Heavyweight 1955 Chevrolet Convertible

I am pleased to see that Ertl’s 1:18 scale American muscle die-cast cars are still being sold, these days under the Autoworld banner. They were always well proportioned, nicely painted and while relatively simple in construction, were worthy of display, rather than being seen as toys. I see that the 1955 Chevy Bel Air Convertible is still around, offered in a variety of colour combinations, including this Gypsy Red and India Ivory two-tone. In common with other cars in the series, it has a detailed 265cu in V8 engine, steerable front wheels, an accurate interior and chassis, opening doors and bonnet. It also benefits from the optional and, at the time, quite rare, continental kit, which mounted the spare wheel on to an external bracket and extended the rear bumper accordingly. These models sell at around £80 from online retailers, such as McLaren Models.