In the interest of trying some new things, I’ve been keeping watch on scale model news over the past few years and have become aware that there are a handful of companies out there now that are utilizing some modern-day technology to do “small batch” production of high specialized models. Most of these don’t come cheap, but I’ve decided to invest some money in trying some of these out to see what they are like. I’ve ordered a couple new cars from exotic locales in the last week or so as well as some new releases from tried-and-true brands that I know. So, how’s that working out for your humble blogger? Well, let’s take a look…
Great things from [slightly too] small packages
One such company is Kyosho Models. Primarily known as a maker of RC cars, at some point in the not too distant past they got into making die-casts, and are all over the map on scale, since they seem to make everything from 1:18 all the way down to 1:64. The quality of their designs appears to be superb to look at pictures and reviews, but ranging from $25 to $100 apiece, they don’t come cheap. Good things usually don’t! So I pulled the trigger on this beauty, and unwrapped it as my Easter present:
And beautiful it is, this scale model of the famous 1960 Maserati Type 61 “Birdcage.” This is, of course, a model of a specific real car, accurate down to the last detail possible in this scale. And what scale is that? Welllllll…that’s where the disappointment comes in. As beautiful as this model is, I question whether its accurately 1:64. It may be, but it’s a very small model; really too small for everything else that will surround it. The real car is small, so perhaps its accurate, but my first thought was, “I can’t use this.”
Well, considering that I went to the trouble to do some reconfiguration in Pit Row in order to make room for this car, I decided to try my intended “tableau” anyway, and I think maybe I got it to work.
This bay in Pit Row, which was formerly unoccupied, is now the “Maserati” bay, because that classic marque should be represented in the pits at DCR. Now, if only I could find a 1:64 model of a 300S or 450S, or even an A6G Zagato coupe, I’d be set. There isn’t one yet, believe me, I checked; there are some gorgeous 1:43 scale vintage Masers, but I can’t do anything with those. If someone makes one of those other oldsters in 1:64, Kyosho may be the ones to do it! So I’m “fudging” on this one because its such a beautiful model I just have too, but you can only “fudge” so much, and this next purchase was an unacceptable misfire…
Johnny Lightning, ya done me wrong!
I was floored when I found this awesome model of an MGB racer from JL all set up and ready to go for the track! I bought this without hesitating, but I sure wish I had, because after I bought it but before it arrived, I made that recent trip to CO Diecast where I saw it in person and my heart sank; had I seen it in person beforehand, I would have known, but by the time it came in the mail, I already knew I had no use for it. What a let-down! Its such a beautiful model! But look at it in the paddock, and you can see very clearly that this just doesn’t work…
You can’t have a very small car like an MGB being bigger-and I mean WAY bigger-than everything around it! Somewhat isolated in its own bay in the pits I could (almost) get away with the Maserati being a little too small, but this is ridiculous! I would say this model is 1:55 but I think it might be even bigger than that; whatever its scale, it is definitely not compatible with the rest of the diorama, so this wound up getting thrown into the “seconds” box for who knows what in the future.
It seems like over the last few years, these die-casts keep growing; Greenlight has been especially bad about this, but JL and even some of the premium Hot Wheels are getting more and more oversized; how odd that in an era where people are complaining about “shrink-flation,” toy cars are getting bigger. My question is, why are collectors putting up with this? If I’m modeling in 1:64, I want 1:64! Dammit!
Well, I never learn, it seems, because as if this didn’t teach me anything, I just placed an online “pre-order” from Auto World for their new release of the ’65 Rambler Marlin! Y’all know I’m a big Rambler nerd so when this came out, I just had to have it now, so there goes another “sight unseen” purchase! Auto World has done a better job than the others keeping things in scale and they claim this model is “True 1:64 scale,” so we’ll see! Hopefully this works out better than the MG!
In spite of the scale situations, you are making them work. I’ve seen some of these scale variations with some of the various cars that I have. These are some really cool models though and I hope the Rambler works out the way you want it. Perhaps you could set the MGB off on it’s own with some peeps looking to enjoy a quite moment.