The clash of the pizza vans

 

The term "Pizza Van" instantly conjures up just 1 image for me.

It was one of the most iconic cars from when I was a kid (and a car I didn't have!).  For several years, the VW Transporter (Dormobile) pizza van was advertised on the back of Matchbox blisterpacks as the prize for joining the Matchbox collectors club...

So I was very pleased when I finally found and acquired this example 30 years later (regardless of how it smelled of stale cigarette smoke).  But upon closer inspection, it's not actually THAT great of a casting, with no interior (hidden by opaque green windows), no suspension, no opening parts, and overly wide (and thus very inset) tire/wheels.  Regardless, it's THE iconic pizza van in my mind.  

But now there's a challenger!  Tomica's new Hi-Ace van, a nice model (though sadly no longer with any opening parts) is now available in the same color combination (Italian flag colors) pizza van livery! ...which means it's time for a showdown...   a comparison test...   the classic tale of champion vs. challenger!

But if you've been paying attention to the words I've been writing, then you probably already have a pretty clear idea of how this will end.... ...which is an easy win for the Tomica. Yes, the Lesney is iconic, and vintage, and has pretty reasonable detail and nice paint (though the Tomica has equivalently nice detail and paint), but it's no match for the Tomica's silky soft suspension, the classic boxy design, and the seperate glass/plastic headlights!  

We have a new pizza van winner!

Best Vintage Opel Diplomat (KAD cars)... ("What other Diplomat's ARE there?!?")

When you think of a vintage diecast Opel Diplomat, exactly 1 car typically comes to mind...  Lesney's excellent Matchbox Opel Diplomat, shown here in the rare and preferred Superfast form.  

This has always been a favorite car of mine.  Not scaled too large (it is based on a contemporary Chevy II chassis after all, so it definitely should be smaller than an Impala or the full size Mercurys or Lincoln Continental), nice detail, nice suspension, etc.   A very nice car!

But this blog title implies that there are competitors...   ...So...   ...ARE there any competitors?  

Yes!  

Yatming, for one, made an Opel Admiral (same car, just different trim level).  And while many vintage Yatmings are cheapo-feeling car, without detail or heft, there are a few Yatmings that have high levels of quality (almost approaching Tomica-levels).  Unfortunately, this Admiral is NOT one of those few high-quality Yatmings.  Instead, this IS a cheapo-feeling car.  While it is an interesting curiosity, this car has no chance of upstaging the Lesney Matchbox!  

But there is another vintage competitor, and unlike the Yatming, this competitor is in fact a worthy competitor.  The car is a very rare car - a Siku Opel Kapitan.  Yes, its a different name, but like the Admiral - the Kapitan name just signified a different trim level on the same basic car (hence the acronym - "KAD" cars - Kapitan, Admiral, Diplomat).  

The first thing you notice about the SIKU is how large it is...  ...this Kapitan DOES in fact feel like an Impala.  In the photos at the end of the blog you can see how much larger it is than the more correctly scaled Matchbox.  Unlike the Matchbox, which has an opening hood, the SIKU has opening doors.  In typical Siku fashion, the headlights are actual glass/plastic.  The trim and detail are fantastic, easily eclipsing the nicely detailed Matchbox.  Siku really shows off the curve of the trunk (which is there, but much less evident, in the Matchbox).  And the baseplate actually has detail, unlike the Matchbox.  

So, what's the verdict?  Can the Siku compete with the Lesney?  Yes!  While I'm slightly bothered by its large size, I just find the Siku to be a more worthy model than the excellent and far-better-known Matchbox...  

Vintage Matchbox Rolls Royce Sedans in burgundy but also silver and gold

Lesney's Rolls Royce Silver Shadow II is one of my favorite models of the post-transitional era, coming in the most common silver color, a rarer burgundy wine color and a rarer still elegant light gold - which is definitely my favorite color of the 3.  I've still got my childhood car - a silver model - but it's not clean enough nor mint enough to serve as a photo model.  

When I started to collect Matchbox again as an adult, I was thrilled to find that my Silver Shadow (the II) was actually the second Silver Shadow that Matchbox had done - and the original version that they had done (with opening trunk rather than opening doors) was equally as nice of a model as the subsequent.  In fact, its hard to decide which casting is the better model.  The first Silver Shadow was only available in one color - almost the same shade of the burgundy wine color as one of the three colors of the Silver Shadow II was released in...

