A Man With A Passion For Slot Cars...

Osvaldo Pace!

by Marek Plachecki

(click on images for larger view, hit "back" button to return)

Never in my wildest imaginings did I expect the warm and wonderful reaction that my nostalgic meandering would illicit from so many SCI readers. (Model Race Cars... a racer waxes nostalgic!) It was heartening to read your reactions on the board, but then a steady trickle of e-mails starting popping up at my e-mail address. Thank you, to all of you.

l in particular caught my attention. It was from a gentleman in Brazil by the name of Osvaldo Pace. Osvaldo rediscovered his childhood passion for model car racing 10 years ago, and now just over fifty years old, he still remembers the smell of his first slot car set, a Christmas gift in 1965. He modestly invited me to take a look at his collection at his web site at www.paceautorama.ppg.br.

Little did Osvaldo know that I had been visiting, and admiring, his amazing collection seen at his site, for over 2 years . Typical to his Italian and Brazilian roots Osvaldo commented that “ for the hobby that is all important and not the size of one’s collection. And passionate he is!

For the past fifteen years, Osvaldo, a graduate of Mckenzie Business School at the University of Sao Paulo, has run a successful Home Theater and automation business . His other passions include his collection of vintage cars, a 1970 Mustang, ‘63 Impala SS, ‘74 Pontiac Formula, 1968 Opala and 1970 Olds and of course, his collection of old TV Shows.

Osvaldo admits that he is a collector by nature and since he ran out of room for real cars his attention ot cars. And turn it did with a zeal and passion perhaps unmatched in the world! The collection consists of over 1800 slot cars of every vintage, of every make imaginable from around the world. Eighty per cent are 1/32 scale. About 150 are sealed mint kits.

Osvaldo’s slot car collection is in his home, a nice country house outside Sao Paulo Brazil, in a room specially made for the collection.

“My first memory about slot cars was in 1965, Christmas, when I received my first set. That was an Estrela (Brazilian brand ) Autorama, made in Brazil under license from Gi ure 8 with 2 Formula cars. I still have them in my collection in perfect condition. I think that my motivation was to have all the cars that I only read about in the American magazines back then.”

The special slot car room is 12 x 6 meters (about 40 feet by 20 feet). The walls are lined with a Library of Congress like display of slot cars.

In the middle of the room rests a beautiful 23m (75 foot) six-lane Ninco track with a Ninco power pack and boosters for each lane. The track uses a DS control unit with infrared and there is nice diorama including pits. The cars are mostly for display but each of them works perfectly. Osvaldo never uses the collection cars for racing, but does have many cars specifically for racing.

His favorite cars are the vintage ones, especially the ones he had as a boy. These include a Cox 1:32 Cheetah, Monogram Ford GT and all the cars from the Brazilian Estrela (Portuguese for Star) brand. Osvaldo’s oldest cars are two Formula Jr. cars, a red and green car from his first set by Estrela. His newest acquisition is the VW Karmann-Guia convertible, a resin Limited Edition ( only 120 made ) by a Brazilian brand, Interlagos.

Osvaldo collects mainly on the Internet from all around the world, from on line stores, from other collectors, and at ebay auctions.

He is, I’m sure, more proud of his three children and one grand son tha of his accomplishments or collection. Can you imagine visiting grandpa’s house!

Osvaldo’s web site is neatly organized alphabetically, including brands from America, Brazil, England, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Japan, a veritable United Nations of Slot Car manufacturers, ninety-one by last count, ranging from Airfix-MRRC to Varney. Click on a Brand name and a list of cars by that manufacturer appears. Click on a green coloured name and a sharp photograph of the car pops up! Pick your favorite brand and spend as long as you want lost in your memories or dreams. Or find the most arcane little known makers and adm efforts.

Osvaldo’s passion has created a wonderful and extensive collection and resource that we can all admire at his web site www.paceautorama.ppg.br .

I encourage you to visit on the web and appreciate an incomprable slot car acheivement fueled by one man’s memories of a Christmas gift long ago that ignited his passion and love of our hobby.

Discuss Slot Cars

-

« Back