Maisto 1:43 1975 VW 1303 Beetle Cabriolet, Kinsmart Lamborghini Huracan, and Welly Jaguar F-type Coupe

Here are three pullback vehicles in 1:43 scale that have been reviewed here before as 1:64 scale models from other diecast manufacturers, yet these three offer more details and some impressive color palettes.

Maisto VW Beetle Cabriolet

It is hard to believe that this Maisto VW Beetle convertible is a very old casting has served the Maisto line for many years with the top in the up or down position and has also battled many beetle convertible competitors.  The difference here is that Maisto went for the latter years of the Beetle, the 1975 version, with more modern and unique touches.  For starters Maisto developed a new wheel design to replace the old and somewhat awkward 5-spoke wheels used on this car since the 1990’s with new, larger, and more classic steel wheels that are a perfect fit to this car.  The red paint also looks good and gives off a classic look to the beetle, while up front there’s a chrome bumper, split hood design, and round headlights that could use some detailed silver trim rings (I resolved that!).  From the sides the new wheels look good with the flared fenders, black running boards, and one-piece windshield, though the door window vents are part of the metal body and are not see-through so I added some black to make it look at least like a window.  The rear has a nice thick convertible top that leads down to the vented engine cover, 1303 badge, VW license plate, tri-taillight colors, and a chrome bumper with dual exhausts.  The base does not show much, but the big surprise is the interior that keeps the four seating arrangement without any pullback motor interference, especially in the rear seat.  The seats have the detailed ribbed pattern, the door panels have the detailed arm rests and window cranks, the shifter on the floor is nice and big, the dashboard layout is modern with radio in the center and the later-model 4-spoke steering wheel.  Yup, this casting still has got some life in it and it looks better than ever!

Kinsmart Lamborghini Huracan

Even with the Hot Wheels version in 1:64 I wanted to get a larger scale for some better details, yet I do not want to go up to the space-stealing 1:18 and 1:24 scale so this Kinsmart version was the way to go.  I got the green color that looks nice and stands out, though it looks a bit flat in some areas.  The front has separate headlight covers with the V-shaped running lights inside and larger lower grille areas in black.  The sides feature a clean, sharp look with integrated vents after the rear doors, exterior mirrors, and blacked-out split 5-spoke wheels, though some jagged bodyline cuts are noticeable around the front wheelwells.  At the rear is a detailed engine cover with side vents, the rear open vent for the airbox, boomerang taillights next to the center black trim piece, and a lower diffuser that at last has chrome exhaust tips that I do not have to detail!  The engine cover shows off the V-10 motor nicely with the X-brace over the intake manifold, silver throttle plates, and V-10 badge on the air cleaner.  The doors open up conventionally to an interior with supportive front seats, 3-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel with large paddle shifters behind it, A/C vents that come out of the edge of the dashboard, and a lower center stack with radio and HVAC controls and the starter button for the engine.  Not that exciting, but it does look good for a low-end pullback toy and will work perfectly for those who like to see more details on a Huracan, but not at the expense of a larger scale model.

Welly Jaguar F-type Coupe

The F-type coupe has been a sporty icon for Jaguar with excellent engine notes and sleek lines carried on into other Jaguar models.  After some bright color work it is now time for the famed British Racing Green color and this 1:43 pullback version has got it, though it would really pop out more with a tan interior.  The front has clear headlight covers with detailed black lens plate, but lacks any lighting detail so I had to add them myself, black grille with Jaguar logo, and side scoops that I had to add black to make them stand out.  As you’ll see the car comes plain so there was a lot of additional details added to make the car look more realistic, like the hood scoops or the front fender scoops.  The side profile shows off the sleek coupe profile and a nice upkick of the lower side sills and 6-spoke wheels on rubber tires, while the rear has the sleek F-type taillights, rear spoiler with Jaguar badge, and quad exhausts that pop out next to the reverse lamps.  The sunroof on top looks nice, but is mostly a black filler panel as the roof is full metal underneath, while the base shows off the rear suspension and dual exhaust layout.  The interior offers excellent details starting with the two front sport seats, the flat-bottomed 3-spoke steering wheel, detailed center stack controls and shifter on the center console.  If only it comes in a lighter color than black because that would be the key component in making this car stand out.