Revell 1/25 1971 'Cuda 'Nash Bridges' Kit First Look

By Stephen Sutton

First Look

Every Friday night, San Francisco Detective Inspector Nash Bridges jumps into his bright yellow ‘Cuda convertible and hunts down the bad guys.

It was Don Johnson who decided to use the 1971 Cuda convertible on his show, and chose to have the cars painted yellow with white interiors. Actually that hue is a 1970 color known as "lemon twist." After shooting the pilot, the show's producers were not sure if it would show up well enough in filming. So if they decided to change colors, they were going to have an episode where the Cuda was crashed and Nash would end up with a different one in purple or red.

Don't forget we're talking Hollywood here, so this TV detective's improbable transportation is not actually one of the nine original, ultra-rare, Hemi-powered convertibles built in 1971. Like a lot of the props, it's a reasonable facsimile, a more common 1970 model modified to look like the authentic item. Still, it has a certain cachet because Johnson's himself once warmed-up the white vinyl upholstery. Most of the Nash Bridges bric-a-brac and set props—the fake cocaine, dusty coffins, bullet-riddled jackets, and costumes that would make a hooker blush—have already been snapped up. What remains is the crown jewel, a '71 Hemi Cuda, which went up for sale earlier this year at the prestigious Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Mopar fanatics will love this one, the kit features: One-piece convertible body, and a highly detailed 426 Hemi (hemispherically-shaped combustion chambers) with shaker hood scoop. The Hemi valve covers are found on the chrome tree, they will need to be removed and striped using Fantastic household cleaner, then painted semi-gloss black. The kit is molded in white and clear plastic, no flash was present on my copy. The body is solid and straight except for the front windshield frame; it is twisted and will need to be straightened out. 15" rally's and tires are located at all four corners. The interior is basic and will be easy to assemble. Decal options give you the choice of adding the Hemi billboard striping to the rear Gil fenders.

This is a nice and long awaited addition to the Revell-Monogram family of Mopars, I would highly recommend this Cuda for your collection.

My sincere thanks to Revell for this review sample!