IXO has been known for a while now to produce an interesting series of models of Eastern European cars, many of which were not previously available in scale 1/43, or at affordable prices. One of the latest additions to their range is the Tatra 613. About a year ago, they contacted Tatra World to find a suitable Tatra 613 and were put in touch with several 613 owners. They contacted Peter Visser in The Netherlands, who owns a very original 1978 ‘Chromka’, the car of their choice. Peter’s 613 was then measured and photographed, an 
intriguing process which took an expert from Belgium a full day, using computers and laser equipment to produce a 3D computer model. All in all, the 613 was “touched” with a laser pen over 100,000 times! In addition to the computer graphs, a large number of interior pictures was shot. These were used by the model makers in China, who came up with a finely detailed model, complete with both exterior rear view mirrors, the extra lights under the front bumper, the appropriate chrome and even the detailed Tatra hub caps. The 613 model is now available in the IST / De Agostini series in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, and will hopefully be available the world over soon.
(Peter Visser)