By Brad Bisnette

Earlier this month Scarab Motorsports LLC announced FIA approval for the first of their limited edition Meister Brauser Scarabs. This particular Meister Brauser MKII was just featured in our current July print issue with the article here titled “Master Brew.” We’re sure there is plenty of congratulatory “cheers” taking place down in Kansas City this month.

To ensure eligibility for entry at many of the world’s historic racing events the FIA approval, along with receipt of the Historic Technical Papers (HTP), is crucial. Worldwide events such as Goodwood, Nurburgring, Le Mans, Laguna Seca, The “Mitty” and many more accept the FIA regulations as an international set of standards for historic racing. Reproductions, like some of the cars covered in ReinCarNation magazine, can receive approval to race in these events as vintage race cars, as long as they are built to a strict set of standards matching the original cars as they originally raced.

This Meister Brauser Scarab was built to be raced as it was in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s by Augie Pabst and the Meister Brauser team. The FIA approved Scarab features original-type components such as the drum brakes, De Dion rear suspension, correct 339 ci Chevy engine with Lehman front drive unit, Magnesium wheels and many others. This limited edition series from Scarab Motorsports is capped at a total of 20 cars to be built, of which 18 are still available. For more technical details check out the “Master Brew” article here from our July issue.

There will be two other limited edition series Scarabs offered in the future, one representing the left hand drive Reventlow Automotive Scarab which was the first car built and the other is a reproduction of the Nickey Chevrolet Scarab which is a right hand drive car. Both will be built to FIA specifications so that they will be eligible to participate in worldwide vintage racing events like the Meister Brauser recreation.

Scarab Motorsports LLC has been offering a high-performance street version of the original Scarab since 2008 out of their Kansas City Metro location. One of those aluminum bodied recreations made our cover feature back in the November/December 2016 print issue with an article titled, "The Iconic Scarab." That front engine street Scarab is a recreation of Lance Reventlow’s 1958 race car and features modern components such as Corvette uprights, Woodward steering, ATL fuel cell, turn signals, and a heavier frame. These Scarab Roadsters are not FIA approved, yet have qualified for SVRA vintage racing with a few modifications and likewise can be made street legal with proper mods as well.