Solido has been going through a tough time lately and their models haven’t always been as solid as their name would lead you to think, but their 1/18 Panhard PL17 replica is one of the best buys out there. The fact that it exists is worthy of praise, it’s the first 1/18 Panhard. The details are accurate, the doors and hood open, it’s relatively well-built and you can find one for about 25€. They also make a PL17 convertible and a Panhard 24CT that both fit the same description as above.
Resin models are becoming increasingly common. Neo Scale Models jumped in the fray and while they largely focus on 1/43 models, they also make some 1/18s and 1/87s. Their resin models are reproduced with razor-sharp precision and they pick cars that larger companies might not think of making. We’ve selected two of their 1/18 models: a Saab 96 and a Jaguar XJ-C. The resin makes for extremely acccurate details but also means that nothing opens. These models typically run in the 120€ range and are readily available on German model car sites.
The Norev Mercedes 560SEL is superbly detailed inside and out. Everything opens but the door mechanisms are a little fragile. The model can still be found online or in hobby stores for about 40€. It is available in either dark blue as pictured below or champagne.
La Mini Miniera is apparently an Italian model retailer that tried their hand at building models. One of their first models was a 1/18 replica of a Fiat 600 Multipla and they recently came out with a 1/18 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint, a model never before seen in 1/18 scale (though the Spider exists). The Giulietta is available in blue, red or white and usually sells for €100 to €120. From photos it looks okay but for that price, we’d like to see it in person before buying it.
Schuco has made several 1/18 replicas of air-cooled VWs. The overall details are breathtaking and their model choices are interesting – for example, they’re one of the first companies to make a bay window bus instead of a split window. The downside is that they range from €100 to €150 in hobby stores and that some of them are limited edition so they can be tricky to find.
Below: 1/18 Beetle Ultima Edición, bay window Porsche service van and LKW service pickup.
Below: 1/18 Beetle Ultima Edición, bay window Porsche service van and LKW service pickup.
Obscure Eastern European cars have almost always been absent in the world of scale models. Well listen up, comrade! Things have changed since IST Models opened up shop: all they make are Eastern European cars. From old ones to new ones, from people’s cars to vans and luxury cars reserved for party members, they replicate a large selection of cars that lived behind the Iron Curtain. These 1/43s can be had for about 30€ each, a very reasonable price considering the build quality and the original model selection.
Below: 1/43 Wartburg 353 pickup, 353 sedan, Lada Niva, ZAZ 968 and Dacia 1310.
Finally, for the collector who has everything, Minichamps makes a 1/18 Mercedes-Benz L600 Shell tanker. It retails for several hundred Euros and likely weighs as much as an average economy sedan.
Note: we did not take any of the above photos and do not take credit for them.
