Here are Some Production Cars We Wish Would Go Into Miniature Production

A while back we looked at some concept cars that aren’t available as miniature models.

To be fair, it’s hard to invest time and money into a casting for a one-off car that maybe only existed in a single color. But we noticed some blank spots in diecast coverage for some production cars, too. Some were limited production (in the real world, that is), but the others were single-year body styles.

So even though they were available for purchase in 1/1-scale, they might be too rare for the diecast world.

1967 AMC Marlin – For the Rambler Marlin, there are plenty of fish in the diecast sea… well sort of. The original 1965-66 Rambler Marlin, a fastback version of the Classic, has been modeled in a few scales. It was gorgeous and adventurous from some angles, and kind of odd-looking from others. Few people seem to realize there was a second-gen Rambler AMC Marlin, based on the larger Ambassador, which had a sleeker, more cohesive design. There don’t appear to be any models of this 1967-only model.

1973 Buick Riviera – The Boattail Rivera is much worshipped here at the MCHOF. In recent years, there have been several diecast models in multiple scales, but they all represent the 1971-72 models. Those had the much more protruding boattail rear-end compared to the smoothed-off ’73. While most of the sheet metal remained intact, the latter car’s huge federal bumpers made it look less sleek. Still, though, why not some small-scale love here?

Consulier GTP/ Mosler Raptor – Among the fastest production cars ever made, they are also possibly the ugliest. The proportions and angles are awkward, and the very narrow cockpit looks lost over that extra wide body. The Raptor even has a divided straight-sheet windshield that is a sight to behold. Still, such a fantastic feat of engineering deserves some small-scale recognition. There do not seem to be any GTP or Raptor models in diecast.

Crosley Hotshot – On the other end of the performance perspective is the Crosley Hotshot, a late ’40s sports car not much bigger than a pedal car (and not much faster!). It was available as a coupe or a shooting brake as well. Fun fact! This was the first production car to use a Cobra engine… actually, CoBra, short for Copper-Brazed.

What are some of your favorite production cars that have not been turned into diecast models? Let us know in the comments!

Ron Ruelle is a cartoonist, writer, and illustrator who also writes about model cars. You can see his work at www.ronruelle.com