Motoring art: Alistair Brookman

By Mick Walsh

| 21 Jul 2023

Classic & Sports Car – Motoring art: Alistair Brookman

Very few model makers can match the miniature masterpieces of Australian Alistair Brookman.

His scratch-built beauties of Italian and German Grand Prix legends demonstrate a skill that stands with the greatest of the craft.

From an early age, Alistair was indoctrinated into model making.

Alistair Brookman used engineering know-how to accurately build a 1:12-scale Ferrari Tipo 156 ‘Sharknose’

“My father was in the Australian navy from 1936-’46,” he says.

“I lost my mother very young and ended up spending a lot of time sitting with my father in his workshop.

“He was a brilliant model maker, but ships and aircraft were his interest.

“He always encouraged me to fiddle with bits of wood.”

A Lancia D50 model under construction

A visit in 1956 to Albert Park race circuit kicked off the then nine-year-old Alistair’s obsession with motorsport.

“I remember seeing Stirling Moss racing the Maserati 300S, which really lit the wick,” he recalls.

“From then, there was no hope for me!”

After training as an engineering draughtsman, Alistair started club racing in Australia with a Lotus Seven and eventually saved up enough to live the dream by racing Formula Ford in the UK: “It was a challenge I really enjoyed, but my March wasn’t very competitive.”

A miniature recreation of Tazio Nuvolari’s 1935 German GP-winning Alfa Tipo B reveals Alistair’s incredible attention to detail

While he was in the UK, Alistair worked for Hesketh: “I wrote a letter to the team and Harvey Postlethwaite gave me a job.

“I worked on the 308 design in Luton and later at Easton Neston.

“It was a long commute from London in my Anglia Estate, but the team atmosphere was great.”

Around the same time he picked up Gerald Wingrove’s book, The Complete Car Modeller, sparking the idea of building bespoke models for a living.

His finished Ferrari 375 V12 looks like the real thing

“My first project was a 1:15 Ferrari 500,” he continues.

“By trial and error, the result was as close to the original in detail as possible.

“Starting with the drawings, the long hours from 7am to 10pm were insane, but thanks to a 1986 story in Classic and Sportscar the phone began to ring.

“Even Stirling Moss called to talk about a model project.”

Under the skin of Alistair’s scratch-built Mercedes-Benz W196

Alistair further developed his craft when he moved back to Australia.

After finishing a series of 500s in 1:12 scale, other subjects evolved including a Ferrari 156.

“There were no surviving cars, but with an engineering background you can gain so much from good photos,” he explains.

“My biggest challenge was the Mercedes-Benz W196, but the factory museum allowed me a day to study the car.

“The Biscaretti museum in Turin also gave me close access to measure up the Lancia D50.”

Alistair uses period photographs to create his impressive handbuilt models

Across the past four decades Alistair has handbuilt nearly 50 masterpieces, including several unique commissions: “I’ve always had a special admiration for Vittorio Jano’s designs, which are works of art.

“When John Shirley asked if I could build a 1:12 of Tazio Nuvolari’s German Grand Prix-winning Alfa Tipo B, I was really chuffed.

“John was really supportive and sent a wealth of reference material.

“My only regret is that I never made a figure of Tazio to go with the model.”

Now into his 70s, Alistair’s work has slowed, but he still longs to build an Alfa 158 Alfetta.

“Each project requires huge devotion,” he says, “but I still take great pleasure in pulling them out into the sunshine to study.”

For further details, email alistairbrookman@gmail.com

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