Rextoys is a toy manufacturer that is no longer in business. In their day, they made a range of vintage 1:43 scale vehicles in various liveries, including some that were military related. Originally their models came packaged in an attractive maroon outer package containing and acrylic display case with black base. Later packaging just consisted of an acrylic display case and base. A history of the company can be found here as part of my Manufacturer Histories section.
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This model is the RexToys [France] #61 1940 Packard Super Eight Formal Sedan in maroon civilian livery. While the model is simply described as a Super Eight, it appears to represent the 1940 Packard Super Eight 180 Formal Sedan (also referred to as a Touring Sedan in the official Rextoys brochures). It has no opening features and consists of 4 main casting components (body, wheel arches/mudguards and front and rear of "baseplate", middle of baseplate/running boards and front and rear bumper casting) and a number of small cast parts such as the hood ornament, lights and grille.
At the front, the grill is represented by a chromed metal casting that is set into the body casting. Above the grill is a miniature photo-etched(?) hood ornament which may be trying to represent the cormorant hood ornament, but certainly is the wrong shape for the "Goddess" style ornament. The headlights are separate castings fitted on pins cast as part of the wheel arches (mudguards) and have a chrome "lens". On each of the mudguards sits a covered spare wheel, also in the body colour. Below the lights are two more chromed panels also set into the body casting.
The bumpers (front and rear) are on a separate chromed casting which doubles as a representation of the chassis, engine sump and gearbox, drive shaft and rear axle and differential. The front and rear bumpers also carry red dots (not sure if these were lights or just red "badges" on the real car) and the rear is impressed with the "Packard" name. The front windscreen has a chromed surround but there are no windscreen wipers. The side bonnet louvres are separate cast pieces, chromed and carrying the red "180" badge.
At the sides the four doors are cast into the cab area. The rear passenger doors are "suicide" doors (hinged at the rear with handle in the middle of the car). At the rear, the boot door and handle are cast into the body with the tail lights being cast into the wheel arches and the numberplate being a small cast component fitted to the body casting in the centre of the boot lid/door, and sprayed in the body colour. On each side of the vehicle are running boards, where the running board is supposed to represent a black "rubber" pad, that are formed as part of the model's middle baseplate.
The interior is all pale tan plastic, with pale tan, left hand drive, steering wheel set into a grey dash board (instrument panel). The interior is made of three castings, one for the dashboard, one for the front seat and one for the back seat. All glazing is clear.
The baseplate on this model is formed over two castings, the front third and rear third of the base are plain, flat parts of the wheel arch/mudguard casting with the middle third being a separate casting containing the running boards and clearly marked REXTOYS at the centre top, "Packard, Super Eight 1940" on two lines at the centre middle (just below the drive shaft) and "1/43 Made in France" on a single line at the centre bottom.
All wheels are cast metal - one piece cast metal, solid hub and separate rubber whitewall tyre, painted in the body colour and mounted on painted steel axles. A chrome hub cap, with red centre dot, finishes off the wheels.
I do not know when this model was first issued.
Item: 1163