Description: The Chaparral 2F is one of the greatest achievements of the Italian manufacturer Mercury, which added it to its catalog around 1970. In an Italy where diecast competition was raging between Politoys, Mebetoys and a few others, the firm distinguished itself by its ingenuity, and this 1:43 scale model offers a striking demonstration of it. The real car is a pure racing creature. The name Chaparral, born in 1961 in the mind of Jim Hall — driver, engineer and Texan — refers to a running bird from the plains of Texas. The 2F competed in the 1967 World Sportscar Championship, powered by a Chevrolet V8. It achieved two victories, at the Nürburgring 1000 km (Bonnier–Phil Hill) and then at Brands Hatch (Phil Hill–Mike Spence). But it owes its fame above all to its immense rear wing, perched 1.37 meters from the ground on high struts directly connected to the suspensions: a pioneering aerodynamic device, whose inclination the driver could vary. Mercury reproduced this particularity with remarkable care: the wing, molded in metal with its struts, lifts and tilts, exactly like on the real car. The reproduction offers many details: gull-wing doors molded in transparent plastic, a lattice grille on the rear engine, tiny opening fuel caps, and yellow jeweled headlights. It runs on gold cast hubs fitted with black tires. It can be found with different racing numbers (12, 9, 66…).Our model is the white number 12 version, with its distinctive red wing at the rear, its clean Cox and Shell decals, and its gold wheels. It's an attractive variation of this model, already sought after for its movable wing mechanism. The whole is complete and faithful to its original condition, barely marked by a few traces of use typical of a toy of this age — a beautiful example of Italian know-how from the golden age. What more could you ask for?