(Visit the Oto64 website/store here, and check out Tofaş listings on ebay here)
This is the kind of model I wanted to be writing about when I took on the role of Lamley contributor back in 2019. Left field, incredibly niche, and produced by a manufacturer that few of you will have heard of. I wanted to shared my love for the brands that got me collecting; Hot Wheels, Majorette etc, but also I made it my mission to share the efforts of the smaller brands and individuals who have enriched the hobby.
Oto64 are one such brand. The Turkish model makers have featured in my writing before, indeed I loved their Tofaş Şahin so much it made my personal top 10 in the 2024 Lamley Awards. And regular Lamley visitors will have maybe noticed they made the cut again in my 2025 pick with the Tofaş Kartal, a model that fully deserves a closer look.
The Kartal was the estate/station wagon variant of the Şahin, a license built Fiat 131. First generation models were almost identical to their Italian siblings, though the second generation (introduced in 1988) had a significant facelift, with a design similar to Fiat’s Regata saloon.
Powerplants were a range of borrowed Fiat 4-cylinder petrol units, with an unpopular 1.9 diesel engine dropped in 1989. The range received a facelift in 1994 and again in 1997, when metallic paint options were offered for the first time and power steering became standard on all models.
Oto’s version replicates a post-1997 SLX model finished in “Baroque Red”.
And it’s great testament to the progress the company have made since the first Şahin. The model remains a strict non-roller, but the overall finish has improved dramatically, even down to the packaging.
The first Şahin had some QC issues on the underside caused by the 3D printing process, but I’m pleased to report there’s nothing of the sort on the Kartal.
It’s an incredibly neat model, with a rather high level of detail. There’s a minute aerial and wiper blades, and closer inspection of the head and tail lights reveals they’re textured as you’d find on the real car. The heating element on the rear windscreen has even been replicated!
The level of detail extends to the interior too, with painted seats to mirror the Kartal’s acres of blue grey cloth, and a nicely detailed dashboard.
And the paint finish is great, with a depth and shine that some diecast brands would struggle to achieve.
Another new Oto64 arrival to me is the very cool custom Şahin in Istanbul taxi livery.
Lowered and shod with a set of Mangels alloys on white wall tyres, the Oto cab mirrors real builds and modifications that are commonplace in Turkey.
Of course no custom Şahin build would be complete without a set of Pioneer subwoofers and tweeters on the parcel shelf to complete the look.
And this is perhaps ample time to remind readers that these are both fully licensed models, which for such a small model brand is an extraordinary feat to have pulled off.
There’s two downsides to both models however: they’re not cheap at all, and you can’t get one. Both were limited editions and sold out fast. And I don’t mean the usual “1 of 5000” definition of limited edition either: the Kartal was limited to 129 cars, the Şahin taxi to a mere 99 pieces which means they are incredibly rare. And that rarity came at a price: both were as near as makes no difference £60. Each. Which is hard to swallow for a 1/64 scale non-roller. But when you consider each car is hand made and just how much effort has been put in to each one, the costs begin to make a little more sense. Certainly Oto had no trouble shifting them, with both cars selling out fast. For collectors that crave the rare and unique (and for fans of European vehicles) Oto can more than provide, and I’m excited to see what the future brings. And if it rolls!
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