Cararama 1:72 and 1:76

[ianmacc]

Starting a thread on these and seeing where it goes.

 

Cararama cars were a very popular choice for layouts when they first hit the shelves back at the start of the century (feel old describing 2000 like that and not 1900)!

 

They were of course 1:72 not 1:76 but after the choice of lhd 1:87 or nothing for several decades they were welcomed.

 

I always took that scale with a pinch of salt. Their MG-B convertible for example is the same as the Oxford Diecast version so one is wrong. Also their earlier 50s beetle is much bigger than their 70s era one which is passable on a 00 layout. They do a Volvo 850 BMW E36 estate and Mercedes estate that are hot wheels sized but sold as 1:72.

 

I don’t have many Cararama cars at all now - just their Capri, 70s beetle and early Mini in woody, pickup and saloon. They don’t look too bad. Most of their offerings were brand new at the time 90s cars or exotica with no place on a British back street.

 

I know they’re too large for 00 in general but would be interested to know if anyone’s measured some of their more dubious offerings to see if they really are as oversized as they look.

[SRman]

The Cararama scales varied a bit from model to model; some are around 1:72 scale, whereas a few are actually 1:76, although not necessarily useful types for British layouts. I know one of the Chevrolets was to 1:76 scale.

However, all is not lost. I used to separate Matchbox (Lesney) cars according to scale, varying from 1:71 to 1:78, placing the larger cars at the front of the layout, and the smallest scale ones towards the back. You could do much the same with the Cararama cars. This is a form of perspective modelling, which can be taken much further if desired, scaling down to N scale (or smaller) in the background.

I once did a presentation to a group of modellers, demonstrating this principle. As long as the different sizes are separated a bit visually, the eye doesn't pick up those different scales. I used things like the Matchbox Ford Zephyr mk 3 (1:72) against the Husky Zephyr 3 estate (1:75), and an original Corgi MCW Metrobus I had detailed up a bit as a model rather than a toy (approx. 1:72 scale), against a much newer OOC Metrobus (1:76). In each case, because there are several scale 'steps' between the models, I separated them by around 9" to a foot, and nobody was able to detect the differences, simply because they were too far apart to allow the eye to directly compare them.

[Pete the Elaner]

I agree with the comment about exotica. Oxford Diecast have started to produce some more down to earth cars now but I feel that they have not gone quite all the way;

Mk3 Escort: XR3 but no 5 door hatch.

Mk2 Golf: GTi but no 5 door hatch

Mk1 Fiesta: XR2

 

These sporty models did sell quite well, but were very much outnumbered by the more basic models.

[PhilJ W]

The Cararama Mercedes S type is 1/76 scale and is/was more common on British roads than the Chevrolet. The Landrover Defender and the Transit van were 1/74 scale and could be mixed with 1/76 scale without looking out of place.

[John M Upton]

By coincidence I found one of their (at least I think its one of theirs) Mini estate. Is it just me or is it too long in the body?

[BernardTPM]

When they first came out myself and Mike Hill of Beacon Models did some joint research on this - he measured the models, I researched the real cars and we were then (generally*) able to work the scale out and they varied a lot! Unfortunately I don't seem to have the fullest lists we did (which are, I suspect, stuck on a dead disc drive) but they varied from 1:60.8 (the 1993-2000 Mercedes C Class) to 1:76.8 (Chevrolet Caprice), though the majority were in the 1:71 to 1:73 range. Nonetheless there were disappointments like the Passat estate at 1:64.8 and a whole bunch that were in the 1:66 to 1:68 range, though many might be handy on a circa 2000 S scale layout....

 

* on a lot of 4x4s it was hard to pin down the overall length unless there was a brochure drawing as we couldn't be sure if they were quoting a measure over the spare wheel mounted on the back or not.

[mikeharvey22]

Good listing here:-

 

https://www.matchbox.box.nl/

 

 

Use the "catalog" and then "Models by name" options.

[mikeharvey22]

I don’t have many Cararama cars at all now - just their Capri, 70s beetle and early Mini in woody, pickup and saloon. They don’t look too bad. Most of their offerings were brand new at the time 90s cars or exotica with no place on a British back street.

To their credit after the sporty Focus they became more mundane with the other contemporary Fords - Ka, Fiesta, Puma which were satisfyingly bog standard.

[ianmacc]

When they first came out myself and Mike Hill of Beacon Models did some joint research on this - he measured the models, I researched the real cars and we were then (generally*) able to work the scale out and they varied a lot! Unfortunately I don't seem to have the fullest lists we did (which are, I suspect, stuck on a dead disc drive) but they varied from 1:60.8 (the 1993-2000 Mercedes C Class) to 1:76.8 (Chevrolet Caprice), though the majority were in the 1:71 to 1:73 range. Nonetheless there were disappointments like the Passat estate at 1:64.8 and a whole bunch that were in the 1:66 to 1:68 range, though many might be handy on a circa 2000 S scale layout....

 

* on a lot of 4x4s it was hard to pin down the overall length unless there was a brochure drawing as we couldn't be sure if they were quoting a measure over the spare wheel mounted on the back or not.

I think therein lies the problem for me. The limited few I kept (mundane and for the period I model in) were passable in scale so I assumed the difference would be negligible for all 1:72 models.

 

Conversely the 1:80 Tomytec models hold their own even next to Oxford Diecast. Possibly because the human eye can deal better with slightly too small rather than slightly too large. They shrink into the background rather than spring out.

[ianmacc]

I think therein lies the problem for me. The limited few I kept (mundane and for the period I model in) were passable in scale so I assumed the difference would be negligible for all 1:72 models.

Conversely the 1:80 Tomytec models hold their own even next to Oxford Diecast. Possibly because the human eye can deal better with slightly too small rather than slightly too large. They shrink into the background rather than spring out.

1:72 beetle vs 1:67 beetle I mentioned earlier. Both sold as 1:72.

 

Also two Cararama models of the same Mercedes S class. One way overscale and the other about right. Newer cars are larger and more bloated than older cars anyway so it doesn’t look too bad next to the Oxford Cortina

[ianmacc]

I agree with the comment about exotica. Oxford Diecast have started to produce some more down to earth cars now but I feel that they have not gone quite all the way;

Mk3 Escort: XR3 but no 5 door hatch.

Mk2 Golf: GTi but no 5 door hatch

Mk1 Fiesta: XR2

 

These sporty models did sell quite well, but were very much outnumbered by the more basic models.

The Fiesta is the standard model. One of their most useful models and I have procured every colour variant for that reason...

[BernardTPM]

1:72 beetle vs 1:67 beetle I mentioned earlier. Both sold as 1:72.

 

Also two Cararama models of the same Mercedes S class. One way overscale and the other about right. Newer cars are larger and more bloated than older cars anyway so it doesn’t look too bad next to the Oxford Cortina

The Beetle models we measured as 61.65mm (1st version) and 57.2mm (2nd version). The real one is 4069mm giving scales of 1:66 and 1:71.1 respectively. Interestingly the model of the (then) New Beetle was 1:71.8 scale.

 

The left hand Mercedes is an E Class*, the RH one the C Class so they should be different sizes. Unfortunately the measurments for the new E class aren't on my list (as I said, I couldn't find the most up-to-date version) but the new C Class we measured as 60mm long, the real one being 4528mm giving a scale of 1:75.5, which is so close to 4mm scale as to not be worth worrying about.

At that time the C, E & S Class had similar styling, but the headlight shapes tell them apart. The LH (E Class) one has two separate oval ones with space between them, the RH one (C Class) has the two ovals slightly overlapped/conjoined. The S class had a sort of rounded blooby rectangle-ish shape.

 

Incidentally, the contemoporary Yatming range all seemed to work out very close to the stated 1:72 without exception, not throwing 'wobblers' like Cararama sometimes did!

 

* According to Wikipedia that generation of E Class was between 4818 and 4851mm long, depending on which iteration it was.

[quicksilvercoaches]

I've accumulated a large collection of Cararama and other 1/72 models, mostly acquired back in the early 2000s when they were cheap and commonplace but several more have come my way recently as collectors seem to be getting rid of them, perhaps in favour of the 1/76 Oxford offerings. As long as you avoid the earlier obviously oversize offerings (like that ghastly 1/60-ish first-gen Merc C-class) they don't look out of place on a 1/76 layout and the detail and accuracy, particularly on the later ones, is superior to Oxford. I mix 1/72 and 1/76 indiscriminately and no one has ever commented.

 

As time has passed the 1/72 cars have perhaps become more useful - what was exotic when new has become affordable so you can get away with Cararama BMWs, Mercs, Jags etc. on a present-day layout as things like the E39 5-series and the Saab 9-5 are firmly in banger territory now. It's just a shame that the most useful everyday cars are among the hardest to get hold of. I'm particularly looking for the Ka, Puma and Polo but they very rarely come up for sale and when they do they're overseas with massive postage charges that make them uneconomic.

Edited July 25, 2018 by quicksilvercoaches

[Les Bird]

I acquired a lot of Cararama models when they were cheap. They are a great source of seats, wheels and glazing to update old Matchbox Toys. the VW Beetle wheels for example pass very well for Austin wheels on a Matchbox A50

[PhilJ W]

I'm looking at producing some code 3's from some of these models. The Mercedes S class perhaps could be stretched to make a limo or maybe even a hearse.

[Les Bird]

I'm looking at producing some code 3's from some of these models. The Mercedes S class perhaps could be stretched to make a limo or maybe even a hearse.

