[REVIEW] Tomica Chevrolet Chevyvan

Tomica time again, this time we examine a cult vehicle from times past. This is Tomica F23-1, the Chevrolet Chevyvan (as Tomica calls it). This casting entered the range in September 1977, and remained until July 1979 - heady days for the custom van craze. It’s exactly what one expects from Tomica of the time:

Detail is abundant from all angles. There is an interior, but nothing opens - I guess the play value here is simply that it is a flashy big van. Of course, it has the springy suspension and crisp glazing we expect from vintage Tomica, along with quality tampos. Scale is a claimed 1:78, and is likely accurate - these were large vehicles. There were also fire and ambulance-themed variants of this casting (as 22-1), but I find the civilian variants more exciting. This looks fine on button wheels, but this paint scheme also exists on wide wheels, for a cool racy look. Definitely a period piece:

Similarly good detail at front and rear:

The base is metal, typical for the era, and has good detail, along with adding heft and a quality feel:

Another unboxed model I am happy to have in my collection. I like the hockey stick style tampo on this. I also have a boxed one with a different tampo, more for upcoming reviews. This is also quite a common casting - it was no doubt aimed at the NA market, and sold widely as a Pocket Cars. I suspect if one looks, loose mint ones can be found for $10 or less. There are 11 variations of the civilian version in my reference book - some of them rare, but many not. If you want one, it won’t break the bank:

A 1:1 version of a “Chevy Van” (that was the actual name of the model range) from hotrodharrys.com: