Well Bugged

Everyone loves the Bug. Homely, hardy, almost unstoppable, it turned the world on its ear. And while it’s true Doctor Ferdinand Porsche’s “Peoples Car” had its origins in a less than cheerful place and time, the car we’d come to call the Beetle would ultimately win hearts, change minds - and sell like nothing the world had seen since the Model T.

It’s taken a while, but Sunstar - they of the veritable fleet of large scale VW Kombis, Panel Vans, and various and sundry varieties of the Transporter - has finally pumped out an equally entertaining model of the car that started it all for many folks here in the States - the 1949 Volkswagen sedan. 

Bugging

That was a good call, and this is a fun model car, on a few levels. First off, at 1:12 the size of the real thing, it’s kinda big; about thirteen inches long by five high. There’s an opening boot, rear deck lid, and doors, of course, plus a working suspension that’s so tuned to the weight of the model that the wheels go all camber crazy when the car’s lifted out of its packaging - just like a real V Dub does. Once taken out of the box, all you have to do is pop the hubcaps on, remove the protective film on the model’s windshield (carefully, lest you smack the windshield wiper arms clean off), place a few plastic “prop” tools in place, and have at it.

Which, as it happens, is a lot of fun. Amid all the neat trim bits and perfectly installed glazing and lensing, this pre-production sample of the Beetle’s got some seriously small scale working features, like semaphore directional flags that pull out at each side, and working door handles on each passenger door. Pull the trunk lid up, and just below the fuel tank is a full spare, along with a disc containing a set of hand tools, plus a jack and a lug wrench. Yes, as on the Transporters, you can change the road wheels; but I don’t recommend you do it; the parts involved are really, really small, cross-threading is always a possibility, and I’ve had more than one of the wheel studs simply spin in place.

Better to take in the sights under the rear deck, where Sunstar’s modeled the 1100cc flat four in a surprisingly simple set of castings. Seeing it all is easy; the hood cantilevers up in the same manner as the real Bug’s, and the 30-horse air/oil-cooled engine is painted, wired and plumbed neatly. Unfortunately, my sample was missing its distinctive air cleaner. The interior is neat, and complete, with a carpeted floor (equipped with rubber mats), a great dash and instrument cluster, and tilting seat backs front and rear. It’s all finished off and built beautifully; for a neat added touch, you can even place the included bolsters onto this “Deluxe” Beetle’s rear bench. Chassis detail is built off a metal belly pan, and the suspension is remarkable, with trailing arm linkages that swing the rears, and a front torsion bar that suspends the forward wheels just as the real VW does.

Halt!

Okay, it’s not all a love fest; after we ran photos of the model in our Nuremberg coverage (CRM, Vol. 1, No. 6), a couple of VW experts chimed in with documentation, photos, and personal experiences. The good news is that Sunstar made some changes to the model between then and now. Even though our sample’s still equipped with two sets of directional levers (a correct one on the dash, and an additional, incorrect lever on the steering column), shipped with a brown steering wheel (should be off white), and sports two horn grilles out front (should be only one, on the driver’s side, for ‘49), Sunstar’s gotten the rest of the car incredibly, impeccably right.

One more caveat, and it’s a biggie: just like the Transporter, this is a high-detail piece, with a lot of fragile gizmos. Door hinges can easily be sprung out of true if mishandled, levers are meant for only occasional use, and the well-scaled suspension elements and steering linkages won’t take kindly to hard landings, or overly enthusiastic whonking. Not to mention that there are lots of truly tiny accessory parts on board. Given the model’s price, it’s understood that this isn’t a kids’ toy, so be gentle. Doctor Porsche, wherever he is, may be watching. - CRM

Sunstar 1:12 1949 Volkswagen Beetle, item 5201, around $150.00. www.sunstartoys.com.

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