Real or Model #53 FINISHED!

[Harry P.]

How about this? Real or model?

The answer: REAL!

It's a 1998 Subaru Samba.

Edited September 5, 2008 by harrypri

[RadRidesByDan]

What a cute lttle camper van.....Honey I shrunk teh truck

[george 53]

Harry, THIS just LOOKS like a model.Of WHAT, I have NO IDEA!, But I say MODEL on this one!

[84vanagon]

Since I'm back up to 50% I'll see if I can't knock my percentage back down.

I'm going to say model.

Edited September 1, 2008 by 84vanagon

[ricky12]

the details make me say real maybe something vw

[Clay]

I say model just because it looks like one. Plus I think I see a hint of photoshop in it as well.

[Dave Wood]

Harry I'm going with Model on this one.

[Echodawg]

I'm guessing real.

[Willy Survive]

This looks like something my kid has been playing with in his sandbox. Model, model, model. BTW you did stump me last week Harry. Thanks. -Will

[Brian_R]

Well, it sure looks like a Subaru Samber van that's been customized a little.

And for the real or model part - ????

Brian

[kelson]

I say 'model'.

[62SS]

Since it looks like a model, I'm gonna say real this time.

Ed

[Ronster]

I'm going with real. I remember seeing another 1:1 knock off done in that manner...

Edited September 2, 2008 by Ronster

[nonova]

So this is what Scooby and Shaggy are cruisin' around in now.

[sdrodder]

dang that is ugly. So ugly its gots to be a model. Even the last one was ugly but not as bad as this one.

[Joe Handley]

Not sure if it's a real or model, but is sure reminds me of thoser little Japanese vans modded to look like bigger vans from other countrys.......

[JAFFA]

How about this? Real or model?

The answer FRIDAY!

The wheels cant be model... but the sahading looks weird and photoshopped, and the contours to the front tire... but then the trim on the rear side "window" looks like an easily forgettable detail on a model.., but then something makes it look background-tampered.... the window trim looks very real.....the paint masking looks a little off on the front.... and this is driving me crazy!!

[The Madhatter]

I say its real. It looks like I can see the reflection of another car in the hubcap on the front tire.

[Nick F40]

I say model shorty!

[Draggon]

A bit creative on this one, eh? heehee

[Harry P.]

Got a lot of you!

It's REAL! It's a 1998 Subaru Samba, a tiny VW lookalike that belongs in a Japanese class of tiny cars known as "kei" cars. These Sambas are often disguised to look like baby VW vans by adding a VW logo to the front. A few more examples:

Next ROM coming Monday!

[MrObsessive]

Hey I got that one right!

I wonder if they had this website in mind when they did this car. Or maybe it's the other way around if the website came later?

[Fleetside]

I figured it was real since I had seen this article on how they are making mini Ford, Chevy, and Dodge vans too.

Here's the article.

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2008/04/japan...ting-1970s.html

[Harry P.]

The article you linked to is about custom made little vans. The van I posted isn't a custom or aftermarket van, it's from the Subaru factory. In Japan they have a whole class of these tiny cars, they're called "kei" cars. They got their start after WWII, when people in post-war Japan couldn't afford "real" cars, yet needed transportation. The kei cars were more than a motorcycle, but less than a "real" car, and the Japanese automakers promoted them as a means to grow the Japanese car industry after the war.

Regulations limit the size, displacement (less than 660cc) and power of these little cars, but they're still popular in Japan because of small, narrow roads and limited parking space in urban areas.

[Zoom Zoom]

Harry, are you sure they come from Subaru that way? I can't imagine VW letting their licensing arm allow Subaru to build pseudo-VW's like that, especially w/a VW logo.. The Japanese do a lot of customizing.

Edit: Found the website of the company that makes them. Definitely not coming from Subaru.

VW Bus Replica on Kei Car

I found a few listings for them for sale, and they're listed as aftermarket.

Only the Kei Car website (where I guess you got the image) seems to say they were factory, but that website doesn't convince me just because they claim it. Automakers are very protective of their trademarks, especially VW.

Edited September 5, 2008 by Zoom Zoom