In the pantheon of Formula 1 history, few machines burn brighter in the memory than Honda’s RA272 — the snarling, white-and-red spearhead that delivered Honda’s first Grand Prix victory at the 1965 Mexico GP. With its 1.5-liter V12 screaming at 14,000 RPM, the RA272 didn’t just cross the finish line first — it carved Honda’s name into the sport’s history books.
Now, six decades later, Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) and Amalgam Collection have fused artistry and engineering to create a tribute worthy of that legacy: an ultra-rare, hand-built scale model so meticulously detailed it borders on obsession. Digitally scanned from the original chassis in Honda’s Collection Hall in Motegi, crafted from more than 1,600 precision-engineered parts, and painted in genuine period-correct livery, this is more than a model — it’s a mechanical love letter to the golden era of Formula 1.
Precision Engineering Meets Motorsport Heritage
Two editions will be produced for the most discerning collectors:
- 1:8 scale – only 30 units, $28,995 USD, featuring over 1,600 parts and requiring 450 hours to assemble.
- 1:18 scale – only 300 units, $1,735 USD, equally authentic in every detail and individually numbered.
Both editions are delivered in a bespoke display case, complete with a certificate of authenticity and a commemorative booklet personally signed by HRC President Koji Watanabe.
This scale model faithfully recreates every rivet, curve, and component of the original RA272 — right down to its fully replicated V12 engine. Over 4,500 hours of development went into creating the tooling, with each 1:8 model requiring an additional 450 hours of casting, fettling, painting, and assembly.
From the Track to the Display Case
To capture the RA272’s essence, Amalgam’s craftsmen traveled to Honda’s Collection Hall in Japan to perform precision digital scans, backed by hundreds of archival photos from the 1965 season. The team used silicon rubber molds, CNC-machined components, and prototyping resin to replicate every element with forensic accuracy.
Collectors will have their first chance to secure these models during Monterey Car Week at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (August 15–16) before they become available online.
More Than Memorabilia — It’s Motorsport Art
For Formula 1 purists, this isn’t just a collectible. It’s a tangible connection to an era when drivers wrestled raw, high-revving machines at the edge of physics — and when a young Honda team shocked the racing world with a victory no one saw coming.
Only 330 will ever exist. For the lucky few, the roar of the RA272’s V12 will now echo forever — perfectly scaled, but endlessly legendary.
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