Pocher models aren’t toys, they’re a lifestyle

It is not a well-kept secret that the Pocher version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom II Sedanca is a challenging project for most model builders. Everyone knows about the jillions of unmarked pieces, and most builders have heard the rumors of miss-aligned panels and toy-like appearance. Almost as if such negative judgments are endorsements, there appears to be an endless supply of intrepid, courageous would-be builders. For some folk, it is the subject itself, the idea of having a model of the 'best car in the world', and for some it may be a desire to fill out a Rolls-Royce model collection. Still others may be irresistibly drawn to the Mt. Everest of model car kits. Peter Turner, of the United Kingdom, is silent on his motivation, preferring, it seems, to let his finished model do the talking.

Peter Turner's Rolls-Royce model tells an interesting tale. One of the most disappointing elements of the kit is the plastic and vinyl interior which is realized in a dated technology involving lots of troublesome and complex plastic panels, all seemingly organized around the determination to make the windows wind up and down by means of plastic gears. While it is true that this original design can provide hours and hours of quiet fun, it is also true that the end result leaves something to be desired in terms of aesthetics. Peter Turner has wrestled these elements into not only a handsome interior, but also an interior, which captures the inviting elegance of the prototype. Stitched leather seating surfaces and careful work result in a handsome interior, and probably one that smells pretty good.

Acres of black plastic beg for some use of paint, and most of us are familiar with how easily the selection of colors can diminish an otherwise presentable result. Peter Turner pays homage to his American cousins with a color scheme right out of the Packard play book, leaving the somber tones for his fellow country- men. The handsome cream wire wheels are a wonderful match for the leather roof and interior, and bring the model forward nearly thirty years.

A troublesome trait of the stock Pocher Rolls-Royce is its irritating tendency to drag its pretty Barker-inspired 'gull-wing' fenders on the tops of its front wheels. Peter Turner attacked this shortcoming with a pair of struts that stabilize the front suspension and assure plenty of clearance between the pretty whitewall tires and the bottoms of those dramatic 'wings'.
No one builds a Pocher Rolls-Royce without overcoming numerous challenges, and builders all have tales to tell. Look carefully, and Peter Turner's model is quite a storyteller.

No shirking here, the crankshaft has been built and installed.

This sort of construction makes some of us giggle with glee; others, not so much. The main thing is that if it is accomplished, it must be photographed.

After-market details are heavily represented as replacements for kit-supplied pieces. Here the dashboard details are shown.

Yikes! A working crankshaft-not just a turning crankshaft, but also one that turns all by itself! What will they think of next?

Hours of effort went into this handsome instrument fascia and dashboard.

Lighted instruments! Good heavens.

Lighted instruments and warning lights are enough to make any of us giggle with glee.

Not only is the Rolls-Royce engine a pleasure to build, but also it is a magnificent display that can be enjoyed Until the rest of the model is finished.

The danger of such a handsome display-a rotating display-is that the builder may lose interest in finishing the rest of the model!

Fabulous details have to be photographed before they are installed and hidden. Note levers; John Haddock gave us drawings that made this possible for most of us. The bale on the relay box (lower right) is a work of pure genius. The base for this photo is wonderful, too.

This rear seat, with its sewn seams and wonderful puffiness, captures the pure opulence of the prototype.

What a brilliant idea! The classic front-three-quarter shot is always a hit, but it is improved when the simple use of a background gives a context for the model. Dandy.

Once again, the background brings this photo alive, and the use of accessories-mirrors, badges, number plate-helps to individualize the model.