1:24 Nissan KHC130 Laurel HT 2000SGX '72

Nissan Laurel HT 2000SGX in 1:24 scale (Aoshima)

An injection-molded plastic kit of the two-door Nissan Laurel hardtop in the 2000SGX version of 1972, with the body designation of the C130 series. It is a classic Japanese coupe of the 1970s and one of the fixtures of collectors' display cases. The scale is 1:24 and the maker is the Japanese firm Aoshima. The kit is meant to be glued and painted.

The real subject

The second generation of the Laurel appeared in 1972 and, compared with its predecessor, went for strongly shaped sides with bulging rear fenders, which the Japanese still name after their curve to this day. The hardtop version has no pillar between the front and rear windows, so that with the glass wound down the whole side of the car opens up. The SGX standard was tuned more for sport, with an inline six-cylinder engine of two liters and rear-wheel drive. The car was built as a comfortable passenger coupe, not as a racing machine.

Building and painting tips

A hardtop with no center pillar means the interior will be visible right across the side, so it pays to put more work into it than usual. Spray the seats and the door cards with a base shade first, then bring them out with a dark wash that runs into the stitching, and carefully go over the edges with a dry brush in a lighter tone. The dashboard deserves the instruments to be picked out by hand, and on wood trim an oil paint spread into streaks works well. Always finish the interior and glue it in before you close the body up, because after gluing you cannot reach it.

Who the model is for

• Collectors of Japanese classics of the 1970s
• Modelers who like working the interior up
• Anyone interested in 1:24 scale and road passenger cars
• Builders with ordinary experience of automotive kits

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.