[REVIEW] Tomica Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL

Tomica time, always Land of the Rising Sun-day, is here again, if only by the maker of this model. Today we examine Tomica F7-1, the Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL. This casting entered the range in September 1976, and is a fine representation of this era of Tomica:

The W116, top of the line in normal production 70s MB sedans, now somewhat underappreciated as it is overshadowed by the more popular 108/109 and 126. Several makers had a W116, including Matchbox and Majorette, and Tomica’s entry is as good or better than any. As one would expect, there is ample fine line detail and good proportion, the soft pillar in the rear door is even captured acceptably - not an easy feat, most makers will just cast this in the window. Scale is claimed to be 1:67, likely accurate, and this even feels a little small, as the real world vehicle is anything but. This casting features the crisp glazing, springy suspension, and snappy door action we all enjoy from vintage Tomica. The silver on blue color scheme is one repeated many times in real life. From all angles, this is a high quality item for something marketed as a pocket money toy:

Doors open to reveal a detailed interior and accurate enough steering wheel:

Front and rear have similar quality detail, the sturdy hood ornament representation catching the eye:

The base is metal, which adds heft and contains ample technical and identifying detail:

No surprise, I am pleased to have this model in the loose section of collection.  I have a few of these, both boxed and loose - there are a number of variants of this casting, and it was sold as a Pocket Cars, so it is attainable.  It is no secret I am a fan of both old MBs and vintage Tomica, and this represents both perfectly:

A couple images of a nice 1:1 from ryanfriedmanmotors.com