Tag Archives: 1/18 scale

Diecast cars

1969 Pontiac Royal Bobcat Grand Prix Model J

Leave a comment

Auto World creates a rare souped up Ponty with a V8 …

Back in 1969 GM was in the midst of its popularity and market share dominance with Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac and Pontiac cars all selling like Mary Jane at a Stones concert.

But the tide was turning and the many stellar designs of the 1960s were about to come crashing into the flat, blah styling and gas crisis of the early 1970s, plus the influx of Japanese makes with much better reliability.

The Grand Prix, a popular Pontiac nameplate, still exuded style with a long lean look and a nose that still resonates as car makers keep going back to a big proboscis up front to differentiate their brands from competitors. Thus we have the 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix, here gussied up in the rare Royal Bobcat Model J version that was a super limited edition thanks to the work of Royal Pontiac of Royal Oak, Mich.

Only 12 of these babies were produced and now Auto World has gone and made its own Limited Edition 1/18 scale die-cast model for collectors.

It’s sharp.

The History

First a little history. Grand Prix was redesigned for 1969 with a look that John DeLorean, Pontiac’s GM and later founder of DeLorean Motor Co., wanted to remind buyers of old luxury. Think Duesenberg, Cadillac, or Packard. Opera windows were soon to follow.

But for now the Pontys hoods were long with a raised pointed section that led to a giant arrow-like nose that was all chrome. Apparently, then and now, the bigger the nose and grille, the more luxurious and prestigious the vehicle. The profile was sleek, but seemed stretched to extreme, and DeLorean loved using SJ and J as special models, just as in the classic car days of the 1930s.

Well, Royal Pontiac had been souping up Pontiacs for much of the post-WWII era and so it was natural that it would want to perk up the new Grand Prix, even if it looked more luxurious that muscular.

First, it added a tachometer to the hood so a driver, maybe at the drag strip, could easily see its readout while tromping the gas pedal. Think of it as an early Head-Up Display. All Royal models were then ordered with GM’s optional 428 High-Output four-barrel carbed V8 that is said to have made 390 horsepower. That’s a lot of oomph now, and was then too.

Sharp engine details under the Ponty’s big metal hood.

The compression also was raised and the engine used the same camshaft as Ponty’s Ram Air III system for added power. Tim (the Toolman) Taylor would be proud.

Royal also ordered its 12 special models in Matador (did AMC know?) Red with painted white three-quarter roofs that were popular at the time. That left a red hoop over the roof’s rear, sort of like a visual roll bar.

The Model

               This model faithfully delivers on the Royal Bobcat (why a Bobcat I don’t know) look with a thick red finish and white roof, along with plenty of chrome. Front and rear bumpers and the nose are chrome, naturally, plus door handles, mirror and side rocker panel trim. Silver paint traces the wheel wells and windows, plus five little hash marks as a decorative design on the C-pillars.

Everything opens here, just like other Auto World die-cast models.

               That hood tach is represented by a domed reverse scoop, but really stands out as something unusual on this model. Cool!

               Headlights are etched to look realistic and surrounded by squared silver trim plates while there’s also a Royal GP ’69 Michigan license front and rear.

Under the massive hood is a finely detailed V8 with blue engine block, chrome air cleaner, plus copious plumbing and wiring. Auto World includes all the fluid containers too and a big fan shroud.

In back the trunk opens to reveal a spare tire and you’ll also find Grand Prix spelled out in lettering below the trunk’s keyhole.

               Inside, the dark red interior has well molded seats with horizontal ribbing and chrome trim while the dash is full of round gauges that are recessed to add depth. The steering wheel is a matching dark red with three spokes. But it looks a bit too plastic, although experience tells me the late 1960s and early 1970s GM steering wheels were often a slick plastic that turned sweaty in summer. We had a ’69 Olds Cutlass with a sweaty wheel.

               Again Auto World creates a fine undercarriage with suspension and exhausts visible for collectors who like to put their cars in cases with mirrored bases. However, like other Auto World cars, this Pontiac comes in a box with windows all around that make it easy to display this Ponty just as it is.

               This is a rare Pontiac, but one that still delivered both power and style.      

Vital Stats: 1969 Pontiac Royal Bobcat Grand Prix Model J

Maker: Auto World
Scale: 1/18
Stock No.: AW1273
MSRP: $119.99

Link: Autoworldstore.com

Sharp box for display too!
Advertisement
Diecast cars

1973 Toyota Celica Liftback GT2000

1 Comment

Autoart nails the sexy Japanese ‘Mustang’ look …

I came of driving age in the early 1970s and while I drove a snazzy copper-colored Plymouth Duster, which I thought beautiful, the Japanese makes were just getting their footing in the U.S. market. Most models were boring, but to me, the “hot” car was Toyota’s Celica Liftback GT.

It was a mini Mustang, and I say that with all due respect for both.

But by the mid-1970s Ford’s Mustang had grown bulky and ugly and then came the Mustang II. Ugh!

Yet Toyota had nailed the long-hood, fastback design, was reliable, and fairly affordable. In short, a winner!

Now Autoart turns its considerable modeling talents to a right-hand drive 1973 model of the Celica Liftback 2000GT in 1:18 scale and it’s a beauty.

Believe me, this IS Moss Green, but is so dark it looks black unless in direct sun.

The History

Celica launched as a coupe and notchback version of the Toyota Corina at the 1970 Tokyo Auto Show. Its name was derived from the Latin word coeliac, meaning heavenly or celestial. Perfect!

Sales were good in Japan and by 1973 it had relabeled its hatchback as a Liftback GT that would ultimately be exported to the US for the 1976 model year. Its lines were Mustang-like and indeed the designers were intending Celica for a similar market in Japan, folks wanting a sporty fun coupe, which the fastback look and lightweight execution along with a performance-oriented engine assured.

The rear-drive Celica boasted a 1600cc I4 with twin Mikuni-Solex carbs that delivered about 96 horsepower via a four-speed manual or automatic. But the Liftback GT had 143 horsepower coming from a 2.0-liter I4, and weighed just 2,295 pounds. That 2.0-liter led to the Celica Liftback 2000GT nameplate and was known as the RA25 version within Toyota.

By the time it hit US shores, the GT developed 95 horses from a 2.2-liter I4, but with a top speed of 109 mph. It rode on a 98-inch wheelbase and was just 174 inches long and weighing 2,615 lbs. All Liftbacks here had flat noses vs. a slanting nose on earlier Japanese models and there was no B-pillar. Additionally the rear quarter windows were fixed, so would not roll down. C-pillar louvers and vertical bar taillights were featured, again looking much like a 1968 Mustang.

 The Model

               This 1973 model is as the car appeared in Japan as the RA25 version, but looks much like the US model, aside from being right-hand drive. This sample model is a dark Moss Green, so deep that it looks black in less than bright sunlight.

               Autoart’s detailing is superb with chrome trim around all the windows, those C-pillar louvers, the door handles, an antenna stub, racy mirrors mounted far forward on the front fenders as was common in Japan, and naturally the front and rear bumpers. Even the leading edge of the hood includes a slim delicate chrome trim and there’s more along the rocker panel, just below the GT 2000 racing stripe on each side.

               Celica’s hood opens from the rear and reveals an absolutely stunning engine bay, one of the best I can recall on a 1:18 scale model not costing $300+. This looks like an engine compartment at the dealer’s showroom, clean and tidy with the I4’s header proudly labeled Toyota in silver and a detailed oil filler cap there too. All the wiring and plumbing is in place and there’s a battery, shock tower caps, all fluid bottles including a clear plastic windshield cleaner container on the firewall. Also visible are the radiator, air cleaner, which lays off to the driver’s side by at the car’s nose, plus throttle body hookups, etc. Wow!

               There are black vents (three stacks per side) atop the hood, tasteful but racy, while the black grille appears to be photo-etched with a snazzy GT logo. Headlights are clear, but displaying proper depth for a realistic look, and a front license plate proclaims Celica LB 2000GT, as does one on the tail.

               Celica’s 5 vertical bar taillights are excellent too with the outer bar being amber with the others red. A fine GT 2000 logo sits mid-tail and a silver Liftback label appears just below that sleek slanting rear window. A chrome Toyota badge is on the hatch’s lower right edge and below the chrome bumper is a lone long tailpipe extending from the left side.

               There’s a Celica label and emblem on each rear quarter panel, just beyond the door’s rear edge, and up front on the fenders are amber marker lights.

               Tires are black sidewalls with black Dunlap GP Sport labeling that requires a magnifying glass to read.  Wheels are chrome rimmed with black centers and a red and chrome cap.

               Inside the Celica features black bucket seats and snazzy detailing all around, from the silver inset buttons on the seats to a control lever on the seatback’s side. Door panels are well shaped and accessorized too with chrome window cranks and door trim.

               Celica’s dash is highly detailed with seven round gauges of various sizes, all trimmed in silver and with faces that are nearly readable but would require a magnifier to properly view. A fine looking console includes a clock, rectangular air vents, a black handled shifter, and there’s a parking brake handle between the seats too. Steering wheel is black with a fan-shaped four-spoke center, and Autoart completes the interior’s sporty look with a chrome kick plate on each side of the door frame.

               Flip up that huge hatch and there are hydraulic tube struts to hold it aloft, a couple of belts to hold luggage in place and a flocked cargo floor and rear seatback.

               Autoart delivers as near a perfect model of the Celica GT as one can imagine, and if you loved this Toyota hallmark of a car, or even still prefer the original Mustang, this is a keeper. The two would look great displayed side-by-side!        

Vital Stats: 1973 Toyota Celica 2000 GT (Moss Green)

Maker: Autoart
Scale: 1/18
Stock No.: 78768
MSRP: $200

Link: Autoartmodels.com

Diecast cars

James Bond’s Lotus Esprit S1

2 Comments

Nobody does it better than Auto World for a submarine/car …

Rare, or should I say never, that I have seen a die-cast car that was also a submarine. But now I have.

If you’re hearing a James Bond soundtrack playing in your head right now then you’re ahead of me. The car/sub in question is the Lotus Esprit S1 as seen in the 1977 Bond thriller, The Spy Who Loved Me, with Roger Moore as Bond and Barbara Bach portraying Soviet agent Anya Amasova as they attempted to stop a megalomaniac trying to destroy the world and start a new civilization under the sea. Naturally!

If you saw it, you’ll remember both Bach (Ringo Starr’s wife) and the Lotus, the later shooting into the ocean while being chased by a helicopter (which the car’s rockets shot down). Then the Lotus’s wheels fold up and four props on the back are deployed to instantly turn the Esprit into a sub, not an easy task.

Nor was creating the Bond car in 1/18 scale, but credit Auto World for doing just that and cradling it in a beautifully crafted and designed display box complete with blue plastic packaging to make the Lotus look like it’s diving into the sea.

The History

Let’s start with the movie. This was the tenth Bond thriller and third with Roger Moore portraying secret agent 007. It was a winner at the box office ($185 million in sales) and later Moore called it his favorite. Some consider The Spy Who Loved Me among the best Bond films after Sean Connery departed, and before the current batch.

In any case, the car played a small role, but was memorable because of its high-tech transformation. Beyond Bond’s classic Aston Martin DB5 of earlier movies, this is the car most Bond aficionados recall most often. Its nickname on set was Wet Willie and the car used in the movie’s underwater scenes ultimately was purchased by Elon Musk in 2014.

Lotus is known for creating cars of speed, style, and athletic performance and this one reminds of a Lamborghini Countach, which debuted a year earlier in 1974. And indeed, its designer was Italian, Giorgetto Giugiaro who penned the design after meeting Lotus chief Colin Chapman at a European car show.

The fiberglass-bodied Esprit debuted at the fall 1975 Paris Auto Show and featured a new 160-horsepower I4, which sounds pretty mild now. But the car was famously Lotus light, just about 2,000 pounds, so would do 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds, no rocket, but lithe and lively. Plus it looks undeniably fast. Top speed was 138 mph.

Just 718 Lotus Esprit S1 models were made from 1976 to 1978, but other versions were produced up until 2004. Esprit replaced the Lotus Europa model.

The Model

               This is a fun one, but is best displayed in its original box in submarine form, as that’s what makes this one special. Besides, it requires patience and nimble fingers to fully convert it into the car, although Auto World provides all the parts. Here’s how that’s accomplished.

Here the fins and engine cover are off.
Here the wheels have been folded down.

               First, you must take off the fins, rear prop structure, and roof hardware, a relatively easy task. However, to dislodge and fold down the four wheels and tires is awkward. It’s ingenious how they are installed, but they are quite stiff to unfold, especially the front wheels. I could only get two to deploy and appear straight upright. The other two folded down, but canted slightly inward making it hard to install the two white plastic pieces meant to complete the car’s bottom for display.

These are parts to finish either sub or car.
The rear wheels are easiest to fold down.

               Three round white stickers are included to cover the holes in the roof that accommodate the chrome roof accessories to replicate the sub’s features. More stickers are available to use for either the sub, or car’s dash gauges and others for front and rear windshield louvers to replicate the sub’s appearance.

The Lotus engine is nicely detailed and easy to see.

               A gray cap snaps on over the matte silver-gray engine under the rear hatch, again to mimic the submarine’s look. Like the real Lotus engine this one is canted to the left, maybe not exactly 45 degrees as in the original car, but there’s a visible lean to it. Detailing is sharp too and I’m leaving off the cover to display the sub as it’s more interesting that way.

