I was originally inspired to start this business after receiving a special gift from my wife and oldest son, a 1:10 scale replica of the 1966 Le Mans 24-hour winning Ford GT40 driven by Mike Amon and one of my all-time favorite drivers, Bruce McLaren.
The center piece of Mike's personal collection
Why Bruce Mclaren? Well, as a young boy growing up in Northern California, with parents who were both avid racing fans, weekend family outings to Laguna Seca and Sears Point were regular occurrences at our house. Walking through the pits at Laguna Seca I was awestruck by the thunderous volley of small and big-block Chevy’s, Ford’s and the occasional Pontiac, as well as the high pitched screams of Ferrari and Porsche engines, but the one moment that stands out to this day was getting an autograph from Bruce McLaren.
I was quite young at the time, but my impression was that Bruce McLaren was an affable fellow and genuinely friendly guy. He was one of the first professional drivers I’d ever met in person and because of that experience I instantly took a liking to him. From that day forward I always looked for and cheered on the international orange McLaren cars.
Consequently the day I pulled the wrapping paper off my GT40 I was stunned. Not only was it a replica of a car that was driven by my favorite driver, but I had also seen this very car, up front and in person with my son at the Indianapolis Motorsports Museum during our first of several trips to the USGP.
The level of detail was absolutely stunning and to this day, it remains the centerpiece for my private collection. Each time I pull it out to share with friends and family I uncover new features and new details that I hadn’t noticed before. So for me this model stands apart not only because of what it means to me personally, but because of the jaw-dropping detail that continues to amaze me.
I personally examine each new car that we add to our stock. Inside, outside, upside down, I examine the car from all angles and occasionally I come across a replica that evokes the same jaw-dropping response that I had when I first examined my 1966 Ford GT40. Of course it may not have the same emotional connection for me that my GT40 does, but when I find myself going back for a second or third look and maybe even another view or two under my magnifying hobby lamp then I know it’s a special car that I want to be sure to share with my customers.
Can there be only one President’s Choice recipient?
Fortunately, the answer to that question is emphatically, no, because this isn’t a contest. There are a number of excellent diecast manufacturers and quite a few outstanding artists and authors. And even though I’m not exactly an art or literary critic per say, when it comes to understanding the “wow factor” of a particular product I’d like to think that I’m a pretty good judge in that regard.
Nevertheless even if a model hasn’t been specifically presented with the President’s Choice notation, that does not mean that it isn’t a model that we aren’t proud to display and offer to our customers. In fact quite the opposite is true because we’re fairly picky about the products we choose to sell and because of our selective and discriminating eye, you can be sure that any product you order from RaceCraft Collectibles will be something that you will be proud to own and display. And when you select one of our President’s Choice items, you are selecting an item that we think meets the absolute most stringent and exacting standards of quality that we have for our entire product line.
Thank you for visiting RaceCraft Collectibles and we hope that we’ll see you again soon!
Mike Tyler
Owner & President
