Karl AKA Stroget is an active curator at HobbyDB of many of the 1/43 model car brands. He has been adding model cars to the DB since 2014; some of his favorites are Alfa Romeo and obsolete Tekno from Denmark!
Takara Tomy produces a dizzying array of models in several series – a basic line, usually with whizzwheels, an upscale (and more expensive, of course) line known as Tomica Premium (better finished castings with way better wheels), Tomica Limited Vintage and Tomica Limited Vintage – NEO, and others including 1:43 scale models. The two Limited Vintage lines are to constant 1:64 scale and oriented towards collectors, but the others are essentially fit the box items. The NEO line is very high end, many with operating features, and generally quite expensive.
This Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle is a newish (2019) casting and is sold in the Premium line, so has realistic wheels, but it is still a pretty basic model. To prove the point above, the base reads “S = 1/58” so is conspicuously larger when displayed alongside true 1:64 models. It is difficult to tell, but it is likely a 1965, ‘66 or ’67 model year – 1965 was the first year that the quarter window slanted back at the top (vertical 1964 and earlier) and 1967 was the year the front headlights went vertical and were smoothly faired into the fenders in North America, with the rest of the world following in 1968.
The interior is black, with no highlights, so details are difficult to pick out. It’s a left hand drive, but does not feature the extra bumper overriders of the US model. The base is plastic and includes some chassis/ suspension/ engine details along with working suspension. Headlights are clear plastic with tampo printed rims. The tail lights are also plastic, this time in red, but also include the housings, which are overpainted in body colour. This may facilitate the production process.
I can only guess why Tomy would produce this car in 1:58 scale rather than the standard 1:64 (the scale used for their Limited Vintage lines), and I suspect it is because 1:64 is full of VW Beetles from Greenlight, M2, Schuco, Kyosho and Johnny Lightning (bigger than 1:64 and very slightly smaller than the Tomy).
This Vietnamese made model is a reasonable representation, and will doubtlessly be popular among Volkswagen collectors. You can have this delivered to your door for less than $US 10.00 from Hong Kong dealers. A second version in aquamarine is now available.
Information on the various Tomy lines is available at this website here.
Tires are non-treaded black plastic with good scale width. White inserts feature silver tampo hubcap printing with legible VW logo cast in centre. This is a very nice job, way better than many Greenlight or M2 efforts, which are often off centre. Bumpers are separate plastic items, crude and overscale.
Taillights plus housings are single pieces inserted through the holes in the casting. Housings are painted body colour but paint doesn’t cover as well as the main body metal. If this photo is enlarged, you can see that the yellow is a bit thin over panel gap edges, but in actual size this is barely noticeable. Quarter window frame is a bit heavy
Box art shows a later model year with vertical headlights and better fairing of same in the fenders
Kyosho Super Beetle, left, is 1:64, which illustrates the size difference. The Kyosho has the later vertical headlights with smoother fender fairing, and turn indicators have been moved into the bumper
Similar model years represented by Johnny Lightning, left, and Tomy. The JL is a slightly smaller model, but it isn’t 1:64 small
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