               I particularly like the black plastic tail fins and prop covers that hide the chrome props and their black rudders. All props spin too.

               Those side fins look great and are easy to pop out from underneath, if you want to go the car display route. The front and rear twin fins each pop out as a unit with just a little pressure.

Machine guns pop from the nose. There was a slight defect on the left corner.
Stickers for the windows and dash.

               While the headlights don’t rotate up in front the hood can be lifted from the rear to expose a spare tire and the steering housing. Also, a tiny switch under the car/sub can be pressed to release the row of gun barrels on the nose. However, they tend to close quickly once the car/sub is on level ground.

               Everything else looks realistic outside, from amber lower nose lights to red taillights along with proper licensing front and rear. The nose and tail include Lotus badging and Esprit logos are on each of the rear roof pillars beneath the gas caps.

               Doors open to reveal gray bucket seats with red plaid butt pockets and red flocking for carpet. The dash is gray too with black steering wheel and shifter on the console. Naturally this is right-hand drive.

               I like that the chrome door releases are replicated at the bottom of each door and the side windows are open so it’s easy to see inside. Under water you’d want these closed though, right? Windows are all trimmed in black.

               It was fun taking the car/sub apart and configuring it both ways, but I’m sticking with the sub look, as that’s what sets this apart.

So, with apologies to Marvin Hamlisch the theme song’s composer, Carole Bayer Sager its lyricist, and wonderful Carly Simon, its singer, Nobody Does it Better, not in 1/18 scale.

Vital Stats: Lotus Esprit S1, James Bond 007, The Spy Who Loved Me

Maker: Auto World
Scale: 1/18
Stock No.: AWSS132
MSRP: $149.99

Link: Autoworldstore.com

Diecast cars, Fun Stuff

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible

Leave a comment

Say Yes to Auto World’s latest, a ’57 Chevy from “Dr. No” …

Evil usually is depicted in black, and Dr. No was no exception. The James Bond villain’s car which was intended to carry Bond to his certain death was a black 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible, although with a spiffy red and silver interior.

Spoiler alert: It didn’t happen, Bond prevailed!

Hard as it is to imagine, 60 years have passed since “Dr. No”, the first Bond thriller, hit the movie theaters and Sean Connery would forever be James Bond. Now Auto World marks the anniversary with a handsome 1:18 scale model replicating the first cool car that Bond wheeled in the lengthy cinematic series.

This swanky black ’57 Chevy with its entertainingly decorated box featuring a “Dr. No” movie poster comes just a few months after AW turned out a much perkier Barbie version of the Bel Air convertible. That one was baby blue with pink interior and a twin that was just the opposite, pink with blue interior.

This one may fit less shockingly into your 1950s car collection of which more than a few are likely AW releases from the past as the firm specializes in 1950s-1970s muscle cars along with other vintage automotive icons. The same quality and attention to detail is here and this version, like the Barbie edition, is being marketed under AW’s Silver Screen Machines category.

Here’s what you get.

The Model

               There is plenty of functionality with opening doors, hood and steerable front wheels, while the trunk is sealed. Like other AW models, the undercarriage is nicely detailed (including dual exhausts), so posing it on a mirrored base would make sense.

               As you’d expect with a 1957 car there’s enough chrome to make a medieval knight envious. That starts with the massive front and rear bumpers, plus the head and taillight surrounds, rocker panel trim, the side accent line trim and fins, plus door handles, wiper arms and windshield frame. Even the two hood sights are chromed, as are the vent window frames.

               Hub caps are chrome with chrome center wheel nuts featuring red centers and tiny Chevy bowtie logos. Then there are those giant protruding bumper guards on the front that look like, well, you know. These are black-tipped (that’s tip my friends), as they were on the original ’57 Chevys.

               Both the hood and trunk feature copper-colored chevrons (a long-time Chevy emblem) and the Bel-Air script on the fins’ side trim also is copper. While the top of the fins are chromed, naturally.

The front fenders display three copper bars as trim and just in front of the doors are the patented Chevy crossed-flags logos with the term, Fuel Injection, printed beneath.

               Pop open the hood and there’s the red Chevy engine block with silver air filter and fuel injection system, a black battery and radiator with black horn on the front left. Big hood hinges allow the car’s hood to be easily posed in the raised position.

               The red and silver seats in the interior look nice too, not glossy, but more like a matte vinyl, which matches some 1950s Chevy seating. These include two red buttons on the silver background of each seat back. Likewise the tonneau cover is a matching matte red with silver snap heads neatly arranged around the edges.

