OX V. OX: The Zero X's by Century 21 and Aoshima by Guest Blogger Jim Lewis

I have been the proud owner of a Century 21 ZERO X for more than twenty years now. I longed for one as a kid but never got one despite constant nagging of my parents back in the late 1960s when they were in the shops. It was with some excitement that as a fan of this incredible vehicle I heard a couple of years back that a high quality precision created miniature was to become available for collectors. When I first saw images online I was stunned and truly shook by its beauty. However what shook me more was the price to those in England looking to own one. When I bought my own boxed Century 21 ZERO X back in the late 1980s it was the most expensive thing I had ever bought for my collection. At £125 my usually supportive partner had her doubts that I had gone completely over the top. However when it arrived even she agreed it was a beautiful looking toy and as it still ‘did stuff’ too after twenty odd years conceded that it was a fine addition to my collection. When the Aoshima die-cast miniature first became available the price was a similar £125 or thereabouts, plus a carriage cost in the region of £20. With the fear of being nabbed for import fees as well a total cost of around £150+ pretty much put me off the idea of ever owning one. I would rather have spent that sort of money on a vintage item rather than a modern piece however good it may have looked. Recently the Japanese online specialist company HOBBYLINK JAPAN offered the ZERO X at a knock down price, including postage, of a little more than £70. “I’m having some of that” I thought and within three days of hitting the “BUY IT NOW” button it was on my doorstep. (I’ve waited longer with eBay to get things from thirty miles away so top marks to HOBBYLINK JAPAN!)

The model itself is absolutely gorgeous. Not entirely die-cast in construction, but then of course not even classic DINKY TOYS were, but for the most part it does seem to be metal. The colour seems a very close match to the one seen on the model in THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO too. The small detailing is incredible and the finish is stunning. The paint/decal markings are very accurate although the numbers are not in the old Eurostyle font which would have been more authentic and something that the Century 21 version duplicates a little more exactly, but not quite.

As the images show the two models are pretty similar in size but the general scale and proportion of the older toy is way off of course. The newer version is very accurate, certainly to my eye, and gives any owner a pleasing representation of the classic Anderson craft. (The ‘SCARLET’ version differs only marginally in terms of livery on the MEV)

The Aoshima MEV doesn’t do much but then of course it is a display piece and not meant to entertain children. An Escape Unit can be ejected from the main body by depressing a small button at the front end and the large gun can also be deployed by turning over the small oblong section on the roof. The various sets of wheels and undercarriage sections do fold down too and of course the chrome heat shield/nose cone can be removed. In comparison to the ‘all singing all dancing’ 1960s toy it is pretty boring. No flashing lights, no backwards and forwards motion and certainly no friction driven lifting bodies but in terms of appearance it is unbeatable.

To compare these two items is to actually offer a disservice to both. They must be judged for what each of them are. The Century 21 toy is now an almost 50 year old toy made cheaply to be sold to children for a few weeks play until it was ultimately in as many pieces as the real ZERO X at the climax of the film itself. The Aoshima is a current piece of precise engineering aimed as a high end collectible to satisfy international adult collectors.

Despite the efforts of all those involved in the creation of this magnificent die-cast piece who I applaud I still cannot help but be dewy eyed when I gaze upon the old toy. I always wanted one and finally got one as a 25 year old man. Whenever I go though my collection there are two or three pieces I still have to pinch myself to see that I really do own them and this is one of them. It’s value, although high when they do appear for sale, is almost an irrelevance to me. It is the pure joy of knowing I finally have one that makes me smile. To a degree the same can be said for the Aoshima as it truly stands out alongside other more recent collectible Anderson merchandise and I am so pleased to own one.

http://www.hobbylinkjapan.com/ Well worth a look!

Jim Lewis