Collecting Model Cars

Volkswagen Beetle

The Type 1 Volkswagen Beetle built by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 to 2003. The auto maker did not start using the name Beetle until August of 1967 in its marketing.

Great Britain never used the Beetle name officially. In Britain it was known as “Type I or the 1100, 1200, 1300, 1500 and the 1600. These were the names used for the European markets; the number referred to engine size in cubic centimeters.

In European markets the VW Beetle was more comfortable than most of the European small cars. It was also the most produced and longest-running car design. The Volkswagen was a top seller in the US for years, until the front-wheel drive cars were refined enough to replace the Beetle. But the (V-Dub) or Crunch Buggies Beetle as known in the US was well loved for many years after they stopped selling them.

The VW Beetle was a benchmark for other generations of American compact cars. Subcompacts like the Chevrolet Corvair and Vega including the Ford Pinto. The VW Beetle was billed as the most influential car of the twentieth century.

Ferdinand Porsche got orders from Adolf Hitler to develop the “Volks-Wagen” which means the “people’s car” in German. The order was for a car that could transport two adults and three children at 62 mph. The plan was to provide the “people’s car” to citizens of the Third Reich through a scheme to save money.

The Volkswagen's have quite a history of how it saved after the war that is very interesting. It played such a big part in American car history the site would not be complete without some of the top models of the Beetles for collectors.

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Ford Torino

The Ford Torino produced by Ford Motor Company for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. Fords plan was to have an upscale version of the Ford Fairlane, which Ford produced between 1962 and 1970. After 1968 the Fairlane name was kept for the base models with lower grade of trim. Making the Torino the upscale higher grade trim. By 1971 the Fairlane name was dropped altogether and all Ford intermediates were called Torino’s. Torino is Italian name for the city of Turin, which is considered the Detroit of Italy. This name came up as one of several originally proposed for the Ford Mustang while in development.

Most Ford Torinos were conventional cars, and generally the most popular models were the 4-door sedans and 4-door hardtops. Ford not wanting to be shown up by Chevrolet and Chrysler produced some high performance versions of the Torino by fitting them with large powerful engines, such as the 428 cu in and 429 cu in "Cobra-Jet" engines. These cars were classified as muscle cars. The Torino was selected as the base for its NASCAR entrants, and it has a highly successful racing heritage.

Models being produced between 1968 and 1976 have made some very collectable Torinos to add to your collections. See some of the top listing to add to your collections.

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