Coming from Trax

Interesting to see the "Dodge Phoenix" utilizes the North American Plymouth body.

Graeme do you collect Trax 1:43?

@jack-dodds. Jack, can you email me at kenspear@rogers.com. Thanks.

Posted by: @jack-dodds

Graeme do you collect Trax 1:43?

Yes, since you ask. I used to be a regular enough buyer of Trax models for them to send me regular catalogues (before they stopped doing those).

Australia - like Japan - was one of these "oddball" areas that attracted me as offering a bit of variety from the usual British, European and U.S. cars that make up the bulk of my collection.

I guess I have about 120 - 130 Trax models in all. There are a few non-Trax models in this "Australia" cabinet, from other outfits like Biante, but most are Trax. Trax did a number of "utes" (pickups) which are located separately in a cabinet-ful of pickups and SUVs.

Most of them are from the days when they had a large captive audience of Australians looking for affordable models of the cars they know and love, and were turning out fairly simple but quite acceptable diecasts, although more recently they did improve the trim and detailing quite a bit, especially with their "Trax Select" series with opening parts.

Now I think that mass audience has dwindled and they have moved into low-volume resin models to satisfy a smaller band of more serious collectors. The higher prices, plus shipping and customs duties (UK Customs never seemed to bother with packages from Australia but now they nail them quite regularly) means I now only buy the occasional model - particularly as they have just about done all the "home-grown" products and are doing a lot of imported British and Japanese cars that I don't need.

But they did some quite interesting stuff and their range of models, from the simple to the more detailed, make quite a nice display.

A small selection . . .

@graeme-ogg 

Nice collection of models. Thanks for pictures.

Thanks Graeme.  I have around 40 of them; most bought around 4 years ago.

I'm also a Trax collector,  most are clones of cars sold in the USA or Australian versions of UK historic UK cars, but there are a few indigenous Australian cars, such as Holdens.

I was much happier when they were doing reasonably priced diecasts some of which were bought in multiples to serve as donor cars for conversions such as this 1960 Comet station wagon

The much more expensive resin items I get are now limited to clones of US cars.  It is interesting they do four door sedans more often than other model makers.  Mailing from Australia to the USA is pricey so purchases are limited.

Posted by: @jack-dodds

Interesting to see the "Dodge Phoenix" utilizes the North American Plymouth body.

I guress it's because Chrysler and Dodge were the only Chrysler Corp brand names marketed in Australia. As far as I know they never sold cars under the Plymouth brand so they just called this one a Dodge!

My Trax collection includes just their wagons. I have several of the Holdens and the Ford Falcons (love the woodies) in various colors and would like to add more but the shipping makes me pause every time…

I’d love to have this Chrysler Royal Plainsman

There’s also this Chrysler Regal Safari wagon

This Valiant Safari wagon

And this extended Falcon 6-door wagon

I would like to have that Chrysler Royal Plainsman too Randy.