[REVIEW] Tomica Honda Civic GL

Tomica time again, which always coincides with Land of the Rising Sunday. Today we examine an earlier casting similar to a prior review. This is Tomica 83-1, the Honda Civic GL. This casting entered the range in January 1974, and remained in the lineup until October 1977. It features the quality and detail one expects from Tomica of this vintage:

One may recognize this model name, I previously reviewed a later variant of this car:

Today’s featured model is the first version. Sitting on old wheels, this was probably made before 1977, I believe. Scale claims to be 1:57, and this is believable - the real car is small, so it is scaled up a little to give it presence. From all angles, the quality is apparent, with many cast-in details, and nicely applied paint in a metallic gold color that is appropriate for the era. Of course, this has the springy suspension, snappy door action, and crisp glazing found on Tomica of this era:

Like with most Tomica of the time, there is also an interior with good detail and an accurate steering wheel:

Front and rear also have considerable detail:

The base is metal, which adds heft and has good detail to match the rest of the car:

This is another loose model which I am pleased to have in my collection. This casting isn’t rare, but I think it is harder to find with old wheels than later issues. These were also sold as Pocket Cars, so mint loose versions aren’t unknown and aren’t terribly expensive. It’s a nice piece which fits well with other Tomica of the era:

A couple 1:1s from hondareference.com and autotrader.ca: