"Bert Kinnerk" Mercedes-Benz 300sl Gullwing finished in Genuine DB396 Blue
# 24338 - Plastic Kit Release 2015

The DB 396 blue is a custom order mix from Zero Paints, and is 100% accurate colour match to the original DB 396 Blue from Mercedes-Benz. The metallic fleck is scaled down specifically for 1/24 models offering a more realistic effect. I think this colour has a wonderful ability to show lovely deep hues in subdued light, offering up a rich deep bodied presence; yet in full daylight is much more flamboyant and chic in its tone.

The light grey Roser 955 leather was replicated by mixing a palette of humbrol matt black and matt white enamels. In order to differentiate from the leather on the seats, I added a light satin finish to just make them look a little more worn.
The engine and gearbox has been made to look like its had a full overhaul, so this was made to look as clean as possible with no weathering on the block; head and inlet manifold. Only weathering was exhaust pipe with some light surface rusting by soft brushing some brown and then dry brushing some very trace amounts of silver.

The floor-pans did not look particularly realistic from underneath in the original kit. So I filled them, smoothed and added poly rod to simulate weld lines. I then primed with a white-black mix and added a metallic all over. A light buff just made them pop a little which is what I wanted to achieve. By doing this free-hand I gave it a more hand built look.

The space frame was a combination of improvisation and enhancement. I painted the space-frame white, as I wanted to separate the front and rear sub-frames by picking them out in black. I also weathered the space-frame with rusty grime, which was my first attempt at rust and didn't really look all that realistic on its own, but in combination with the crisp engine and floor pan/bodywork its passable as a dirty frame with bits of rust which in essence is probably what the frame would look like after a year or two from the factory. but this is pure improvisation and served as an experiment which sort of paid off.