For a while, Dutch model maker NEO’s models were woefully hard to get here in the States. Then along came Stateside distributor-cum-storefront American Excellence, and things got better – just in time for cars like this 1:43 1966 S&S Ambulance.
Sure, it looks familiar, especially to anyone who’s seen (or even better, owns) the 1:18 diecast model of the same car from the late, lamented Precision Miniatures. I do, and I was impressed at this resin-bodied version’s doting approach to minutia, with photoetched wiper arms and metal window frames, plus sharp castings for the grille, door handles, and hard trim, all rolling (well, standing, anyway) on tidy twin-striped whitewall tires. The relief painted grille and mosquito-sized badging and Cadillac scripts add a heap of “real” to the mix. Inside, the model’s even more remarkable, with a full cabin that’s complete to the dash and steering wheel, bench seats, oxygen bottles, and a fabric-covered gurney.
I love scale fidelity and I love being “wowed” even more. NEO’s delivered both in heavy doses. Taken alongside this maker’s other models of full-sized American cars, I think the wee meat wagon will get more professional car collectors (collectors who love ambulances, cop cars, and workaday rides) interested in this scale – stat.
www.american-excellence.com
[nggallery id=48]