But it got better.  A few years later, Matchbox (now made by Matchbox Toys International rather than Lesney) AGAIN introduced a Rolls Royce - now the successor of the Silver Shadow - the Silver Spirit.   Again, it was a lovely model, nicely sized and squared off, with opening doors.  It's 1 of my favorite models of the '80s.  And AGAIN Matchbox sold it in almost the same burgundy wine color as the previous 2 Rolls Royces were sold in (as well as a goldish-tan color that is similar to that of the rare Shadow II).  

I was always amused and pleased that 3 generations of Rolls Royces were modeled in the same color by Matchbox and I have frequently photographed them together.  Recently I completed a re-spray of the Silver Spirit in silver, to match earlier re-sprays of the Silver Shadow I (as well as the Silver Cloud - never a favorite model of mine - but nicer re-sprayed in silver than in the ugly standard cream color).  At the same time I also completed a metallic gold/bronze re-spray of the Shadow I - which although darker than the light gold of the Spirit and Shadow II - still looks nice in their company.  Which allows me to have a complete set each of the Shadow I, Shadow II and Spirit in the 3 original colors of the Shadow II - Silver, light gold and of course - burgundy-wine....

Hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoy these wonderful models!

(P.S.  Did you notice the other Silver Shadow II...  ...in blue?  This is an older re-spray that I did about 15-20 years ago, complete with contrasting leather colors in its seats....  Unfortunately my attempts to repaint the allow wheels was rather ham-handed, and a separate spray of the doors resulted in them being slightly darker than the rest of the body... ).   

(P.S.  Did you notice the other Silver Shadow II...  ...in blue?  This is an older re-spray that I did about 15-20 years ago, complete with contrasting leather colors in its seats....  Unfortunately my attempts to repaint the allow wheels was rather ham-handed, and a separate spray of the doors resulted in them being slightly darker than the rest of the body... ).   

New Matchbox castings that repeat old castings finally are legitimate contenders to Lesney models!

I really dislike when Matchbox makes a new model of a car they've modeled before...   Invariably its a more plasticky and poorly done version of an excellent Lesney version.

About 10 years ago they issued new castings of a '68 Marcus Cougar, a Lotus Europa, a VW Microbus, and others.  In every instance the new car was poorly done.  I always wondered why people would buy these new guady and plastic creations, when the high quality originals are so easily available on EBay for just a few dollars in fair/good condition?

But I also dislike it because each time they do it, Matchbox throws away an opportunity to do something truly new.  With so many cars that have never been modeled (how many Nissan Altima's have you seen in 1/64 scale?), it seems a pity to do a second rate job of something that has already been done well.  Why make a second casting of a Lotus Europa when Matchbox could do a Lotus Evora instead?

Well, Matchbox is up to it again, making new models of cars that were done during the Lesney years.  Except this time, the new models are premium 50th anniversary models, with a $5.50 price tag.  And this time, the quality is indeed better...  Which made me ask the question - of whether any of these new models of previously modeled cars are actually and finally better than the original Lesney models?

The first model in question is my least favorite of the 4 new castings being compared today - a VW Microbus.  Interestingly, this is an earlier version than the late '60s one they did 10 years ago - this one is a 1950s version.  But even more interestingly - during the Lesney years Matchbox also made a 1950s version AND a later 1970s version of the Microbus, meaning that modern Matchbox has now made TWO new versions of older Lesney castings...  And even more interestingly - the original Lesney 1950s microbus actually came in 2 versions itself - the green version with the low roof, and the silver version with the raised roof.

To be honest, I never was crazy about either of these two original Lesney 21 window Microbuses.  Maybe its that they never came in superfast form?  Regardless, this might be a good opportunity for the new casting to finally be declared better than the original.  But the Microbus is also my least favorite of the 4 new castings as well...

The new casting is a red and white Microbus, with opening doors.  The paint looks pretty good - but somehow my impression of it is poor.  It just looks and feels like a toy rather than a model.  It doesn't feel like metal rather than plastic.  The wheels are too wide, etc., etc.

Overall, when it comes to the new microbus, I'm not crazy about the new casting.  Even though I'm not crazy about the old Lesney versions either - they remain better than the new version.  Given the choice between a new Microbus for $5.50 from WalMart, or a reasonable condition original for $5.50 on EBay - take the EBay version...





Next up is a bit harder of a comparison.  The original Lesney 300SE is a beautiful and high quality casting.  It came with BOTH opening doors AND an opening trunk and was available in blue and green - and then in gold in the superfast version (though oddly many lost the opening doors in the transformation) - (and later an army staff car (though now also losing the opening trunk)).

The new version is a pretty dark red color and comes with opening doors.  It looks pretty nice - but quite simply doesn't have the heft or presence of the original Lesney versions.  Conclusion - go ahead and buy the new one - but not until you have first bought the original Lesney version.

 Next up - a new version of the VW type 3.  This new version has a REALLY cool matte white paint job - one of the coolest paint jobs of any modern Matchbox car.  Plus the gold wheels add a super-sporty touch.  The combination of the paint job and wheels manage to make one of the LEAST POWERFUL AND LEAST SPORTY CARS EVER actually look powerful and sporty....  This is a COOL model!  You should buy it!

But is it better than the original Lesney version (shown in beat up red regular wheels, or a better condition plum superfast version)?  As regular readers know - I'm a big fan of the Lesney Transitional Superfast cars with thier silky soft suspensions combined with original Lesney detail quality - so its really hard to rank a new modern example  as better than the Lesney version.  But maybe its a high enough compliment to simply declare that while the new version can't quite unseat the original version - at least it made it a close and interesting fight...

 ...which brings us to our final comparison - of a late '70s Porsche 911 Turbo.  This Lesney casting for me (shown in silver and royal blue - though many other colors were available) is one of the most iconic Lesney Matchbox castings ever made.  It's a beauty of a casting both in look and feel, with opening doors and a tow hook (since EVERYONE tows their boat with their 911....).  (Just kidding....  I own a real 911 and a real boat - and I've NEVER considered using the 911 as my boat's tow vehicle...).

But the new dark blue casting is a worthy contender - sized exactly right and spot-on size with the original Lesney casting.  The doors open and the paint detail is incredible.  Even more than with the VW Type 3, the competition is tight and tough.

The original Lesney versions still have a more solid heft and feel - and their doors close with a more satisfying click...   ...but the paint detail on the new one is so good that it makes up for the difference in heft.  In addition, I've noticed that some of the later original 911 turbos (made actually by Matchbox International rather than Lesney - in fact the royal blue one in the photos is a Matchbox International version) somehow seem to have less precise metal/metal detail.

So where does this leave me?  Can the new version legimately claim to be a more desirable model than the original Lesney (and later) version?

Well...

...Ummm...

...(gasp)...

Maybe!

Maybe, just maybe, this new late '70s Porsche 911 Turbo is as good as an original Lesney toy.  Do youself a favor and buy both and compare for yourself!

Food Trucks vs. Food Trucks! (AKA Roach Coach’s...). I'm hungry just looking at them!

Matchbox vs. Matchbox vs. Tomica vs. Tomica vs. Corgi Jr. vs. Majorette...

1950s vs. 1980s vs. 1990s vs. 2010s...

Ice cream truck vs. Kebab van vs. noodle truck vs. Roach Coach...

Classic American vs. International...

This has the makings for one of the more fun comparisons I’ve ever done, comparing vastly different vehicles from different companies and across different eras, but whose basic purpose was the same;  To bring the food to the people, rather than making the people go to the food!

And the cool thing is that every entry into this compare is an interesting entry.  There’s not a loser in the bunch!

First up, the mint green Majorette ice cream truck on a Fourgon chassis.  It’s in mint condition with beautiful paint, a nice heft courtesy of the full metal casting, an actual suspension, an open and highly detailed ice cream truck interior, a trailer hook, and even a retractable red awning.  Definitely a contender!

Next up, the first of 2 Matchbox entries, and easily the oldest truck in this test, the blue regular wheel Lesney ice cream truck on a Commer chassis.  This particular example is not only the oldest casting, but it’s also the casting that’s been in my collection longest, since before I was born.... It was actually in the collection of my Dad and Uncle Warren, and “mysteriously” migrated into MY collection at some point in my childhood (funny how those things happen!).  Although it’s got a crack in the plastic roof window, it’s in remarkably good condition given it’s age, especially in comparison to other castings of my childhood collection!

