12 September 2018
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VW T3a Joker
Incredible detail in Schuco's VW Joker
Price: £187.99
Ref: SHU 00387
Scale: 1/18
WHEN Volkswagen replaced the ageing Type 2 Bay Window, the sharply styled T3/T25 ushered in a new era for Wolfsburg. Its easy to see the styling cues from the Golf and Polo Mk1 in the front end treatment, but initially, the new commercials were powered by air-cooled engines that owed more to the Beetle.
As with the Type2, VW's new commercial appealed to camper conversions - and Westfalia devised the Joker camper conversion based on the new Type 3.
The model shown here is an equisite replica of the Joker 1 Pop Top conversion. Its a diecast model, with opening front doors, rear hatch that is held up by replica gas struts and even has a sliding side door. The pop top can be extended just like in the real car, with the hinges at the rear of the roof.
The interior trim is also authentic - the dark brown with multi-coloured cubes fabric was called "Van Dyke EN" and was an option when the van was new.
Inside, all the cupboard doors are modelled including the wardrobe in the very back next to the mattress. There are curtains hanging in all the windows - it looks like you could climb aboard and go for an adventure!
The dashboard and long gearlever are exactly as per the original, and even the door cards have been painstakingly reproduced.
Outside the model, the paint and decals are spot on too - the Westfalia logo is present on the plastic roof box, plus the 'Joker' decals have been well researched and applied to the doors. The Medium Blue (Mediumblau) paint is an excellent colourmatch to VW's original shade. Plus all the windows are perfectly framed by window rubbers.
This is an expensive model, but this is probably the best model of the T3/T25 camper currently available and a lot cheaper than owning the real thing. The detail is astonishing and the more you look, the more you see with this one.