Savour International

If there’s no room in your garage or not enough money in your bank account for a genuine classic car, you can purchase a mini-replica of one instead. A company based in Vietnam makes meticulously executed and fully functional half-scale replicas of classics such as the Mercedes SL and Jaguar E-Type.

When Nathan Harrington thinks about reproductions of Wiking cars, Revell kits, or the good old Märklin train, he thinks in terms of a large scale. Harrington specialises in fully functional miniature replicas of classic cars such as the Mercedes SL, Jaguar E-Type and Porsche 356, which differ markedly from the originals in only one way: they’re only half the size of the real thing. But at thousands of euros apiece, they’re also far too pricey to be considered mere toys.

Mr. Harrington is of course not the only person who builds such mini-cars: comparable products, some with more detail than his, others with less, are available from selected toy stores, and from numerous automakers as accessories. Mr. Harrington makes five vintage models – the Bugatti Type 35, the Willys Jeep, and the three models mentioned above – and will also build you a miniature of your favourite classic car by special order.

Mr. Harrington got the idea for these pint-sized cars some years ago when he gifted his nephew a driveable toy car, whose price was out of sight and whose quality was abysmal. He was so upset about this that shortly thereafter he decided to go into the toy business himself. “I just wanted to do it better,” he says when asked what prompted him to make this decision.

Driveable model cars are also suitable for adults

But Mr. Harrington was no newcomer to the world of cars, since his company, which employs nearly 130 persons, specialises in restoring classic cars and making replicas of the interior components of classic cars such as the VW Bug, the BMW Isetta, and the Citroen 2CV. The Harrington Group also makes bumpers for 140 different classic cars.

Among Mr. Harrington’s customers for his pint-sized cars is Pocket Classics of London. A mini-Bugatti, for example, goes for €7,700 while the other models sell for around €11,000. According to Harrington liaison officer Benja Hedley, the hefty prices are attributable to the tremendous amount of handwork that goes into the cars. “About 450 hours of manual labour go into each of our cars,” Mr. Hedley says – noting, however, that the cars also provide years of enjoyment.

1 | Harrington children’s cars: a Type 35 Bugatti, which (as the picture shows) kids really love driving. The car, built to half scale, reaches a top speed of 70 kilometres per hour (according to motor).

2 | Adults can also drive these mini-cars, and thus perhaps fulfil a life-long dream. For example, you can really lean into those curves in a Harrington Mercedes SL.

3 | Which one to choose ...? A Jaguar E-Type or a Bugatti Type 35? Well, it’s also a question of price, since the Bugatti goes for around €7,700, whereas the E-Type will set you back €11,000.

4 | This Harrington children’s car looks like an overgrown model car when standing next to the original. However, they are both driveable.

For one thing, she says, at a length of around two metres, the cars are large enough for adults to enjoy them as well; plus they’re virtually indestructible and the technical elements are visible. Customers can choose between a just under 20 kilometre per hour electric model, with drive time per battery charge of around two hours, or a one-cylinder gas engine model. The 110 cc engine develops around 7 HP, is combined with a semiautomatic three-gear transmission, and reaches a top speed of nearly 70 kilometres per hour.

Despite this high speed, the cars cannot, of course, be driven on public thoroughfares, prompting Harrington to state the following officially: “These are toys, which may only be driven on private property.” But anyone who can afford such a pricey children’s car is likely to have plenty of property on which to enjoy driving the vehicle.