Majorette Renault Twingo 3 and Welly 1:64 1950 Ford F-1 pickup

Here are two different sides of 1:64 scale models that are nicely done even if they are already done in diecast or just not that exciting to see, and both have some unique touches.

Majorette Renault Twingo 3

The Twingo by Renault is a strange car, designed as a stylish alternative to the typical compact tall hatches available in Europe. The first-generation had a more rounded appearance that stands out from the crowd, then muted itself down for the second-generation as a typical hatchback of the time. For the third-generation a unique design appears as it has a rear-mounted engine, all thanks to sharing a platform with the Smart FourTwo and FourFour cars. The engine is a 0.9 turbocharged I-3 mounted at a 45 degree angle to allow more space in the cargo area and produces 67 horsepower through a 5-speed manual or six-speed dual clutch automated manual. Unlike past generations this one uses a 5-door arrangement for easier access to the rear seat and even more room in the back as well. The front has seating for two with floor shifter and a dashboard that connects the radio and HVAC controls with the gauges as one unit. Outside styling was influenced by the first Twingo and the Renault 5 with a more sporty rally car look thanks to small foglights mounted just below the larger and clear headlights. More foglights can be found on the lower grille and the smaller one incorporates the Renault badges. The sides have a typical tall hatch profile with hidden rear door handles on the C-pillar, while the rear has a blacked-out hatch, large Twingo badge, detailed taillights, and vents on the rear bumper the only sign that this is not a front-engine car (speaking of which the engine is not air-cooled, but water-cooled). The Twingo’s length does hider what would be an otherwise sharp handling car of this size even though it would benefit from more power.

Specifications:

Engine: 0.9L DOHC turbo I-3, 67 hp.
Transmission: 5-speed manual, 6-speed DCT auto.
0-60 mph: 11.0 sec .est.
Real vehicle price: $19,000 est.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Welly 1950 Ford F-1 pickup

I’ve seen lots of Ford pickups in this era, mostly either 1948 or the 1953 bodystyles, but this 1950 from Welly is a nice contrast from the others with a fresh look combined with impressive details form Welly. The dark green truck looks good on solid silver steel wheels on plastic tires with a bold white, or more cream, colored grille with round headlights and detailed grille fins (my tester had an incident where the mold of the grille didn’t come off right and a little cut is noticeable in the center of the grille), upper chrome trim on the hood edge, and black bumpers that could be chrome but then again these basic trucks didn’t even have chrome back then. The sides show a typical pickup look with flared fenders, running boards, round cab roof, and detailed gas cap and door handles, while the rear has FORD on the tailgate and could benefit from a detailed taillight (I added this detail myself), but on the other hand look at the bed and notice a separate tan wood trim piece for the wood bed. Nice! The base shows off excellent details for the frame chassis with solid front and rear axles, the drivetrain, and even a spare tire at the rear, while the interior has a bench seat, 3-spoke steering wheel, gauges in the center of the metal dashboard, and 3-speed manual on the floor. The engine is a 239 CID V8 that produces 100 horsepower and gives ample power to move this truck and haul anything that comes its way. One of the reasons why this is such a nicely done casting is not because of Welly’s high detailed nature but also because this truck is also offered by Welly in 1:18 and 1:24 scales.