What happens when you wash a MightyBoy in cold water? Apparently it shrinks to exactly 1:43 scale! I know this is old news for many people, but I'm sure there are those who live under rocks and have not heard about the availability of a scale model Suzuki MightyBoy. Fanboys and collectors rejoice!

These collectables have been produced by Japanese company DISM out of  resin at a scale of 1:43, which is slightly larger than a matchbox car. Given the tiny size the attention to detail is jaw-droppingly good, right down to the decals and interior fittings, which have been accurately reproduced. 

Trainspotters will pick up on some discrepancies compared to a full-size Australian MightyBoy, such as round headlights, dashboard design, and the lack of chrome roof rails, amongst other small details. These differences are due to the scale model being based on the Japanese 1983 PS-A (Series 1) MightyBoy, which was never sold here. I must admit I also noticed that the scale is slightly skewed, with the width being exaggerated, but I put this down to limitations of the production equipment.

The models are available in a limited range of colours - black, white or red, with yellow the only factory colour not on offer. The model is mounted to a black plastic base with a clear cover, which can be removed for closer inspection of the model itself. Packaging includes a card detailing the specifications of a full size MightyBoy, and a bunch of other stuff in Japanese that I can't read. (I suspect it says something about not attempting to cook it in a microwave, force-feed it to your guinea pig, or use it as a flotation device.)

As for the price, when they were first released in 2009 the landed price in Australia was about $130. Pretty steep I know, but things like this don't pop up every day. Apparently they are popping up on ebay these days for as low as $70-80, so hunt around and you might score a better deal. A special thanks to forum member "soldave" who imported a whole bunch of these last year for those of us who were keen to set up a MightyBoy shrine... or maybe that's just me.