Funny you should mention a hearse. I have one modified from a Morestone Austin Westminster Countryman, again with Cararama VW wheels

[ianmacc]

I've accumulated a large collection of Cararama and other 1/72 models, mostly acquired back in the early 2000s when they were cheap and commonplace but several more have come my way recently as collectors seem to be getting rid of them, perhaps in favour of the 1/76 Oxford offerings. As long as you avoid the earlier obviously oversize offerings (like that ghastly 1/60-ish first-gen Merc C-class) they don't look out of place on a 1/76 layout and the detail and accuracy, particularly on the later ones, is superior to Oxford. I mix 1/72 and 1/76 indiscriminately and no one has ever commented.

 

As time has passed the 1/72 cars have perhaps become more useful - what was exotic when new has become affordable so you can get away with Cararama BMWs, Mercs, Jags etc. on a present-day layout as things like the E39 5-series and the Saab 9-5 are firmly in banger territory now. It's just a shame that the most useful everyday cars are among the hardest to get hold of. I'm particularly looking for the Ka, Puma and Polo but they very rarely come up for sale and when they do they're overseas with massive postage charges that make them uneconomic.

 

Yes. I’ve seen some of your impressive collection in the background of many of your shots on this forum.

 

I was thinking more in terms of their Astons, the Mercedes Pagoda etc when I was talking about exotica. Jaguars BMWs etc are mainstream just top end of it.

[ianmacc]

Funny you should mention a hearse. I have one modified from a Morestone Austin Westminster Countryman, again with Cararama VW wheels

I (and others I expect) would like to see some pictures of your upgraded lesneys if possible please

Edited July 26, 2018 by ianmacc

[fodenway]

In addition to the previously-mentioned Mercedes, there were a few other Cararamas which were very close to 1/76 scale. These included the Lotus Elan, which sits very nicely with Oxford's Elite and Elan S2, the 1950 Ford F1 pickup and the 1990's-style Ford and Chevy pickups (but not the earlier Chevy). There was also the Morgan Plus 8, and the larger (often advertised as 1/80) Mercedes Benz  and Scania trucks and the Mercedes Econic refuse truck, which can be very simply converted to a Dennis Eagle..Some of the slightly larger-scale offerings can look quite convincing in a dark colour scheme to trick the eye. 

[BernardTPM]

Yes, most of the big US pick-ups were approx 4mm scale

                                    real      model     scale

Chevrolet Silverado     5781     76.0      1:76.1

Ford F150                   5735     75.8      1:75.7

Ford F350                   5740     74.2      1:77.4

 

I recall that they were very tight fits in their standard clear plastic boxes too. Not exactly common fare this side of the Atlantic though.

[PhilJ W]

Yes, most of the big US pick-ups were approx 4mm scale

                                    real      model     scale

Chevrolet Silverado     5781     76.0      1:76.1

Ford F150                   5735     75.8      1:75.7

Ford F350                   5740     74.2      1:77.4

 

I recall that they were very tight fits in their standard clear plastic boxes too. Not exactly common fare this side of the Atlantic though.

The F150 can be shortened by about 4mm to make a Ford Ranger pick-up. When they could be found in £ shops I bought and dismantled a few of the 1950's Chevrolet breakdown trucks for the bits. Each one yielded a fire extinguisher, toolbox, winch, amber beacon and a pair of air horns. I also purchased some of the H0 scale American trucks for the same purpose. And don't forget the Cararama boats, both the RIB and the speedboat, whatever scale they are they are perfectly passable as 1/76.

[crompton 33]

The mini cooper can be changed to a basic mini . cut the spot lights off and file the O/S fuel cap off . About 8 years ago my local Poundland  had Cararama models . Got quite a few at the time . The one i wanted was the Bubble car got one in the end when on holiday in Madeira. Now sold some as they where far over scale.

[PhilJ W]

The mini cooper can be changed to a basic mini . cut the spot lights off and file the O/S fuel cap off . About 8 years ago my local Poundland  had Cararama models . Got quite a few at the time . The one i wanted was the Bubble car got one in the end when on holiday in Madeira. Now sold some as they where far over scale.

The Mini wheels and interior where ideal for upgrading the Minix 1100.

[quicksilvercoaches]

Yes, most of the big US pick-ups were approx 4mm scale

                                    real      model     scale

Chevrolet Silverado     5781     76.0      1:76.1

Ford F150                   5735     75.8      1:75.7

Ford F350                   5740     74.2      1:77.4

 

I recall that they were very tight fits in their standard clear plastic boxes too. Not exactly common fare this side of the Atlantic though.

That's handy to know as I have a Silverado on its way to me. Looking at the ebay pic it does only just fit in the box so I guess at true 1/72 it wouldn't fit and it had to be scaled down.

[ianmacc]

The mini cooper can be changed to a basic mini . cut the spot lights off and file the O/S fuel cap off . About 8 years ago my local Poundland had Cararama models . Got quite a few at the time . The one i wanted was the Bubble car got one in the end when on holiday in Madeira. Now sold some as they where far over scale.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I remember seeing my local pound shop with literally 50 capris. They sell all day long for £6 on eBay nowadays.

 

Cararama did the normal mini too.