Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, once said, “Details matter. It’s worth waiting to get it right.”
Master modeler Randy Derr clearly embraced that detail-driven mindset when constructing his national-award-winning Greenwood Corvette Sebring ’75 1:12th scale model.
Randy’s homage to John Greenwood’s iconic mid-70s race car is both a technical tour de force and a compelling object of art. This exemplary build stood out during the 2023 Greater Salt Lake (GSL) International Scale Vehicle Championship.
Randy’s stunning Corvette garnered these top-tier awards from among the 750-model field:
Best of Show – Master Award,
Best Detail – Master Award,
The Dave Shuklis Memorial Engineering Award – Master Award,
Modeler’s Choice – Master Award,
Best in Class – Replica
In the hand-built scale world, winning a top award here is akin to taking home an Academy Award. Models on display at GSL often reach a level of craftsmanship and precision rivaling that of premier full-size car restorers and fabricators.
For example, Randy’s scale model has a functional hand-built suspension and working lug nuts. At this juncture, we want to thank Wes Hofferber from Model Cars Magazine for making the introductions that led to this insightful interview.
French Connection
Rod Worley – Editor – Randy, your model’s precision and intricate detail are astonishing. What prompted you to take on this project, and how did you start?
Randy Derr – Master Modeler – Well, Rod, it helps that I was an automotive engineer for over 40 years. I started with General Motors’ Delco Products Division in 1979.
Because of my background, I approach my models differently than other builders. My process is to get as many dimensions as possible so the pieces will be as accurate and eventually fit as they should.
This project has been on my build list since I first encountered the car at Road America in 1975. In 2016, I was talking to Jan Hyde, who, along with Wayne Elwood, manages the Registry of Corvette Race Cars, about getting started on another big-scale extended project.
With his Corvette connections through his vintage racing and the registry, I figured that Jan might have a good idea of where the Sebring ’75 car resided. And he did.
He connected me with one of the gentlemen who had previously owned it in the ’90s and early 2000s. Jan also connected me with the broker and learned that it had been sold and was now in France.
I contacted Patrick Caldentey, the car’s caretaker, who was very helpful and agreed to let me see the car. As luck would have it, a meeting for my job took me to Munich, Germany.
So, I extended my trip, flew to Marseille, rented a car, and drove to the race shop. There, I spent two days poring over that car, measuring it, taking hundreds of photos, and making many drawings.
Hand Fabrication
Rod Worley – Editor – How much of the model had to be fabricated by hand?
Randy Derr – Master Modeler – It’s probably 80% to 90% scratch-built.
For the chassis, I used a couple of pieces of a plastic-molded kit frame from a C2 Corvette. As you know, the C2 and C3 frame rails are effectively the same.
I used them as the basis for the chassis, but most of the chassis is brass. Most of the drive train, engine, and injection systems are scratch-built.
The manifold was initially a 3D-printed part but required extensive work to be accurate. The body panels are another part based on some kit parts.
I had a pretty crude kit for a 1978 Corvette in 1:12th scale produced by a Japanese company, except for the bodywork, which was reasonably accurate.
So, I was able to take that basic bodywork, backdate it to 1974, and then convert it to a roadster. Once I had done that, I could modify it to make it into the wide body, add the fender flares, and raise the hood bulge.
Other than that, pretty much everything else is scratch-built: the wheels, tires, markings, ancillary components, fuel system, oiling system, and cooling system.
Unparalleled Craftsmanship
Before embarking on the 1:12th-scale Greenwood Corvette Sebring ’75 model build, Randy Derr spent over two years researching every aspect of the famous race car he could find. During this initial phase, he snapped over 1,000 photos of the original and drew an untold number of sketches.
The end result is a true object of art that demonstrates unparalleled craftsmanship, detail, and creative vision. At every turn, at every angle, the widebody Corvette holds your gaze captive.
Just when you thought you had seen every detail this model offers, Randy removes another body panel, leaving you once more in awe. Especially when you consider that most of what you see was built entirely from scratch.
In the end, it’s abundantly clear why Randy Derr’s Greenwood Corvette Sebring ’75 model made the cover of Model Cars Magazine.
*** Special Note *** We thank Doug & Giovanna Whyte from Model Car Muse for granting us permission to embed their outstanding video below. You’ll find this professionally produced video well worth watching.
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