VW Models - JUN 2003

VW Models and Toys to Look For

By Herschel D.

This month I thought you might like to know about some of the better known VW model and toy cars that help make a collection truly complete. One "must have" is the diecast 1956 Beetle made in the ‘50s and into the early ‘60s by Dinky Toy of England. Another special one is a 1959 van with fiber optic non-electrical headlights made by Corgi of England in the 1960s. Matchbox made a 1/72^nd scale 1958 Beetle complete with engine deatil into the early 60s and a 1956 van in a smaller scale in the late ‘50s. They also made silver colored campers in 3 different forms in the 1960s as well as a Type 3 Fastback in the late 60s.

Viking began making 1/40^th scale showroom promos VWs in 1948. Later they added 1/87^th (HO) and 1/160^th (N) scale VWs to their selection as well. Shuco of Germany used to make several different 1/43^rd scale sheet metal wind up VWs. That tooling is under different ownership now. Several years ago a company called Lilliput had the tooling. Shuco itself under different ownership, now makes nice 1/43^rd scale diecast VWs. Japanese tin toy VWs are quite collectible, too; such as the ones made by Bandai. Some of the more prized ones are their bump and go VWs. They are accurately scaled with unique working features.

I find that the easiest scale to have a full variety of different kinds of VWs is HO. Recently I saw an ad in European VW magazine called "VW Scene" from a model car seller that even has Type 4 VWs in their selection in 1/43^rd scale! I do not know who the manufacturer is. Miniature Models of Type 4s are understandably rare! A German company called Marklin made some back when the Type 4 was new in the 1970s.

VW models go back to the beginning of the VW in the late 1930s and, naturally, today they are quite expensive to buy. You would probably do best searching models made before 1960 on the Internet. The national VW magazines do well at reviewing the history of the realy early and rare stuff. But they mostly ignore the later, more common, but still, collectible VW toys and models. The general interest toy car magazines such as "Toy Cars & Models" do cover them from time to time, however.

I think the the VW is modeled in miniature in far vaster numbers than any other car make followed pretty closely by Ford! You can find reasonably priced toy and model VWs at the flea markets and antique malls (such as Bojo’s on Summer Ave.). the bigger VW shows (California, Texas, etc.) may turn up somewhat rarer examples (usually, still not the really early stuff, though) but at premium prices. Mail order companies such as those in the catalogs of VW parts suppliers and the advertisers in real and model car magazines.

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