O Scale Vehicles - Your Favorite?

This is an easy one, Brooklins like these:

The Studebaker on the rack or when I owned a real one we called it the "Steady Braker". Don

Except for the fact that they are almost 10% too large for 1/48th scale I agree with Passenger Train Collector; Brooklin makes really nice stuff. While I like the Road Signature pieces I have, they don't seem to have much in 30's era vehicles. I also use Solido, ERTL, Matchbox, First Responder, Rextoys and Mattel.

Maybe it's psychological but whoever advised to never buy an out-of-era vehicle was right. When I removed the few 50's era vehicles I had on the layout it made a difference, at least in the show that plays between my ears. Now I'm gonna check out the manufacturers you listed above. Thanks.

I thought the best combination of price, value, detail, and variety was Rextoy, IF what they had shown in their little brochure had all been made.   I have a number of what they did get out, but how many 1935 Fords and 1940 Packards can you use?   Brooklin, for my pre-1941 era has since built the best selection of "actually seen on the street" vehicles, that is plain-Jane sedans, etc.  Others occasionally, but irradically, produce something.

It's not so much the model, it's what you do with it to make it look authentic. Almost all die cast models look frighteningly glossy out of the box, yet few people do anything about that.  I recently had a visitor tell me that my vehicles (I have just a few as I model the gas-rationing era of WW2) really look the part, regardless who made them originally. That's the best compliment I've gotten in a while...

Here's the before-and-after of a truck I think I paid $12 for:

Amer Hobby, available through Amazon, are my favorite.  There is a wide selection and the prices are only $9.95 to $15.  Pictured is my favorite of those I've bought.  It is a 1935 Fiat 1500.

While I admire the detail and craftsmanship of the high-end diecast, I prefer to spend money on trains.  Amer Hobby is a good compromise between quality and price, for me.

Probably because so many of us like them looking "frighteningly glossy."

Yeah, good point. I keep having to remind myself that O scale is really split down the middle between the, "Glossy toy look" and the, "Scale model look". And before anyone tries to jump on me for pointing that out, I contend that neither is better than the other, mind you, it's all apples and oranges.

But when I see the 'scale model' types (who weather everything else) with uber shiny diecast cars, then I find that odd.

I go to a lot of trouble to get the diecast stuff I have looking used and dull:

I think that the Model T truck to the right is an IXO model. I think I paid about $8 for it:

The 41 Plymouth truck, for rural Tennessee in 1943, was a huge stretch but I liked the looks of it so much. I really liked how it looked out of the box but there was simply no way it'd look that bright after three years in an era and place where nobody washed their cars (I made a point of asking my parents questions like that whenever I'm building something for the layout as it takes place in the valley they grew up in, when they would have been 7 and 8).

My Motor City models. All are currently selling on eBay for at least twice what I paid for them new.

I certainly agree with your thoughts on vehicle pricing here. I am not familiar with Amer Hobby, but will certainly check them out. Also agree on the nice details and craftsmanship on the more expensive models, but I have a limited amount to spend each year on my hobby and something has to give. Most of the vehicles I have are within the $7 to $20 range with a few trucks and larger items going up to maybe $30 or so. If all I had was die-cast vehicles and no trains or layout, then I would probably be purchasing the higher end models. They might also be larger than the 1:43/1:48/1:50 sizes I have now.

One thing that seems to be lacking in O scale sizes of vehicles (in the price ranges mentioned here) is trucks of all kinds and especially modern fire trucks. I don't know all the brands available, but I have looked for some trucks (especially fire trucks) and the results have not been very rewarding. Selection does not seem to be too good. Also as has been discussed here before, the 1:48 scale vehicles are pretty scarce as well.

Here's my favorite - bar none - with two lovers perched in it to watch a local parade go by...and later in another neighborhood....

FrankM.

(Moon's son)

While my cutoff year is 1940, I would use that Plymouth pickup, because that style

was introduced in 1939 and remained unchanged through 1941.  (no Plymouth pickups were built in 1942)  A 1939 model might not be such a big stretch for 1943, presuming someone rode the Smoky Mtn. RR from Sevierville into Knoxville to shop for a used truck.  The Ford pickup by Eligor is a 1932 Model B (four cylinder, or just called the V-8, if so equipped). Model T's were last built in 1927, and replaced by the long overdue Model A, built 1928-31, to be replaced. in turn, by the Model B in 1932.  East Tennessee, a sense of which one can gather by visiting Cade's Cove and another part of the Smokies immediately north of Gatlinburg, and the Museum of Appalalachia just north of Knoxville, was very similar to eastern Kentucky, in culture and economy, during that time period (as well as to those of southern W. Va., western Va. and western N. Carolina)

Many people who do weathering overdo it. I have seen featured layouts in magazines sometimes by famous people where it looks like someone painted the whole layout with a spray gun of dull grey.

I love the Corgi fire apparatus that was produced when the upped the detail and did all new tooling of LaFrance, Seagrave, Pirsch, Maxim and the Mack C and L models. This one was by far one of the nicest Seagraves...

and one of the nicest Pirsch engines.....

It's a shame they (Hornby) stopped just when they were getting good. I heard that there was a new LaFrance ladder in the works as well as a Pirsch ladder.

Now that's a sweet Caddie..............

My favorites for the 30s -50s are Rex Toys,Vitesse and Solido when I am in Europe,also when at home Corgi and Ertl,also from Germany Siku Cranes and trucks.

Mikey

Uncle Leon must have brought his Studie in for night Shellubrication.  In the 1950's and '60's, none of the stations in our little town were open at night, but the next town over -- Fullerton -- had a couple of 24-hour stations that did a brisk business in overnight lube and washing for nearby residents.

Now that's a sweet Caddie..............

Charlie, without a doubt, this is my favorite vehicle. It is a superb model.

I was wondering about fire engines, as Matchbox or Corgi (could not quickly find their boxes)  has made all I need in Stutz, Bulldog Mack, and others of the pre-1940 timeframe..BUT those above are current, modern trucks, so I don't know what is or is

not available for that era. 

It's hard to name one or two cars because I like so many, but here's one of my favorites. It's a 1931 Hudson roadster made by Brooklin. I didn't like the original color so I painted it dark red.

Some of my all-time favorite cars are the streamlined Art Deco masterpieces of the 1930's, mostly French. I'll post some photos later - I have some 1:43 models but I haven't photographed them yet. 

This one is my current favorite a 1985 Dodge Dipomat.

I actually haven't bought a lot of my favorites yet, But here are the ones I have so far.

That Hudson Boattail Speedster is not a 1935...a 1931, maybe?  In 1932 and a few makes prior to that, went to grilles in front of the radiator core, which that car does not have.  A very few lagged behind...maybe Durant, and others, but many makes folded in 1931 and did not make it to having grilles, or hydraulic brakes, or......my

favorite make gave up passenger cars in early 1931, and only built a few funeral cars

in 1932, before closing shop.  Auburn is the make known for boattail speedsters, but

I love their coupes for 1931-33, and do not have a model of a speedster, for which

there are a lot of models of 1935-36 speedsters out there.

CH

You're right, the Hudson is a 1931. I must have made a typo in the caption when I was saving the photo.

Here are a couple of Auburns, one by White Box and one by Matchbox.  

My favorite is a basic Road Champs 1955 Chevy painted to match the car my dad bought new and became my first car in 1963.  Yes, it was a 265 power pack with overdrive!

Azgary

AROUND the Layout..............

I really like these two fire trucks.... 1952 Seagrave open cab pumper ( Kensington Maryland VFD which is 25 minutes from my house ) and this 1953 Ford F-100 mini pumper.

SW H:  That white Auburn Boattail is a '35 or '36 commonly modeled, but what is the

red one and who made it?  It looks like a '31 to '33. Auburns were sold and did get around...one of my train books shows a '35 or '36 sedan waiting outside a station

on the Rio Grande Southern in SW Colorado, when that was possibly one of the more

remote areas in the U.S.  (there is a Nissan dealer in Durange, maybe there was once an Auburn dealer there?) The '31 Auburn was one of those first cars to sport a grille in front of the radiator core.  I saw some low production 1/43rd  Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg models at the ACD Museum in Auburn, Ind. a few years ago, but the darn things were about $250 each, so I passed.  I haven't seen any like them on the Bay.

At the fall ACD Festival in Auburn, they have a parade of the three makes and then

park them all around the courthouse.  I drool all over the '31-'33 coupes.  There are,

of course, a number of the boattails there, too.  (the Auburn factory there is now a

museum with ACD and other makes displayed.)

Aside from my British tinplate Minics, my favorite 1:43 diecast is the infamous Tucker.

I can vaguely remember as a child going to The St. Louis Arena to see the spectacular debut of this car sporting three headlights.

Here are two photos.

Lew Schneider

While my cutoff year is 1936, I agree. Because of the Depression many Model T's saw extended use well beyond their years. For a number of years the selection of early American models from Europe was very good. Years ago, the choices started drying up. I personally have not seen any marginal examples of prewar automobiles offered by any manufacture in a long, long time. This is my opinion.

Here are the Deco streamliner photos I promised in a previous post. Best viewed by clicking on the photo for a larger version.

Perhaps my all-time favorite, the Talbot Lago coupe by Figoni & Falaschi. Model by Spark.

Another French design, the Delage Labourdette race car. It was not successful on the track. If my shaky reading of French text is correct, the V12 was prone to valve float at high RPM, resulting in a piston hitting a valve. 

And the Bugatti Atlantic. Only three of this version were made. All are still in existence. The black one was restored by designer Ralph Lauren at a cost in excess of a million dollars. The Bugatti actually was much overrated as a car. It was fast, light, and beautiful - but Ettore Bugatti never figured out how to seal a head gasket, so the heads were not removable. Doing a valve job on a Bug was a nightmare. The brakes were all but useless - Bugatti was quoted as saying, "I make my cars to go, not to stop." A gorgeous car, but frightening to drive and impossible to maintain.

Moving across the Rhine, we have the Mercedes-Benz Autobahn-Kurier. Despite its 5.4 liter supercharged engine, it was so heavy that it wasn't all that fast. Very few were built. Not as streamlined as the French cars, it has a certain sinister charm about it. You can easily picture it in a black and white movie, speeding along the Autobahn on some mysterious mission.

Prewar BMW's were also quite attractive and elegant. Here are three: a 327 cabriolet, a 327 coupe, and a 335 sedan.

Delahaye, Delage, Voisin, Bugatti (it is amazing that he built those cars with drag-your-feet mechanical brakes), Isotta Fraschini, Hispano Suiza....only the last two

seen possibly in New York or Hollywood...the rest, rarely, at Pebble Beach car show,

and never on the American road when new.  I am assuming the recently (currently?)

produced Bugatti Veyron has/had better brakes?  F & F styling on questionable French

mechanics, mirrors today, when there is fantastic Italian styling on chasses, priced into

the twilight zone, I would not trust to drive from Maine to San Diego.  I just went into

some of the brands of 1/43rd, and they are loaded with across the pond exotics, and

even European mistakes like the Yugo, and a long list of Iron Curtain cars, but few or no American cars your neighbors own/owned.  There is a fairly good selection of 1950-

60 American cars, if you search all the brands.

WD,

   A timely thread for me, I just picked up a solid Brass WWII/Viet Nam era Deuce and a half at an antique booth, it has become my favorite O gauge Truck very quickly, even looks like it spent time in the Viet Nam jungle or the South Pacific in WWII.

PCRR/Dave

I'm a huge fan of the antique trucks from Corgi. They're cloer to the proper scale than many other offerings.

Heres a few, if I wasn't spending most of my money on trains I would collect them all. The NYC Mack tractor trailer tops my list of favorites.

WOW SWH, your layout could have it's own Concour D'Elegance!

Azgary

I think my all around favorite is the Franklin Mint 1959 Ford Skyliner with the retractable hardtop. I have 3 of them displayed top up/down/halfway. On my layout, the driver is doing a demo for a group of onlookers. If you are lucky, you can find one on eBay for under $80..