[REVIEW] Tomica Toyota Hilux 4WD

Tomica time again - today we examine a Tomica pickup. This is Tomica 61-3, the Toyota Hilux 4WD. This 4x4 entered the range in May, 1981, and was made for several years, with numerous liveries. As expected, it is a nicely detailed casting:

This is a pretty cool truck, with the red roll bar and appropriate hood graphics (sticker). This could almost be a Marty McFly special, but this truck is a 3rd gen Hilux, the kind made until 1983, where his is the next model. This exact casting has round headlights, which for the NA market means it is pre-1982 in design. Scale is claimed to be 1:62, which looks accurate. This casting has all of the fine detail we associate with Tomica of this era, along with springy suspension, snappy door action, and crisp glazing. As expected, there is plenty of detail from all angles:

Doors open to reveal a detailed interior with accurate steering wheel:

The front and rear also have exceptional detail - the accurate “Toyota” font on the tailgate is a great touch:

Base is metal for rugged heft, detail is considerable:

It lives in a nice black box:

A very cool 80s 4x4 that I am happy to have in my collection:

And real examples, from pirate4x4.com, yotatech.com, and cardomain - these are a cult item on the west coast, I see them now and then. My brother had a later run 2WD of this generation until last year, when a friend who borrowed the truck (of course) put it in a ditch on an icy morning. Cool old trucks once neglected and destroyed now being preserved: