[REVIEW] Tomica Jaguar XJ-S

Tomica Time, Land of the Rising Sun-Day, is here again. Today we bid farewell to this round of unboxed reviews with another one that fits the theme via the model maker. This is Tomica F68-1, the Jaguar XJ-S. This casting entered the range in October 1978, remaining until November 1980 (It was re-released later in the red box era), and is something of a looker:

Ah the XJ-S, an interesting design. It never followed a trend, so it didn’t really age, remaining in production with only relatively minor updates for 20 years. One of those cars that lures in people with its low exotic shape, and them plays with them via its sometimes dangerous quirks. Several makers had an XJ-S casting, and this has to be among the finest. This is another one I reviewed as one of my first postings, and am updating for the current format. This casting definitely doesn’t disappoint. Detail and proportion are laudable, with ample fine line casting detail everywhere, and accurate representation of the shape of this unique design. Scale is claimed to be 1:67, likely accurate. As this is golden age Tomica, this casting features the crisp glazing, springy suspension, and snappy door action we admire from Tomica from this era. The color even works well with the model and the period. From all angles, there’s no mistaking it for anything else:

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

Front and rear have similar quality detail. For whatever reason, Tomica decided to give it US spec lights:

The base is metal, typical of the era, and has technical and identifying detail:

No surprise I am pleased to have this model in my unboxed section. This is a pleasing piece, in a vibrant period color, and made with the highest quality imaginable for a model of this size and price point. This was also widely sold as a Pocket Cars, so if one wants their own example, it shouldn’t cause much pain. 70s chic:

A similar 1:1 from wikipedia and the dramatic rear angle from startsat60.com: