Brookfield Collector’s Guild 1:12 1995 Dodge Ram 2500

Now to the meat and potatoes of the three parts of the large Dodge Ram collection and this one will take over the Nylit as the largest Ram in my collection, and it’s an unusual scale size for Brookfield Collector’s Guild to produce.

Brookfield Collector’s Guild is best known for making diecast and plastic promotional models in 1:25 scale and most of them from the Chrysler brand during their resurgence in style and technology in the 1990’s.  What is interesting is how far they went with this 1:12 scale Ram and it was one of their last promotional models for Chrysler before turning into Action and creating only NASCAR models.  The 1:12 scale line is a very elite group of models normally reserve for exotic cars like the Ford GT concept or the Ferrari F40, but this is likely the first to be done on a full-size pickup truck.  Limited to 3,000 units these are very hard to come by for their sheer size and when they do they cost a premium on the secondary market.  I got mines for about $110 and every pound of this truck is worth it!  It measures 22 inches long and dwarfs any 1:18 scale vehicle, even truck, that comes in its way.  All are painted red with silver lower two-tone and all are SLT Laramie models in regular cab, long bed 2500 trim with four-wheel drive and V-10 motor.  The front has a large chrome grille with detailed honeycomb pattern and Ram badge, clear headlights and signal lights to the sides, and a lower gray bumper with chrome center piece.

On the sides the separate chrome trim stretches the beltline, as does a pinstripe along the upper portion, SLT badges on the B-pillars, and chrome mirrors that are separate from the black retainer and can be taken off for easy storage of the truck (my tester came with one of the chrome tabs on the passenger-side mirror broken off, yet the mirror could still be attached though at a slight angle).  At the rear the taillights are clear red with black trim surround, tailgate with black trim and Dodge badging, and chrome bumper.  The tailgate opens to a large bed that has enough room to even swallow a 1:32 scale vehicle and is constructed of separate fenders and floor components all in metal with detailed cargo hooks in the bed.  Did I mention weight?  This truck weighs 15 Ibs and must be packaged in a styrofoam container that holds the truck and in order to handle the truck use one hand to grab the top of the cab and the other hand to balance the rear axle as the weight of the rear can take it off your hand in a jiffy!  The wheels are chrome torque wheels with separate center caps and Goodyear rubber tires on a proper stance for a 4x4 truck.  The hood opens up to show off the mighty 8.0L V-10 motor with a 3D block in silver with black valve covers and visible exhaust headers, silver intake manifold with V10 badge and gray air cleaner box, coil pack on the right valve cover, drive belt with fan and surround accessories, radiator hoses, battery, and fluid resovoirs.

The chassis really shows off the fine detailing of this casting and what supports all of that weight.  The frame is mounted to the bed and cab with screws and is made out of metal, the steering system uses a sturdy rack and pinion design to handle the weight of the truck, the rear axle is made of metal and is supported by leaf springs with no working suspension to handle the heavy weight of the truck, and a full-size spare tire.  The fuel tank and driveshaft is large, the exhaust system is a separate component with a gold tint, the transfer case has a metal shield to protect it, and the front axle is just as beefy as the rear with large control links and visible engine detailing underneath.  The only odd area is the transmission that lacks the oil pan detailing common with automatic transmission models.  The doors open to an interior with seating for three in a bench seat that has a fold-down center console and seat belt buckles.  The floor has fuzz carpet found on high-end large-scale models yet lacks a headliner despite the detailed sunvisors and rearview mirror.  The door panels have detailed handles, switches, and open map pockets; the floor also has pedals and transfer case shifter, and the dashboard has a dashboard with a separate black trim piece for the center radio and HVAC controls, detailed gauges, and a two-spoke steering wheel.  I find it odd with all of the detailed steering stalk controls the transmission column shifter is not one of them.

This is one epic truck that is something to see and you’ll probably never see anything like it again and if you do it will be either really high-priced (around $500 or more) or some parts of the casting will have more plastic than metal.  Now for those who don’t have the cash or space to afford your own 1:12 scale Dodge Ram then take a look at a better alternative from Universal Hobbies whose sole truck casting is this 1994 Dodge Ram 2500 in 1:43 scale.  The truck comes in many colors but I went for the brown with silver lower two-tone and it has chrome front and rear bumpers, detailed lighting, chrome grille, and chrome exterior mirrors along with the correct badging and side trim details just like the 1:12 scale truck above.  The difference is size as it’s a more manageable 1:43 scale and it weights much less than the heavy 1:12 scale.  The 5-spoke torque chrome wheels with rubber tires continue here but sit much lower than the 1:12 in stance and the base shows off why: this is a two-wheel drive truck with a independent front suspension and all of the detailing is there encased in a black plastic tray with the exception of the chrome wheel on the spare tire and the silver exhaust system.  There are no opening parts and the bed area is actually made out of plastic than metal, while the interior has all of the correct seat, dashboard, steering wheel, and door panel detailing of the actual truck all in one color.  Aside from the rather bland color the only other complaint is the rear taillights that have amber color in the lower red section and no silver for the reverse lamps.  Otherwise this is a nice alternative for those who want the crisp detailing of the 1994 Ram 2500 without the mass and space occupation of 1:18 and 1:12 scales to deal with.