[REVIEW] Tomica Mazda Cosmo Sport

Tomica time again, which more often than not also makes a nice Land of the Rising Sun-day. Today we examine an early Tomica model of a once-ignored car that is now respected. This is Tomica 16-1, the Mazda Cosmo Sport. This casting entered the range in June 1971, and remained until November 1974. It is a good example of the early days of the brand:

As one can see with the old wheels, this is an early model - I am one of the older people here, I think, and the production run ended a couple years before I was born. Scale is a claimed 1:60, likely accurate. Not small scale, but the model is somewhat dainty, as the 1:1 is smaller in person than it might look in pictures. Although it is early, the model still features the springy suspension, crisp glazing, and (mildly) snappy door action we all admire about Tomica. From all angles, it is a nice piece:

Doors open to reveal a detailed interior:

Front and rear have similar detail. The cast-in “Cosmo” and “Mazda” badges at front and rear are a nice touch:

The base has ample detail and is metal, as was the style of the time:

This model is lucky enough to live in its original black box:

Another casting I definitely feel fortunate to have in my collection. I like the 1:1 car, so having this makes it all the better:

A few 1:1s, from autoevolution.net and me - a couple months ago, one of these actually turned up at a highline specialty dealer near me. White seems to be the color for this car: