Hot Wheels Nationals Invades Indy!

» THE PASSION, PRODUCTS & PERSONALITIES Muscle

Tuners

06
Baldwin-Motion
and Yenko

VETTE
America’s Supercar
Arrives in Diecast
AUTOart
Corvette Z06

PLus

Original M
BMW’s M1 Racer from

Godfather of the Sports Car Minichamps

Fashion Forward
Ferdinand’s grandson discusses Porsche’s Automodello Kaiser Darrin
first performance car
Big Dig
Diecast Masters
Cat 390F Excavator

Display until August 30, 2016

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CONTENTS
DIE CAST X | VOL. 12 | ISSUE 4

FEATURES QUICK LOOKS

18 | Ferdinand Porsche: The Founding 62 | GreenLight Collectibles Elvis Presley
Father of the Sports Car 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 60
Ernst Piëch discusses his legendary
grandfather and the museum dedicated to 63 | Kyosho Mark 1989 Ferrari Testarossa
his early career
64 | Maisto Jeep Wrangler Willys Edition
50 | 16th Annual Hot Wheels
Collectors Nationals UP FRONT
America’s racing heartland hosts a 6 | Editorial
Hot Wheels extravaganza A century of speed
8 | Showroom
OUT OF THE BOX New releases & first looks
24 | Ferdinand Porsche’s
Foundational Sports Car REGULARS
Ernst Piëch Collection 1910 Austro-Daimler
54 | Hot Wheels Highway
Prinz Heinrich
Target and Mattel go retro!
28 | The Origin of the Porsche Species 66 | Rear View
Best of Show 1939 Porsche Type 64 Is 500 always greater than II?

30 | The World-Class Supercar for

the Common Man
AUTOart Chevrolet Corvette Z06

34 | A Road Car Born to Race

Minichamps BMW M1 IMSA GTO Winner
Riverside 1981

38 | The Fast First from the

Famous Performance Dealer
Auto World American Muscle 1967
Baldwin-Motion Chevrolet
Chevelle SS 427

42 | Z/28 Motor in a Lightweight

Nova is a Winning Pair
GMP 1970 Yenko Deuce Chevrolet Nova

46 | Fashionable Fiberglass
Sporty Cruiser
Automodello 1954 Kaiser Darrin
Model 161

58 | Dig This Rig

Diecast Masters Cat 390F L
Hydraulic Excavator

ON THE COVER: AUTOart roars onto the scene with its brand-new 1:18 replica of
Chevy’s all-conquering Corvette Z06—check it out on page 30. Vintage fans will enjoy
our conversation with Ferdinand Porsche’s grandson Ernst Piëch (page 18) and a look
at the fahr(T)raum museum edition models of his 1910 Prinz Heinrich (page 24).

ON THIS PAGE: The Z06 shreds lap records—and the sports-car establishment!
(Photo © General Motors)
 DCXmag.com
The ulTimaTe diecasT communiTy
Be sure to connect with us n Online Exclusive Reviews
at DCXmag.com and and on n Extended Photo Galleries
Facebook at DieCastXmag. n Interactive Features

We always have tons of bonus n Contests and Giveaways

content available online:

Die Cast X (ISSN 1551-854X) is published quarterly by Air Age Inc., 88 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897 USA. Copyright 2016, all rights reserved. Periodicals Postage paid at Wilton, CT, and additional offices. Canadian Post
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40008153. CONTRIBUTIONS: All materials published in Die Cast X magazine become the exclusive property of Air Age Inc., unless prior arrangement is made in writing with the Publisher.
Descriptions of products were obtained from manufacturers or their press agencies and do not constitute an endorsement by the Publisher or guarantee their safety. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Go to our website: DCXMag.com.
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advertising@ airage.com. EDITORIAL: Send correspondence to Editors, Die Cast X, Air Age Inc., 88 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897 USA. Email: DCX@airage.com. We welcome all editorial submissions but assume no
responsibility for the loss or damage of unsolicited material. To authors, photographers and people featured in this magazine: all materials published in Die Cast X become the exclusive property of Air Age Inc. unless a prior
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Spring 2012 5
EDITORIAL

FALL 2016 | VOLUME 12, NO. 4

EDITORIAL
Executive Editor
Matt Boyd ›› mattb@airage.com
Editorial Director/Surface Group
Peter Vieira ›› peterv@airage.com
Copy Editor
Suzanne Noel ›› suzannen@airage.com

CONTRIBUTORS
Bill Bennett, Peter Celona, Wayne Moyer,
Alan Paradise, Dan Townsend, Mike Zarnock

ART
Creative Director Betty K. Nero
Art Director Kevin Monahan
Photographer Peter Hall

DIGITAL MEDIA
Web Producer Holly Hansen

A Century of Speed ADVERTISING

L
Director of Advertising and Marketing
David Glaski ›› 203.529.4637
ooking over the lineup for this issue, I am suddenly struck by just how Senior Account Manager
omnipresent an influence speed and sport have been in automotive culture, Mitch Brian ›› 203.529.4609
and that they’ve been that way since the very beginning. We have sports cars Senior Account Executive
Ben Halladay ›203.529.4628
spanning an entire century—from the first production sports car hatched by Account Executive
Ferdinand Porsche back in 1910 to the latest Z06 Corvette. Diane de Spirlet ›› 203.529.4664

As different as they are technologically, they
remain kindred spirits. In chatting with Porsche’s
grandson Ernst Piëch about the museum
dedicated to his career, my biggest surprise was
how advanced those early machines were. And
examining the 1:18 Ernst Piëch Collection Prinz
Heinrich only reinforced that impression of how
much hasn’t changed in 100 years—rear drive
and aerodynamically sculpted, with advanced
suspension and powered by a highly tuned 5.7L
powerplant, we might well be talking about a late-
model Corvette rather than an Austro-Daimler
from 1910. Of course, looking at AUTOart’s 2016
Z06 Corvette shows us that plenty has changed
too—not the least of which a small-block V-8
with roughly 6.5 times as much horsepower! But
like that Prinz Heinrich did then, the new Vette
sets new standards for performance among
production sports cars.
While the Prinz Heinrich and Z06 may bracket
our century of performance cars, we have plenty
from the decades in between. From the ’30s, we
have the Porsche creation that established the
formula for the brand that bears his name—the
Type 64, brought to us by Best of Show. From the
1950s we have the Kaiser Darrin—America’s very
first fiberglass-bodied sports tourer, reproduced
CONSUMER MARKETING/
in intricate 1:24 detail by Automodello. From PRODUCTION SERVICES
the heart of the muscle-car era, we have two The Media Source, a division of TEN,
special-production Chevys from the two most The Enthusiast Network
respected tuners of the era. Auto World brings MARKETING & EVENTS
us the 1967 427-powered Chevelle, which was Marketing Assistant Erica Driver
the very first creation from the collaboration of Event Manager Emil DeFrancesco
Baldwin Chevrolet and Motion Performance. And
the 1970 Yenko Deuce swapped in Chevy’s most PUBLISHING
Group Publishers Louis V. DeFrancesco Jr.,
potent small-block, the LT-1, to produce the best
Yvonne M. DeFrancesco
all-around performance car ever to wear a “Nova”
nameplate (from GMP). The 1970s are represented
by Minichamps’ take on the very first BMW “M”
car—the M1—in the guise that utterly dominated FOLLOW US
the IMSA GTO class. And let’s not forget the ’80s’ On Facebook: diecastxmagazine
icon Ferrari Testarossa just released by Kyosho. On Twitter: @DCXmag
On Instagram: @diecastx
For those who like to play in the dirt, we have
On Google +: DieCast X Magazine
a beautiful Caterpillar 390F Excavator put out by Visit us online: DCXmag.com
Diecast Masters, plus a rough-and-tumble Jeep Comments may be sent to: DCX@airage.com
Wrangler Willys Edition from Maisto. Hot Wheels
fans get a triple treat this issue; in addition to
his usual Hot Wheels Highway and Flashback
columns, our resident expert Mike Zarnock
attended the Hot Wheels Nationals event in Indy
this past spring, and he gives us a rundown of all
the action. Regardless of your specific tastes, I’m EDITORIAL
confident there’s a little something for everyone MAIL 88 Danbury Road, Wilton CT 06897 USA
in this issue. Phone (203) 529-4635 Email DCX@airage.com

As usual, we ended up with more content than we

The Association of RCX.com
could squeeze into a single issue, so be sure to visit Magazine Media

Matt Boyd
Executive Editor
mattb@airage.com
us online at DCXMag.com and sign up for our DCX PRINTED IN THE USA
Newsletter to receive all the bonus coverage right to
your inbox—free! And check us out on social media—
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For a change of address, write to DCX, P.O.
Box 420134, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235.
SHOWROOM
NEW RELEASES & FIRST LOOKS

Formula Car for the Street

AUTOart BAC Mono
1:18 | $150
The concept of a race car for the road is not new; manufactur-
ers have been doing it for decades. What makes the BAC (Briggs
Automotive Company) Mono unique is the type of race car it seeks
to mimic—namely a lightweight, single-seat, open-wheel formula car.
The British boutique manufacturer succeeds surprisingly well. The slung back central driving position,
the fully adjustable pushrod suspension, the Hewland sequential 6-speed, and the 280hp Cosworth
2.3L engine are all straight out of a track car, which is where the BAC Mono will spend most of its
FoMoCo’s Luxury Muscle
time. But it is road legal, so you don’t need to trailer it to and from your track day. AUTOart captures Auto World ’70 Mercury Cougar Eliminator
the singular excitement of the Mono in 1:18, starting with the almost cobralike broad nose, made even and ’71 Ford Torino GT 1:18 | $90ea
more sinister looking with the metallic black paint bracketed by raw carbon fiber at the wheels and
While Mustang cleaned up in the pony-car segment, Ford’s
rear wing. Open rear bodywork showcases the intricate wishbone rear suspension. You can even see
larger muscle cars sought to carve out their own market
details on the Hewland gearbox, which is a stressed member in the chassis, but sadly the Cosworth
niche. Upscale Mercury tried to appeal to the more sophis-
naturally aspirated inline-4 is completely hidden, save a glimpse through a vent. Tread and proportions
ticated speed freak with the Cougar Eliminator. To sweeten
on the specially designed Kumho tires are spot-on, and AP Racing brake calipers clamping cross-
the deal in 1970, Mercury offered it with the Boss 302 engine
drilled metallic rotors are visible through the wheel spokes. The model makes us want to try one—it
as an option—and 469 lucky buyers grabbed them. Just
looks like the most fun you can have with a license plate!
three were triple-black cars like the one Auto World just
autoartmodels.com
released. The big-valve, high-winding Boss came backed
by a Toploader 4-speed. Eliminators also got heavy-duty
suspension bits, front and rear spoilers, a blacked-out grille,
a hood scoop, and special graphics. Speaking of graphics,
Ford’s Torino GT certainly got some wild ones when it was
ONLINE redesigned in 1970, with an aggressively raked fastback
EXCLUSIVE
REVIEW! to help it on NASCAR’s superspeedways. The ’71 remained
DCXmag.com largely the same, adding minor trim items like the “GT”
badge in the center of the optional hideaway-headlight grille
and a special chin spoiler. The hot setup was the 429 Cobra
Jet with Ram Air poking through a shaker hood, backed
by a 4-speed with factory Hurst linkage. Auto World has
just updated these two castings with all the cosmetic and
mechanical details and issued them in new colors.
autoworldstore.com

8 DCXmag.com
A Noble Endeavor
Automodello Noble M600 1:43 | $120ea
Noble Automotive has been a company singularly focused on performance, on
road and track. Utilizing a mid-engine/rear-drive layout for optimum balance and
race-derived construction to minimize weight, the foundation was laid for supercar performance.
But what is a supercar without a super powerplant? Employing a Yamaha-designed engine originally
developed for Volvo, the twin-turbo 4.4L V-8 churns out an amazing 650hp—enough to propel the
2,650-pound M600 to an estimated 225mph! Automodello is best known for replicas of vintage cars,
but with the Noble, it is branching out into new—and thoroughly modern—territory. The company’s
virtues—superior craftsmanship, unique subject matter, collector-friendly limited-production
numbers—are all in effect with the Noble. There are plenty of etched-metal detail parts, plus a nicely
detailed upper engine visible through the backlight. The model is being produced in three colors: Car-
bon Black, Baby Blue (like the very first M600 prototype), and the Midas Orange of the demonstrator
car. All three will be produced in limited runs of just 299 pieces each.
automodello.com

Championship-Clinching Silver Arrow

2014 Mercedes-Benz Lewis Hamilton Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Winner
1:18 | $180
The 2014 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship went right down to the final race in Abu Dhabi, with
Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg battling it out from the front row of the grid.
Hamilton beat the pole-sitting Rosberg to the first corner, easing out to a small lead in the opening
laps. Midway through the race, Rosberg suffered a failure of his hybrid Energy Recovery System and
Red Hot Releases fell back, eventually finishing a lap down in 14th place. That put an end to any hope of catching Hamil-
ton for the title, who cruised to victory in the race, taking his second F1 Championship. Minichamps has
from Fire Replicas just released Hamilton’s winning car in 1:18, and the model proves that it is not only the fastest car of
the 2014 season but also one of the prettiest. Minichamps depicts the complex
FDNY 150th Anniversary Ladder Truck and aerodynamics, scoops, wings, and curves of the bodywork authentically,
Jack Daniel’s Fire Brigade P-7 Pumper and all the sponsor livery is present as well. It’s a sealed-body model, of
1:50 | $309ea course, but the finish is excellent, and the stance and surface detailing
is very convincing. It can be argued that this race is the one
Fire Replicas is a relatively new brand, but the team members
that put Hamilton at the top of the sport, a position he
have decades of experience in diecast and resin modelcraft,
has held since (he won the Monaco GP just hours
which shows in the company’s remarkable museum-grade
before these words were written!), so this is a signifi-
replicas. The two newest trucks in its rapidly expanding line are
cant car for any F1 fan.
the FDNY 150th Anniversary Commemorative Ferrara Heavy
Minichamps; distributed by
Duty 100-Foot Aerial Ladder truck and the Jack Daniel’s Fire
carvillemodelsshop.com
Brigade P-7 Pierce Velocity Pumper. They are sure to be
among the most popular in the company’s library. Each is
crafted of more than 400 individual pieces, combining a resin
base structure, with stainless-steel scale features like ladders,
plus wire and other composites—making them among the
most detailed models in the 1:50 segment. Fire Replicas works
directly with the fire departments that operate its subject
trucks to build them to exact specifications and decorations
to make sure that they are also among the most accurate.
Each model also includes a stylish base with a stainless-steel
nameplate and a high-quality display case. Each model will be
limited to no more than 600 pieces and are available now. And
be sure to look for a full review in the next issue!
firereplicas.com

FALL 2016 9
showroom

Nifty Nash
Brooklin Ambassador Eight Two-Door Coupe
1:43 | $130
Although Nash sales plummeted by more than 50 percent during
the 1938 recession, CEO George Mason ordered the entire line
restyled for 1939. The new bodies were longer and lower, with a
narrow, slightly forward-canted grille flanked by shorter waterfall
grilles. New squared-off “suitcase” fenders had square headlight
bezels up front and fake vents in the back. The top-line Ambas-
sador Eight models could be distinguished from lesser models
only by their longer hoods and front fenders. Brooklin has just
released this good-looking, heavy white-metal model of the
least expensive Ambassador Eight: the Model 3985 two-door,
three-passenger coupe, aka “Business Coupe.” Brooklin has the
clean, sleek lines right, and except for the relief-cast, overpainted
beltline, every exterior detail is there, with all brightwork done
with 22 separate plated parts. The single exposed lower door hinge
is correct, as are the Nash scripts in the plated hub caps. Its Sand-
bar Light Tan paint has just traces of underlying surface ripples.
Interior detail is less extensive, with no inner door panel details at
all, and the entire dash painted in wood-grain colors. The Eight’s
standard horn ring is there, though.—Wayne Moyer
brasiliapress.com

Kyosho Puts a Lightweight and

a Heavyweight in the Ring
Renault Alpine A110 1600S and Bentley Bentayga
1:18 | Prices not yet final
Renault isn’t the first name many think of when talking about a sleek little European sports car,
but Alpine is the notable exception. Alpine was founded in the mid-1950s is famous for adapting
Renault passenger car mechanicals for use in mid-engine sports and racing cars, and the A110 is
perhaps its most highly regarded and successful. Evolved from the A106/A108 coupes, which,
although stylish, were woefully underpowered, it debuted in 1963 but underwent numerous
revisions in its 14-year run. By the time the 1970s dawned, the A110 was sporting 140hp from
its 1.6L Renault R16-based inline-4. But its real secret was its lightweight fiberglass body over a
backbone chassis that in “S” trim weighed less than 1,400 pounds and was beautifully balanced.
It gained fame for its rally prowess, winning the Monte Carlo Rally and five other World Rally
Championship events in 1973. Kyosho is about to release an updated version of its A110 casting
in 1:18. If this pretty and potent little Berlinette is to your taste, order now.
“Lightweight” and “underpowered” are two words that will never be applied to the Bentley
Bentayga. The Bentayga is the Crewe crew’s first ever SUV, and they didn’t tiptoe into the
market. At a cool quarter million, it’s not the most expensive Bentley, and at 5,500 pounds, it’s
not even the heaviest. But its Volkswagen-built 600-horse twin-turbo W-12 puts it near the
top power-wise, and the 187mph top speed proves it. Of course, speed isn’t (officially) what
the Bentayga is built for, and its sumptuous accommodations put virtually every other SUV to
shame. Kyosho’s model delivers much of that luxury in scale, adding an interesting dimension
to its Bentley 1:18 lineup.
Kyosho; distributed by Minichamps, carvillemodelsshop.com
Presley’s Pullman
TrueScale Miniatures 1969 Mercedes 600
1:43 | $98
“Pullman,” when applied to a German car, means “limousine.”
When applied to a Mercedes 600, it means “big limousine.”
Mercedes 600s were only built on order from 1963 through
1981, and just 428 were built. Of those, a mere 124 were the
stretched six-door Pullman model. Armor plating, bulletproof
tires and glass, and other such hidden assets were available,
and almost every dictator, oil-rich sheik, and king had to have
one. So did “The King,” whose dark blue 1969 Pullman is on
display in the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum in Memphis,
Tennessee. TSM has just released this big, beautifully made
resin-cast model; it’s licensed by Daimler, so you know that
the lines and details are going to be accurate. Panel lines,
including the moonroof through which Elvis liked to stand,
are crisp, and the paint is excellent. It’s fully detailed, with a
combination of plated, printed chrome, and photo-etched
parts; the latter include tiny scale badges, nameplates, side
window frames, and the trunk-mounted antenna. Front and
rear window surrounds are printed in chrome that’s as bright
as the plated parts. TSM didn’t scrimp on the interior either,
with good-looking blue and tan upholstery, armrests, silver-
printed control panels, and lots of wood-grain trim. (Sample
provided by motorsportsminiatures.com.)—Wayne Moyer
tsm-models.com

10 DCXmag.com
SHOWROOM

Italian Beauty
Best of Show 1966 Maserati Sebring Series II
1:18 | $98
Maserati’s Sebring, introduced in 1962, was a fast, four-passenger touring car intended
to fill a niche neglected by Ferrari. The name, referencing Maserati’s 1957 victory
there, was intended to attract American buyers, but a price tag in excess of
$10,000 and a very scattered dealer network kept that from happening. After
building 348 Sebrings, the Sebring Series II, with a restyled Vignale body was
introduced in 1965, but only 98 were built before production ended. Best of Show’s
beautiful 1:18-scale resin body has the Series II’s new quad-headlight front end,
relocated fender vents, Quattroporte-style squared-off roofline, and new tail lights
exactly as they should be. The big resin body is flawless, with crisp panel lines, and
its dark metallic red paint is smooth and glossy. Major brightwork—including all light
bezels—is chrome plated, side trim is printed bright chrome, while window moldings are
silver with thin black surrounds simulating the rubber seals. The egg-crate grille and gold Maserati
Trident are photo-etched, and smaller badges are printed in up to six colors! Nothing opens, but very
thin “glass” makes the realistic interior quite visible. Seats and door panels are light tan with a leather-
like sheen. The flat black dash is correct, as are the five small and two big round legible gauges. Pedals,
shift handle, and hand brake are all there, but photos show that the steering wheel (complete with tiny
Trident in the center) should have a wood rim, not be body-color. Although many Sebrings were fitted
with wire wheels, BoS has the standard alloy wheels right.—Wayne Moyer Fast Fastback
Best of Show; distributed by american-excellence.com Brooklin 1941 Pontiac Streamliner Torpedo
Coupe 1:43 | $130
Pontiac’s “Torpedo” styling with wider, more streamlined
bodies and no running boards debuted on top-line models in
1940 and were found on all three series for 1941. There were

Chevy’s Class Act

AUTOart 1958 Corvette with Hardtop 1:18 | $170
GM originally intended the 1958 Corvette to look very much like the ’56 Olds Golden Rocket Motor-
ama. But problems with a new truck line and demands of the all-new ’58 passenger cars took priority,
and the Vette was relegated to a facelift and an expanded option list at the last minute. Most critics
felt that the face-lift was a step backward from the previous clean lines. It included quad headlights,
fewer grille teeth, fake hood louvers and covers at the front of the side coves, and a pair of big chrome
stripes down the trunk lid. It was also 9 inches longer and 200 pounds heavier than the ’57, but an
optional fuel-injected 283 V-8 with 290 horses made up for that. AUTOart’s new ’58 Corvette looks
right from every angle, and the excellent two-tone Signet Red and Snowcrest White paint matches
GM color chips perfectly. The hardtop snaps into place and fits very well. All those ’58 details are
present and accounted for; the multicolor hood and deck badges and crossed-flag emblems are 3D
photo-etched pieces, and everything else is done with nicely scaled plated parts. Lift the hood and
lock its sliding support in place to check out the wired and plumbed carbureted engine. Doors pivot
to show the accurate upholstery, soft carpet, photo-etched wheel spokes, and fully detailed dash,
but the factory seatbelts are missing. Skinny tires are correct, but the whitewalls could be a bit wider.
Look closely—those chrome wheel covers have Corvette logos and emblems engraved in the fake
knockoffs.—Wayne Moyer
autoartmodels.com
only two models in the midpriced “Torpedo Streamliner”
series: a four-door sedan and this two-door coupe, both with
sleek fastback bodies and available with 6- or 8-cylinder
power. Brooklin’s heavy white-metal model of the Coupe is
very well done, with accurate lines and a good glossy Thetis
Green finish. The short hood ornament and lack of chrome
trim between the correctly indented speed lines on the
fenders identify it as the base Streamliner Six. The details
are correct, with the trademark “Silver Streaks,” exterior
handles, windshield divider, vent window frames, rocker-
panel molding, and (of course) the grille and bumpers all done
with separate chrome-plated parts. The long, curved beltline
molding and window frames are cast in relief but painted over,
while the black stone guards are correct. Interior details are
typical for Brooklin with accurate dash details, including the
winged circles flanking the chromed radio fascia, cast in crisp
relief but painted over, as are the speedometer and glove
box. Seat and inner door panel upholstery patterns look right
and the body-color doorsills are correct, but interior cranks,
handles, and armrests are missing.—Wayne Moyer
brasiliapress.com

ONLINE
EXCLUSIVE
REVIEW!
DCXmag.com
SHOWROOM
Mid-Range Merc
Spark Mercedes-AMG GT 1:43 | $80
After building the superb but expensive Mercedes-AMG SLS, Mercedes set out to build a competitor
to the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS. With an AMG-massaged smaller twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 and minus
the spectacular gullwing doors, the Mercedes-AMG GT offers performance comparable to the SLS at
a price not much greater than the Porsche. While Spark is marketing this gorgeous resin-cast model
as the Mercedes-Benz GT, its license plate correctly identifies it as a Mercedes-AMG GT, and miniscule
AMG GTS badges show that it’s the top-line GTS model. Spark has done its homework on this one;
the shape and details are so accurate and complete that one suspects the company either had help
from Mercedes or access to a real car. The smooth aerodynamic shape is right, panel lines are crisp,
and every detail is there with excellent scale fidelity. That bright AMG Solarbeam Yellow Metallic paint
is flawless and matches photos on Mercedes’ website perfectly. Most of us will need a magnifying
glass to read the tiny photo-etched biturbo V-8, Mercedes, and AMG GTS badges; the slightly larger,
three-pointed stars are “3D”-etched pieces. Clear, flush-fitted “glass” makes it easy to see the
accurate upholstery patterns, unique V-shaped array of console controls, climate-control
vents, navigation panel, and big detailed gauges behind the Mercedes-badged wheel.
There’s not much chassis detail, but the big yellow calipers behind the authentic
wheels are correctly positioned on nicely detailed discs. (Sample provided by
motorsportsminiatures.com.)—Wayne Moyer
sparkmodel.com
Mysterious Blue Oval
Neo 1955 Ford Mystere Concept Car 1:43 | $100
Ford built the Mystere for the January 1955 Detroit Auto Show, but because so many of its design
cues would appear on the 1957 Fairlanes, it wasn’t shown publicly until October. Unlike most Ford
show cars, the Mystere was a fiberglass-bodied pushmobile whose intended rear-mounted gas-
turbine engine was never installed. But its check-mark side trim and basket-handle roll bar/roof trim
had already appeared on 1955 Fords, albeit in much subdued form. Its front-fender oil-cooler pods
would house parking lights on ’56 models, and the gently curved fins, in smaller form, would appear on
’57 Fairlanes, along with stamped sculptured body panels. And the big roof-top scoop would become
two smaller ones on Mercury’s Turnpike Cruiser. Happily, the throw-over wheel, lifted form Beechcraft
airplanes, never materialized. Neo’s resin-cast model has all those details along with the swoopy lines
exactly right. The excellent Pearlescent Magenta and Raven Black paint is equally accurate. All the
brightwork is either plated or printed in equally bright chrome except the tiny multicolor photo-etched
Ford crests and rear antenna; the Mystere front-fender scripts are printed in gold and almost invisible
against the magenta paint. The flush rear-fender scoops that were to feed the turbine are neatly
done, while the wide rear alloy plate with dozens of tiny holes would have been its exhaust. Interior
details are all there too; there were no windows in the bubble canopy, and push buttons opened and
closed it. The dual instrumentation and central speedometer are done with legible decals, and Neo has
modeled the throw-over wheel very well.—Wayne Moyer
Neo; distributed by american-excellence.com
14 DCXmag.com
Fine Fifty-Seven
Neo 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Coupe
1:43 | $80
1957 Fords were, with the exception of tried-and-true engines,
literally all new: new chassis, improved suspension, and bodies
that were longer, wider, and a whopping 4 inches lower than
the ’56 Fords. The small curved fins, check-mark side trim, and
Ford’s first sculptured body panels all debuted on the Mystere
and appeared on the top-line Fairlane series in much subdued
form. Buyers loved it; Ford set new sales records and outsold
Chevy for the first time since 1935. The top-line Fairlane 500
series included two- and four-door hardtop sedans, the
Sunliner convertible, and Skyliner retractable hardtop. Neo has
released this exceptional model of the Model 63A two-door
hardtop, aka Victoria Coupe. It hasn’t missed anything on this
beauty; the shape is dead-on, and the two-tone Colonial White
and Yellow (brighter than Inca Gold, but there are photos show-
ing this color) paint is absolutely flawless. There’s no printed
trim; everything is either plated or photo-etched, and how the
sharply curved, flush-fitting windshield molding was done is a
mystery. Check out the valve stems protruding from the
accurate full wheel covers. This is far and away the best ’57 Ford
in this scale.—Wayne Moyer
Neo; distributed by american-excellence.com
Dan Does Daytona
Spark 1963 Ford Galaxie “Dan Gurney”
1:43 | $80
Although Dan Gurney’s first NASCAR ride was in a Chevy, he
was firmly in the Ford camp by 1963. Already at Daytona for
the sports-car races, he was offered a ride for the 1963 Day-
tona 500 in the Holman-Moody Galaxie sponsored by nearby
Fayetteville, North Carolina, dealer Lafayette Ford. Dan adapted
to the big stock cars quickly, qualifying 11th and finishing fifth,
one place behind another young driver: Richard Petty. Back
then NASCAR cars were pretty much stock—at least on the
outside—and Spark’s resin-cast model matches scale draw-
ings and photos perfectly. Spark has all the Holman-Moody
details right too, including the reinforcements (photo-etched
parts) around their unique “through-the-frame” side
exhausts. Bumpers and door handles are correctly plated,
while the grille is an equally correct aluminum color. Hood and
trunk tie-downs, along with the window frames, are photo-
etched, while the drip rails are printed chrome. Spark’s paint
is flawless (although a bit brighter than FoMoCo Corinthian
White), and the decal graphics are 100 percent complete and
correct for race day. The stripped-down interior has a full roll
cage and a correct single seat with detailed belts. The single
color photo found shows light blue wheels, but they would
have been changed several times during the race. (Sample
provided by motorsportsminiatures.com.)—Wayne Moyer
sparkmodel.com
showroom

Speed with Style
Bizarre 1956 Pontiac Club de Mer 1:43 | $80
Pontiac’s 1956 Motorama car, the Club de Mer (aka XP-200), could have been the marque’s entry into
the world of high-performance sports cars. It had a tube-frame chassis, de Dion rear axle, and full belly
pan—much like the Mercedes 300SL—and a 300hp V-8. Its power-to-weight ratio was only slightly
behind a Porsche 550 Spyder, and its aerodynamics were better. A low, full-width scoop provided
cooling air, while the “Silver Streaks” terminated in small carburetor air scoops. The brushed aluminum
body was painted with translucent Cerulean Blue (which accounts for the differences in color photos),
with bright red inside the wheels arches and cockpit and red leather upholstery. The Club de Mer was
striking, and the same is true of Bizarre’s superb resin-cast model. That very low, very sleek body and
big central fin are exactly right, with the headlights rotated to the hidden position. Its flawless metallic
mid-blue paint is as close as you could get to the original, and all the brightwork—from the horizontal
band across the nose to the quad exhaust tips—has been done with plated, chrome-printed, and
photo-etched pieces. Tiny but legible name badges are chrome-printed on almost invisible clear strips.
The two-seat, twin-windscreen interior has an accurate dash, with detailed instrument faces, all the
knobs and switches, and authentic upholstery and inner door panel details, but Bizarre apparently
missed the only photo that shows four-point seatbelts. Bizarre is correct in that wheel hubs did indeed
extend outside the body envelope. Workmanship is first-class, and dimensions are exceptionally
precise for a resin model. (Sample provided by grandprixmodels.com.)—Wayne Moyer
Bizarre; distributed by sunrichtoy.com
Magnificent Miller
Replicarz 1929 Indy 500 Winner 1:43 | $90
The Miller era of Indianapolis racing began when Jimmy Murphy
swapped one of Harry Miller’s new jewel-like supercharged
91 cubic-inch engines into his 1921 French Grand Prix–winning
Duesenberg and won the 1922 500. Miller built his own chassis
the following year, and Miller 91s won five of the eight races
before engine rules changed in 1930. Millers filled the first
11 spots of the 1929 grid, with newer front-drive cars in the
first five and Ray Keech in sixth with an older rear-wheel-drive
Miller. But all the front runners had problems, and Keech took
the lead on lap 157, holding it to record the last win for a Miller
91. Bigger Miller engines would continue to win the 500 until
the Offy arrived in 1935. The latest release in Replicarz series
of 1:43-scale Indy winners is this beautifully made resin-cast
model of Keech’s winner. Its slender body and spidery suspen-
sion are accurate, and the super-glossy white paint is as good
as any you’ll find in this scale. Apparently, the size and location
of the race numbers changed over the 30 Days of May, as
period photos show distinct differences; the “official” photo,
usually taken before the race, doesn’t have a number on the
right side of the hood but others do. Replicarz has correctly
painted the chassis “steel” and plated the grille shell and shift
lever, but the leaf springs and big exhaust were not plated.
Neither were the brake drums, which, like those on the old
SMTS white-metal kit, are too small in diameter. The big photo-
etched wire wheels and accurate Firestone Balloon tires are
especially realistic, though. Prewar Indy winners are scarce in
1:43, and this beauty is very welcome.—Wayne Moyer
replicarz.com

Steve’s Speedster
Schuco 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster
1:43 | $85
Steve McQueen was a lifelong racing addict who, even while
struggling as an actor, made enough money racing motorcycles
to buy a 1958 Porsche 356A Super Speedster. He entered his
first four-wheel race—a club event—in Santa Barbara, California,
in 1959 and won his class. That was the beginning of a lifelong
affection for Porsches. One of the first releases in Schuco’s new
ProR resin-cast series is “Steve’s Speedster,” a name appar-
ently chosen to avoid paying a license fee. It is, in fact, McQueen’s
Porsche with the correct glossy black paint and white “71” in the
unusual font he chose. Any good reference will show that Schuco
has the Speedster’s “truculent turtle” shape and cut-down
windshield exactly right, along with the special knockoff Rudge Ride with a Champ!
wheels that McQueen fitted to his car. Exterior handles, light Hot Wheels Redline ’63 Studebaker Champ 1:64 | $20
bezels, exhaust tips, wipers, and those wheels are chrome-plated,
while the long side molding is printed in chrome that’s as shiny as The Hot Wheels Red Line Club (RLC) is a premier collectors club that offers the highest-quality
the plated pieces. Wipers and the rear-deck air-intake grilles are cars that Hot Wheels makes. Every year, memberships are extremely limited, and upon joining,
photo-etched. Inside the cockpit, the seats and door panels have members receive a highly anticipated membership car (a ’55 Chevy Gasser for 2016), a limited-
a realistic soft luster with separate plated inner handles, while the edition RLC poster, a limited-edition RLC patch, a membership card, and other perks, like a priority
authentic ivory-colored steering wheel has a tiny Porsche badge window to buy Hot Wheels Collectors cars before they are offered to the public and exclusive
at its center. Big legible round gauges, white control knobs and content such as sneak peeks of future models. Among the latest of the Red Line Club exclusives
switches, and photo-etched Porsche badges make a very realistic is this excellent Studebaker Champ. In the early ’60s, Studebaker introduced this compact yet
instrument panel, even though the interior mirror just has a rugged pickup with the interior comfort of a sedan, which included a slide-open rear cab window.
silver-painted face. The very simple (and probably not too useful) Check out its highly detailed features along with the unique vintage-style packaging. Within the
roll hoop is what was used in the 1950s too. (Sample provided by vintage spark-plug-reminiscent packaging, the Champ comes secured in its own acrylic display
motorsportsminiatures.com.)—Wayne Moyer case or it can be easily removed for other means of display. If you are a fan of Studebaker, this
Schuco; distributed by sunrichtoy.com one is a must-have for your collection.—Mike Zarnock
hotwheelscollectors.com

16 DCXmag.com
 The fahr(T)raum museum
proudly displays many
Austro-Daimler classics,
including this 1929-31
Torpedo.

The centerpiece of the

collection is the 1910 Prinz
Heinrich.

The museum features

Porsche vehicles from his
horse-carriage roots up
through the development of
the Volkswagen.

18 DCXmag.com
 Ferdinand Porsche
The Founding FaTher oF The SporTS Car

Herr Piëch is actively involved in the

museum and has a personal connection
to the Prinz Heinrich that goes back to Ernst Piëch
when he was a boy.
discusses his
legendary
grandfather and the
museum dedicated
to his early career
by Matt boyd

W
e all know it well—the most famous The fahr(T)raum museum
models include 1:87,
name in German sports cars
1:43, and 1:18 versions
is synonymous with precision, of several of Porsche’s
performance, and prestige. But the most important designs.
roots of that reputation predate the Museum Director Jakob
sports-car manufacturing powerhouse Iglhauser expresses his
that is Porsche AG. They originate enthusiasm for them,
saying, “the quality of
with the man himself, Ferdinand
models is very high. The
Porsche, whose influence touches details of the engines are
virtually every corner of the German awesome.” The collection
automotive industry—and, therefore, starts with Porsche’s
by definition, the entire automotive innovative 1901 Lohner-
world. His dedication and attention to Porsche Mixte—considered
the world’s first gas-
detail were evident even in his earliest days as an engineer electric hybrid.
and designer. Born in the northern region of the Austro-
Hungarian Empire in what is now the Czech
Republic, Porsche moved to Vienna at age 18 to
begin his engineering career. He started with
the Béla Egger electrical company and then
signed on with coachbuilder Jacob Lohner &
Co., where he designed the first hybrid gas/
electric car in 1901—the Lohner-Porsche
Mixte—using wheel hub motors he helped
develop at Egger, a Lohner chassis, and an
internal-combustion engine from Daimler
driving a generator to power the motors in
the wheels. The Lohner-Porsche set several
Austrian speed records and, in 1905, earned
Porsche the Pötting Prize as Austria’s top
automotive engineer. His experience developing
the Lohner-Porsche whetted his appetite for
performance while solidifying his reputation in the

FALL 2016 19
 ERNST PIËCH DISCUSSES FERDINAND PORSCHE

This is the 1908 Austro-

Daimler 28/32—better
known as the “Maja”—in
1:18. The model captures
the styling details and
the unique double-twin
engine that it borrowed
from its sister car, the
original Mercedes.

A period advertisement for the Maja

that touted its connection to the original Mercedes race car.

his elder daughter) with truly advanced engine

rapidly burgeoning automotive
industry.
That success and attention got
him a job offer as head designer
for Austro-Daimler, the Austrian
subsidiary of Daimler-Motoren-
Gesellschaft (DMG—precursor
to Daimler/Mercedes-Benz) in
1906. One of his first creations
as design chief was the Maja.
Named after the second
daughter of Daimler patron Emil
Jellinek, it was based on the
race car Daimler had previously
built for Jellinek, which had
been called “Mercedes” (after
and shared its
35hp double-twin
4-cylinder engine.
Porsche’s affinity for
sporting machines would
come into sharper focus two
years later with the creation of
the 1910 Prinz Heinrich (Prince
Henry). Built from the ground up
to win the Prinz-Heinrich-Fahrt
(Prince Henry Tour) road race,
win it did—sweeping the first
three positions, with Ferdinand
Porsche himself driving the
winning car!
His final creation at the helm of
Austro-Daimler may have been
the 1922 Sascha, a tiny two-
seat race car that weighed just
1,300 pounds and was equipped
technology. Its little 4-cylinder
powerplant displaced just 1100cc,
but an overhead-cam design
allowed it to produce 50hp—
enough to power it to victory in
the Targa Florio that year.
The Austro-Daimler era—and
Porsche’s tenure in Austria—
ended the following year as
Ferdinand Porsche left to
become technical director at
DMG in Stuttgart. From there, he
would go on to develop some of
the most significant vehicles in
Germany’s storied automotive
history (see sidebar on the facing
page). But his Austro-Daimler
years set the tone for his future
success and comprise some of
the most significant events in

Left: The cars in the fahr(T)raum collection are original, and they are functional. Here is
Porsche’s grandson Ernst Piëch debuting the restored 1910 Prinz Heinrich at the 2009
Goodwood Festival of Speed. (Photo by Brian Snelson—Creative Commons)

Below:The most famous car in the fahr(T)raum collection—real and in scale—is the
1910 Prinz Heinrich, and it is treated to extra detail as part of the Ernst Piëch Collection.
Iglhauser calls out his favorite highlight: “Note the spoke wheels on this special version.
[It has] detail that I’ve never seen.” Check out the full review of this 1:18 version on
page 24.

20 DCXmag.com

Austria’s automotive history,
inspiring the creation of the
fahr(T)raum—Meilensteine der
Mobilität, a museum dedicated
to Ferdinand Porsche that
translates roughly as “Driving
Space—Milestones of Mobility.”
The Austro-Daimlers are also
near and dear to Porsche’s
grandson, Ernst Piëch, who has
been heavily involved with the
museum and its collection. Herr
Piëch graciously took time to
share his thoughts with us (with
the aid of an interpreter) about
some of the significant cars in
the collection and about his
grandfather’s history with them.
Die Cast X: Your grandfather is
renowned for the sports-car
company he founded and for
which his name is synonymous,
but the museum focuses on his
earlier career. What is the single
biggest surprise that visitors learn
about Porsche’s early days?
Ernst Piëch: We try to explain
the development from the horse
carriage to the Beetle. That is the
time from 1900 till 1907 when
my grandfather build carriages
with Lohner. We have a Lohner-
Porsche Mixte that shows the
time with wheel hub electric
motors (Radnabenmotor),
powered by batteries or petrol
engines with an electric gearbox.
DCX: Ferdinand Porsche was
associated with many of
Germany’s best-known auto
manufacturers of the early
Masterworks under Many Marques
20th century before founding his The fahr(T)raum exhibit concerns itself primarily with
own. What would you consider the Austro-Daimler years, but Ferdinand Porsche was
his most influential efforts under instrumental in numerous landmark achievements for
other marques? most of the major players in the German automotive
EP: The AD 617 and ADM Austro- world.
Daimler car and aeroplane
engines from the first World
War—from 1907 until 1923
in Wiener Neustadt. The Typ
SSK Mercedes car. That was a
great favorite from 1923 till 1928
at Daimler in Stuttgart .
DCX: Porsche himself was
instrumental in inventing the
sports-car genre. What vehicles
helped do that, and what would
you say is the most important/
influential car in your exhibit? Can
you tell us about it? 1. Mercedes SSK
Upon joining Daimler-Benz in Stuttgart, Ferdinand Porsche designed what would
EP: It is the first sports car:
be the most important Mercedes-Benz of the prewar era: the 1929–32 SSK (Super
the Austro-Daimler Prinz Sport Kurz). With up to 300hp in its compact body, it was the supercar of its era.
Ferdinand Porsche himself
piloted the car to win the 1910
Prince Henry Tour. (Photo
courtesy of Porsche)
2. Auto Union Type C
After leaving Mercedes and a brief stint at Steyr, Porsche founded his own engineering
consulting firm and began work on a privately funded race-car project nicknamed the
“P-Wagen.” Porsche was soon hired by Auto Union to develop its Grand Prix program,
and the P-Wagen morphed into the V-16-powered Auto Union Type A, B, C, and D. An
interesting variant was the “streamliner” high-speed racing car. (Photo by Norbert
Aepli—Creative Commons)
Heinrich from 1910 . It was a
very successful car with an
aerodynamic body and with 3. KdF/Type 60/Volkswagen Prototypes
shock absorbers, powered by Porsche was designated the lead engineer for the German state-sponsored Kraft
durch Freude-Wagen project, later to be known simply as the Volkswagen (“The
a 100hp aeroplane engine. Top
People’s Car”). Porsche’s Type 60 prototypes went through several iterations
speed was 140kph (87mph). He before landing upon the design we would come to know as the VW Beetle.
drove that car to first place in the
Prinz Heinrich race in 1910.
DCX: Sports cars naturally
evolved into competition, and
it is clear that historic racing
cars are at the heart of your
exhibit. Is there one machine
that best represents the impact
that Ferdinand Porsche had on
auto racing?
4. Type 64 & Porsche 356
EP: With the Austro-Daimler
Porsche also had designs on—and for—a “People’s Sports Car,” of sorts. The
Prinz Heinrich car from 1911, he prototype was the Type 64 (right), and it set out the basic parameters that
drove a world record of 172kph Ferdinand’s son, “Ferry” Porsche, would use to launch the first Porsche consumer
(107mph). sports car—the 356—a decade later.
FALL 2016 21
 Ernst Piëch discusses ferdinand Porsche

DCX: If there is one car that

One of the coolest things about
Porsche was involved in that is
the fahr(T)raum museum is the
not currently part of your exhibit opportunity to actually tour the
and that you would like to acquire, countryside around Mattsee in some
what would it be? vintage machinery.
EP: The Alfa Romeo from 1934
to 1939.

DCX: Do you have a favorite

among the exhibit cars?
EP: The ADR Austro-Daimler
from 1929. It is the same age
as I am. But it was built by Karl
Rabe (the successor at Austro-
Daimler while grandfather was
in Stuttgart). This car was also
very successful in mountain
races with Hans Stuck from
1927 till 1931.

DCX: For readers who don’t know,
your museum is located in a very
scenic and historically significant
area of Austria. Can you tell us
a bit about it, and did that play
a role in choosing where to build
the museum itself or was it
coincidence?
EP: The Trumer Seen
district is near Salzburg
(21km) with three lakes and
very clean, fresh water. It is
a beautiful countryside with
many midsize farms. The village
The last car that Porsche
Mattsee has a very nice old
developed for Austro-Daimler
was this slick little two-seat racer, the Sascha, seen here in 1:43. The innovative little church and a beautiful beach. It
overhead-cam 1100cc motor produced 50hp in a car that weighed barely 1,300 pounds, is a nice and calm holiday place.
yielding exceptional performance for 1922. Our family has had a summer
residence on the lake in Mattsee
since 1964.
DCX: What is the single most
important thing that you would
like people to know about the
museum?
EP: We show the milestones of
Ferdinand Porsche‘s automotive
development from the horse
carriage to the Beetle. We
also have a large exhibition of
Porsche-Allgaier tractors. But our
special attraction is for our guests
to have [the opportunity for] a
nice drive out with our Austro-
Daimler old-timers and enjoy
the beautiful countryside. ✇

The Sascha was quick enough to secure a class

victory for legendary driver Alfred Neubauer at
the 1922 Targa Florio.
OUT OF THE BOX BY MATT BOYD

ERNST PIËCH COLLECTION

1910 AUSTRO-DAIMLER
PRINZ HEINRICH 1:18 | $200

F
rom the earliest days of his automotive career,
Ferdinand Porsche was obsessed with racing and
speed. He felt that campaigning his vehicles in
competition under extreme conditions tested their
limits and revealed technical weaknesses, resulting in
better cars. When one of his vehicles won, it proved to
customers the superiority of the design.

And even beyond the engineering exhaust system to streamline them, Porsche’s drive and meticulous help of Porsche’s grandson
and marketing benefits, Porsche allowing the car to reach speeds preparation—traits that would serve Ernst Piëch, who restored
loved the thrill of competition. In his of 140kph. The result was the 1910 him throughout his career—won the original Austro-Daimler
early years, he often undertook the Prinz Heinrich—a car that can fairly him the day, and those same Prinz Heinrich, which is one of the
driving duties personally, reveling be called the first true production traits are evident in the model you centerpieces of the exhibit. It is
in the speed and the excitement sports car. And it was a resounding see here. It was produced for and also the inspiration for this scale
and enjoying the opportunity to success: Porsche’s exhaustive in cooperation with the fahr(T) replica. This model was
prove his driving skill along with efforts yielded a clean sweep of raum—Meilensteine der Mobilität, one of the surprise
his engineering prowess. In 1909 the podium, with his own car taking the museum in Mattsee, Austria,
Germany, the biggest stage upon the victory and identical team cars dedicated to Ferdinand Porsche’s
which to test man and machine was finishing second and third behind early career, and curated with the
the Prinz-Heinrich-Fahrt (Prince him. Defending champ Opel could
Henry Tour), named after Kaiser only manage a distant fourth place.
Wilhelm’s younger brother, Prinz
Heinrich of Prussia. When the race
was announced, Porsche—then
technical director for Austro-
Daimler—was immediately drawn to
compete. He chose a largely stock
touring car, but it proved no match
for Wilhelm Opel in his own design.
Immediately upon suffering
defeat, Porsche resolved to build
a new car, and he pored over the
regulations looking for every
advantage to optimize his design.
The Neunkirchner Allee was just
south of the Daimler factory in
Neustadt, and its 13km of dead-
straight road was the ideal testing
ground. It is here that Porsche
worked tirelessly on reducing
drag and improving the car’s top
speed. After consulting with an
airplane pilot, Porsche bolted a
rounded tail section onto the rear
end of the car to smooth the
airflow off the tail. He encased the
front axle, headlamp struts, and

24 DCXmag.com
 Ferdinand Porsche’s
The model comes with a scale functional
folding fabric top, which looks great, but
the rigging takes some effort.

Foundational Sports Car

ErNsT PIëCH CoLLECTIoN
1910 Austro-DAimler
Prinz HeinricH
Below: The engine is a work of art.
Porsche optimized the design to exploit
race rules, with the 5.7L 4-cylinder
churning out more than 100hp. Bottom:
The model replicates the brass fittings
and individually cast cylinder bores.
debuts of this spring’s Nuremberg
Toy Fair, and now that we have
one here, I can certainly see why.
Now, this model is primarily
(and unapologetically!) plastic in
construction, so if that bothers
you…well, it’s your loss, because it
presents splendidly. And truthfully,
the intricacies of its thin fenders,
fairings, and other finery would not
be possible in traditional diecast, and
other sorts of hand-tooled metal
would be prohibitively expensive—
likely doubling this car’s price. White Above: The torpedo-shaped exhaust
is not a color that lets flaws in the system has an interesting bypass port
finish hide; fortunately, there aren’t in it. Left: Gear levers meant that there
any to hide. There is a black-and- was no door fitted to the driver’s side.
Below: Every bit of trim was streamlined
gold stripe across the cowl, and to reduce drag.
some race numbering across the
grillework on the rounded nose.
Just below is the chromed metal
hand-crank starter, jutting out
between frame rails with detailed
leaf springs affixing the front axle
in its aerodynamic fairing. There are
fairings in front of the rear wheels
on top of the running boards and
a bullet-shaped tail cap too. There
are nicely detailed filler caps for the

Porsche made a work of art out of

his engine, and the model caPtures
much of that oPulence.
radiator and other fluids sunk into
the cowling, and metal pins and
supports for the functional folding
fabric top, which is removable. It
looks great, but the rigging for the
top is rather complex (instructions
would be a worthwhile addition).
The sculpted passenger
compartment is split into front
and rear seat areas; the forward
section is accessible only through
a passenger’s side door, as the
driver’s side has gear levers
alongside the body. The rear has
doors on both sides, and all three
open. Despite being developed
for racing, the accommodations
are actually quite sumptuous,
with nicely upholstered seats, a
walnut-pattern steering wheel,
and gold-rimmed gauges,
including an oddly placed but
perfectly legible tachometer on
the floor next to the pedals.
You’ve no doubt noticed the
prominent hinges in the top and
sides of the cowl. They’re slightly
too large to be scale—really the
only minor flaw in the model’s
authenticity. But that allows them
to open to reveal a delightfully
detailed engine. The big 4-cylinder
featured an overhead camshaft,
which reduced weight and
complexity in the valvetrain to
improve high-rpm power and
reliability. Porsche optimized the
engine for the Prince Henry rules,
squeezing more than 100hp out
of 5.7 liters. The model replicates
the brass plumbing for the two-
piece intake manifold and the iron
block with its individual cylinder
castings. There are ignition wires
for the twin-spark plug heads
on the intake (driver’s) side and
convincing exhaust manifolds
that route to the torpedo-shaped
exhaust system with an interesting
bypass valve. Porsche made a
work of art out of his engine, and
the model captures much of that
opulence. The wheels are, likewise,
works of art, with amazingly
delicate spokes and sharp detail
on the chain drives on the rear
axle. Let’s also take a moment
to recognize the packaging that
comes with this model. It includes
a clear acrylic display case secured
with grub screws, with recesses
molded in the base to retain the
tires, and a brass identification
plaque. The model also includes

26 DCXmag.com
Museum-grade packaging is part of the deal. The model comes with a nice two-piece
acrylic display case, and there’s even a documentary DVD on the car’s history.
a DVD with a short documentary
on the Prinz Heinrich, with Ernst
Piëch discussing its significance to
his grandfather and Piëch’s joy in
bringing it back to life.
FINAL THOUGHTS
These fahr(T)raum models
were something of a surprise to
us—and the rest of the model
world, judging by reactions from
Nuremberg. Having gotten a
preview, I anticipated a nice piece,
but both the quality and the rich
history of these cars exceeded
my expectations. It takes a
special vintage car to capture my
imagination—the Austro-Daimler
Above: A walnut-finish steering wheel and brass-rimmed gauges dress up the dash.
Prinz Heinrich is certainly that. As Check out the oddly placed (but perfectly legible) tachometer way down by the driver’s
the world’s first production sports feet. Below: Pretty luxurious accommodations for a race car!
car, its significance rivals virtually
anything from the era. And the
completeness of the package—the
model, the display case, the DVD—
provides a depth of experience
that is truly satisfying. Chances
are that you have not heard of
this model yet, but if Ferdinand
Porsche interests you at all, I highly
recommend the special Ernst
Piëch Collection Prinz Heinrich. ✇
SOURCE
The Ernst Piëch Collection and
fahr(T)raum Models; distributed by
M & D International, m-dintl.com
out of the box by the DCx Crew

Best oF show 1939 type 64 that he had his name

spelled out on the nose—the first
Porsche TyPe 64 1:18 | $98 car to carry the moniker that would
become the world standard for
sports cars in years to follow. After
the car appeared in its early days.
Best of show is developing
quite a library of interesting, slightly
offbeat 1:18 resin-cast models,
and the type 64 fits right in. Its

I
seeing the progress made on the distinctive shape is a marriage of
f the Volkswagen—the “people’s car”—was Ferdinand type 64, the DAF reconsidered its the Vw prototype roof and cabin
Porsche’s most significant engineering achievement support, calculating that a Vw- shape with a streamlined lower
based sports racing car would have body derived from the 114 that was
and the sports-car company bearing his name his most
tremendous propaganda value for sculpted in the wind tunnel. You
enduring legacy, then the odd little machine you see here the Nazi Party. Porsche suggested can definitely see the proto-Beetle
is the bridge between them and proves that his obsession the 1939 Berlin-to-Rome road race roots in its complex curves and also
with performance cars stayed with him throughout his as the ideal showplace, and three a smaller, blunted interpretation
type 64 cars were completed for it. of the type C streamliner that
entire career. The impending outbreak of ww II, Ferdinand Porsche had designed
however, caused the cancellation for Auto Union in 1937 to set a
The type 60K10, better known loosely on the 10th prototype of the race, and the type 64 never top-speed record. This is a sealed-
as the type 64, was born of design crossed with an abandoned competed as intended. two of the body model, so surface detailing
Ferdinand’s desire to get back to his racing car project, the type 114. three cars were subsequently is everything. The silver finish
sporting roots and build a people’s It rode on a reinforced type 60 destroyed during the war. only is superb, its luster highlighting
sports car to go with the Vw. The chassis with the wheelbase the single example personally the curvy body beautifully. trim
German Labor Front (DAF)—the extended and used a hopped- preserved by the Porsche family pieces like the wiper blades are
etched metal, and molded chrome

The Origin of the Porsche Species

state-sponsored consortium of
trade organizations in the 1930s
that would be responsible for
mass-producing the Volkswagen
(then known as the type 60)—
initially didn’t think a sports car
was an appropriate use of state
resources, so Porsche undertook
the project on his own at his
stuttgart-based engineering firm.
It was initially named “60K10”
because it was nominally based
on the Vw type 60 prototype,
wearing a body based
up version of the Vw 1131cc
flat-4 with larger valves, more
compression, and twin carbs. It
made a whopping 50hp—hardly a
powerhouse, but twice the output
of the Vw and enough to push the
lightweight, aero-friendly type 64
to nearly 100mph.
Porsche was so proud of the
survives to this day, and that is the
car on which Best of show’s model
is based. The car has been painted
both silver and black at various
times, and has appeared at historic
shows and events wearing racing
livery or auxiliary lighting for rally
events. The model is configured as
bits serve for the door handles,
headlight bezels, and the small
front grille. The need for a grille is
puzzling given that the type 64
is air cooled (no radiator) and
the engine is in the back,
but it is accurate to
the real car and
well executed.
The vent

28 DCXmag.com
just below the backlight is pure
VW, and it provided most of the
cooling ventilation for the flat-4.
The exhaust tips that jut out from
under the lip of the rear end are
very Beetle-esque as well.
The interior is fully modeled,
although sealed doors and the
small windows hamper visibility
somewhat. There’s a simple
steering wheel and gear lever,
and very good detail on the single
gauge mounted in the center of the
dash. Interestingly, the front seats
(there is no rear seat) are slightly
staggered, with the passenger’s
seat set slightly behind the driver’s.
The sealed body, of course, also
precludes any engine detail. It
would have been interesting to
see because the Type 64 included
many of the innovations that would
Above: From the rear, you can clearly see
the VW Beetle roots in the Type 64, from
the roofline to the engine cooling vents
and the twin-exhaust tips. Below: The
swoopy aerodynamic body was heavily
influenced by the Type 114 race car and
the Auto Union Streamliner.
form the basis of the Porsche 356
power unit some years later. The
spats covering both front and rear
wheels also alleviate the need for
much wheel detail, so the basic
molding included is adequate.
FINAL THOUGHTS
When we think of ferdinand
Porsche, we tend to focus on the
sports-car company he founded,
but truthfully, he had little directly
to do with the production vehicles
that bore his name. But the
engineering firm that
he established in 1931 laid the
corporate foundation, his racing
success set forth a tradition of
excellence, and this Type 64
established a design formula that
his son, “ferry” Porsche, would
follow nearly a decade later when
he launched the 356, the first
production Porsche. Best of Show
captures the charm and innovation
of the Type 64 in its curbside 1:18
replica. Collectors should take
note for its historical significance,
its craftsmanship, its sub-$100
price, and its 1,000-piece limited
run—all of which make it a must for
Porsche devotees. ✇
SOURCE
Best of Show; distributed by American
Excellence american-excellence.com
out of the box by matt boyd
The Vette has long been a
performance bargain, but the
AUTOArT Chevrolet 650hp Z06 utterly humiliates
machines costing five—and even
Corvette Z06 1:18 | $165 ten—times its price. And the
dominance is not merely a product
of horsepower; if anything, the
über-Vette’s handling and poise
are stronger assets than its power.
When did you ever think you would
F
hear that said of a Corvette?!
ew vehicles have as much history to live up to as Objectively speaking, the C7 Z06
does the Corvette. It’s America’s sports car and the is the best Corvette ever built and
among the greatest vehicles any
longest continuously produced domestic. But it has American brand has ever produced.
some baggage too: Maligned for much of its history as a Luckily, the C7 is as fiercely
somewhat crude pretender to the world-class sports- attractive as it is fiercely
fast—recalling the “Stingray”
car category, the Corvette has only in recent years truly
name along with many of the
received the credit and respect it deserves. And with the styling cues associated with
introduction of the C7, that respect has turned to admiration that famous nickname from
and even a touch of concern among the sports-car elite. Corvette’s past. The Z06 certainly
takes the ferocity up a level or
With the ultra-performance Z06, that concern turns into two, adding a wider stance and
stark terror as world-class becomes world-beating! wheels, a plethora of vents and
30 DCXmag.com
scoops, and an aggressive (and
effective!) aerodynamics package.
Technically, there are three aero
packages to choose from with
the Z06—the most extreme is
the one that comes with the Z07
Performance Package, an option
that combines race-car levels of
downforce, magnetic selective ride
control, carbon-ceramic brakes,
ultra-sticky summer tires, and
several other tweaks to make this
Vette the ultimate track weapon.
AUTOart too has plenty of
history to live up to—and a little
baggage as well. It has produced
literally dozens of beautiful 1:18
Corvettes covering the entire
63-year production span and
all seven generations. In the last
couple of years, AUTOart has
adopted composite construction
(models with a polymer body and
a diecast metal skeleton beneath)
for some of its releases as a
means of reducing costs and
producing more scale-
authentic panel lines
and thickness with
its models. Despite
some advantages,
composites have
proven controversial
with some purists.
The C7 Z06
represents AUTOart’s
most important
composite release to
date; it remains to be
seen how it will be received
An aggressive carbon-fiber aero
by collectors. While I share the kit identifies this Z06 as having
affinity for the traditional metal- the track-slaying Z07 package.
body models that so many of us Those gigantic quad-exhaust
grew up collecting, we at Die Cast tips are absolutely gorgeous.
X try not to enter into a model
review with preconceived notions use polymer (plastic.) Some, like Corvette Racing Yellow Tintcoat—a skin can be molded. The Z06’s
about specific construction AUTOart’s Z06, use a composite high-luster hue that has become ample cooling scoops and vents
technique. Some bodies are of multiple materials. But what the Vette’s signature color, thanks provide lots of eye candy and
diecast zinc or other metals, matters most is the end result, so to the decade of racing dominance excellent contrast to the yellow.
some are cast resin, and others let’s see how the Z06 stacks up. in GT classes by the similarly AUTOart does a lovely job with the
Packaged in AUTOart’s painted Pratt & Miller Racing Team carbon-fiber aero kit, which is the
traditional window box as it is, you Vettes. (If yellow isn’t your cup of most visible component of the Z07
get an excellent look at the Z06 tea, AUTOart also has Torch Red Performance Package. Its taller
even before you unpack it. The only and Laguna Blue versions coming.) winglets in the front fender wells
clue that it is a composite-body The finish is smooth, even, and and the oversize front splitter are
model is the little postage-stamp- very, very shiny. Panel gaps are accurately depicted, as is the
size sticker that identifies it as nice and tight, thanks in part to the taller rear spoiler with adjustable
such. The model itself is bathed in thinness with which the composite wicker bill.

The World-Class Supercar for

the Common Man

FALL 2016 31
AUTOArT Chevrolet Corvette Z06

The densely packed LT4 V-8 with its huge supercharger/intercooler assembly isn’t the Interior detail is excellent—as per AUTOart usual—with deft paintwork, crisp instrumen-
prettiest engine, but it is Chevy’s most powerful—ever! tation, and nicely flocked floorboards.

unlike so many other brands using plastic or resin,

autoart’s model features all the same opening panels as its
metal releases, and the detail matches head to head.

Hook a fingernail in the handle
recess to flick open the doors, and
peer inside at the well-detailed
cockpit. The doors are light and
flex a little more than I’d like—one
of the few places where the
plastic-body shell falls short of
metal. The interior is a mix of black
and dark charcoal gray, so you’ll
need a light source to see the finer
points, but the detailed instrument
and infotainment-system decals
and the paint highlights on the
center stack are clear at first
glance. The Z06 can be had with
a 7-speed manual or an 8-speed
automatic transmission; AUTOart’s
has row-your-own gears with a
corresponding three-pedal setup
The Corvette emblem now puts the world
on notice that they’re dealing with a
world-class performer. AUTOart’s version
is well executed.
on the carpeted floorboards. The
rear cargo shelf is flocked too;
lever open the rear hatch to get
an excellent view of it and the
carbon-shell seats.
The rear-opening hood is easier
to hoist thanks to the gap at the
base of the windshield. It rides
beautifully on two-piece scale
hinges, and the underside has a
molded and painted insulation
panel. That’s great and all, but
there’s the little matter of the
supercharged 6.2L LT4 V-8—with
650hp and 650 lb.-ft. of torque, it
is just the most powerful engine
ever offered in a General Motors
production vehicle. The mammoth
supercharger/intercooler
Wheel detail is excellent, and the Z07-
spec carbon-ceramic brakes are very
convincing.
assembly dominates the top half
of the engine compartment and
makes the LT4 look as much like
a nuclear reactor as a small block
V-8. AUTOart does its best by
molding fine detail into the blower
housing and surrounding plumbing,
and embellishing it with metallic
paint and trim where appropriate.
A full-length undertray obscures
the details of the hydroformed
aluminum chassis (and the zinc
frame on the model, for that
matter). There is nice detail on the
rear-mounted transaxle and the
beefy rear suspension, and the
quad-exhaust tips are positively
gorgeous. Wheels and tires are
a perennial AUTOart strength,
and the glossy black wheels are
very sharp. The 10-spoke pattern
is open enough to showcase
the yellow brake calipers and
simulated carbon-ceramic rotors.
The tires are the only slight miss;
these are accurate depictions of
the standard-equipment Michelin
Pilot Super Sport run flats, but the
Z07 package prescribes the much
more track-oriented Michelin Pilot
Super Sport Cup 2, which has
fewer tread grooves and a more
slicklike pattern, and it would have
been nice to see those depicted.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s thrilling to see a Corvette
taking its place atop the sports-
car world without the need of
a qualifier or an excuse. The
Z06 will run with pretty much
anything costing less than a
million bucks, offering legitimate
supercar performance while
retaining the everyday drivability
of the standard Corvette. It’s an
astonishing feat of engineering
that also manages to have soul—
and stirs a bit of patriotic pride in
American enthusiasts. AUTOart
has become the go-to source for
precision 1:18 Corvette replicas,
so it’s fitting that the company is
among the first to bring a C7 Z06
to the scale. While some purists
may bristle at the composite
construction, I find that there
are actually very few legitimate
drawbacks to the medium. And
the savings—something on
the order of 20 to 40 percent
as compared to contemporary
AUTOart metal-body cars—is a
huge positive. And unlike so many
other brands using plastic or resin,
AUTOart’s model features all the
same opening panels as its metal
releases, and the detail matches
head to head. And the raw appeal
of the Z06 makes it as desirable a
modern automobile as is currently
produced in 1:18. I’m in. ✇
Source
AUTOart autoartmodels.com

32 DCXmag.com
OUT OF THE BOX BY MATT BOYD
teams to campaign in FIA Group decklid and front fender, the shape
4, the Deutsche Rennsport holds true. The paint is smooth, and

MINICHAMPS BMW M1 IMSA Meisterschaft (DRM—precursor

to the modern DTM), and IMSA’s
the screen-printed race graphics
are accurate to archival photos
GTO WINNER RIVERSIDE 1981 GTO class. It is the latter that is the
subject of Minichamps’ model—
from the Riverside race—right
down to the brake cooling ducts in
1:18 | $179 the no. 25 Red Lobster Racing
M1 driven by David Cowart and
the front air dam that were blocked
off and covered with Bilstein
Kenper Miller. The car dominated sponsor decals. There’s nice detail

B
the GTO class in 1981, taking 12 of as well on little things like the
MW’s M division has grown from an institution to a 16 class wins and easily capturing separately molded emergency kill
veritable cult among European performance-car the GTO championship. This model switch and fuel shutoff on the left
enthusiasts. But as slick as the road cars are, the represents the car as it ran at the front just under the windshield.
Los Angeles Times Grand Prix in The doors open to reveal a
“M” stands for motorsport, and the racetrack is where Riverside, California—a six-hour cockpit stripped of all
the legend started. The car you see here is sort of where endurance event that was the non-essentials—one of the
the road and track paths first crisscrossed. You see, this second in an impressive string of reasons the race car was able to
seven consecutive wins for the shed more than 600 pounds
is the M1—BMW’s first mid-engine sports car—which was no. 25 car. to get down to its
penned by famed stylist Giorgetto Giugiaro, creator of such The race-spec M1 is a familiar
of such diverse and memorable cars as the Lotus Esprit, casting for sports-racer fans;
over the last decade, Minichamps
Maserati Ghibli, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Volkswagen Scirocco,
has released more than a dozen
and…the Yugo. versions, spanning Procar as well
as Le Mans, DRM, and IMSA
competitors. For all that
Initially, the M1 was to be a joint including series champions Niki mileage, the tooling has
venture between BMW and Lauda (1979) and Nelson Piquet held up pretty well; aside
Lamborghini, but the Italian (1980). BMW suspended the from some rounding
supercar manufacturer’s finances series after the ’80 season to of edges on the
were in rough shape in the late focus its efforts on its F1 engine
’70s, and BMW ultimately decided program for the Brabham team.
to develop the car itself. Although By then, BMW had met the
it appeared first as a road car—in Fédération Internationale du Sport
1978—it was designed from Automobile (FISA) homologation
the outset to homologate the requirement of 400 cars, and
company for international sports- the 20 race-spec cars built for
car racing. To further that mission the Procar series were
and to draw attention to the car to sold off to private
hopefully attract talented drivers
and well-financed teams, BMW
launched a single-make spec
series in 1979 called the “BMW
M1 Procar Championship” as a
support event during Formula
1 weekends. Many of the
F1 drivers participated,

34 DCXmag.com

2,250-pound competition weight.
There’s a single molded racing
seat with good attention paid to
the realistic textured surface. The
racing belts are molded plastic,
but they are well painted. Paint
highlights also dress up the
switchgear on the center console,
and the gauge cluster, while small,
features legible instruments. The
race car used the stock M1’s ZF
gearbox (with changeable ratios
to suit different tracks), but the
gear lever could use more detail.
Not so the race goodies; the
passenger floor features a fire-
A Road Car
Born to Race
suppression system with a pair
of bottles. There’s a full roll cage
present as well.
You’ll be tempted to grab the
giant rear wing to lift the rear
decklid, but since the wing is
plastic, the smarter move is to lift
from the metal deck edge below it
because the hinges are stiff. Your
extra care will be rewarded with
a good view of a truly excellent
scale engine. BMW engineers
strengthened the production
M88 3.5L inline-6 to withstand
more than 9,000rpm, allowing it
to produce as much as 470hp in
race trim (up from 277hp stock.)
Nestled deep in the chassis, the
engine looks small, but the detail
on the Kugelfischer mechanical
fuel-injection intake trumpets
dominates the space. What might
look like plug wires are actually
fuel lines to the individual throttle
bodies; the plug wires are housed
in the black tube coming off of
the distributor at the back of the
cylinder head. The cam cover is
embossed with crisp lettering
reading “BMW Motorsport.” Note
also the complex exhaust header
that traces back through a notch
MInIChAMpS BMW M1 IMSA GTO WInner rIverSIde 1981
Nestled deep iN the chassis, the eNgiNe looks small, but
the detail oN the kugelfischer mechaNical fuel-iNjectioN
iNtake trumpets domiNates the space.
Above: The 3.5L inline-6 is produc-
tion based but reinforced to withstand
9000rpm and 470hp. The detail is im-
pressive, especially on the fuel-injection
system. Far left: Legible gauges, a
fire-suppression system, and a full roll
cage are some of the interior highlights.
Left: A quick-fill fuel socket speaks to
the M1’s competition focus.
36 DCXmag.com
in the rear compartment to exit a
sewer-pipe-size exhaust outlet.
That rear compartment is bare
except for the battery and what
looks to be a fuse block.
Flip the car over to view the
dry-sump oiling system and most
of the ZF 5-speed transaxle.
You can see that the street car’s
suspension has been replaced
with tubular A-arms with
adjustable anti-roll bars. Up front,
you can see coolant hoses for
the front-mounted radiator and
the aforementioned brake ducts.
Wide Goodyear slicks necessitate
aggressive fender flares, and they
ride on beautiful BBS wheels with
silver spokes and a chrome outer
ring, and a single quick-release
wheel nut. I like how Minichamps
has taken the time to scuff the
rolling surface on the tires.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As the machine that launched
the M division’s road cars, the M1
has an importance that is hard
to overstate, and the ambitious
competition plan that spawned it
is, in itself, a fascinating tale. That
Minichamps continues to produce
models from this casting speaks
to how significant a machine
the race-spec M1 is, and the
dominance that this particular race
car showed in the IMSA GT series in
1981 only reinforces that. Whether
it’s this particular championship car
or one of the others in Minichamps
extensive library, you owe it to
yourself to have at least one M1 in
your sports-racer collection. ✇
SOURCE
Minichamps; distributed by Carville
Models, carvillemodelsshop.com
OUT OF THE BOX BY THE DCX CREW

AUTO WORLD
AMERICAN MUSCLE
1967 BALDWIN-MOTION
CHEVROLET CHEVELLE
SS 427 1:18 | $95

T
he relatively unassuming Marina Blue Chevelle that
you see on these pages represents a landmark in Chevy
muscle. It depicts in 1:18 the very first car modified and sold
through the partnership of Baldwin Chevrolet and Motion Performance!
In 1967, muscle cars were nearing their peak in performance, prestige, and
popularity. Mopar Hemis and Cobra Jet Fords were prowling the cruise nights
and drag strips all across the country—even out on Long Island in the little hamlet
of Baldwin, New York, barely 20 miles east of New York City.

The Chevelle was delivered from
the factory to Baldwin Chevrolet
in June 1967 with an L78 396, an
M20 4-speed, 4.56 gears, and a
classy vinyl top! The 375-horse
L78 would be plenty of motor for
most, but not Motion Performance
proprietor Joel Rosen. Out came
the 396, to be replaced by an
aluminum-head L89 427 out of
a Vette. Motion didn’t stop there
though—it yanked the factory
3x2 carburetion and threw on an
L88 aluminum intake topped by
an oddball Holley 950 three-
barrel carb, a Mallory ignition,
and a special Motion Performance
flat-tappet cam. Because
4.56 gears weren’t deep enough,
Motion swapped in a set of 4.88s,
relocated the battery to the trunk,
and installed Motion’s “Super-
Bite” traction-bar system. The
power wasn’t specifically rated,
but the figure was certainly north
of the 435hp in the stock Vette
L89, and the proof is in the time
slips. The car was sold to a young
man named Charlie Mason in
nearby Stratford, Connecticut,
in August ’67 for $5,500. Mason
used it as his daily driver and raced
on the weekends at New York
National Speedway where, after
unbolting the exhaust system and
fitting a set of slicks, he cracked
off a B/HR track record of
11.50 @ 123mph within two
weeks of taking delivery! With
numbers like that, it’s no wonder
that Baldwin-Motion quickly
developed its reputation.
The guys at Auto World
have been longtime fans of all
things Baldwin-Motion, and the
company’s catalog has featured a
bunch of 1:18 cars with Baldwin-
Motion DNA (see sidebar on the
facing page). But seeing Auto
graphics, jumbo hood scoops, and
side pipes, the Chevelle sneaks
in under the radar. Aside from a
set of Torq Thrusts, some small
“Motion” decals, and thoroughly
factory-looking “427” badges
on the fenders and rear valence,
this looks like any other Super
Sport Chevelle. The model’s
tooling harkens back to the old
Ertl days (the chassis plate is even
still embossed with that brand

The Fast First from the

World take on the Baldwin car name), and admittedly it shows
that started it all is particularly some signs of age, particularly
cool. Unlike some of the later around the driver’s side door

Famous Performance Dealer Baldwin cars that are festooned

with showy goodies like wild
gap. The casting was designed
without a top so that it could yield
both convertibles and hardtops,
depending on which windshield/
roof insert was applied. The
forward section of that insert
follows the A-pillar and cowl panel
lines, so it preserves scale fidelity
reasonably well. That does mean
that the roof panel is plastic, but
that actually works well for vinyl-
top cars like this Baldwin-Motion
forefather because it allows
Auto World to mold in texture. It
also added nice touches like flat
black paint in the grille recesses
and a paint wash in the rocker
moldings. Drip rails are painted,
but the wipers, door handles,
and hood vents are all separately
The model is cast with a separate roof section, allowing
this vinyl top as well as convertible versions. Small
molded. The Marina Blue looks
“Motion Performance” and “SS 427” emblems on the pretty good too—smooth and
rear valence clue you in to what just blew your doors off! even, with no pooling around

38 DCXmag.com
 Interior detail is upgraded with flocked carpeting and
painted trim. We’d like to see the ’67-specific “blinker”
tach added to the left corner of the dash panel, though.

any of the fine casting lines. The CT-issued tags!

stance looks right for a stock
vehicle, but photos show that the
first Baldwin-Motion Chevelle sat
higher—especially in front—due to
the racing-suspension setup. But
these guys did their homework—
the model even wears Charlie
Mason’s correct “EV-8875”
Like with so many of the
rejuvenated Ertl castings, Auto
World has substantially upgraded
the interior with painted trim on
the folding seat backs, a nicely
detailed dash, and flocked carpet
on the floorboards. There’s a
legible sweeper speedometer,

› Collectors into Baldwin-Motion models should bookmark the website autoworldstore.com because its catalog is
jammed with them. Past editions include a pair of ’71s—a blue Camaro and a red Super Vega—that are probably still floating
around on the secondary market. The current library features the Chevelle plus two drag cars—the “Ko-Motion” ’67 Vette
and a ’69 Hurst Olds called “Commotion by Motion.” There are two more Baldwin cars on the way too, and Auto World gave us a
peek at pre-production samples: a ’69 427 Nova and a ’70 Camaro Phase III in Baldwin’s famous green with white stripes and
groovy side pipes. If you want your own sneak peek, click over to DCXMag.com!
BONUS
PHOTOS
ONLINE

FALL 2016 39
Auto WorlD AmericAn muscle 1967 BAldwin-motion chevrolet chevelle ss 427

Separate castings for the hood inserts and wiper blades are
among the touches that give this model appeal.

Flat black in the grille recesses gives it extra depth, and the Auto World guys did their homework—right down to
the original 1967 owner’s Connecticut tags!

the chassis carries over from the ertl days. the

detail is pretty solid, although no attempt was This first Baldwin-Motion Chevelle is pretty stealthy—there’s
little to announce that it is anything more than a standard
made to include the super-Bite traction Bars. Super Sport.

fuel gauge, and oil and temp
gauges. There are a couple of
omissions: There’s no turn-signal
stalk or seat belts, for example,
but the glaring one is the lack of a
tachometer. The original car had
the optional gauge pack, which
included a “blinker” tach on the left
side of the instrument panel, but
it is not present on the model. The
console and gear lever are great
though—the console is painted,
and the clock is correctly mounted
in front of the shifter.
Baldwin-Motion would
eventually incorporate many of
the engine mods in this Chevelle
into its 500+hp Phase III package,
and based on the Ets it turned,
this 427’s output can’t be too far
below that. It looked remarkably
stock though—you can’t see
blueprinting or a hot cam in a
model! You can’t see much of the
carb either, but the intake manifold
has the proper alloy finish. There
is a nice set of plug wires present,
and the exhaust manifolds have
the right color and texture. There’s
a standard open-element air
cleaner up top (those flashy
metal screen intakes would come
later) and a radiator hose with
properly painted hose clamps. one
underhood miss is the battery;
Motion relocated it to the trunk,
but it sits in the stock location on
the model. But before you slam
the hood closed, be sure to take a
look at its underside—Auto World
cast and painted the insulation.
As mentioned, the chassis
carries over from the Ertl days.
The detail is pretty solid, although
no attempt was made to include
the Super-Bite traction bars. The
exhaust system is nicely molded
and painted, but there is no brake
detail. It’s great that Auto World
painted the spokes on the torq
Thrusts; that’s a big improvement
over the old solid chrome from the
Ertl days and contrasts nicely with
the redline tires.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This is one of the few Baldwin-
Motion diecast models that can
legitimately be described as
“stealthy.” Its provenance as
the origin of the performance
tuner name that would become
so respected and feared in
the following years makes it
a great piece for collectors. In
most respects, it’s an accurate
depiction as well, with strategic
improvements designed to
upgrade a casting that has been
around a long time. I would love
to see traction bars, a tach, and a
trunk-mounted battery worked
in, but in the grand scheme of
things, this is a satisfying depiction
of an important piece of Chevy
history. ✇

Source
The detail on the L89 427 is solid, with plug wires, an open-element air cleaner, and appropriately painted and textured intake manifold. Auto World autoworldstore.com

40 DCXmag.com
OUT OF THE BOX BY THE DCX CREW

GMP 1970 YENKO DEUCE

CHEVROLET NOVA
1:18 | $100 (EST)

D
on Yenko knew a thing or two about maximizing
performance potential. The Canonsburg,
Pennsylvania, Chevrolet dealer had started drag
racing himself in the ’50s and, by 1957, had opened a prep
shop specializing in bow-tie race cars. It wasn’t long before
Yenko had become a go-to source for Chevy performance
on the East Coast.

Muscle-car fans usually associate the corporate 400ci limit, diluting

the Yenko name with beastly first-
gen Camaros wearing big, bold
Yenko Super Car “sYc” logos on the
hood and a 427 big-block under
it. Yenko, a savvy negotiator of
the GM Central Office Production
Order (COPO) system, finagled
the loopholes to circumvent the
corporate ban on engines larger
than 400ci in any car smaller than
full-size (excluding the Corvette).
Using the COPO program, he got
the factory to install the 425hp
L72 427 out of the Impala/
Corvette in a special handful of
Camaros, starting in 1967. Yenko
Camaros proved so successful
that, in 1969, he expanded the
program and lavished the “sYc”
treatment on the Chevelle and
another vehicle in the Chevy line in
need of a performance boost: the
Chevy II Nova.
But for 1970, GM rescinded
the demand for big-block trans-
plants, so Yenko focused his
attention elsewhere. Perhaps not
coincidentally, Chevy introduced
that same year another high-
performance motor in the Z/28
Camaro and Corvette: the potent
LT-1 350 small-block. Rated at
360hp in the Z/28, it was just
15 horses shy of the top factory
big-block offering and—more
important—weighed 300 pounds
less. But Chevy did not offer the
LT-1 in the Nova, so Yenko got
out his COPO order sheet and
remedied the situation. While he
was at it, he checked off boxes for
power front disc brakes, heavy-
duty suspension, 12-bolt rear
axle with 4.10 gears, and Hurst-
equipped Muncie M21 4-speed
or heavy-duty TH400 automatic.
So equipped, Yenko’s LT-1 Nova—
christened the “Deuce”—was

42 DCXmag.com
The Nova was lightweight and economical.
And stuffed with an LT-1, the Yenko Deuce
became the perfect budget muscle car.
faster than a Nova SS396, and
handling was much better. In
fact, with a 200-pound weight
advantage, it outran the identically
powered Z/28 too, easily posting
mid-13-second ETs.
Yenko’s COPO magic conjured a
fantastic all-around performance
car out of the relatively pedestrian
Nova. It goes. It stops. It even
turns (kinda). Taking a page from
Yenko’s blueprint, GMP seeks to
reinvigorate its 1:18 Nova casting
by transforming it into a 1:18 Deuce.
Let’s be clear right up front: Nova
tooling is among the oldest in
GMP’s library—it’s almost old
enough to buy a beer! And being
a sealed-door casting, it lacks the
Z/28 Motor in a Lightweight
Nova is a Winning Pair
detail of some of the company’s
newer models. It is significantly less
expensive, but it needed a boost—
let’s see if the Yenko treatment is
enough to make it a winner.
These are the first prototypes
of the Yenko Deuce, and they
make a good first impression. The
paint is smooth, and the screen-
printed graphics are accurately
placed and feature admirably
fine pinstripes and sharp edges.
GMP’s Nova is the only casting
in 1:18 scale with separately cast
window trim, which helps give it
an upscale look, as do the grille
and taillights. The aforementioned
sealed doors are a limitation, but
the more troublesome detail is
actually the contour of the rear
quarter panel. The full-scale Nova
has a pronounced taper to the rear
quarter that slopes inward past the
face of the tire (one reason why
it is notorious for rust!), but the
model’s quarter sits well out from
the tire, no doubt to simplify the
tooling. But that makes the body
aft of the rear tire too wide and flat.
The Nova was an economy car
by nature, so the interior is basic:
bench seat, manual windows, a
rudimentary dash with sweeper
speedo, and no tach. Yenko
added Hurst linkage to the floor-
mounted 4-speed. All this can
be spied through the window,
and with a light source you can
FALL 2016 43
GMP 1970 Yenko Deuce chevrolet nova
The star of this show is the LT-1—the greatest small-block Chevy of the muscle-car era.
GMP’s scale version is first-rate.
even see the flocked carpeting.
The lack of a tachometer was
remedied with a gauge that was
also a styling element perched on
the hood. Yenkos came with stock
Nova steering wheels standard,
but these cars have optional
3-spoke sport wheels.
The heart of the Deuce is the
LT-1, and in typical GMP fashion, this
is the highlight of the model as well.
A dual open-element air cleaner
with a decal reading “350 Turbo
Fire 360 Horsepower” announces
it. Below that is an intake manifold
with the proper aluminum finish.
Technically, the valve covers should
Wild graphics were de rigueur
for muscle cars in 1970, but
happily the Deuce earns
its stripes by being
the best all-around
performer ever to
wear the “Nova”
nameplate.
44 DCXmag.com
have that same alloy finish; the
model’s are chrome, but that was
a common enough aftermarket
item to still be authentic. There is a
nicely detailed power-brake booster,
properly painted exhaust manifolds,
and a radiator hose up top (but not a
lower hose). There are also no wires
to the hood-mounted tach, but aside
from that, the motor is first-rate.
The chassis and suspension
detail is generally good, although
the model retains a stock Nova
rear axle rather than the 12-bolt
unit that Deuces came with. The
exhaust system is separately
molded and correctly painted.
Above left: The Deuce’s hood-mounted tach added both style and function. Above right:
Yenko kept the Nova’s stock body-colored steel wheels and poverty caps. Below: These
models feature optional 3-spoke sport wheels, but the rest of the interior is authentically
no-frills.
Yenko kept the rolling stock stock:
E70-14s on body-colored steel
wheels with poverty caps. The
paint on the red car’s wheels is
a shade darker than the body,
but that may be a product of its
prototype status.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Yenko marketed the Deuce
as a “Mini Muscle Car,” but its
performance was equal to that of
its bigger, more prestigious, more
expensive contemporaries, and
that is its charm. GMP’s Deuce
captures much of that—taking an
ordinary model and elevating it to
something better. And while the
Yenko treatment cannot entirely
compensate for the age of the
GMP Nova casting, this model
should certainly satisfy if engine
detail is your priority. The LT-1 is
definitely the star of the show, as it
was with the full-scale Deuce. Add
to that the Deuce’s rarity—Yenko
built just 175 examples, and GMP’s
version will be limited editions as
well—and you have the potential for
an interesting collector piece. ✇
Source
GMP; distributed by greenlighttoys.com
out of the box by the DCx Crew
AUTOMODellO 1954 Kaiser
Darrin MoDel 161
1:24 | $300 (standard); $355 (Tribute)
A
s World War II drew to a close, the preeminent
industrialist in the United States at the time,
Henry J. Kaiser, identified an opportunity for his
next venture. As the American economy shifted away
from wartime, the consumer appetite for automobiles
was exploding. But the Big Three manufacturers (to say
nothing of the handful of smaller auto companies that
had survived the Great Depression and the war that
followed) were slow to meet the demand, and they had
only their leftover prewar designs to offer. Kaiser sought
to beat them to market with a line of modern, postwar
products, and he partnered with experienced auto exec
Joseph W. Frazer to do it.
Fashionable Fiberglass
Sporty Cruiser
But key to the plan were fresh,
appealing designs, so they
recruited one of the industry’s
most innovative designers: Howard
“Dutch” Darrin. Darrin had made
his reputation as design chief at
Packard before the war, and he
was brought in by Kaiser as design
consultant. His design influence
could be seen across the line in
such landmark vehicles as the
Kaiser Manhattan. While Darrin was
penning successful family sedans
for Kaiser, he longed to design
something more aesthetically
adventurous. But he knew that
Kaiser himself was philosophically
opposed to the sports car Darrin
envisioned, so he did it on his own,
financing the construction of the
prototype himself. He enlisted Bill
Tritt, founder of fiberglass boat
manufacturer Glasspar, to craft him
a fiberglass body for the roadster,
and he borrowed the chassis and
powertrain from the compact Kaiser
Henry J sedan. Only when
the prototype was
complete did he show it to his boss.
Initially, Henry Kaiser was unmoved,
maintaining that sports cars were
outside the company’s purview, but
Kaiser’s wife was taken with the
design and convinced him to add it
to the company’s repertoire. It was
given the model number 161, but
it came to be known simply as the
“Kaiser Darrin.”
The Darrin is unique for several
reasons beyond its distinctive
shape. It holds the distinction of
being the very first American car
made of fiberglass—beating the
Corvette to the market by a few
months. The fiberglass also allows
for its most unique feature: doors
that slide inward and telescope
into the front fenders. That mix of
history and style fit right in with
Automodello’s eclectic lineup,
and its decision to render it in 1:24
gives the opportunity for additional
detail and a more impressive
presentation. As is Automodello’s
custom, the model comes in a
standard color—Champagne
White—and four limited-
edition colors.
We received
prototypes of
the standard
version and a
limited Tribute
Edition in Red
Sail. These are
“curbside” sealed-
body resin models, The standard edition comes
but the convertible in Champagne White and
configuration and the fact offers all the display options,
including the landau top and
that each can be displayed
open-door insert.
with its driver’s door open or
closed (by virtue of separate it has more the look of a concept finish is excellent. The seashell-
door inserts) give this car a car than a production vehicle, but shaped grille is particularly nice.
variety of display options that 435 Darrins were built. All of the The Darrin’s convertible top
exceed the usual resin replica. brightwork is etched metal or allowed not two but three driving
The body shape is truly cast, with impressively thin scale positions: full-up, full-down, or the
striking, with the so-called dimensions. Panel lines are a touch so-called “Landau” configuration,
“Darrin Dip” hitch in the shallow on these pre-production which stowed the overhead panel
rear fender/beltline— samples, but otherwise the body but left the rear C-pillar area up.
so prominent that contours look just right and the The model can be displayed in
AuTomoDELLo 1954 Kaiser Darrin MoDel 161

Left: Detailed instruments,

flocked carpet, and etched
trim will make you glad
that the Darrin can be
displayed top open. Above:
The signature “Darrin Dip”
is especially prominent
in this car’s styling, and
Automodello captures it
perfectly. Right: Render-
ing in 1:24 gives the
opportunity for additional
detail on fine trim items,
making for an impressive
presentation.

Despite its beauty all three configurations as well,

although fitment of the supplied
anD positive critical roof inserts was a little rough
reception, Darrins on these prototypes. Based on
were slow sellers Automodello’s track record, we’re
for Kaiser. ... we confident that it will have that
expect automoDello ironed out by production time, and
the Landau insert is a welcome
will have no such bonus. Two inserts are also
Difficulty. supplied for the driver’s door—one
full-closed, and one to simulate
slid-open. The latter is definitely
preferred, and it showcases the
car’s most distinctive feature.
The interior has fine detail on the
instrument panel, including legible
gauge faces plus delicately cast
switchgear, turn-signal stalk, and
choke lever. There’s flocking for
carpeting on the floors and
The fit of the tops were slightly off on
transmission tunnel, and a
these prototypes, but having three top
and two door configurations to choose
matching shifter boot
from gives many more display options on the 3-speed
than the usual curbside model. gear lever. By
the time the Darrin made it to full
production, the prototype’s Henry
J powerplant had been replaced by
a Willys Hurricane F-head inline-6.
Its 90hp was adequat e, but it was
hardly a performance mill—making
the Darrin more suited to cruising
than speed, and making the model’s
lack of an opening hood no big loss.
The whitewall tires are great, with
fine tread and wheels with finely
molded Kaiser logos on the center
caps on both the standard and the
optional wire wheels.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Despite its beauty and positive
critical reception, Darrins were slow
sellers for Kaiser, and production
was suspended after just nine
months and 435 examples. Darrin
himself bought the final 50 cars
and sold them independently
after Kaiser gave up on them.
Given the beauty of the model
and the limited production (just
299 of the standard version will be
produced, along with 54 in each of
the three Tribute Edition colors),
we expect Automodello will have
no such difficulty selling its Darrin.
Each comes in a clamshell box
mounted to a resin display base,
and comes with documentation
and a hand-numbered certificate of
authenticity. ✇
Source
Automodello automodello.com

48 DCXmag.com
 Mattel threw a special party for its Red Line
Club members on Friday night after the
charity auction to benefit the Children’s
Miracle Network Hospitals.
16th Annual Hot Wheels Collectors Nationals
America’s Racing Heartland Hosts a Hot Wheels Extravaganza
BY MIKE ZARNOCK PHOTOS BY JONATHAN ROBLES
I
ndianapolis is
synonymous with the
automotive world in
more ways than one. It
not only is the home of
the Indy 500 but also has
played host for the past couple of
years to the annual Hot Wheels
Collectors Nationals put together
by Collectors Events Unlimited.
From April 6 to 10, 2016, more
than 1,100 Hot Wheels collectors
from around the globe converged
Sizzlers racing is always a big draw at a Hot Wheels event.
50 DCXmag.com
on the city with one goal in mind:
to have fun with the hobby of Hot
Wheels collecting.
Collectors and their families
from the United States, Australia,
Canada, Japan, Germany, and
the United Kingdom were
arriving at the hotel as early as
Saturday, April 2. With so many
nationalities being represented,
one would think that there would
be a language barrier, but not
so—we were all speaking the
language of Hot Wheels!
Early-bird registration started
on Tuesday; collectors could sign
in, get their goody bags (that
included a special limited-edition
Hot Wheels car), and have the
opportunity to hit the souvenir
sales room and get first crack at
purchasing other special limited-
edition Hot Wheels vehicles
produced just for the event. The
event was well orchestrated: The
admission ticket included a list of
Bryan Benedict receiving his dinner-gift delivery truck at the dinner.
the event cars with photos. These
special vehicles were produced
in a limited quantity, so collectors
were only allowed to purchase
two sets—precisely why there is
always a high demand for them
on the secondary market!
After registering, the next
thing most people did was to get
to the elevators and either post
their room number if they were
participating in room-to-room
trading or look for room numbers

of people that were. Each floor
had an easel by the elevators
with cards, posters, and anything
else that could be written on to
let everyone know what they had
for sale or trade and what room
they were in. Imagine hundreds
of little toy stores with just the
stuff you collect and having the
next five days and nights to
shop! If there was something
that you were looking to add to
your collection, there was a
99.99 percent chance that you
were going to find it there—unless
someone else found it before
you! Room-to-room trading
is one of the most exciting
elements of these conventions,
and you’d be surprised at what
and whom you just might find
when you walk into one of those
many open rooms!
Some of the things you’d
find are prototypes and pre-
production pieces, first-shot
color pieces, and even pieces
that never made it to production.
There were original store
displays, dating back to the
beginning of Hot Wheels in 1968.
There were actually two different
1968 store displays at this event,
and you could have bought either
one or both—that is, if you had
a spare $30,000 on you! If you
weren’t into the older rare stuff,
there were also the latest Hot
Wheels releases that could be
had for as little as $1. Collectors
from all walks of life, young
and old alike, attended. It didn’t
matter who you were, what you
collect, or how much you had
to spend, everyone was having
fun and talking about what they
liked to collect.
Wednesday was the day
that Hot Wheels Newsletter
members got to meet and say
hello to the Newsletter editor
Jim Garbaczewski. Jim was there
to hand out a special Nationals
Newsletter Car for all members
who attended the event. After
that, everyone was looking for
the Hot Wheels Vending Machine
filled with limited-edition
Hot Wheels vehicles, which
collectors were able to purchase
at the push of a couple buttons.
The machine’s glass is frosted, so
you didn’t know what car you’d
be getting. It could have been a
limited-edition car from Mattel’s
Red Line Club or something very
rare from another event, or a
Custom-car professional winners—mild.
was also a meet-and-greet
autograph session with Hot
Wheels designers, authors,
pro customizers, and other
diecast celebrities. Each of the
celebs had full-color signing
sheets suitable for framing,
which they autographed and
personalized to the collectors
for free. Most of the designers
had a drawing of one of their
original Hot Wheels designs on
their sheets, which make them
collectible in and of themselves.
Just imagine having a drawing of
Larry Wood’s Ramblin’ Wrecker
personalized to you by Larry
himself! This year’s autograph
panel included Hot Wheels
designers Larry Wood, Mike
McClone, and Bryan Benedict,
along with pro customizer (and
now author!) Chris Walker
car with a sticker on it that said and yours truly—Hot Wheels
that you’d won a complete set of historian Mike Zarnock.
Super Treasure Hunts or maybe The sessions were at different
a Master Set of 444 Hot Wheels times each day of the event, so
from the year before! Needless everyone got a chance to get an
If there was something that you were looking to add
to your collection, there was a 99.99 percent chance
that you were going to find it there—unless someone
else found it before you!
to say, the line for the Vending autograph and talk Hot Wheels
Machine wrapped around the with all of us. Wednesday was
room and out into the hallway also the night for the charity
every time that room was open— Button Bingo game. It’s just like
or until the machine was empty! regular Bingo but with Red Line
Wednesday was the official Hot Wheels buttons. The winners
opening day, and like any other received special limited-edition
event, there was an opening Hot Wheels cars produced just
reception with munchies. There for that event. This is one of the
The Hot Wheels Vending Machine drew huge crowds every
time it was open.
FALL 2016 51
Hot WHeels ColleCtors NatioNals
The Fat Sizzlers track, presented by Trackapalooza, measured more than 500 feet. It is Bryan Benedict took time out from being honored at the dinner to sign autographs for
the largest ever seen at an event. everyone who wanted one.
many charity events for which there’s always something new Dairy Delivery built by Chris and
you could purchase a ticket to to learn. I was asked to do a Marcia Walker, a really superb
play, with the proceeds going to seminar this year on insuring piece. Bryan grew up on a dairy
the Children’s Miracle Network your collection. The afternoon farm, so it was fitting to have a
Hospitals. and early evening was filled Dairy Delivery with a comical
Thursday was the day with another charity event, rendering of a dairy cow on it. Of
that things really got going, Newsletter Car giveaway, and course, there were also limited-
starting with the charity poker the Vending Machine. Thursday edition cars for the dinner too.
tournament, an autograph evening was the dinner to honor With your ticket, you got a
session, and a Red Line collecting Hot Wheels designer Bryan bagged dinner car—a Camaro—
seminar. There are many good Benedict. After dinner, Bryan along with a carded Mad Fast,
seminars at these events, and was presented with a large-scale which is one of Bryan’s designs.
After the dinner, there was a
Friday evening was the charity auction with all kinds giveaway of extra different-
of things that were donated by Mattel and collectors colored bagged dinner cars—five
alike. There were prototypes and drawings along different colors altogether.
with some other rare pieces. After the auction, Mattel Not surprisingly, Friday and
threw a party for all of its Red Line Club members. Saturday were the busiest
days of the week. Friday had
practice for the downhill
and Sizzlers races, an early
Blackwall collecting seminar, a
customizing seminar, setting up
for the custom-car contest, more
of the Vending Machine, and
more charity Bingo. One of the
ballrooms was filled with what
looked like a mile of Sizzlers
track—it was the largest that I
had ever seen! That evening was
the charity auction with all kinds
of things that were donated by
Mattel and collectors alike. There
were prototypes and drawings
along with some other rare
pieces. After the auction, Mattel
threw a party for all of its Red
Line Club members.
On Saturday, things got rolling
Among the special limited-edition event cars from the 16th Annual Hot Wheels Collectors at 9 a.m. with the Sizzlers races,
Nationals were the yellow ’68 COPO Camaro and the Volkswagen T1 Drag Bus. the downhill races, a Blue Car d
collecting seminar, my “Insuring
52 DCXmag.com
Your Collection” seminar, the
Vending Machine, autograph
sessions, a car-customizing
seminar, a custom-car contest,
and, for the kids, a coloring
contest and a scavenger hunt.
The day ended with the awards
ceremony for all the events that
took place that day and the event
finale, which, of course, had
another special limited-edition
Hot Wheels vehicle given away.
Sunday was an easy day
for everyone—with the only
things happening being the
toy show (open to the public),
some downhill racing, and an
autograph session—as people
packed up to head home. We had
a wonderful time and are looking
forward to attending the 30th
Annual Hot Wheels Collectors
Convention October 5–9, 2016, at
the Los Angeles Airport Marriott.
We hope to see you there too!
And by the way, all of the
charity events, including the
charity auction on Saturday
evening, brought in a total of
$76,000 for the Children’s Miracle
Network Hospitals! Thanks to
Jennifer and Mark Millhollin of
Collectors Events Unlimited and
their crew of many volunteers,
Jim Garbaczewski and Carl
Pomponio of the Hot Wheels
Newsletter, Jonathan Robles
for his photos, and, of course,
the people from Mattel: Bryan
Benedict, Larry Wood, Mike
McClone, and Jimmy Liu. Hats off
to everyone involved! ✇
www.DiecastMusclecars.com
We specialize in 1/18 Scale Diecast
Musclecars from Acme, Auto Art, Auto World,
Greenlight, GMP, Sun Star & More.
Call (715)874-6037 for more info or visit
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 HOT WHEELS HIGHWAY
BY MIKE ZARNOCK

Target & Mattel

Go Retro!

M
attel and Target stores have
just gotten together for a spe-
cial release of eight Hot Wheels
vehicles on retro-looking cards, along
with some remakes of vintage track sets
and playsets. The cars are mostly modern
tooling, and while I would have liked to
have seen older-style castings, I have to
say the card art, paint schemes, and decals
are very well done.

Twin Mill in mustard pearl ’77 Plymouth Arrow

metallic paint with orange and done in light green pearl
pearl blue tampos metallic with light yellow
and black tampos

Included in Mix 1 are: Mix 2 is scheduled for August 2016 and will include:

Power Pipes with a light red plastic body Volkswagen SP2 done in white enamel
and white with black tampos with light blue and black tampos

’80s’ Corvette ’85 Chevrolet Camaro Bone Shaker

IROC-Z

PLUS
Battle Spec with a chrome plastic body ’84 Hurst Olds done in silver blue metallic ■ Baja Bug
and red and black tampos with orange and red stripe tampos ■ GT-03
■ Hammered Coupe

’68 El Camino done in candy pink pearl

with orange flames
Toyota Pickup done in dark purple flake Porsche 930 Power Panel
with light green tampos

54 DCXmag.com
And really, what’s the sense of having retro cars without having
retro playsets to go with them, right?

Sto & Go
One of the all-time favorites
for anyone who grew up with
Hot Wheels has to be the
fold-up Sto & Go Playsets. The
original Sto & Go sets were
released through the 1980s
and are still sought after by
collectors today. This new retro
set resembles the original Sto
& Go Service Center that was
Retro Dash & Crash Speedway
For you collectors who actually play with and race your Hot
released in 1981, except that it
Wheels vehicles, there are also two retro track sets: the Dash &
includes some larger-style exaggerated
Crash Speedway and the 4-Lane Elimination Race Set. Both of
details of today’s toys for the younger generation.
these sets have side-by-side excitement that will keep everyone
It’s still a worthwhile piece to get for your collection or for that
entertained for quite some time. The Dash & Crash Speedway has
young collector to play with!
two side-by-side launchers that send the cars down the two-lane
track, up around the loops, and off to the finish gate, where they

ALL OF THESE have to squeeze together for a one-lane exit. This track is sure to
be a favorite with racers to watch to see who will win or maybe
RETRO CARS AND get knocked off the track! This set comes with two cars and
SETS WILL BE POP- enough track pieces to have loads of fun.
ULAR WITH ADULT
COLLECTORS WHO
REMEMBER THEM
FROM THE OLD
DAYS.

Retro 4-Lane
Elimination Race Set
The 4-Lane Elimination Race Set is a self-standing gravity track
with a built-in starting gate for even, no-cheating starts. Your Retro Car-Go
cars depart from four lanes, then squeeze into two lanes, and then Race Hauler
squeeze again into one final lane for the win! Definitely an exciting Another all-time favorite—from any
time, with every elimination race having the potential for your car era—is the Car-Go Race Hauler. This
to win or get knocked off the track. This set comes with car carrier semitruck holds up to
only one car, so you’ll need to purchase a few more if 24 Hot Wheels cars, and the top
you plan on giving this set for a gift. ramp of the trailer can be tilted and
used as a two-lane racetrack start-
ing gate with a built-in even start.
Just hook up a few pieces of your Hot Wheels track
to the ends of the ramp, place your cars on the stops, push the
button, and you’re racing!

Well done, Mattel and Target! All of these retro cars and sets will be popular with adult
collectors who remember them from the old days, and they’re a great way to introduce
some classic Hot Wheels fun to a new generation and put long-lasting smiles on new
collectors’ faces.

FALL 2016 55
 HOT WHEELS HIGHWAY
FLASHBACK 1994
T
he year 1994 was the last
year for what Hot Wheels
collectors call the “Blue Card
Era.” These are the cards that are
all blue and have large white col-
lector numbers in the lower right-
hand corner of the card. Now you
might be saying to yourself, “Well,
of course, they’re Blue Cards,” but
some people actually call the 1995
and later cards that were changed
to blue and white “Blue Cards” too,
and they are not. Trust me, there’s
nothing more disappointing than
seeing an ad for Blue Cards, setting
up an appointment to see them,
and after traveling however many
hours finding out that they’re Blue
& White cards. The most important
thing everyone must remember
when it comes to the Hot Wheels
Collector Numbers is the card
itself. The car by itself loose, or
even on an earlier- or later-style
card, may have very little value,
but it’s the combination of the car
with the correct-numbered Blue
Card that commands the big price.
Probably the most significant
example is the Hot Wheels Race
Team Funny Car. This car was
released in 1995 on the Blue &
White Race Team Series card as
Collector Number 276. The car and
card are readily available for $1. It
was also released in a two-pack
exclusively from KB Toys and is
also readily available for $1 or
so. But the very same car was
released on a Blue Card with Col-
lector Number 271 on the lower
right-hand corner and sells for
$3,500! I hear some collectors say,
“I collect diecast, not cardboard!”
Well, there are a lot of collectors
that collect cardboard with diecast
on it, and that cardboard makes all
the difference to them!
The last Blue Card released
is the Collector Number 274,
which is the Super Cannon. This
Military-style desert-screaming
little Dune Buggy is dark olive
green with yellow and tan
camouflage tampos and some
heavy artillery on its roof.
The Super Cannon had two
variations to it: white basic
wheels or white 5-spoke
wheels. Any Collector
Numbers after 274 were
released from 1995 until
1999, when the series
ended with Collector
Number 1121. So please
remember, the cards
are very important!
Make sure you
know the difference
between them, whether you are
selling or buying.
There were only 27 different vehicles released for the 1994 Hot Wheels
Collector Numbers, and only six of those vehicles were new castings,
beginning with the Collector Number 242 the ’93 Camaro. The first release
of this replica Jack Baldwin Camaro was painted in blue enamel with Ultra
Hot wheels and is one of the more valuable and sought-after releases of
the year. The wheels were quickly changed to the basic wheel design and
then again had the paint changed to metallic blue (right) from the enamel
blue (left ). It then had a wheel change back to the Ultra Hot wheels, which
then became the rarest of the Collector Number 242 Camaros.
 1994 Hot Wheels Checklist
❑ 137 ......Goodyear Blimp
❑ 153......Thunderstreak
❑ 198 .....Path Beater
❑ 200 .....Custom Corvette
❑ 203 .....Jaguar XJ220
The “No Fear Race Car” was next up at Number 244, done in black enamel with red and
white “No Fear” tampos on basic wheels. Little did anyone know that the following year’s ❑ 213 ......’57 Chevy
release (in 1995) would have five more variations! ❑ 214 ......Swingfire
❑ 221 ......Range Rover
❑ 225 .....Limozeen
❑ 227 ......Lamborghini Diablo
❑ 228 .....Zender Fact 4
❑ 232 .....Lamborghini Countach
❑ 234 .....Nissan Custom
❑ 238 .....Hiway Hauler
❑ 242 .....’93 Camaro (new casting for 1994)
❑ 244 .....No Fear Race Car (new casting for 1994)
❑ 245 .....Driven to the Max (new casting for 1994)
“Driven To The Max” was a welcome addition to the lineup, with its neon orange paint, blue ❑ 246 .....Shadow Jet II (new casting for 1994)
and red tampos, large rear wing, and blown rear engine. Everyone was looking for this cool ❑ 247......Rigor Motor (new casting for 1994)
little dragster!
❑ 248 .....Splittin’ Image II (new casting for 1994)
❑ 254 .....Sol-Aire CX-4
THE CAR BY ITSELF LOOSE, OR EVEN ON AN EARLIER- OR LATER-STYLE CARD,
MAY HAVE VERY LITTLE VALUE, BUT IT’S THE COMBINATION OF THE CAR WITH ❑ 262 .....1993 Camaro
THE CORRECT-NUMBERED BLUE CARD THAT COMMANDS THE BIG PRICE. ❑ 265 .....Oldsmobile Aurora
❑ 270......Chevy Stocker
❑ 271 ......Funny Car
❑ 273......Tail Gunner
❑ 274 ......Super Cannon

And there you have it—all of the new Hot

Wheels castings released for 1994. Take
a look at the 1994 Hot Wheels Checklist
Number 246 is the futuristic-looking “Shadow Jet II,” with its black tint chrome body and
(above) for all the other vehicles that were
chiseled pointed edges. This vehicle looked like it was traveling at Mach 1 just standing
still. Looking for the Ultra Hot wheels under the body was quite a feat, to say the least.
released for the year to see if you have
them all. And to find all their variations,
make sure to get a copy of my book Hot
Wheels Variations: The Ultimate Guide.
There are four editions to choose from that
show all of the Collector Numbers from 1 to
1121, including all of their known variations.
The books are available at mikezarnock.
com or from your favorite bookstore.

The coffin-bodied dark red metallic “Rigor Motor” is reminiscent of the George Barris–
designed Dragula dragster from the The Munsters TV show. This ghoulish little hot rod,
with white skulls for headlights, was given the Collector Number 247 and had no varia-
tions to it at all that year.
Michael Zarnock has been col-
lecting Hot Wheels since 1968; he
is considered by many to be the
ultimate variation historian. If you
would like
a complete
checklist
of all 2011
mainline
varia-
tions, be sure to pick up a
copy of Michael’s book Hot
Wheels Variations, 2000-2013
Identification & Price Guide.
Coming in at Number 248, is the “Splittin’ Image II.” The dark blue metallic paint is so dark Copies are available from his
that it sometimes looked black. It had chrome windows and Ultra Hot wheels. This one website: mikezarnock.com.
also had many more variations in the following year (1995).

FALL 2016 57
out of the box by the DCx Crew

DIECAST MASTERS Cat 390F L

HydrauLiC ExCavator
1:50 | $130

C
aterpillar dominates the heavy industrial vehicles
market like few other companies dominate any
industry, and it has done it through a mix of
quality, innovation, and an inherent understanding of
what crews need on a job site to get their tasks done
efficiently, safely, and with maximum effectiveness.
The big yellow machines with their “CAT” logos have
become so ubiquitous as to blend into the
scenery at virtually
any construction,
demolition, or salvage
operation in this
country and many
other countries for loading and digging that can
accommodate the widest variety
as well. of tool attachments, of which there
are more than a dozen! The model
comes with the largest high-
capacity bucket. The stick-and-
boom assembly pivots at the base,
requirement. Diecast Masters has at the stick joint, and at the bucket,
become the de facto source for all giving fully realistic articulation
things Cat in scale, and it has just with simulated hydraulic cylinders
released this 390F in 1:50 scale with stainless-steel shafts and
and delivers the mastery implied plastic bodies, and flexible rubber
in its brand name. That starts with hydraulic lines. There are also
the packaging. Inside a perfectly plenty of little surface details like
ordinary outer box sits a very lights, marking decals, and warning
cool inner “lunchbox”-decorated placards, and even hose clamps
metal display box, which comes and rivets. The lines run down to a
with DM’s High Line Series. It’s central splitter at the base of the

Dig
Well, at least if you’re a jaded adult.
Kids are routinely awestruck by
the behemoths—their size, the
beautifully printed with photos boom and into the superstructure,
of both the real 390F and the where the pump mechanism lives.
model along with a cool data Speaking of the superstructure,
panel, which appears accurate it pivots 360 degrees on the

This
glorious mechanical noises they
make, the tantalizing mounds of
earth they move. If you can stop
and look with a kid’s eyes, you will
likely be amazed as well. But there
(save for a leftover label that reads
“740B Articulated Truck”—oops!).
Hopefully, Diecast Masters will get
that corrected for the production
pieces because the box is a great
chassis and is loaded with nice
little touches like stippled metal
walkways over the tracks,
separately molded and painted
handrails, an exhaust stack, a rear-

Rig
is plenty to impress the “adult” in
us, with these supremely capable
machines suited to a remarkable
variety of tasks.
The type of machine you see
modeled here is one of the most
widely used, and Caterpillar’s
390F L Hydraulic Excavator is
one of the more advanced in the
category. Like so many of Cat’s
products, it can be configured
numerous ways from the factory,
allowing customers to outfit their
excavator to suit their specific job
perk. Now, on to the reason we’re
here: the model itself.
The first thing that catches your
eye—not just because it’s also the
handle by which you hoist it out
of its fitted foam cradle—is the
stick-and-boom assembly. The
390F can be ordered with no less
than seven different stick-and-
boom combinations. Some quick
measurements reveal the model
to have the General Purpose (GP)
8.4m boom with the larger 3.4m
stick, the most versatile setup
view camera, and a spotlight (the
latter was a little tweaked on our
sample). There’s a hinged access
door leading to the walkway,
where the hydraulic pump and
engine compartment are. The
engine cover hatch is hinged and
opens too, and when you open
it, you can see a surprisingly
detailed rendition of the Cat C18
ACERT engine. Displacing 18.1L,
this big turbodiesel inline-6
cranks out 525hp and drives
the tracked wheels a whopping

