1/18 UT C5 Corvette Hardtop

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am putting away my collection of Corvettes to make room for a new group to display. Since I have 6 C5's, I think it would be a good idea to pare down the collection a bit, and so decided to take some photos of this model before putting it up for sale.

This particular model is a cherry red C5 Corvette Hardtop made by UT Models. I’ve had this model for probably 15 years, and frankly, before I had gotten it out for display, I had forgotten that I had it. This particular model has lots of nice detailing, but overall is let down by some design choices.

The paint is a beautiful lustrous red that doesn’t seem to photograph well. Unfortunately, the roof and rear bumper cover are molded in plastic instead of metal, and that plastic is not painted, so it doesn’t quite match the rest of the body. On my Maisto C5 Z06, the roof is also plastic, but at least it is painted so that the color is consistent.

Wheels don’t have the metallic sheen that the Bburago does, but these are more accurate to the real ones.

The model is well proportioned and accurate looking on the outside.

Engine bay has decent detail, with a few painted elements. Plastic graining is much more appropriate than the coarse textures found on the Bburago. Another nice touch is the painted underside of the hood, with logo.

Trunk is flocked, with a trim piece attached to the under-side of trunk lid. Odd coloring of plastic rear bumper evident in this picture.

Interior has better detail and better textures than the Bburago. Center stack is molded and painted instead of a decal in the Bburago.

Illustration for article titled 1/18 UT C5 Corvette Hardtop

Underside is very nicely detailed, better than either the Bburago or the Maisto

Overall, it is a really nice model for the price I paid back in the day. Its a real shame that it is let down by the mismatched coloring, otherwise it would definitely be a keeper.

Thanks for looking!