Brand record
Starter
Starter was a French maker of 1:43-scale resin kits of racing cars. Its early range included Porsche subjects, and it began producing NASCAR kits in November 1984, starting with a Ford Thunderbird Wrangler. Starter models were made in Marseille. The kits covered a broad range of competition cars, with specialist contributors developing additional NASCAR subjects for the brand in the 1990s.
- Founded
- 1978
- Countries
- France
- Locations
- Marseille · 1978
The story of Starter
Starter developed from the Marseille model-car businesses associated with Jean-Pierre Calligaro. After Calligaro and André Ripert ended their partnership at Record, Calligaro worked with Philippe Roche and Jean-Loup Carpena, who brought new ideas to the venture. Porsche subjects became a prominent part of Starter’s early range, reflecting Roche’s interest in the marque. A related company, Calligraphe, handled graphic work and decals, addressing delays and production costs associated with outside suppliers.
Starter expanded its 1:43 racing-car range through the 1980s. In November 1984 it began producing NASCAR kits, with a Ford Thunderbird Wrangler as its first. In 1990, designer Francis Bensignor began supplying new NASCAR models and revisions; his work for Starter continued through October 1994. His projects included subjects such as the Chevrolet Lumina, Plymouth Superbird and Ford Galaxie. Starter was later acquired by Provence Moulage in 2001, with Jean-Pierre Calligaro remaining in the new group as technical production manager.
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Starter resin race car scale 1/43 kit Porsche 962 Torno Daytona 1988View in the museum
Starter resin race car scale 1/43 kit Sauber Mercedes AEG Jerez Norisring 1988View in the museum
Starter resin race car scale 1/43 kit Porsche 962 Löwenbräu Daytona 1987View in the museum
Starter resin race car scale 1/43 kit Renault Alpine A443 Le Mans 1978View in the museum