 Collectible Models: It is no surprise that Mike Dunlap has more fans of his works than patrons. Dunlap has been building one-off models made of gold, silver, or bronze for an exclusive clientele for nearly 30 years. The Goodyear Tire Company and Roger Penske are two of Dunlap's regulars. The company famous for keeping the rubber on the road commissions the artist to produce is an exact 1:12 scale replica of the actual car driven that year's Winston/Nextel Cup Champion.
Roger Penske has been a client for more than 20 years. Penske has commemorated many of his racing victories in both CART and IRL events by commissioning Dunlap to build replica models of the vehicles in the various competitions. Penske presents these one-off models to his winning drivers and corporate sponsors. Dunlap's works also are displayed in sports museums and the like.
The models originally were made of gold wire only until 1983, when a Suzuki motorcycle became the first sold-gold body model. Silver and bronze models also have been commissioned, such as the bronze castings used to commemorate winners of the Indy 500 from 1991 to 1994. Additionally, there are two bronze limited edition golf-scene models that depict the renowned Jack Nicklaus-designed Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.
For those in search of original one-off scale replica models cast in bronze, silver, or gold, visit Mike Dunlap at www.michaeldunlapstudio.com.
By James Rothaar
JustLuxe Contributor
Owner, Luxe Lifestyle
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