 model market continues to build momentum around this, with BBR announcing 1:43 and 1:18 versions of the Japanese Grand Prix Ferrari SF 26, now offered with or without driver figures in 1:43 at no additional cost, a feature also extended to the previously announced Chinese Grand Prix versions. Looksmart follows with further SF 26 releases from Japan, alongside helmet replicas for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. A second major Spark shipment adds the Mercedes W16 Canadian Grand Prix winner of George Russell together with the latest Gen3 Evo Formula E cars for Vergne, Cassidy and DS Penske, extending the single seater programme beyond Formula 1. Away from the track, the Books department contributes two notable Formula 1 titles due this summer, Grand Prix Ford: Ford, Cosworth And The DFV, exploring one of the most influential engines in racing history, and How F1 Works: The Sport Explained, offering a clear and accessible guide to the technical and sporting framework of the championship.

Williams FW15C 1st France 1993 #2 Prost - SPK7476

Porsche 908/02 Flounder 11th Spa 1000kms 1970 #5 Martini - MM356M5S

The Flounder’s Flat Profile

Marsh Models’ Porsche 908/02 “Flounder” 11th Spa 1000kms 1970 #5 Martini captures one of the most visually distinctive and aerodynamically unconventional machines of early 1970s endurance racing. The 908/02 earned its “Flounder” nickname from its radically low profile bodywork, an almost pancake flat silhouette developed by Porsche to minimise drag and maximise high speed stability on fast circuits, departing significantly from the rising wedge forms of its contemporaries. The #5 Martini entry from the 1970 Spa 1000 Kilometres, finishing 11th overall, carries the now iconic Martini Racing livery, its flowing stripes accentuating the car’s unusually broad, flat surfaces and reinforcing its visual identity as one of the most recognisable prototypes of the era.

Marsh Models’ 1:43 hand built interpretation faithfully reproduces these defining characteristics, with the extremely low body planes, exposed wheel arches and recessed cockpit all carefully proportioned, while the fine surface detailing and finish underline the brand’s reputation for precise, hand crafted presentation. It is a model that communicates not only the visual uniqueness of the Flounder but also the experimental aerodynamic thinking that underpinned its design.

The Martini car forms part of a wider Marsh Models programme dedicated to the 908/02 across its competition life, spanning key events including Brands Hatch, Spa, Nürburgring, Buenos Aires and Le Mans. Entries from Team Auto Usdau, Ecurie Evergreen and BP backed cars driven by names such as Marko, de Cadenet and Ballot Lena are represented, offered across both detailed resin and metal kits and fully finished hand built models, creating a comprehensive view of this short lived but technically fascinating chapter in Porsche’s endurance racing history. Complementing this classic programme, Arena Modelli introduces a pair of Chevrolet Corvette C3 subjects in 1:43 hand built form, the #99 Currin entry from the 1979 Lime Rock 100 Miles and the aggressively styled #48 Greenwood car from Road Atlanta 1974, both reflecting the raw, wide body aesthetic that defined American GT racing of the period. Further depth comes from DSN 43 with the Porsche 911RS Le Mans 1975 #84 Lois, adding to the breadth of historic endurance subjects within the current programme.

Spark’s accompanying shipment announcements extend the endurance and GT narrative across multiple eras. Le Mans winners feature prominently with the Audi R10 TDI 2006, Dauer Porsche 962C 1994, Porsche 936 1976 and Porsche 962 1986, supported by an extensive range of Porsche 911 variants and Group C machinery alongside the McLaren F1 GTR. Spa 24 Hours history is equally well represented through multiple Alfa Romeo GTV6 entries from the early 1980s and a broad selection of 2025 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo contenders, while modern GT coverage includes the McLaren 720S GT3 DTM. A second Spark shipment expands this further with Oreca 07 LMP2 entries from Le Mans 2025 and the Lexus RCF GT3 from Super GT300, with Looksmart adding the Ferrari 499P Le Mans 2025 winner and driver helmet replicas for Leclerc and Hamilton, while Sparky continues to build out its 1:64 offering with a diverse mix of Super GT and Le Mans subjects. Pre orders across both shipments are now closing, with the second delivery expected in May, creating a tightly timed window for collectors to secure these releases. A densely layered and historically rich week for endurance collectors.

