Toy Maker:Dinky Toys
Car It Represents:Citroën 2CV
Let's Get To The Bottom Of This:Nice detail for a small toy, extra props for accurate representation of the interconnected suspension setup.
Toy Maker: Kinsmart
Car It Represents: Volkswagen Beetle
Let's Get To The Bottom Of This: This one is a great example of accurate pieces in the wrong places. The designer did a good job of getting the Beetle's frame fork and transaxle– but flipped it and put it on the front, making the only rear-engine, front-drive car I can think of other than the Dymaxion.
Toy Maker: Ferrero
Car It Represents: Mercedes-Benz '50s 300 SLR Racecar
Let's Get To The Bottom Of This:This was a toy inside a Kinder Surprise Egg, and is wonderfully detailed for the size. I'm not sure about the accuracy of the bottom, but it seems plausible for a very aerodynamic racer. Very simplified, of course.
Toy Maker: Chevron
Car It Represents: Volkswagen Beetle
Let's Get To The Bottom Of This: From Chevron's series of commercials, for a caricatured car, this one has a decently accurate underside, considering. Oil pan is in the right place, as is the transaxle, suspension is pretty abstracted, but still, not bad.
Toy Maker: Welly
Car It Represents: Fiat 126
Let's Get To The Bottom Of This: This one definitely seems like the designer was going for accuracy. There's a clear exhaust system, gas tank, oil pan, suspension arms, chassis stamping. Very nice!
Toy Maker: Unkown
Car It Represents: BMW Isetta
Let's Get To The Bottom Of This: This one's incredible, accuracy-wise. Suspension parts, use of multiple colors of plastics for muffler, engine, detailed leaf springs– this one even goes deeper, with several levels, as the little engine is above the suspension below it. Not just a simple stamping. A real treat!
Toy Maker: Tootsie Toy
Car It Represents: International Scout
Let's Get To The Bottom Of This: Aw, come on, Tootsie Toy. No bottom at all! Jeez.
Toy Maker:Justb-Byou
Car It Represents:Hypothetical Vehicle
Let's Get To The Bottom Of This: This one may be my favorite. The car is clearly a cartoon, without being based on anything real. But look at the bottom! There's a real plan here. Based on this, I can tell the designer was imagining a rear-engined (it looks a lot like an old Porsche 356 engine, with the dual side mufflers and finned oil pan), with a transverse-leaf spring front suspension. There even seems to be a robust front bumper mounting setup, and possibly a thick fuel line from a front-mounted tank? I'm not totally certain, but I love that the designer had a clear, technical plan in mind for these silly cars.
Toy Maker: Matchbox
Car It Represents: Volkswagen Thing
Let's Get To The Bottom Of This: Decent detail and accuracy for size. Excellent portrayal of corrugated stampings on center tunnel.
Toy Maker: Tomy
Car It Represents: Toyota Crown
Let's Get To The Bottom Of This: This one's remarkable because this car is tiny, 1/150th scale. Under an inch long, and they worked in a transmission, driveshaft, exhaust system, gas tank, leaf spring suspension. Good work, anonymous designer!
Toy Maker: Sunnyside Guangzhou
Car It Represents: Trabant Estate
Let's Get To The Bottom Of This: This one is a good example of a designer who barely cared about the bottom, but cared a little. There's a strange, pebbly texture over everything (maybe just reflecting the grit and grime most Trabis probably had) and the barest suggestion of driveshaft (Trabis didn't have one) and exhaust system. And some weird, corrugated panel under the passenger's seat. Smuggling compartment?
Toy Maker: Welly
Car It Represents: Warszawa
Let's Get To The Bottom Of This: A friend of mine brought me this one from Poland, and it seems to have a pretty well-considered bottom. Suspension, propshaft, gas tank, exhaust, all there, and fairly well done.