Yat Ming 1:24 1938 Cadillac V-16 Presidential Limousine

For all the waste that’s attributed to the U. S. Government, they sure hang onto presidential limos for awhile. The 1938 Cadillac V-16 served three Presidents—Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower. After all, why shouldn’t the leader of the most powerful country in the world ride in style? And, who said that ride had to be the current year’s model? Class is class, and the Caddy V-16 was a statement in that direction.

I ordered this example of the “President’s Ride” from one of the “alternative” Mints—the Fairfield Mint (FFM—there, I just coined the abbreviation). I usually reserve this mint for die cast pistol replicas, but I saw this limo in an ad while browsing the catalogue. Since neither FM, nor DM offer a limo, and the features seemed interesting, I ventured my $42.99 to see what I got for the money. I reasoned I could always put Fairfield’s money back guarantee to the test if I were too disappointed. Prior to receiving the image, I had stumbled across the Yat Ming brand name while perusing reviews on this site. Since the picture there looked suspiciously like the FFM offering, I reasoned that it was the Yat Ming item. (NOTE: Legacy Motors has just added lots of Yat Ming items to the inventory, so your ordering options have expanded.)

When I received the package from FFM, I opened it with my curiosity piqued. There were no opening instructions, no CoA, no use and care guide included—nothing but a receipt. But the image was another thing entirely. I was immediately impressed with the gleaming, glossy black finish. Wow, did it sparkle! The image is also mounted on a plastic (but good looking) base, with a nametag emblazoned with the words: “Presidential Series – 1938 Cadillac V-16 – Road Signature.” I can’t help wondering why they didn’t provide a cover.

The features include: two folding jump seats, an opening compartment that has two rifles (M-1 Garands?) and a telephone. (Man, that must have cost a bundle, given the state of the art in mobile phones of the day!) The seats (other than the jump seats) are of soft vinyl. The interior detail’s a bit crude and oversized but acceptable at the price. The undercarriage detail, once I removed the model from the base, is also not bad. The interior floors, along with the trunk, include “carpeting.” The engine details are so minimal, one wonders why the hood is made to open (customizers, get cracking!). Included in the box are two flags to insert in the front bumper mounts—Old Glory (with the correct number of 48 stars) and the Presidential Seal flag.

The exterior detail is where this image succeeds. Aside from the great-looking paint job, the chrome’s nicely scaled, and the lights have clear lenses (less 2 of the taillights)—not just paint. Surprisingly, the three chrome accents on each fender are separate 3-D parts, not painted. Even the wheels, whitewalls with full hubcaps (with Caddy emblems) and contrasting painted rims that match the interior color, look sharp. Two tailpipes, with visible mounting clamps, reside beneath the rear bumper. You might wish to add a dab of black paint to the ends, for realism.

All in all, FFM provides a lot of “bang for the buck” with this image. If you think your collection (I did) needs a presidential limo, this ain’t a bad start. By the way, FFM also has a ’56 Caddy Presidential limo in the inventory. Lots of nice features, too. Wanna bet it’s also made by Yat Ming?

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