57 Bel Airs in every scale
The 57 Bel Air is synonymous with American pop culture in the same frame as baseball, Corvettes, apple pie and Elvis. But more than a symbol of Americana, it stands as an icon of car design. It was designed at a time when excessive chrome was the standard. Yet, it displayed only subtle flash. The car swept back exuding grace and seduction. It's a car that should grace every collector's shelf.
Let's start small. While the 57 Bel Air isn't a particularly small car, the 1:64 models will easily park on your desktop without taking up much space. Hot Wheels and Matchbox both have the models for the least amount of cash. 150-300 taka should get you either although the MBX model isn't that readily available in Bangladesh. Detail isn't perfect but it will get you started. The MBX version comes as a convertible or a classic hotrod with flip forward hood featuring a blown engine.
A little more detail can be had with the M2 cars. You can get them with opening hood/doors or just a closed shell car. Prices average for $5-10 or 600-900taka if you find it here. I personally prefer the closed shell as the lines are clear and straighter. With opening doors, there will be massive panel gaps and unevenness. Kinda like the actual car.
For 1:24 scale you can opt for the Jada. Yep, that's right - Jada occasionally, rarely makes a model right. This is well-proportioned and detail is average. Other options include M2, available for about $25 online. If you want the best in this scale, nothing beats Danbury Mint. But you also have to be able to mint some money if you want to buy it, because it will cost you a cool $50-100 depending on the body style.
For the 1:18 scale, Motormax and ERTL make excellent value for money models. Opening hood, doors, suspension but closed trunk. Don't understand why as there is plenty of space for adding trunk hinge. Prices average $25. One odd thing about the Motormax Bel Air is how the door opens. It is spring hinge mounted so it opens inside the front fender like most modern cars. But the real car opens its doors like most toy cars: swing out and away from the fender.
The ultimate 57 Bel Air would be the 1:12 version made by Danbury Mint. Fully working cloth convertible top, working windows, working brake lights that glow when the brake pedal is pressed and removable hubcap and wheels. That's just a few of the options that will cost a cool $495 form their site.
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