Here’s the good thing about OTTO’s 1:18 models: they’re killer. They are cars you’ll never see in diecast, not even if you reach a Methuselian age. Here’s the bad part: They usually sell out. Fast. And it is with both of those statements in mind that we present this outstanding little Volkswagen “Caddy” pickup. Sold here as the Rabbit Pickup (built in Westmoreland, PA), the Caddy was a tough little number that married the utilitarian front-drive Rabbit’s front end to a reasonably usable pickup bed – and allowed the buyer to have any of the Rabbit’s trims and engines put in that forward half, including either a diesel or gas four-cylinder, wrapped in either “LX” or “Sportruck” schemes. In scale, this immaculate white Caddy had us literally laughing as it came out of its box; it’s just so cute and well done that we’ve kept it within reach since then. The paint is perfect, and the casting is, too. Crisp, sharp, and smooth, and decorated with crystal-clear lensing and great tamped-on trim, the model is set onto four exquisite wheels and equally well-done tires, all built onto a surprisingly detailed resincast chassis. The interior is fully fleshed out, and the overall impression, from the VW roundel in the grille to the hollowed-out exhaust tip, is one of remarkable quality and not just a few fond memories. It’d be great to park this alongside its contemporaries — a Subaru BRAT or Ford Courier, maybe even a Chevy LUV, in scale. What say you, OTTO? – Joe Kelly, Jr.
1:18 | app. $135, shipped
