Mercator SS Michelangelo 1962 Model 1:1250 M 907

Price: NZ$92.34

Code: BH942

Mercator SS Michelangelo 1962 Model 1:1250 M 907

Please note that the accessories shown with the ship described are not included in the cost, they are there to add interest and show some possibilities should you wish to set the ship into a diorama scene yourself or request us to do it for you.

This is a beautifully detailed model made by the highly regarded German maker Mercator has been long out of production. SS Michelangelo , under command of Senior Captain Mario Crepaz, was ready for service in May 1965. During the sea trials some vibrations were detected on the stern of the ship. Michelangelo was dry docked in December 1965 and received new propellers and some modifications to her transmission. She clocked 31.59 knots during her post-refit trials, making her the fifth-fastest passenger ship in the world at the time. In April 1966 Michelangelo , under command of Senior Captain Giuseppe Soletti, was hit by an unusually large wave during a storm in the mid-Atlantic, which caused the forward part of her superstructure to collapse, or to be pushed backwards, and swept two passengers into the sea. One crew member died a few hours later and over 50 people were injured. When repairs were carried out after the accident, the aluminum plating in the superstructure was replaced by steel plates. Similar reconstruction was carried out on the Raffaello and other contemporary ships such as SS United States and SS France .In May 1972, Alfred Hitchcock took a voyage on this ship from New York to his screening of Frenzy at the Cannes Film Festival. The Michelangelo spent more time cruising to warmer waters, but she made a poor cruise ship with her windowless cabins and three-class layout. She had large lido decks that were superior to even most purpose-built cruise ships of the time, but that was not enough to compensate for the ship’s shortcomings, and Italian Line did not have enough funds to rebuild the ship to make her a more usable cruiser. SS Michelangelo made her last Atlantic crossing in July 1975, under command of Senior Captain Claudio Cosulich. Afterwards she was laid up at La Spezia alongside her sister. The Shah of Iran purchased the ships, to be used as floating barracks. The Michelangelo ended up in Bandar Abbas where she was to spend the next fifteen years. In 1978 plans were made to reconstruct her as a luxury cruise ship. However, an expert team sent from Italy to inspect the ship came to the conclusion she was too badly deteriorated to make rebuilding a viable option. Similar plans were made again in 1983, but they too fell short. Finally, in June 1991, an end was put to the Michelangelo ‘s suffering when she was scrapped in Pakistan .
Model is in good used condition apart from the front mast structure which has been reglued rather poorly see the images, we have cleaned it as this collection was poorly stored by the previous owner. Approx. 225mm long or 8 3/4”

Should you require it we offer a complete renovation service, we can completely strip these models, restore masts etc and repaint to you specifications. We can also set into a diorama scene using other port accessories we have on offer please contact us if you require this service https://www.boathousecollectables.co.nz/contact/ .

If you choose to buy playworn models from us, we can restore them for you and set them in an attractive display format, whether it may be a bookcase, coffee table or a piece of your choosing. Then you can build and rebuild your personal port display as many times as you would like while keeping your collection safe and on display in your home!