               Chevy’s dash top is red with red-ringed instrument panel gauges and a chromed trim across its face and surrounding the radio and its dials. The dash and red steering wheel definitely look like plastic. Too bad they aren’t the same matte finish as the seats. Naturally the wheel’s center horn ring is chrome.          

               The model’s door handles and window cranks are chrome and Bel Air appears in script on the passenger’s side dash facing. Sun visors are a matte silver to match the color of the seat centers.

               Tires are wide white sidewalls and treaded, but not branded. A generic black license plate rides on the trunk face. It reads CC over J 7715. Not sure what that means, but it may be what the movie’s car featured back in 1962. Hard to remember that much detail that far back, even for us Boomers.

               This model is a double win for Bond fans and ’57 Chevy aficionados!

Vital Stats: 1957 Chevy Bel Air Convertible, “Dr. No” version

Maker: Auto World
Scale: 1/18
Stock No.: AWSS134
MSRP: $149.99

Link: Autoworldstore.com

#57 Chevy

#James Bond

#Dr. No

#Auto World

Diecast cars

1935 Duesenberg SSJ Speedster

2 Comments

Auto World’s latest 1:18 pre-war model a striking beauty …

Car nuts know the Duesenberg name, but its cars were often rare, built in small quantities, while others were raced successfully, winning the Indianapolis 500 three times in the 1920s.

Duesenberg was launched in 1920 in Indy, but only lasted until 1937, a short run for such a famous name. Me being an Indianapolis native I’ve always been fond of Duesenbergs, both the racers and their high-end luxury cars known for their power.

But did you know that just two 1935 SSJ Speedsters were ever made? Yet the car is famous for its styling, speed and celebrity.

Now Auto World introduces the SSJ in a cream and tan color scheme that was the original choice of Duesenberg designers, yet none exist in this trim. The 1/18 model is another in Auto World’s vintage pre-WWII collection of die-cast metal models with opening hood, doors and steerable wheels.

The History

Here’s the skinny on the two SSJs, which were made for movie stars Gary Cooper and Clark Gable.

None of the cream and tan models remain because both celebrities had their roadsters repainted from the original Duesenberg color scheme. Cooper’s became a gray-on-gray beauty and Gable’s a red and metallic green Speedster.

What makes the SSJ so special, beyond its rarity, is that it was a shortened version of the popular and widely respected Model J, made from 1928 until Duesenberg closed. The Model J came in two lengths, the long 153.5-inch wheelbase model and a shorter 141.7 model. Yet the SSJ was shorter still, featuring a 125-inch wheelbase, making it lighter. Both were known for their power.

The SJ, a supercharged J, reportedly had a top speed of nearly 140 mph back when cars were considered exceptional if they crested 100 mph. Zero to 60 mph was said to be reached in 8 seconds, and this from a car with an unsynchronized transmission, which was the norm at the time. A special speed record version, known as the Mormon Meteor, used a 750-horsepower V12 Curtiss Conqueror aircraft engine and set various speed records approaching 160 mph.

That’s a big Straight 8 under the hood!

Well, the SSJ was quick too, reportedly doing 0-60 in less than 8 seconds as it was smaller and lighter than the J models. The Straight 8 Duesenberg motor cranked 400 horsepower and the car featured 4-wheel hydraulic brakes, a Duesenberg creation.

How special is the SSJ now? Well, some consider it the most important American car ever made and it’s certainly the most expensive as Cooper’s model sold for $22 million in 2018. Auto World’s is much more reasonable at $129.99 MSRP. Many 1:18 scale models now top $175 and are made of composites.

The Model

               There’s a lot to like here, besides the car’s heritage and importance as the fastest pre-war car made. Oh, and the styling. The SSJ is beautiful.

               Auto World doesn’t scrimp on details while maintaining an affordable price point.

Nice interior and easy-opening doors.

               The model’s door hinges are metal and well blended into the brown scallops on each side of the car, the hood likewise has a bright metal hinge that allows the hood to be raised on either side to see the sharply detailed Straight 8. Wiring and plumbing are present, but most notable are the four impressive chrome articulated exhausts coming out the passenger’s side of the hood and completely visible with the hood raised.

Sharp detail under the Duesy’s hood!

               There are the air cleaner, radiator and brake fluid containers here and then on the driver’s side the raised hood reveals the full length of that massive engine and the chromed exhaust ports leading to the four big pipes on the opposite side. Cool!

               Naturally, for the time period, there’s a massive chrome grille and lights along with two big horns under those lights. Atop the grille is the art deco style arrow-sharp Duesy hood ornament. Both front and rear bumpers also are chrome.

Great looking grille and an accurate Duesenberg hood ornament.

