[woodcote]

After Leo's thread about slot car transporters, it seems only right to look at this spectacular new set from Avant Slot and Resinas Maralic.

   

AVS-M001 Avant Slot Opel Manta service van with trailer and slot car

Originally due before Christmas, the release was delayed to make sure everything was perfect. With a retail price of £280 and only 225 units worldwide (50 coming to the UK), this is a very special release. Everything is now ready, boxed and on its way to distributors...

         

The Avant Slot Opel Manta 400 is an exclusive livery for this set and is the car entered by the Opel Rally Team in the 1984 Rallye Alpin Behra - a round of the European Rally Championship. Guy Fréquelin drove the car to third place overall, seven minutes behind winner Jean Ragnotti in a Renault 5 Turbo. The Opel Rally Team service van can be seen in photos from the event...

         

The Chevrolet van and trailer are resin models produced by renowned resin model makers based in Madrid. Resinas Maralic specialise in rally cars and are planning a similar collaboration with Fly Slot for later this year. They already have a couple of interesting 1960s transporters in their range... The Chevy van in this set is a working slot car model.

Avant Slot also have a single Opel Rally Team Manta on its way - the car that Fréquelin drove to ninth place at the 1984 Tour de Corse the month after the Alpin Behra event. This car (ref AVS-51508) is another limited edition of 300 pieces worldwide. The RRP for the #3 car is £69.99 and it makes the perfect companion for the set...

   

Thanks to Steve at Staffs Slot Cars UK who distributes Avant Slot in the UK. Both MRE and Pendles will be receiving the Opel Rally Team limited editions and have them on pre-order now. They will arrive in the next seven days.