Earlier today I brought up the topic of diecast cars and it was exciting to see what you guys had tucked away in your office or on display proudly in a full-size case. I mentioned that I had one more car to share with you and here it is. I present the inaugural offering from Automodello; the Griffith Series 200 in 1:43 scale. This vehicle represents the first of many offerings from Automodello, and it is also the first Griffith Series 200 reproduced in any scale.

Automodello is a company that has risen from the desire of CEO James Cowen to fill niche holes in the diecast collectors market. Mr. Cowen is also the found and CEO of Diecasm, an online store which offers automotive merchandise and memorabilia but with a twist. They donate a portion of the net sales proceeds to the non-profit organization of your choice (you choose from a list of pre-approved organizations). The portion is typically 10% but if you buy an Automodello product it is upped to 15%. The easy math equates to the more you spend, the more they send.

The choice of merchandise is diecast-centric as you can imagine, but the available cars are awesome. They range from a BMW M1 to a NSU R080 – from Jim Clark’s Lotus to Sebastien Loeb’s Citroen. They even have a 1:43 version of the John Player Special Lotus Transporter.

The car I have sitting on my computer however is a special one for Automodello. It is their first ever model designed and built in-house. The Griffith Series 200 represents their first step into the market with their own cars, and it is one hell of a first step. Though the scale is small, the detail is quite high. The original Griffith, designed and built by Jack Griffith to try and beat up on Shelby, was the lightweight and stylish Series 200. It featured a 289 making nearly 300 hp, and this was stuffed into a package weighting less than 1800 pounds. The Griffith Series 200 was like a classic Ariel Atom minus the bugs in your face.

The Automodello team easily displays their passion by way of their attention to the small details inside and out. Just like the original marque only made a hair over 260 units, this 1:43 version is limited to 262 pieces. If you pony up some extra dough, you can get a version with Jack Griffith’s signature as well.

If the Griffith is not your thing (really?) then don’t despair as Automodello has two other models planned to bring to miniature life. They are working on a Bricklin SV-1 and something from the TVR brand is being planned. If you can’t find what you want with Automodello, you CAN find it at Diecasm – now you have an excuse to give to others AND yourself…that’s win-win in my book.

A big thanks to James Cowen (& full disclosure to you) for sending me my very own 1:43 Griffith Series 200