               Likewise the large step plates on the running boards, slim door handles and windshield frame are chrome, as is the wheel cover on the trunk-mounted spare. Hub caps on the cream-colored spoked wheels are chrome with red centers.

               That windshield in front of the two-person cockpit also includes dainty wing windows to deflect air from the passengers so as not to disturb their hair or chapeaus.

Good looking dash and gauges, plus small wing windows.

               The cream tonneau cover features painted silver snaps and the interior is matte brown, similar in shade to the side scallops.

               Duesenberg featured a chrome-faced dash with a bazillion gauges and dials, all nicely reproduced here by Auto World. There’s also a “holy Jesus” handle on the passenger’s side dash, just like in today’s Jeeps and other vehicles meant for off-roading. This one was to comfort a passenger at 100+ mph.

The Duesy’s steering wheel is black as is the floor-mounted gear shift lever while a rearview mirror rests atop the dash’s center.

               For folks with mirror-bottom display cases, Auto World continues to create realistic looking undercarriages that allow you to see the engine, suspension and exhaust system, here feeding into twin chrome-tipped pipes.

               The SSJ is another well-executed historic pre-war car model from Auto World at a price point that makes it a good fit in many collections. Snazzy!

Vital Stats: 1935 Duesenberg SSJ Speedster

Maker: Auto World
Scale: 1/18
Stock No.: AW305
MSRP: $129.99

Link: Autoworldstore.com

Diecast cars, Fun Stuff

Diecast: Autoart Suzuki Jimny

Leave a comment

Jimny (JB64) is a cute, well-detailed Jeep wanna-be …

Suzuki’s Jimny is a fun little runabout, and even cuter as a 1/18 scale diecast model from the hot shot designers at Autoart.

There’s no doubt this Jeep-like two-door sport-utility is useful and nimble. It has sold like Pocky sticks in its home market, Japan and has been a hit for Suzuki all around the world, with the exception of the United States where Suzuki stopped selling vehicles at the end of 2012.

But Suzuki’s low-cost small vehicles could well be considered something akin to the Beetle of Japan, economical and fun. And lest you think Suzuki is a small-time carmaker, well, it’s the fourth best-selling brand in Japan, behind the giants Toyota, Honda and Nissan, not bad company.

The History

Suzuki launched the Jimny in 1970, so it has had a long run and according to Wikipedia, Suzuki had sold 2.85 million of the little gems across 194 countries as of the fall of 2018. There’s an interesting history behind Jimny too.

It started as the HopeStar ON360. Say what?

Yes, it was originally designed by the Hope Motor Co., a small Japanese manufacturer that Suzuki bought in 1968. So, Suzuki re-introduced the vehicle as its LJ10 (Light Jeep) in 1970 with an air-cooled, two-stroke, two-cylinder engine. It had nowhere to go but up.

From there the engine grew and grew, becoming liquid-cooled as the vehicle began gaining popularity and was shipped off to Australia and then was Suzuki’s first vehicle sold in the U.S. market as a Samurai in 1986. Along the way the Jimny name became its moniker in Japan, and Jimny Sierra elsewhere.

Lest you think it incapable off-road, in 2007 a modified version set the high-altitude record for a 4-wheel-drive vehicle on a mountain at the Chile-Argentina border. It climbed to 21,942 feet, beating a Jeep Wrangler’s mark at the time.

This JB64 version is the fourth generation Jimny, launched in 2018 and the model reflects the styling of Japanese-market models, with no added plastic fender flares, whereas in other markets the black flares are much more pronounced. Jimny remains a body-on-frame vehicle, like a Jeep Wrangler and most of today’s trucks.

The engine is a turbo 3-cylinder that makes about 100 horsepower, rides on a short 88.6-inch wheelbase and weighs less than 2,300 pounds. So it may be appropriate to still consider it a Light Jeep, as it was originally.

The Model

               I’ve grown to love many boxy Jeep-like vehicles over the past 50 years of driving and testing new vehicles. So this Jimny strikes me as a fun, cheap Jeep wanna-be. It’ll certainly stand out in your collection and being an Autoart model you can be sure the design and build quality is high.

               Autoart offers several color combos, but the sample was an earthy Chiffon Ivory Metallic (shiny tan) with a black roof. It appears ready to wander off down a dirt road to bang some ditches.

               The doors fit nice and flat to the body, those wheel wells just showing a slight bulge and the front and rear bumpers are a sturdy black. The nose features running lights in the bumper, black mesh grille work there and in the upper grille featuring what looks like a Superman (Suzuki) logo at its center. Headlights, as with Jeeps and now Ford Broncos, are round, these adding an amber turn signal just above the light and toward each side’s fenders.

