A model Model 70!

The annual London Toy Fair takes place in January and is traditionally the venue for Oxford Diecast's announcement of new models for the year. As usual, there is a large and diverse crop with something for almost everyone, but one real surprise in the 1/76 Oxford Automobile range of special interest to me. Regular readers will know of my interest in invalid carriages but I never thought these rather esoteric vehicles would ever be modelled by any of the mainstream diecast manufacturers. I'm delighted to be proved wrong though!

Among several new 1/76 castings promised for 2020 is what Oxford describe as an 'AC Invacar'. That's a misleading title as there is no such thing, AC and Invacar being separate companies, but the drawing shows it to clearly be a Model 70. I'm not the only person to have suggested modelling such a vehicle over the past few years, but I honestly always thought it was a fanciful suggestion and never believed any manufacturer would ever take it seriously.

The only image currently available. It's unmistakably a Model 70.

Diecast tooling is expensive so the usual need is to repay that cost over at least three or four different colour variants, but that is impossible with the Model 70 as it came in any colour you like as long as it's blue. The first and only version announced so far (76INV001) is of course in the standard ministry blue, but there are no other colour options and it remains to be seen if there will be a 76INV002. The only cosmetic differences that can be modelled without tooling changes are AC or Invacar badges and different registrations, which can be tampo printed.

Badges are the biggest difference: AC left, Invacar right

The model is still at the design stage and the only image available is a computer-drawn side elevation, so its identity is not yet known, although TWC 725K seems the obvious choice as the most famous Model 70 of all. Interestingly, my invalid carriage expert friend was just as surprised by its announcement as I was, so he had no involvement in its creation and we're both wondering where Oxford got their information from and which of the surviving cars they measured to design the model. 

Could it be a model of TWC?

So what uses would these models have? Model 70s were usually delivered by rail, so a train of lowfits carrying a batch on delivery to the DHSS warehouse in Heywood would be an appropriate addition to a model railway set in the 1970s. They were in use from 1971 until 2003 and could be seen all over the country, so one or two in the disabled bays of the station car park would look good. Others could be parked in the street, maybe even in pedestrianised areas as they were exempt from many traffic laws. I'd forgotten that Subbuteo football is also 1/76 scale, and a row of these Model 70s parked behind the touchlines would add authenticity to a recreation of a historic match.

These little things used to be everywhere

The announcement of this model has had one unfortunate effect though. It has prompted a lot of repeating of the old myths that they were banned in 2003 and are illegal to use on the road, both of which have been proven to be untrue but are still widely believed, so there is a widespread lack of factual knowledge still surrounding these fascinating little cars. Hopefully those who buy the model will be inspired to find out more about it and eventually the myths will be laid to rest.

I'll soon be able to recreate this scene in miniature

While I'm naturally excited at the prospect of a miniature Model 70, something that has only previously been done as a very expensive hand-built 1/43 model, there's a long time to wait before it hits the shops. The provisional release date is the fourth quarter of 2020 so it will be September at the earliest, and given current delays to some overdue models the invalid carriage may not make its appearance until 2021. When the time does eventually come, I'll be buying at least four to represent those I have been personally involved with, and I hope it sells well enough to justify Oxford's brave decision to invest in modelling such an unusual subject.