Rarely do we see the depth and breadth of dealer-promotional models (and their sometimes-less-detailed toystore companions) as we do in this installment of Collectible Scale Automobile. For that you can thank the times and Chevrolet. While the annual issue of new scalemodel cars still was a pretty new practice when the Fifties dawned, it was a time when more than one firm might put out miniatures in a given year. Plus, the actual automakers who did commission promos usually settled on one or two high-profile examples from their catalog. Chevy however, popped for depictions of many body styles and not just from the premium trim level. Retail-trade versions of the AMT models were important to the company and came in several forms, including unassembled in sets that came with paint. The 1953 Ford convertible Indianapolis 500 pace car came as a kit, but could easily be told from a promo. The kit featured decals for the Indy graphics, while the promo's signage was heat-stamped on the model. Another interesting promo was PMC's 1953 Chevy Handyman wagon. Done in a rare V20 scale, it had a moveable seat and opening tailgate.
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