Röhrl’s Monte Carlo Masterclass

Spark’s Lancia 037 1st Monte Carlo 1983 #1 Röhrl/Geistdörfer captures one of the defining results in World Rally Championship history. Developed as Lancia’s final rear wheel drive Group B contender at a time when four wheel drive was rapidly establishing dominance, the 037 represented a purist engineering approach built around balance, lightness and throttle adjustability rather than outright traction. Its victory on the 1983 Monte Carlo Rally, delivered by Walter Röhrl and Christian Geistdörfer, stands as a landmark achievement, not only for the result itself but for the manner in which it was achieved. The Monte Carlo’s uniquely variable conditions, shifting constantly between dry tarmac, snow, ice and damp mountain surfaces, demanded precise tyre strategy and exceptional driver sensitivity, and Röhrl’s ability to interpret grip levels and manage the 037’s delicate rear driven balance proved decisive. The result would become the last World Rally Championship victory for a rear wheel drive car, giving the model a historical weight that extends far beyond its scale. Spark’s 1:43 resincast interpretation reflects this significance, with the compact, purposeful proportions, Martini livery detailing and poised stance all contributing to a model that communicates both the character of the machine and the precision required to exploit it.

The 037 sits within a broader Spark programme that continues to connect historic rallying with contemporary competition. Alongside it, the Aston Martin Valiant 2024 introduces a modern road car contrast, while a second Spark shipment extends the rally narrative forward with the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Finland winner, bridging the gap between Group B heritage and the current WRC era. Touring car representation is equally strong, with Spark delivering a detailed selection of 2025 BTCC machinery including the Ford Focus Snetterton race winning car of Dan Rowbottom and multiple Knockhill entries for Ash Sutton, Dan Cammish, Dan Rowbottom and Sam Osborne from the NAPA Racing line up, creating a layered snapshot of the grid across key points of the season. DSN 43 adds further rally depth with two April releases, the Datsun Violet 160J 1st New Zealand 1980 of Salonen and Harjanne and the Fiat 124 Sport Spider 1600 5th Portugal 1972 of Paganelli and Russo, extending coverage across classic international rally events. Trofeu also adds to the April release news which includes the Ford Escort RS1800 8th Cork 1979 of Crawford and Brown, the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 5th Antibes 1987 of Droogmans and Joosten, and the BMW 2002Ti Monte Carlo 1970 #111 of Koob and Kridel, a non finisher, reinforcing the appeal of classic European rallying across multiple eras.

Beyond the track, the road car landscape adds further depth to the week’s releases. BBR expands its 1:18 range with the Ferrari F355 in both Spider and GTS forms, offered with a choice of manual or paddle shift interiors, reflecting the transitional nature of 1990s Ferrari design. KK Scale presents the Ferrari F40 in 1:12 diecast with opening panels revealing detailed engine and interior elements, while Cult Scale Models confirms the imminent arrival of the Maserati Quattroporte III in multiple finishes. Looksmart broadens the Lamborghini Fenomeno range with additional colour variants including the standout Viola 30th purple, and Ixo contributes a wide selection of 1:43 diecast road cars spanning five decades, from the Mercedes 180D and Skoda Felicia Cabriolet of the 1950s through to 1980s staples such as the Fiat Panda, Lada 1500 and Peugeot 505 Turbo. A broad and carefully layered mix of competition and road subjects, reinforcing the diversity of this week’s programme.

Lancia 037 1st Monte Carlo 1983 #1 Rohrl/Geistdorfer - SPK9108