AMC Rebel "The Machine" 1970 by Ixo/De Agostini

I know that pics of this model have already been posted, but my own specimen arrived yesterday and I felt it was well worth another look.

It's an interesting choice of subject , a car that (as far as I know) hasn't been done  in 1:43. Maybe not the world's greatest-ever piece of styling but it was quite tidy and original, not just another Detroit "me too" clone, and as part of this "muscle car" series it makes an imaginative change from the all too predictable parade of Mustangs, Camaros, GTOs, Chargers, etc. etc.

Not only that, but I think they really nailed it in every detail, as shown by these comparison shots of the real car.

On the pic of the real car below it looks (to my eyes at least!) as if there there is a yellow strip running across the boot/trunk between the blue and red. That is either an optical illusion or a non-standard addition. It should definitely be pure body white and the Ixo is correct.

The shape and proportions are right on. The paintwork is good and the striping and badging are faultlessly applied and postitioned, including at the front and rear.

Some low-angle shots I saw seemed to suggest the body sat a little too high on its wheels, more like a rally car, but in fact its stance looks just right, and the wheels themselves are pretty good (although they could definitely be improved with a black wash). When I reviewed the Dodge Challenger R/T I said we couldn't really expect white-lettered tyres on a budget model, but they've managed it with this one. Goodyear Polyglas GT F60-15. (Note also the neat "The Machine" badge on the front flank).

And another neat touch - they added the hood-mounted rev counter and it's legible (you can even see the red-lined section on the gauge).

All in all, for a pretty cheap partwork model, I think it really scores pretty high.

By the way, the hood scoop seems to be a separate plastic insert, so for anyone wanting a standard street Rebel to fill a gap in their collection I think it would be fairly easy to take the model apart, remove that insert and level the bonnet/hood with a scrap of plastic plus some filler, sand it down then re-spray in a stock colour. No wings or flared wheel arches to worry about.