1:24 Mecha-Doc Animation 40th Subaru 360 w/Jun Kazami Figure Special Ver.

A kei car from a comic about car mechanics

The Subaru 360 was the first truly mass-market Japanese car: a two-stroke twin at the rear, a weight of barely four hundred kilograms and a rounded body that is called the ladybug at home. It was precisely a little car like this that became one of the icons of the animated series about a workshop crew, which made its mark on the world of the automotive comic in the 1980s and for whose fortieth anniversary this package came about. Besides the car, a figure of one of the characters is in the box, which makes the set more of a little scene than a standalone model.

The make-up of the package

The basis is sprues of injection-molded plastic with the body, the underside, the interior and the wheels, with them a clear molding for the glazing and a decal sheet with markings in the style of the original. The figure comes as a separate group of parts; with figures of this scale the body tends to be divided into the torso, the limbs and the head so that the pose can be set. The instructions deal with the car and the figure separately.

What to get ready

Not a single drop of paint waits inside, and with the figure that matters more than with the car itself: the flesh tones and the clothing are done with a brush and the shades are mixed according to the pattern on the box. The little car is small against an ordinary model, so the seams stand out and it pays to fill them. Neither a display case nor a base belongs in the delivery, although with a little scene with a character they would come in handy. Anyone who wants to take the scene further adds a base of his own with a piece of paving or a workshop floor; tool accessories that have nothing to do with this package but suit the theme are separate items. The build of the car itself is short and even a less experienced hand will manage it.