It may not be PC in some macho 4WD circles to mention toys, other than the ‘toys for boys’ with real 38 inch donuts, but here we go anyway.
I’ve been amazed lately by the huge variety of quality models available. Model shops have racks and racks of highly detailed replicas of everything from Formula 1 to military vehicles. They come in a vast range of makes, types, scales and liveries. Four wheel drives are well represented.
It doesn’t seem long ago that all that was available were Dinky Land Rovers with minimal detail. Perhaps that’s an unkind comment. There have long been other manufacturers doing their thing and modeling Jeeps, Broncos and military vehicles in both die-cast and kit form.
There’s a very strong trend to great looking and detailed die-casts of F1, V8 and tin-top racing cars in full, individual, paint schemes. Meaning there’s a huge number of them for each driver and team.
This extends to rally cars, many of which are 4WD, of course. I spotted a gorgeous and horny looking Paris-Dakar Renault Megane with all the decals, tow-hooks and fine detail at 1:43 scale. This is a much used scale and supports everything from boats and aeroplanes to trucks, cranes, cars, tanks and 4WDs.
The military section is large, though mostly in plastic kits by Airfix, Italieri, Hasagawa and others. Everything is covered from artillery to figures, even hay bales, barrels and jerry cans are available. Most of the military kits come in 1:35 or 1:72 scales.
Vehicles date through WW1 to Hummers. Military 4WDs include heaps of Jeeps, gun tractors, armoured cars, scout cars, Kubelwagens, Schwimmwagen, Dodge 4x4, Pink Panther Desert Patrol Land Rovers, Hummvees and European makes like Steyr and Unimog.
There are also 6x4s, 6x6s, 8x8s, half tracks and tanks of all makes and types. And never ending racks of fighting boats and planes.
There’s a fascinating range of construction vehicles being modeled. All highly detailed and some offering working parts. These seem to have evolved from the company promotional models one saw, and drooled over, on construction executive’s desks many years back.
All the big companies had them made in small numbers for that purpose. They were expensive and jealously guarded. Now anyone can have a replica D11 or tower crane on their desk.
In the larger scale plastic kits (1:24 or 1:32), I found RAV4s by several manufacturers, as well as Terrano, Pajero, Ford Courier, Hilux/Surf, Dodge Ram, Jeep CJ7 and Renegade, Range Rover, Defender and 90/110 and Ford Bronco.
One advantage of these kits is the ability to paint and detail them to match your own vehicle using the stunning range of paints, accessories and modeling material available. Kit suppliers include Airfix, AMT, Revell, and Aoshima.
Die-cast models are supported by a greater number of sources, from boutique manufacturers to very large companies. There are small outfits that specialise in low volume models like old Holdens.
Firms, such as Vanguard, model older classics like Escorts and Cortinas and old Landys. Corgi has recently issued a very nice Series One SWB ragtop in Land Rover’s original Bronze Green.
Two door and four door classic Range Rovers are available in a couple of scales and I found LWB Landys in three different scales. Often a model is available in different colour schemes and themes. Model ranges are updated regularly.
Corgi, Dinky, ixo, Burago, Minichamps, Solido, Sunstar, Victoria, Motormax, Eagle, Matchbox and Cararama were all represented in the Christchurch shops.
The larger scales of 1:24 and 1:18 sport a nice range of highly detailed models that include Land-Rover Series-2, 90 and 110, Rangie and Discovery, Toyota Harrier and the Mercedes Benz G-Wagen. All had opening doors and bonnets and very detailed motors, interiors and undersides.
When the very friendly and helpful salesman was assuring me how much better off-road a G-Wagen was than a Range Rover it was easy to turn the detailed models over and show him that the suspension design was copied from the much older Range Rover.
I was particularly impressed by a 1:18 scale Model A Ford tow truck by Signature Models. Others were by Maisto, Autoart and Motormax. As you may expect they also model loads of gorgeous exotic sports cars, but you wouldn’t be interested in those now, would you?
In the smaller scale die-casts I found Pajero including an Evo, Prado , RAV4, Freelander, Mitsi L200, Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, Land Rover Series 2, 110, Defender, Rangies (even a RR fire engine), BMW X5, Mercedes M320 and, a 2WD favourite of mine, Mini-moke.
There were often several versions of each model including LWB and SWB, 2 and 4 door and even well-side models.
Matchbox had a nice series of American 4WDs and utes that included a WW2 Dodge Power Wagon complete with winch.
If radio-controlled models are your passion, there are plenty of those on offer, from distorted monster-trucks or go-fast racers to more realistic replicas.
Tamiya remain the biggie in that field and they also make a series of battery powered ‘construction’ chassis kits such as an amphibious vehicle, a walking elephant, a tracked vehicle and a remote controlled bulldozer and tracked loader.
These are neither radio controlled nor accurate models with bodies, but are practical, educational and fun items to make and can be used as chassis or basis for custom models.
One day we had a fine time driving a friend’s Tamiya bulldozer kit over a delicious chocolate cake, someone had kindly donated to the lunch table. The lucky owner got to lick the tracks afterward.
So, modeling is alive and well and the 4WD department is quite well represented by many suppliers, in many ways. I can’t speak for other centres, but Christchurch was well supplied by Iron Horse (mainly into rail), Fazzaz (cars, gorgeous cars and more gorgeous cars) and Acorn Models who have the wider range of models and supplies.
Magazines are available (try your local library) for model collectors. They are a good pointer to what is currently available and also to new models about to appear.
Many older models can be found at swap-meets, junk shops, fairs and model conventions. Dinky, Corgi and Matchbox all had 4WDs in their older ranges as did the kit manufacturers.
A search on Trade-Me found: Under Dinky - an Austin Champ, Lunar Rover, Gun tractor, LWB Landy and Scout Car. Under Corgi - Land-Rovers and a Range Rover Vogue. Under Matchbox - a S1 Land-Rover. .: