Collectors of 6-inch figures have always had to be on the constant lookout for vehicles. Sure, sometimes you get lucky and can fudge one from a close-scaled line, but most of the time, if there are any to be had at all, they’re done almost one-per-line. Not one-per-series, but one per the entire lifetime of a 6-inch action figure line.
A good reminder of this came last year with the Mattel Batman 1966 Batmobile. There was no shortage of teeth-gnashing on the parts of many collectors when the realization set in that this was going to be one of only two Batmobiles in the 6-inch scale since the first Batman line in 2002, and was easily the best looking. And most expensive.
But if we go back to 2006/2007, Plan B toys put out the single best vehicle done in the scale to date: the old warhorse 1943 MB.
A little background on this vehicle: The MB was built by American Bantam Motors back in the late 1930s to compete for an Army contract for a fast and light recon vehicle against Willys Overland. The Bantam design won, but, due to the nature of their manufacturing, they were a relatively small company, and with the impending need for the vehicles, the US Government claimed ownership of the winning design and shared it with Willys, as well as Ford and others for production. Then, in 1941, further steamlining lead to another contract, which this time Willys won handily, and, again, the designs were then shared among the fellow companies.
As for its more famous name, the origins of that one are a bit more questionable. “Jeep” was a common unofficial term for untested military hardware around the time among mechanics, and its original specification of being a GP — Government P=80″ — probably contributed. Occasionally you might hear somebody correct you, but yeah, for all intents and purposes, calling this a Willys or a Jeep is pretty accurate.
Anyway, the MB is easily one of the most instantly recognizable vehicles in history, and Plan B recreated it in excellent detail. The features include a folding windshield, free-rolling tires, removable steering wheel (makes getting figure in much easier), an a coaxial-mounted Browning M1919 .30 Cal with belt and ammo tin.
In a more perfect world, the only things that could make this thing even more badass would be a working suspension, and maybe an opening hood with that mean little Go-Devil engine in there. Maybe had things gone differently, some variations with the rag top up or a big ol’ 37mm cannon would have been awesome.
But, as it is, we’re lucky to have this one, and I’m damn lucky to have three of them. The good news is, though, this is a Throwback you can still get your hands on, and it’s a steal at $50!
