The models are made from recycled sheet metal found in sturdy old storage tins and recycled materials are used wherever possible. The craftspeople who build these models have worked this way for decades out of necessity due to the fact new materials are either unavailable or very expensive.
Read moreAll models are made in the homes of the people in the village of Imerinatsiatosika about an hour outside the capital Antananarivo. The body panels are cut out from memory and there are no templates used, making each car completely unique. A tinsnips and some marker holes are all that is used to cut out each section which always fits perfectly together.
The wheels are constructed by punching out two circular sheets from the metal and folding them together. A pliers is then used to make the ‘tracks’ for the tyres by pinching the rim of wheel all round.
A hot soldering iron is used to put all the pieces together into unpainted version of the car. The iron is heated using timbers from a fire in on of the village houses and then skilfully applied to bond the components together.
Decoration is one of the fun parts with a beer cans, soft drinks cans, and any other sign in between being used to make a once in a lifetime present.