Jaguar F Pace 1:76 Development

The hardest product to design is when you are dealing with a vehicle that hasn't been released, as you have nothing to look at accept for the CAD. Now some would say having the CAD makes it a lot easier and at larger scales I would agree, but as you come down to smaller scales having the CAD is challenging. Often we get the CAD of the actual vehicle, but there are confidentiality clauses so we have to be so careful. I have to try and capture the shape but at a smaller scale, the interface of components and how they 'connect' also becomes an issue. Sometimes I just look at a model vehicle design and know it looks wrong (visual), but trying to explain why (logical) is not always as easy. If you had lots of images of the real thing then just taking a few pictures would make it so easy.

The Jaguar F Pace fell into this category (code 76JFP) , but we got there eventually. Having the CAD shape agreed, we are now left with the delicacies of the split lines on the slides of the mould, which causes further debate. The four slides come together and at that point there is a 'witness line', have a look at any Oxford Diecast vehicle and see if you can see where they are. Some are invisible, others aren't and it can be often to do with the way the paint is formulated - the pigments. Some flow, other don't and are flat - they are often the worst - in my experience yellows and greens.

This is something for Oxford to decide and it can be a problem when you deliver a painted sample to the brand owner for approval - with a witness mark where the slides meet. I first encountered the problem in the mid-eighties with a Volvo no matter what i did to the mould after a few thousand shots - the witness line would re-appear.

• What' s that line there ?
• Why did you do it like
• I wouldn't have done it that way

Many can be so wise in hindsight. Fortunately the Jaguar F Pace is a beautiful looking car and creating this model vehicle was challenging, but worth all the effort.

These are the pre-production samples of the 76JFP001 in Ultimate Black

This is the second release in white the 76JFP002 - pre-productions sample.

So the 76JFP002 will release some time in April.

I find it amusing to hear other companies talking about Design Cells, there is a story of why we created this - but it will wait for another time.....

See what went wrong - the simple things sent to test us.

76JFP001 Design Cell - (Incorrectly coded as 76JXP001) grrr.......