My layout era is late 1940’s and I have a hard time finding late 40’s cars and trucks.
In what scale do you model?
Here are a few websites for you.
http://classicmetalworks.com/site/
http://www.donmillsmodels.com/main/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=73&vmcchk=1&Itemid=73
There are others. You can try the 1/87th vehicles website for a listing.
Richard
Smoking,
Realistically, you should also have some from the 30s and early 40s. Not everyone drove a new car or truck after the war.
In either case, in HO check out Classic Metal Works Mini Metals and Sylvan Scale Models. The former come RTR (their '41-'46 Chevy series are very nice) and the latter come in kit only. Both make are good quality models. Athearn has also started releasing cars and trucks.
Tom
Not many are produced, here are some I know about. You did not mention the scale you are using, I am assuming HO??? I have built kits from all of these guys
Sylvan Scale has a good quality line of resin kits, and most are in 1930s to 1950s timeframe. These kits are hollow castings with interiors and a driver figure
http://www.isp.ca/Sylvan/
Stoney Mountain Classic Castings makes solid resin kits in the 1940s -1950s
http://www.shop.stoneymountaincc.com/600-Series-1-87-SCALE-CLASSIC-VEHICLES_c2.htm
Sheepscott Scale Products makes trucks from 1930s to early 1960s. These are resin craftsman kits. With them, you buy a cab and chassis and buy a body to add to it - just like real trucks. If you need heavy or medium trucks this to the place to look. He will also build a kit if you want, you would have to discuss how much it would cost and how long you would have to wait.
http://www.sheepscotscale.com/site/
Alloy Forms has a number of cars and trucks from the 1930s to 1960s. They are cast metal kits; not difficult to build. Some are stocked by Walthers; others you would have to buy direct
http://www.scale-structures.com/Page/af_main.html
Jordan makes plastic models for cars and trucks from 1910s to 1950s. These are more difficult kits with many small parts, and sometimes the instructions are not that clear. Well worth trying one to see how you like.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?category=Vehicles&scale=H&manu=Jordan&item=&keywords=&words=restrict&instock=Q&split=150&Submit=Search
C
I have made the following Stoney Mountain resin kits 1948 Ford COE tractor for semi-trailer truck, two 1948 Ford COE dump trucks, one 1938 GMC COE chassis (I added home made flatbed), and three cars of about 1950 (Nash, Buick, and I think a Chevy).
I also have made several Ulrich Models trucks and trailers.
Also, I have several Classic Metal Works vehicles and Woodland Scenics vehicles. Both brands have good products.
Here’s a 1948 Ford COE with an Ulrich trailer.
Hi, You can find more models here…
http://www.williamsbrothersmodelproducts.com/cars.html
Regards,
Alex
Just an FYI for the record. That GN truck (nice paint job, BTW) isn’t a COE. COE stands for Cab Over Engine…
Thanks Tom — I was in the Sylvan site once, but forgot about it. I will take your suggestion about going back in vehicles.
Truck Stop models at www.truckstopmodels.com has about everything out there. They bought out the retail end from Crescent Station which was the largest distributor of 1/87 cars. They have a lot of obscure stuff and manufacturers.
Jim
Also due to the war a lot of vehicles were not made as lines switched to military production. Most models skip the 1942 thru 1945 years and some 1941 models were listed as 1945 models to get production going.
Also after the war Returning GI’s wanted new cars but the car companies were still retooling lines. I have read stories how people were paying hundreds of dollars over list to move themselves up the delivery list.
Bill
I think the late forties had a pretty high number of “older” (more than 10 year old) cars than you might see today for the reasons noted (no cars being produced during the war, shortages of new cars after the war). IIRC my dad drove his 1938 straight-8 Packard until about 1952-53 for example.