               Mirrors are black with white turn signal lamps embedded and the windows are all trimmed in gloss black with a couple black wipers extending from the cowling just behind the hood.

               A small black antenna extends from the rear driver’s side (right drive) roof and a big spare tire hangs on the tail, just as with a Jeep. The tailgate opens out like a door and includes a high-mount brake light atop its frame, black hinge covers and the words Suzuki and Jimny in silver low on the gate. The three-lens red and clear taillights sunk into the black rear bumper look sharp too. Below is a Jimny license plate too.

               Tires are all branded Bridgestone in black, so hard to read, but typical of the real vehicle. Wheels are sort of a matte silver/gray with black Suzuki-logoed caps.

               Naturally the hood, doors and hatch open on this Autoart model, with a nicely detailed engine compartment and fine metal hinges to hold that hood up for display. There’s a tiny hood rod there too, but don’t try to use it, it’s just for decoration.

Engine wiring and plumbing look appropriate with a sharp-looking battery including labels on top. There’s also a white washer-fluid reservoir, a steering master cylinder with white fluid container and other appropriate hoses and filters. The hood’s underside detailing is handsomely molded too.

               Not much to see inside the rear tailgate, except seatbacks and headrests, but the front cockpit looks realistically detailed, and with the wide-opening doors this interior is simple to see. Black interior here with bucket seats, a center console-mounted shift lever, 3-spoke steering wheel with Suzuki logo, and nicely detailed gauges across the dash, including a reflective screen in the dash’s center. Air vents are trimmed in silver.

               U.S. collectors have a rare opportunity with the Jimny to add a popular world vehicle to their collections, and it’s so darned cute they may want a couple in varying colors.

               For the record Autoart offers Jimnys in Pure White, Jungle Green, Bluish Black, Brisk Blue, Kinetic Yellow, most, except the white models, with black or body-colored. Also, the world market models, known as Jimny Sierras (JB74), are available in the same colors, but with the bulging black fender flares that give Jimny a slightly more muscular look.

               Either way this is a cute ute.        

Vital Stats: Suzuki Jimny

Maker: Autoart
Scale: 1/18
Stock No.: 78500 (Chiffon Ivory Metallic/Black roof)

MSRP: $190

Link: Autoartmodels.com

Diecast cars

Die-cast: DNA Collectibles Volvo Concept Coupe

Leave a comment

Finally a model of the Volvo Coupe that became Polestar 1 …

For much of its modern history Volvo has been the maker of boxy utilitarian vehicles known for their safety. Sexy was as foreign to its styling department as polkas are to Shakira.

But even a dowdy car company like Volvo can change and by 2013 it had committed to more elegant, and some might say, moderately sexy design. Hence the Volvo Concept Coupe, one of three show cars that set Volvo’s styling tone for the future.

DNA Collectibles loves stylish cars, and quirky cars that other die-cast manufacturers have avoided. You might say style is in the company’s DNA. (Groan!) Continue reading Die-cast: DNA Collectibles Volvo Concept Coupe →

Diecast cars

Die-cast: Autoart 2017 Chevy Camaro ZL1

Leave a comment

Camaro ZL1 offers stunning looks, excellent detail …

Seems like just yesterday it was 1971 and I was about to turn 16 and snag my driver’s license. My Uncle Wink, a car nut like me, was happy to help me learn to drive a stick, and believe it or not, he taught me on his rocket-fast 1968 Camaro, a pale yellow with the black nose stripe. I’ve loved Camaros ever since.

We spent many evenings in the gravel, yep, gravel parking lot of Butler University’s Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Drop the clutch. Spin the tires. Throw some gravel. Uncle Wink would look a bit concerned, but ultimately laugh. I eventually got it right.

Now Autoart gets it very right with its latest 1/18 version of the newest rocket-like Camaro ZL1 and this time in a much brighter yellow than my uncle’s car. You can’t ignore this retina scorcher, and Autoart also rolls out a jazzy red, and bright blue model, along with more sedate white and black editions. Continue reading Die-cast: Autoart 2017 Chevy Camaro ZL1 →

Diecast cars

Die-cast: Autoworld 1935 Duesenberg SSJ Speedster

Leave a comment

Auto World steps back in time to create a real Duesy …

Growing up in Indianapolis, the early auto world’s hub and home to the Indy 500, I was aware that the Duesenberg name was a big deal.

Even though the company that brothers Augie and Fred Duesenberg had built to fame had already been gone for 20 years or so, the make remained famous in Indiana. As a youngster I saw Duesenbergs at local car shows and I was well aware Duesenberg racers had won the 1922, ’24, ’25 and ’27 Indy 500s.

