John Kuvakas is a great friend of hobbyDB and a connoisseur of cars in 1:1 and smaller scales. He started a YouTube channel called “My Take” to highlight old and new models and we just love it. So we asked him to start sharing his videos. Give them a watch here!
We all have a dream list of models we would like to see made in our favorite scale. With the hobby always in some state of flux, that list can change from day to day with new possibilities popping up on a regular basis.
My preferred scale is 1/43, one that has a worldwide appeal like 1/64. As we see new 1/43 offerings gradually migrate into the seventies and eighties, there is no shortage of subjects.
While many consider the mid-to-late seventies to be the “Malaise Era” because horsepower was down and federal regulations, like huge bumpers, seemed to dominate designs for several years, it’s easy to forget that most American manufacturers began to concentrate on neo-classic and tasteful designs, innovative interiors, and comfort features to make the driving/riding experience more enjoyable, even if acceleration times were down to a crawl.
Handling became a higher priority and more sophisticated chassis designs began to show up. There were still performance offerings albeit not quite as earth shaking as those in the late sixties and early seventies.
It’s also easy to forget that the allure and magic of a new car remained throughout those years. Young boys still wanted the sharp looking, sporty cars they saw on TV and in the movies. First-time buyers still aspired to a new car, one with that new car aroma and the excitement of seeing their very first miles begin to rack up on the odometer.
With all this in mind, here is my list of models someone needs to make now! Some of these may be available in other scales and a few of them are even available in 1/43.
What I’m proposing is that a premium maker of 1/43 give us a well-made, high-detail, high-fidelity version of these models from three decades including those “dreaded seventies.”
Here they are in no particular order.
1977 Pontiac Can Am
Pontiacs limited production Le Mans with the Firebird’s 400 CID V8 and a shaker hood scoop!
1973 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Coupe
America’s best-selling car for several years. And…it came with opera windows and a formal roofline, not to mention the ’73 being the cleanest design of this generation of Cutlasses.
Or, make it into a ’77 model and add T-Tops!
Then take that master and give us a 1973 Hurst Olds (Cutlass S)! One with W46 pkg, 455 ci, Turbo auto w/Hurst Dual Gate Shifter, console mounted tac. They only made 1097 in Black and White the only colors.
The big three (Chrysler, Ford & GM) were all on their game in 1965. Brooklin has given us a truly excellent ’65 Impala SS. But what about the other ‘65s? We need them! NOW!
1965 Ford Galaxie 500XL Convertible or Hardtop
Then take that master and craft a truly epic 1966 Ford 7 Liter with that equally epic interior.
1965 Plymouth Sport Fury
With that gorgeous hardtop.
1965 Dodge Monaco 500
Make sure it has those incredible wicker seatbacks!
1969 Mercury Marauder X 100
Minichamps and De Agostini did this one. But I’m still waiting for a premium version. Let’s have it in a truly outrageous color scheme!
1967 AMC Ambassador
AMC finally got their act together in the late sixties and began giving their full-size cars a respectable full-size design. The two-door hardtop was particularly attractive.
Use the master to build one of the beautiful ‘67 Ambassador Wagons.
Then take that master again and make a memorable ’67 AMC Marlin. The 1965 AMC Marlin is much unloved for its odd proportions. That fastback just didn’t seem to fit well on the mid-size American chassis.
But when they moved it to the full-size chassis for 1967, magic happened, and everything was right in the world. Unfortunately, it was too late to save the nameplate.
1966 Olds Toronado
C’mon folks! It’s time!
1964 GTO Convertible
Yup! This is the one that started it all. Why is there no 1/43, high-end model?
OK! I may have lost count somewhere in there. These are my choices. Keep in mind I’m looking for a premium offering on each of these. This is My Take. What would you like to see?
John Kuvakas Curator for hobbyDB Host of “My Take” YouTube Channel
The Toronado is already out there, so yay! I want to see an AMC Eagle in 1/43.
Great choices! Spark did one that is hard to find now and there are partworks out there now. Sparks are great but John wants super detailed versions of these! Of course, all the diecast makers of the time did one! Corgi, Tekno, Solido, Auto Pilen!
I’d love to see an Eagle model, too!
Would love to see not only the Ambassador based Marlin produced but also the Tarpon concept and AMX/Gremlin concept…
That Marlin would be great. I still have my Corgi! https://www.hobbydb.com/marketplaces/hobbydb/catalog_items/rambler-marlin
I would love to see a ’64 GTO convertible in 1/43. My dad had one in 1/1 scale that he (and I) wishes he still had. Adding a high end 1/43 model to my collection would be a no-brainer! The other cars mentioned would make great models, too. Excellent article, John!
Other than the Marlin, I would like to see all of them. It would be really nice if Brooklin would do one or two of these in white metal.
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