As a contender, it wins originality points, and the ice-cream man and detail in the back  are brightly visible due to the roof-top moonroof.  The metal detail on the truck is nice, and it obviously wins some personal memory points from me.  On the other hand, it is a little under-scale relative to the other trucks, and as a pre-superfast Lesney it has zero suspension travel.

Next up is the newer Matchbox entry, a casting 50 years newer than the Lesney, also in blue, a traditional "roach coach" taking pre-made sandwiches to work sites.  This one is a non-licensed casting, meaning that it is a generic "truck" vs. a Ford or an International.  But even so, it looks pretty good.  It has no opening parts or windows on the sides, but very surprisingly again has a roof skylight offering a view into the nicely detailed food truck interior.   It has tough looking wheels - probably the best wheels of any of the trucks.  Oddly, the base is metal but the body is all plastic.  While many of the above points would typically be show-stoppers, the overall effect is surprisingly powerful.  This is a strong contender!

Next up, the red and yellow kebab truck by Tomica on a Suzuki Carry chassis...  This one is just plain funny, mostly because of the flip-open kebab booth with an actual rotating kebab (but unfortunately not geared by the wheels - ala Matchbox rolamatics) and a painted-in somewhat angry-looking kebab man!

The chassis itself is a little generic, a typical Tomica small truck chassis casting, in this case, of a Suzuki Carry.  Typical of modern era Tomica castings, it has a wonderful soft suspension feel.  (Interestingly, I have another roach-coach style Tomica food truck again on a Suzuki Carry chassis - but I didn't enter it since I haven't yet attached (and now can't find!) the 50+ food label stickers that came with it.  Without the stickers, its hard to know that it's a Roach Coach, so I nixed it from this comparison test...). 

After the Kebab truck comes the other Tomica entry, an older casting of a noodle truck, though ALSO on an (older generation) Suzuki carry chassis.  This one looks vintage but is still modern enough to be made in China vs. Japan (it also has a plastic base).  The detail on the back of this truck is very pronounced, contributing to a high quality feel of the overall casting.  Again, its got the Tomica magical silky-soft suspension...

The final casting in this review is the Corgi Junior, a "mini-shop" truck set-up in a Mercedes van.  This one is one of the more basic of the castings, with the detail in the mini-shop simply printed/painted on the walls of the van rather than cast into the plastic or metal.  However the van itself is reasonable, with clear windows showing the interior of the driving cabin, and a reasonably soft suspension on standard issue Corgi wheels.

So now that I've introduced the players...   ...which one is the best food truck?

Frankly, they all are likable castings, with things to recommend each of them.  The variety is off-the-charts, with 50 plus years between the oldest and newest, and an incredible variety in types of food trucks and how the food preparation detail is shown.

Several of them have some poorer points...  I don't like the fact that the newer Matchbox is a non-licensed generic truck, but it still looks cool.  The Corgi "mini shop" is probably not the winner, with noticeably less detail than other contenders, but I still like the casting a lot so I refuse to let it be in last place.  The Lesney ice cream truck lacks suspension and scale.  The Majorette Fourgon looks kind of campy - while the mint green paint is sharp - its just not a color I would have chosen.  The Tomica kebab truck has an overly large and unrealistic looking plastic hinge on the roof, and while the interior is funny - apart from the kebab there is no other actual detail.  And as for the noodle truck?

There is nothing wrong with the noodle truck.  Period.  The detail is exceptional.  The suspension is soft.  The cab and chassis look vintage, even if they arguably aren't.  And maybe the lack of any major flaws mean that its the winner...!  1st place, Tomica.

For second place, I have to choose the Majorette ice cream truck.  The heft and size is wonderful, with extra points for the movable canopy, the detailed interior and the reasonably-soft suspension.

And I'll declare the final 4 contenders to be in a tie for 3rd place, all vastly different from one another, but all with positive attributes.  As I said at the beginning, there is not a loser in the bunch!

I hope you enjoyed reading about these food trucks as much as I enjoyed writing about them!

I'm feeling a little bit hungry now...  Where's a kebab truck when you need one?