Flatbed Haulers, Part 2: Jada Toys VW and Ford Flatbed's

Jada Toys, once the company that populated the toy isles with the Dub City cars with big rims, metallic paint, low ride height, now lays low but still produces product lines each year.  During the course of a decade Jada has released a few flatbed trucks.  There's the 1:18 scale International 4400 Flatbed, or these two 1:64 scale trucks.

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1940 Ford Flatbed:  Cool and Classic

Fast Bed Hauler isn't the first flatbed to be based on a customized early 20th century one-ton truck, this would have to go to Jada Toys.  The first flatbed was a big deal and appropriately fits right into the D-Rodz line of street rods.  The two-tone paint looks incredible, the front end is low to the ground, the big wheels fill the wheel wells, the exhaust exit the sides underneath the bed, and chrome front grille with separate headlights are nice (though the headlights shown in the pictures are placed cross-eyed on my version).  The interior is standard fare with bench seat, large 3-spoke wheel, and appropriate dashboard details.  Now for the flatbed:  it's a color-matching sliding tray that features a chrome diamond-plate tracks.  The ramp slides back and forth to fit varying vehicle length's, yet it doesn't tilt down for loading.  Also the ramp lacks any support to hold vehicles in place.  Then again the flatbed does a good job not only holding Hot Wheels 1:64 cars but also Jada's own 1:64 cars, which are larger in scale than the Hot Wheels versions.  The flatbed got more use later on, including an interesting rusted out look for the For Sale series a few years later.

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VW Bus Flatbed:  Now for something odd

On the other side is one peculiar and odd piece from the V-Dubz series:  A VW Transport Pickup with a flatbed trailer!  It looks so odd, but so cool at the same time.  The ramp is the same as the '40 Ford, but now tilts down for easier loading.  The Bus, painted in this fabulous blue, looks sharp with the accurate detailing all-around the vehicle, the Bus sits very close to the ground on large color-matching VW hubcap wheels, and dual exhaust poke out at the rear.  Inside the interior very familiar to any VW bus with bus-like steering wheel and correct dash layout.  Again, just like the '40 Ford, the flatbed does an excellent job holding smaller 1:64 diecast and also the larger Jada 1:64 vehicles.  The biggest question is the engine:  What powers this six-wheel bus???  It seems like the flat-4 is still there, but the motor would have a hard time hauling heavier vehicles on the flatbed.  Still it's one cool looking piece, and I must say I love the color on this Bus a whole lot!

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