Modern-Era Vehicles

For those modeling the modern-era (I'd say 80s to present) have you had much luck with finding vehicles for your layouts? I know Atlas has some F-150s, Taurus, etc... and Kato has some Toyota-ish types.

I know there are some castings but to be honest I am a bit intimidated by the thought of detailing something that small.

 

There are Mini Coopers,Audis, Smart For 2, Mercedes,from Herpa and Wiking I think. Also check out EBay for a Japanese store that sells Japanese cars in 1/150 scale that are very nice. I wish we could get Classic Metal Works to do some modern cars.
Jeff

 

Will Models (also an Ebay store) has some great late model one piece castings, and they are not intimidating. They just need paint . . .

 

Philp,
I'll second that about willmodels.
I just bought a few recently as my curiosity got the best of me.
These castings rock! Of the four kits I picked up, not one bubble or blemish!

Minor cutting, sanding and fitting and then paint!

Allen...

 

This list was posted on the Atlas Forum nearly three years ago:

Plastic injection molded N scale models of automobiles, vans, SUVs and light trucks in which a prototype with the same body style as the model sold as a new model in the U.S. and/or Canada one or more years from 1985 to the present.

Atlas Ford Taurus (1996 – 1999; slight styling changes for 1998-99)
Atlas Ford F-150 (mid 1996 – 2003; also available as a Heritage Edition model in 2004)
Atlas Ford Explorer (1993 – 1995; similar to 1991-1992)
Busch Mercedes ML Class (1997 – 2001; similar to 2002-2005)
Busch Smart Fortwo (1998 – 2007 for “gray market” in U.S.)
Busch Mercedes C Class (2001 – 2007; slight styling changes for 2005-07)
Busch Audi A4 sedan (2002 – 2005)
Busch Audi A4 station wagon (2002 – 2005)
Busch Volkswagen Quantum station wagon (1981 – 1988)
Fleischmann BMW 7 Series (1979 – 1986)
Fleischmann Mercedes 190 (1984 – 1983)
Fleischmann Porsche 928/928S (1977 – 1986)
Herpa BMW 3 Series E46 (mid 1998 – 2001)
Herpa Mercedes CLK (1998 – 2002)
Herpa Volkswagen Passat (mid 1998 – 2005)
Herpa Porsche 911 (1999 – 2004)
Herpa Volkswagen Golf IV (1999 – 2005)
Herpa MINI Cooper S (2002 – 2007)
Herpa Mercedes B Class (2006 – present in Canada)
Herpa (old IMU) Ferrari F40 (1990 – 1992)
Kato Lexus RX 300 (1998 – 2002)
Kato Lexus IS 300 (mid 2000 – 2005)
Kato Toyota Previa (1991 – 1997)
Rietze Audi A4 (1996 – 2001)
Rietze Audi A6 station wagon (1998 – 2004)
Wiking Mercedes SL Class (1990 – 2001)
Wiking Volkswagen T4 Eurovan (1992 – 2003)
Wiking Mercedes E Class (1996 – 2002)
Wiking Porsche Boxter (1997 – 2005)
Wiking Volkswagen New Beetle (mid 1998 – 2005; similar to 2006-present)
Wiking Audi A6 sedan (1998 – 2004)
Wiking Volkswagen Passat (mid 1998 – 2005)
Wiking Mercedes G Class (2002 – present; 1979-2001 for “gray market”)
Wiking BMW 3 Series (1985 – 1987)
Wiking Ferrari 348ts (1989 – 1994)
Wiking Mercedes 260/300 (1986 – 1995)
Wiking Merkur XR4Ti (1985 – 1987)
Wiking Volkswagen Golf III (1993 – 1998)

Cast Metal

GHQ Chevrolet Suburban (1981 – 1987)
GHQ Chevrolet C Series pickup (1981 – 1987)
GHQ Chevrolet G Series van (1985 – 1996)
GHQ Dodge Caravan (1988 – 1990)
GHQ Ford Taurus (1989 – 1991)
GHQ Ford F-150 (1992 – 1996)
GHQ Ford F-350 (1992 – 1998)
GHQ Porsche 928/928S (1977 – 1986)
GHQ Porsche 911 (1984 – 1993)
GHQ Porsche 944 Turbo (1986 – 1989)

These Wiking models were released after the original post on the Atlas Forum in 2009.

Wiking Volkswagen Tiguan (Mid 2008 – present)
Wiking Volkswagen Passat (2006 – present)
Wiking Volkswagen T5 (similar to second generation 6 cylinder T4 1996 – 2003)

You can find photos of many of these models in my Rail Images gallery.

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/ppuser/6278/username/cfritschle

Carter

 

Thanks for all the info everyone!

 

I was talking to Promotex (The Herpa distributer in Canada) on Thursday and he had told me that the N-Scale molds were leased and the lease ran out a year ago. What is in stock at Promotex is the last of the N-Scale cars. No one seams to know where the molds were leased from and how to get them back. So, when stock runs out, they are gone.

 

Bob,

I wonder if that applies to all the models on the list, or only the ones released around the 1999 - 2000 or earlier time frame.

I ask this because last year Herpa released the Opel Manta B and the NSU Sport Prinz. Three new models from Herpa, the Opel Kadett B, Fiat Panda and McCormick D 326 farm tractor are being released now! Another farm tractor, the Deutz D40 L was released in 2010.

The more recent releases have been very similar in quality to the MINI Cooper, which was released in 2004 or 2005, and the Mercedes B Class, which was released in 2006. However, the tooling for the earlier models is not up to today's standards.

Herpa also acquired the Roco Minitank line, which I thought included the tooling.

Carter

 

Can't say Carter. Axel @ Promotex told me that they lost the lease on the molds and the remaining stock was it. Since I had bee calling about HO-Scale Peterbilts for a new project, I did not get any further into the details.

 

I am thinking he was refering to IMU tooling that was released under Promotex. Those were on lease.

 

Daniel,

That makes the most sense, although I could see with all of the problems in China, the automobiles released in the 1999-2000 time frame could go out of production as well.

Carter