Poster Poser

Those my age would know this;
As a little boy, the exotic wedge fast shape is an ultimate dream ride.
The menacing look even captures the childhood fondness of robots then.
I remember my classmate would draw this endlessly until he masters the car's details.
Most of us would have pictures of it. A poster is the ultimate on the wall décor.
Ah those were the days!


Reliving that age of naïve automotive amazement is embodied in this heavy 1:43 diecast.

Bandai Lamborghini Countach

Tale of Two Gamas

Side-by-side feature

1969 is a peculiar year.
For one it has two numbers flipped.
That year was the release also of two peculiar cars;
the quad-lamped VW 411 and the VW Porsche 914.
Noticed too, that two of their numbers are similar,
yet flipped in arrangement. Coincidence?

The mother of peculiarity is that these two shared the same
4-cylinder Type4 engine!

The VW 411, the very first 4-door VW mid-size sedan

Very first VW to sport MacPherson front strut/rear coil
suspension and first to use monocoque body.

Love the opening features of old 1:43.

When Gamas were still labeled ‘Western Germany’ products.


The 914, the very first official joint venture car of VW & Porsche.

Very first mid-engined production car for Porsche.

Operable parts are appealing in 1:43, including pop-up lamps and removable top.

Made, prior to the unification of Germany. So Cool.

Tale of Two Blue Tails

Side-by-side feature

Back in the mid-70’s a kin who resided in Canada, sent boxed packages of assortments. One box contained all toys for the little ones; me, my sibling and cousins were delighted about the gifts. All of these toys were new to us then and didn’t even know they existed. Among other presents that I got, was a Corgi Whizzwheels Porsche 917 in metallic blue. The streamlined, long-tail and slender shaped car garnered my admiration from then on. A treasured diecast; having the distinction of starting my love affair with Porsche.

Three and half decades later, an admiration was rekindled. This time, a short-tail version of the 917 caught my fondness. It’s by Pilen of Spain, in heavy casted 1/43. The significance of it being my very first Porsche Gulf livery model!

Two treasured blue-tails

My very first Porsche diecast, the 917L




My very first Gulf Porsche, the 917K

Green Peace

One of the well loved stories in VW history is how the British helped saved the marque from oblivion after WWII. Ivan Hirst, the British Army Major was regarded a prominent and very important figure in this period. He believed in the Beetle and this foresight eventually allowed the VW Bug to be what it is right now, an icon of peace and universality, totally turning around its infamous past. Incidentally soon after rebuilding part of the ravaged car factory, a Beetle was instructed to be painted green by Hirst for presentation to the British Army. This paved the way for the restarting and manufacturing of the vital orders of 20,000 Bugs, thus resurrecting the VW margue and the rest they say, is history.

By the way, a huge part of those vital first orders of VW’s were use for patrol cars and government use during postwar and peace-time Germany. Could this be the reason why the Duetsche Polizei cars are now in green/white combination? A British racing green on the VW is a testament to this? Maybe?

I do have a charming example of this VW Polizei car in this color combination. A good coincidence is that this is a ‘Corgi’ brand diecast. Made courtesy of the….British of course.

The front wheels steer via the ring hub around the blue siren light.

The trunk opens to reveal a par of boots. Two policemen are on board. Love those gems as headlights!

The 1200cc motor can be admired from the opened deck lid. A neat touch is that the mudguards have VW logos!