58 DCXmag.com
2.7mph while also powering the
hydraulics. and that hydraulic
system is where the real power
is—specifically Cat’s new adaptive
Control System (aCS) valve. The
aCS is a computer-controlled
valve that intelligently manages
fluid restrictions and flows to
dramatically increase both
precision and efficiency in
the system.
Perched on the left front of the
superstructure is the operator’s
cab. The door opens, giving a
decent view of the controls.
Obscuring that view marginally
is a driver figure—a comparative
rarity among replicas of most
genres. While it does add a degree
of realism, the figure detail is not
quite up to the standard of the rest
of the model (humans are hard to
model well), so I’m conflicted as to
whether this adds to the model’s
Above: The heart of the Cat 390F is the computer-controlled Adaptive Control System
presentation or not. This one may
(ACS) valve, which the model captures in nice detail. Below: Running the generator for the
come down to personal taste. hydraulics is a big Cat C18 turbodiesel. The engine hatch opens to reveal the scale version.
What is not merely a matter of
taste is the quality of the drive
system. a model of a tracked
vehicle has to get the treads
right to be successful—and
this one does. Individual
metal links rotate
realistically on drive
wheels at each end
and independently
of each other side
to side. about the
fall 2016 59
Diecast Masters Cat 390F L HydrauLiC ExCavator
only knock against them is that
they’re far too clean and shiny to
belong to a working excavator!
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Diecast Masters caterpillar
390F is one of those models
that offers more of interest the
longer you look at it, with intricate
surfaces and attention to detail.
even at 1:50 scale, the 100-ton
wonder still offers impressive size,
Find us on screens and newsstands everywhere and at RotorDroneMag.com
Left: This excavator does
its work with the largest
6.0 cubic-yard bucket,
which is fully articulated
on the model. Right: The
operator’s cab opens,
and there is a 1:50 figure
at the controls. Below:
Rolling treads with
individual metal links are
highly realistic—except
that they’re too clean!
and diecast construction yields
heft and a solid feel to its moving
parts. it’s one of those models
that teaches you about the full-
size vehicle even as it satisfies
the collector in you. The 390F is
impressive to behold in person and
equally impressive to behold in
your collection. ✇
Source
Diecast Masters; distributed by
3000toys.com and b2breplicas.com
Pilot your adventure.
Experience the Rotor Drone revolution!
QUICK
LOOK
GreenLight brings a piece of rock ’n’ roll history to
1:18 with Elvis’s legendary pink ’55 Cadillac.
GREENLIGHT COLLECTIBLES
ELVIS PRESLEY 1955 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD SERIES 60
1:18 | $65 By Matt Boyd
F
ew vehicles have permeated music culture as thoroughly as Elvis
Presley’s legendary pink Cadillac. Elvis bought his pink Cadillac in
March 1955. This was just months after Elvis had exploded onto
the music scene with his first single “That’s All Right” the previous July.
The car was a year-old ’54 Fleetwood, which the previous owner had
painted pink, and Elvis used it to transport himself and his first band, The
Blue Moon Boys, to gigs. Thus began the legend of the pink Cadillac…but
not the pink Cadillac. You see, just a couple months after he bought it,
that car burned to the ground when a brake lining failed and caught fire
out on the road while the band was touring in Arkansas. But Elvis loved
the Caddy, and with his music career off and running, he went out and
bought himself a brand new ’55 to replace it just weeks later. On July 5,
he took delivery of a blue Fleetwood Series 60 sedan. He had a friend
repaint it pink, designing a custom color that he named “Elvis Rose.” He
The instrument panel and steering wheel are well done, and the dash is painted to match
the “Elvis Rose” of the exterior.
62 DCXmag.com
presented that car as a gift to his mother, Gladys, but since she didn’t
have a driver’s license, Elvis continued to tour in it. His run of bad luck
continued though—that car crashed in September of that same year. He
had the car rebuilt, replaced the interior, and had the roof painted white—
the car finally taking the form it would have for the next 60 years.
GreenLight Collectibles has developed quite a collection of movie/
TV/music-related replicas, and the King’s pink Caddy slots in right at
the front of this group. It’s a semi-curbside model—meaning that the
front doors open, but the hood, trunk, and rear doors are sealed. The
Fleetwood is a huge car; at 19 feet long on a 133-inch wheelbase, it
does a fair approximation of a tour bus! It also makes for an imposing
1:18 model. The car has yards of chrome trim, separately molded, and the
signature Cadillac crests on the hood and trunk are nicely etched, as are
the scripts on the fenders. The paint finish is a mixed bag; the roof is good,
but there are a couple of small bubbles and some orange peel on the
hood, and what appears to be a glue drip on the passenger door, which
is unfortunate. The profile and proportions present well, but there is a
substantial door gap.
Swing the doors open and you can see a faithfully replicated dashboard
in matching pink, with lots of chrome trim and a pretty decent instrument
cluster. The bench seats are fairly plain, and the hard plastic floorboards
are ignorable—although the pedal set is surprisingly nice. The hood is
fixed, so there’s no opportunity to scope out the 331 V-8, but mechanical
bits are not what this car—or this model—are about anyway.
Elvis’s full-scale Fleetwood is on permanent display at his Graceland
estate and remains one of the more popular attractions. For those who
cannot make it to Memphis to see it in person, GreenLight’s 1:18 is a fine
way to bring a little of the King’s grandeur home. I expect a fair percentage
of purchasers won’t be traditional diecast collectors, and as such, the car’s
fit-and-finish issues won’t matter to them. For the rest of us, we have to
remind ourselves to appreciate it for its connection to rock ‘n’ roll history
rather than as a meticulous scale re-creation. And “That’s All Right.”
SOURCE
GreenLight Collectibles greenlighttoys.com
Kyosho
Mark 1989 Ferrari
TesTarossa
1:18 | $395 By Matt Boyd

I
f you were into cars in the ’80s, you know the Ferrari Testarossa—
you know every angle, every strake. The preceding decade had
been all about wedge-shaped supercars, and the wild Lamborghini
Countach had grabbed the lion’s share of the glory from less ostentatious
contenders like the Lotus Esprit and Ferrari’s own 512 Berlinetta Boxer.
When it came time for the Prancing Horse to
update the 512BB, the company, of course,
wanted something dramatic to capture the
imagination of the public, but it also had some
engineering objectives in mind. The basic design
of the BB had remained essentially unchanged
since it was introduced in 1973 as Ferrari’s
first mid-engine flagship, and it suffered from
some drawbacks—particularly in the area of
the cooling system, which consisted of a bulky
front-mounted radiator and a long set of lines
back to the boxer-12 positioned low and behind
the cabin. The system was inefficient and
maintenance intensive. For the new car, Ferrari
instructed the designers at the illustrious
Pininfarina studio to come up with something better. Man, did they
ever! The Testarossa—so christened to honor the legendary 250 Testa
Rossa that had dominated sports racing 25 years earlier—retained
the BB’s 5-liter boxer-12 (hence the name) but relocated the cooling
system from the front to a pair of side-mounted radiators, dramatically
widening the rear half of the car to accommodate them. Huge intake
vents were needed to feed them, and Pininfarina brilliantly incorporated
that mechanical necessity into a jaw-dropping styling element that
also aided aerodynamic airflow, improving the car’s top speed—an
engineering hat trick!
It’s been more than 32 years since the Testarossa made its debut at
the 1984 Paris Auto Show, but the design certainly doesn’t look its age. Its
enduring appeal is a tribute to Pininfarina’s timeless styling, and Kyosho’s
decision to include it in its new series of high-end resin-cast 1:18 models
makes perfect sense. This is new territory for Kyosho; unlike its Ousia
series, which is more budget-oriented, these models are aimed at the
top-shelf resin market along the lines of BBR and the like. This sample is
pre-production, and yet it came in a clamshell display box and mounted
to a leather-wrapped plinth with a stamped metal placard embossed
with the Ferrari prancing horse and the model name “Testarossa”
in the same script as appears on the fender badges. It’s
a beautiful presentation for an exquisite curbside
model. The finish is as nice as you’ll see from
Kyosho, with razor-thin moldings for
Above: The Testarossa bodywork was made dramatically
wider than its predecessor’s to accommodate the new
side-mounted radiators—leading to its most dramatic
styling feature.
Left: Kyosho put extra effort into the details on this
model, even going so far as to craft hints of the
boxer-12 visible down through the heat-extractor
vents on the engine cover.
the side strakes. The front fascia, engine cover,
and rear valence all have scale grille work that
looks to be metal (or a near-perfect facsimile
thereof). Even the shape of the air deflectors
and ductwork behind the grilles are perfect. There are one or two visible
brushstrokes on the air dam in front, and the marker lights lack amber
lenses; otherwise, this model looks ready for prime time.
Interior detail is another highlight of the Testarossa; its windows are
large, so we can admire meticulous detailing of the dashboard, center
console, and metal-gate shifter. There are tantalizing hints of the
boxer-12 just visible through the heat-extraction vents on the engine
cover. Stubby quad exhaust tips are metal and of perfect scale thickness.
It should be noted that this is a 1989 model, and it sports the correct
16-inch wheels with 5-lug pattern (early-year cars had 15s with a single
knock-off wheel nut). All in all, this is an tremendously convincing replica
of a tremendously appealing Ferrari. Being that Kyosho is asking nearly
$400 for it, the company will need to iron out the last few kinks evident
on this pre-production sample to compete with the top resin-cast models
on the market, but it’s not far off.
Source
Kyosho; distributed by Minichamps, carvillemodelsshop.com

FALL 2016 63
quick
LOOK

Maisto
Jeep
Wrangler
Willys
edition
1:18 | $30 By the DCX crew

W
ith all the cushy crossovers in Jeep dealerships these days, the signature vertical-bar grille, which is blacked out as part of the Willys
you’d be forgiven for losing sight of the vehicle that put Jeep package trim, along with matching gloss black 17-inch wheels and a black
on the map—and carried drivers to the farthest corners of it. “Sunrider” soft top—all of which the model accurately depicts, down to
It was 75 years ago that Willys-Overland Motors began delivering the the trapezoidal side windows. The body shell is diecast metal, with hard
first of what would become ubiquitously known as the “Jeep” to the U.S. plastic for the top and window surrounds. The casting is free of burrs
Army for use as its light-utility vehicle. Beloved by GIs for its reliability and or defects, and the paint quality is good for the entry-level price range
unstoppable all-terrain capabilities, its reputation was cemented by the in which Maisto competes.
end of WW II, and it transitioned into the civilian Jeep CJ starting in 1944. There is some uneven spray
That same basic CJ design carried through with relatively few changes when you open the doors
until the 1980s, by which time the brand was ingrained in the American and hood and examine the
automotive psyche. In 1986, the CJ was finally replaced by the Wrangler— seams, but none of it is
just as the Jeep brand was being sold to Chrysler Corporation. Over its evident when the model is
30-year tenure, Jeep has been most consistently profitable marque of closed up for display.
Chrysler (now Fiat-Chrysler), and the Wrangler has been the product’s The hood, doors, and
spiritual center. To this day, it inspires fanatical loyalty, in no small measure tailgate all open, and the
due to its extraordinary off-road chops. doors feature hidden
Starting in 2014, Jeep began paying homage to its Willys-Overland hinges—a treat for an entry-
heritage with a “Willys Wheeler” Edition of the Wrangler, and Maisto level model. Inside is mostly
renders its model in Baja Yellow. As is the current Jeep custom, the model black plastic, simulating the
designation is stenciled prominently on the sides of the hood. The only black cloth Willys editions
other markings on the Willys are a “Trail Rated” badge on the fender, a come with, but strategic use
“4 Wheel Drive” callout on the tailgate, and the “JEEP” block lettering on of paint highlights and decals
does the interior justice. The
only misstep is the presence
of a 6-speed manual gear
lever, but only two pedals
in the footwell. Hoisting
the hood reveals a relief-
Maisto is really ingenious at the strategic use of
molding and paint highlights in its interiors. molded motor plate depicting
the 3.6L V-6 that powers
virtually all Jeeps these days.
There’s a nice use of paint, and a deeply molded plate with some daylight
holes shining through does a convincing impression of the 290hp six.
Jeeps are all about the suspension, and Maisto gives us functional
springs and separate moldings for the Dana solid axles fore and aft. There
are a couple big screw holes that interrupt the molded chassis plate, and
this model is missing a couple of the skidplates that are part of the Willys
package. But we are talking about a sub-$30 model here, so we can be a
little forgiving on the undercarriage. This model delivers what we’ve come
to expect of Maisto’s Special Edition offerings: diverse subject matter,
solid accuracy, and great bang-for-the-buck value. Old or new, Jeeps
have inherent charisma, and the Willys Edition draws a clear connection
to its heritage while carrying the tradition of the unstoppable Jeep forward
into the next 75 years. ✇

Source
A molded panel replicates the 3.6L V-6, and the model correctly captures the blackout Maisto maisto.com
treatment on the signature Jeep vertical bar grille, which is part of the Willys package.

64 DCXmag.com
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REAR VIEW
Is 500 Always
Greater than II?
BY RON RUELLE
S
uppose someone
offered you a choice
between two classic
Mustangs. The first is
a 1967 Shelby GT500.
The second, a 1976 Mustang II Cobra.
Easy choice, right? With emissions controls,
fuel efficiency, and safety standards, by 1976,
cars were slower and less attractive than
their predecessors. The year 1967 is near the
pinnacle of Mustang performance and appeal,
while by most accounts the Mustang II is near
the nadir for Ford’s signature pony car.
But does the same hold true in scale? Let’s
take a look at two 1:18-scale models of these
cars. In lane one, we have the Road & Track
edition of the 1967 Shelby from Auto World,
which you can pick up for $70–80. And in lane
two, there is the 1976 Cobra II from GreenLight
Collectibles, going for about $50–60. If you
can set aside your feelings about the real cars
and just consider the models and their relative
prices, the comparison is closer than you might
have guessed.
Under the hood, the ’67 is fairly detailed—
as it should be. But the ’76 has a surprising
amount of detail, including braces, hoses, and
quite a few parts with separately painted bits.
The blue velour interior on the Cobra II is very ’70s but has a slight advantage in terms of detail—especially in the area of
the door hinges. The engine detail is close, but the GT500’s 428 definitely wins on cool factor.
66 DCXmag.com
Honestly, the
engines are pretty
much on par with each other here. A look at
the chassis tells you where some of the extra
bucks went on the ’67. The detail is there,
right down to the body-color overspray on
In full-scale Mustang circles, there
really is no comparison between the
’67 Shelby GT500 and the ’76 Cobra II.
In scale, detail and collectibility make
them closer than you might think.
the undercarriage. The chassis on the ’76 is a
bit more basic. Both eschew a screw-on base
for a form-fitting blister insert packaging. The
payoff is that neither car requires big, ugly
mounting tabs that otherwise mar the design.
A peek inside both cars reveals a lot, but pay
attention to the door itself on GreenLight’s
Cobra: The front edge of the door dips into the
body when you open it, mimicking a real door
hinge, while the Shelby’s swings out on an
old-school dogleg hinge. The black interior of
the ’67 matches the spartan, utilitarian look of
the real car, mixing matte and shiny surfaces
throughout. The blue flocked carpeting of the
Mustang II is a cut above hard plastic. Say what
you will about other aspects of 1970s’ cars, but
velour is fabulous stuff!
For two cars that represent the opposite
ends of the performance spectrum in real life,
these models are much closer than you might
expect. Both are currently still available new,
and bargains can be had—for now—on the
secondary market. That can change, especially
after one or the other car gets sold out, but in
terms of diecast collector appeal, it turns out
the choice between a ’67 and a ’76 Mustang
isn’t quite as obvious as it would appear. ✇
Ron Ruelle is social media guru for
hobbydb.com, an encyclopedia and
marketplace for everything collectible.
He drove a 1966 Mustang fastback in high
school and kicks himself for not keeping it.