Beep Beep; Vrooom!

From the early scenes of Zombieland to the overhead wide shot  at the end of Resident Evil movie it is clear that the post-apocalyptic city streets will be strewn with abandoned vehicles. I considered the card route, a la Worldworks, a fine selection of very superb model vehicles, but I thought I would spend enough time making buildings and I knew there were appropriate die-cast models available and ready to play out of the box. I chose 1/32 as is it the most widely available scale, but as long as it looks and feels right, I am happy. A quick Google search for the right scale ‘genre’ vehicles, i.e. US patrol cars and 70’s era Detroit classics, revealed that ‘perfect’ items were going to come at a price. A quick re-think later and I popped a 28mm model in my pocket and promised myself I would check the toy shops whenever I was in town. I will probably add a few special items once the collection has grown, I mean who wouldn’t want to run a scenario to go fetch an old ’69 Mach 1 under the tarp out of that ramshackle garage as a getaway car?


Sainsburys  provided the most expensive purchase to date, a terrifying £3.99 for a single BMW saloon. It does have opening doors, which has lead to the following pose in almost every game it has appeared in.
 

Classic 'Pull up and get out your guns' pose

Toys R US lead to the awesome discovery that was the Fast-Lane Super Emergency Playset for just £14.99, it is now £9.99, so if it is of interest grab it fast. The only things not usable being the helicopter (too small) and the figures (rubbish), that said, my daughter thought the fireman looked like Captain Mack, so she was happy to take them both off my hands. Probably the coolest item is the fire tuck, with  a huge extending ladder, perfect for re-creating the Maller’s siege from We’re Alive. If you don’t already listen to this incredible podcast please check them out now, well worth a listen.

Tesco provided a superb 3 pack of City Vehicles with detachable cargo for just £5 and Poundland provided three more genuine ‘Me no copy car’ marques which ended up being a little on the large size, but they work fine for ‘background’ vehicles.



The Poundland car (left) is too big but works ok on the periphery

Colin of ‘Down Among the Zed Men’ pointed out my most recent acquisition, which I got the day after I read his post, a ‘Load and Go’ Lorry and forklift set for just £4, smashing. Check out Colin’s reviews here for more details.

I unquestionably do not have enough vehicles yet, especially not enough to re-create a true highway to hell scene. I definitely need plenty more ordinary saloons and and will simply add to the collection piece by piece as and when I find something that fits.



I think I need more regular civilian vehicles