But long-term it was the luxury and performance of the Duesy road cars that stuck with folks. These were the legitimate supercars of their day, and none more so than the SSJ Speedster that Auto World has turned its considerable skills to reproducing in a high-value 1/18-scale offering. Continue reading Die-cast: Autoworld 1935 Duesenberg SSJ Speedster →

Diecast cars, Fun Stuff

Die-cast: DNA’s Subaru Baja

Leave a comment

Subie’s small Baja pickup looks great in 1/18 scale …

Leading sometimes is a lonely game. Just ask Subaru.

Its Baja, a 4-door compact pickup based on a car platform was one of the first of its kind and can easily be seen in today’s multitude of such pickups. But it was not a sales success, selling just 30,000 units in three years.

But Baja was a leader, make no mistake about that, and DNA Collectibles loves oddball and original designs so has created a sharp 1/18 scale resin die-cast Baja that certainly is a looker.

The History

Baja sprung from the ST-X concept vehicle with its more radical off-roading look, as if it were to run in the Baja 1000 cross-country race. Tamed down, but still sporty looking, Subaru made the Baja from 2002 to 2006 in its Lafayette, Ind., plant. Bajas were based on the popular Legacy/Outback platform and marketed as 2003 through 2006 models.

Baja followed the 2-door Brat that Subaru sold successfully from 1978 to 1994. Brat too was a compact pickup with some styling flair. But as we all know, Americans prefer more room for all their stuff. So Baja with its four doors, second row seat and handsomely lined pickup bed and functional roof rack seemed to fit that bill.

It featured Subaru’s trusted 2.5-liter Boxer 4-cylinder engine with a turbo version coming in year two. Plus Baja was made more useful for hauling with its Switchback system where the second row seat folded down and a panel behind it opened to the bed, allowing for longer items to be carried. To add more strength to the bed there also were two chrome handles or supports that extended from the roof to the bed’s sides. Knowing we love all things sporty, Subaru marketed those handles as “Sports Bars,” which now has a totally separate meaning.

The pickup also had four tie-downs, two bed lights, roof rails and crossbars, and a snazzy system that allowed the license plate holder to fold perpendicular to the tailgate so it could be seen if the truck was driving with the tailgate lowered. Clever!

The Model

DNA’s model replicates the original bicolor launch version which was bright yellow with silver stone metallic lower body cladding, all beautifully painted.

Other standout features include the black roof rails and small sunroof just in front of the rack’s forward bar. A tiny black antenna sits next to the rails and is in a retracted position. All windows appear slightly tinted and edged in black.

In front is a chrome-trimmed grille opening with photo-etched metal and black backing and the Subaru logo at the grille’s center. Headlights are wonderfully rendered showing four different lenses and lights while below the bumper are two giant running lights with slight grille work covering the lenses for protection.

Baja’s tail features a well detailed flat black lined cargo bed, the two chrome Sport Bars and dual overhead cargo lamp. Taillights are sharply detailed too and the license area is nicely shaped indicating it indeed could have been repositioned when the tailgate was down. Would be cool if the model allowed that tailgate to drop, or the doors to open.

Subaru, Baja and AWD labels are here in photo-etched form too.

Underneath you see the Baja labeled rear wheel mud flaps and a chrome muffler and tailpipe that look a little too shiny for my taste. I think a matte silver finish would have looked more realistic.

Tires are black sidewall and treaded, but with no branding and the wheels are matte gray five-spokers with large plain discs behind them with calipers.

Inside, well, that’s not extremely easy to see because all the windows are posed in the up position. Seats and dash are bicolor gray and black, which looks sporty and is best viewed through the windshield and from overhead. There you’ll see the gated shifter on the console, the gray and black steering wheel and gauge faces on the instrument cluster and the dash’s stack.

Hard to see much else, but DNA says there are seat belts and radio buttons there too. I wish the side windows at least could have been clear or the driver’s window removed so the interior could be viewed more easily.

As is though the Baja looks great and would stand out in any model display. And it now comes in a fully windowed box that would make it easy to display as purchased.

DNA puts the Baja in a great windowed box, so you could easily display it just as it comes!

Coming up, DNA has just added the Volvo P1800 in red and a Saab 9-4x. It’s just starting to take pre-orders for its Saab 9-5 NG Aero.

Vital Stats: Subaru Baja

Maker: DNA Collectibles
Scale: 1/18
Stock No.: DNA000050
MSRP: $139.99

Link: DNAcollectibles.com