Anyone who’s ever collected toy cars has, at some point, wondered “Why didn’t they ever make a ________ ”? Whether the cars are obvious (Lincoln Mk II) or obscure (the list is endless…), there’s bound to be someone out there who wants to put one on the shelf.
But really, after seeing this picture, there’s no excuse anymore. Want a model that no one makes? Make it yourself! This is what Sini Pismestrovic did. Born in Croatia and living in Austria now, Pismestrovic is a Renaissance man (professional cartoonist, semi-pro footballer, computer site designer, Mazda fetishist, small-scale die-cast collector/customizer — and he’s only 30!) who was shocked to find a Citroën AX-sized hole in his diecast collection. Guiloy of Spain made one in the late ’80s/early ’90s, but it’s impossible to find, and clean versions go for an unrealistic amount of money at auction. Larger, more common 1:43-scale models were too big for his collecting tastes. So, using a drawing, putty, mustard tube, and bits and pieces from other die-cast cars (chassis and wheels, mostly), he slowly, methodically, built one up himself. Yeah. It’s sort of the equivalent of a kit car, except there was no kit to use as a basis.
He’s detailed the buildup on his website. Sniff around that site, and you can see how he’s also made models of the Mazda Protege and (overseas-only) Lantis, as well as a killer Zastava version of a Polistil Fiat, among many others.
Can you do better? Let’s see!