FUTURE MEMORY | TOYS & MODELS

Scale model of a double-deck bus, the London Bus , made by  Tomica . This example is reference F15, included in the "Tomica Foreign" series. It is made in Japan, introduced in 1977. Metal body painted in red, with paper stickers placed on the sides, showing the advertisement "£ 1/2 million VERNONS" and the identification of the London route "94–Orpington". Red plastic base. Glazing represented in transparent plastic. Interior details in white plastic on the lower floor and transparent plastic on the upper floor. Plastic wheels with "chrome" details simulating the rims (1H). With suspension. The nominal scale is 1:130 and the overall length is approximately 3 in. About 2 oz. This model represents a double-deck bus used in urban services, a Daimler Fleetline , introduced in 1960. Although identified as a London bus, some aspects of its configuration remind me of versions bodied by Metal Sections , intended for the Asian market—but I might be compl...

Scale model of a bus, the Greyhound Bus MC-8 , made by  Tomica . This example is reference F49, included in the "Tomica Foreign" series. It is made in Japan, introduced in 1979. Metal body painted in metallic gray, with paper stickers on the sides, decorated in blue, white and red, including the inscriptions "AMERICRUISER" and "GREYHOUND®", as well as the traditional figure of a running greyhound; white plastic roof, with a plastic sticker, harmonizing with the decoration on the sides. Base in black plastic. Glazing represented in green tinted transparent plastic with molded details. Interior details are formed as part of the window molding, in green tinted transparent plastic; at the ends, they are formed as part of the body molding, in metal. Plastic wheels with "chrome" details simulating the rims (1H). No suspension. License plate "GB49". The nominal scale is 1:156 and the overall length is approximately 3.1 in. About 1.5 oz. This m...

Scale model of a bus, the Carpenter School Bus , made by  Tomica . This example is reference F5, included in the "Tomica Foreign" series. It is made in Japan, between 1976 and 1980. Metal body painted in yellow, with printed details on the sides, including the inscription "SCHOOL BUS". Base in black plastic. Glazing represented in transparent plastic with a molded detail in the windshield. Interior details in red plastic. Plastic wheels with "chrome" details simulating the rims (1H). With suspension. The nominal scale is 1:108 and the overall length is approximately 3.1 in. About 1.7 oz. This model represents a school bus , possibly based on a Carpenter Classic mounted on an International Loadstar Schoolmaster chassis. As a kid, after receiving the lovely Isuzu Bonnet Bus in my garage, I started paying more attention to all the buses that were appearing in toy store windows. And this Carpenter School Bus, produced by Tomica between 1976 and 1980, didn...