Top 30 Vintage Yatmings of All Time (or at least - of my Yatming Collection...!).

Yatmings...

To many collectors, the Yatming name conjures up images of cheap drug-store cars, plasticky, with low levels of detail and garish tampos, the Maisto of the 1980s.  They are the filler cars in cases of cars that you purchase, the cars to discard that fill the difference between the 15 Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars vs. the 24 total cars that are actually in the case.

Or perhaps, if you are a discerning collector, the Yatming name represents an intriguing opportunity to get uncommon castings, of uncommonly-modeled cars, with metal bases, opening doors and Tomica-esque levels of quality...

So what's the real story?

Brands are powerful in that they represent a certain quality and price point...   Nike, Hyatt, etc.  When you buy a "Mercedes Benz", you have an idea of what type of quality, reliability, luxury and status that you will have.  And when you sell a shirt on EBay, saying that it is a Tommy Bahama brings an entirely different cache to the sale vs. only saying "size large button-up shirt in a tropical print"...

The same is true in the die-cast world...  Matchbox and Hot Wheels are the brands that dominate, the brands that everybody knows, even those people who know nothing about die-cast.  And along with that name, there is an expectation of the type of quality, detail and heft that you'll get.  There literally are people who believe that if a car is not a Matchbox or a Hot Wheels, it isn't worth collecting...  (and they are VERY wrong!). 

After those 2 major 1st tier brands, I define 2nd tier brands, that have equivalent or better quality than Matchbox and Hot Wheels but don't have quite the same name recognition.  In order to be 2nd tier, I require that the brands have been around for several decades, that they have a numbering sequence of their models, that they print their name and the car's name on the baseplate, etc.  That criteria yields 4 brands:  Tomica from Japan, Majorette from France, Siku from Germany, and Corgi Juniors from England.  These brands all have been around for at least 30 years. In fact, all four brands were around when I was a kid in the '70s and '80s, and all brands (aside from Corgi Juniors) are still around today.  The vintage models from these brands represent tremendous finds for collectors, due both to the wonderful quality of the models coupled with the relative scarcity of those models.  The biggest difference between models of these brands vs. those of Matchbox/Hot Wheels is simply the name recognition (the fact that non-collectors don't know about them) and the unique castings offered...

After the 2nd tier long-term quality brands, you have the 3rd tier brands.  These are brands that again offer high levels of quality, but who just haven't been around long enough to have the cache of a Tomica or Siku.  Brands like Impy, Johnny Lightning (who started in the '60s, died in the '70s, and was re-born in the '90s), Green Light, Racing Champions, etc. make it into this tier.

And after this, you get into the bottom tier brands.  Brands that are sold in drug stores.  Brands that were poorly detailed - so much so that some cars are unrecognizable as a real car (sedan, coupe, pick-up truck rather than Impala, Monza, F-150).  Brands that were plastic in a time when the competition was metal.  Etc.  In today's world, Maisto and Fast-Lane are the poster-children for bottom tier brands.  30 years ago, those brands were Tootsie-toy, Midge-toy, Ertl, Zylmex, Fast-111s, Playart, Kidco, and, you guessed it, Yatming.

Except of course that these brands were not universally bad.  Some of these brands offered suprisingly detailed and accurate models, but the fact that they were interspersed with other poor-quality models dragged the entire brand down into the 4th tier.

Of these brands, I like Zylmex and Kidco.  I really like PlayArt.  And I love Yatming...  You just have to be willing to sift through the junky stuff in hopes of finding the high quality treasures.  For Yatming, it is the earlier castings that are higher quality, with metal bases, opening doors, and fine detail, while the newer castings often suffered a dramatic decrease in quality and detail (however still occasionally feature models not modeled by any other toy maker).

The nice castings are great, while the worst are deplorable.  In the odd case of the Mercedes 450 SEL, Yatming inexplicably has two completely different castings of the same model - one that is nice, one that is less nice.  In the case of the Fox Body Ford Mustang, they have a great casting, and a less nice casting which is simply a less-detailed version of the great casting... 

So which of these Yatming castings are the nicest?  I started off planning to feature the top 10 castings.  But I had a tough time limiting it to just 10, finding more and more castings that deserved to be featured.  My top 10 turned into a top 15, then a top 20, a 25 and now the top 30 (and even so I cheated a bit - including additional castings in some of my comments and photos).  Most of the castings chosen are from the earlier era, with metal bases and opening doors.  But I also included a few later plastic-based castings when the casting was either well done or very unusual...

With that, here we go - the top 30 Yatmings of all time (or more accurately - from my collection):

#30:  No. 1085 - Pontiac Firebird (mid 80s);  Metal Base, opening doors.  Pretty OK casting, but in 30th position since its been modeled many times by many toy companies.  If it didn't have the opening doors it wouldn't have made it into the top 30... 

#29:  No. 1084 - Chevrolet Corvette (mid 80s);  Metal Base, opening doors, nice size.  I actually like this casting a lot, but again a very, very, commonly modeled model.  This one feels somewhat similar to the Corgi/Hot Wheels version (Corgi made it, then sold the molds to Hot Wheels) but with opening doors.  I was torn about whether to rank it closer to 20 than 30, but it ended up in 29th place...  

#28:  No. 1065 - Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (early '70s);  Metal Base, opening doors, I have it in 2 colors - white and gray.  Interestingly, the blue car in the photo is a casting of a later-model C3 Corvette - and an entirely different (and slightly smaller) casting with a metal base and opening doors - which would have been in thirty-first position... 
 

#27:  No. 1602 (and 1608 in the roofed / opening hood edition) - Jeep CJ-7;  Metal Base, opening hood (only on the roofed edition).  Somehow a Jeep like this again feels like a common casting, and I don't like the cheapy-feeling wheels.  But still, a nice full metal casting.   For some reason that I can't quite figure out, I prefer the open roof 1602 version over the closed roof 1608 version, even though I lose the opening hood...

#26:  No. 1015 - Ford Wagon;  Metal Base, but no opening parts.  Why did Matchbox, PlayArt AND Yatming all have to model the same Ford/Mercury wagon?  Couldn't anyone have done a Pontiac or a Plymouth wagon...? 

This ones' not anywhere as nice as the Lesney Matchbox Mercury Commuter, and is a little smaller, but I think its nicer than the similar PlayArt car.  The police version is much nicer than the plastic-based blue version (same No.) in the background - which lost massive amounts of detail and whose grill is no longer even the same shape as the metal-based version...

#25:  No. 1029 - BMW 320i;  This is one of a few plastic based castings that made it into the top 30, mostly because of their being uncommon castings.  It's hard to find an early 3-series like this, although it is in no competition whatsoever by Matchbox' MUCH nicer 320i cabriolet.  But it still looks nice and so makes it into the top 30... 

#24:  No. 1017 - BMW 2800;  Another plastic-based casting - with questionable detail - but the ONLY example I know of a BMW 2800...  My example has a broken axle holder so the back drags - this is a very common problem with Yatmings. 

#23:  No. 1018 - Opel Admiral;  Another plastic-based casting - again with questionable detail - but the ONLY example I know of an Opel Admiral - and one of the very few castings ever of Opel sedans...  Again - no competition whatsoever for Matchbox' superb superfast Opel Diplomat.  The detail is only so-so, and my example is very beat-up...   But good enough for 23rd place!   

(I'm kind of wish that I'd given positions 23 - 25 to the nicer quality but more commonly modeled cars in positions 27-30...  If you value unique castings you'll agree with my current placement - if you value quality and detail - you may disagree...). 

#22:  No. 1077 - Camaro Z-28;  Metal base, opening doors.  The stripe tampos aren't great - but otherwise a very nice example of a commonly-modeled casting.  Nicer than the ubiquitous Hot Wheels version.  If you are into quality castings (which I am) - or 1970's Camaros (which I'm not) then you need this casting...

#21:  No. 1008 - Ford Thunderbird - mid - 70s;  By most accounts this one SHOULD have been in the top 10...  A metal-based model of an unusually (never?) modeled car... 

However when I was ranking the models, this one just didn't make it on the "gotta-have-it" scale.  There are no opening doors, and the car, while reasonable size, just isn't quite big enough to be in true scale (the real Thunderbird is enormous).  Also the brown paint is kind of ugly.  In short, it sounds great, but it is let down a bit in its execution.  So it doesn't even break the top 20... 

#20:  No. 1078 - C2 Chevrolet Corvette - mid - 60s;  The nicest of Yatming's Vettes, again with metal base and opening doors.  Roughly equivalent to the mid '80s Hot Wheels casting (which didn't have opening doors - although in one version had an adjustable height rear axle). 

#19:  No. 1005 - Toyota GT 2000;  Another plastic non-opening door car - but a very rarely done model (at least in vintage times - it WAS made later in the '90s and '2000s).  The detailed metal-work on it looks great - enough to catapult it into the top 20... 

#18:  No. 1064 - Chevrolet Blazer;  In case you haven't noticed from my postings, I like full-size SUV models...  And this is a great one (though my particular model is again rocking a broken front axle).  Not quite as nice as Hot Wheels mid-80s Bronco, but nicer than Matchbox' police car off-road Blazer, made even nicer with opening doors and a metal base... 

#17:  No. 1700 - Chevrolet LUV pick-up;  I've never seen anyone do a Chevy LUV pickup - a car I remember well from my childhood.  This is another example of why Yatming fills such a void for collectors.  This casting has a plastic base and no opening doors - but its available in at least 3 colors - with further minor tampo variations. 

 #16:  No. ? (no number on the baseplate) - Chevrolet Stepside pick-up;  This casting is a too small for a full-size pick-up (similar to other 1980's 4th tier makers of full-size pick-ups).  So how did it beat the LUV...?  Simply put, the metal base helps a lot.  Plus, although its hard to see in this photo, it has a working tailgate, a VERY unusual feature in any diecast - let alone a non-premium casting (I think I've only seen working tailgates in Racing Champions pick-ups from 10-15 years ago). 

#15:  No. 1302 - Ferrari Grand Prix car, also No. 1303 March Grand Prix and No. 408 Lotus John Player Special Grand Prix cars (The nomenclature on the baseplate is different for the Lotus, so 408 may not be the actual model number); 

 

OK - I know this is cheating - to have 3 different castings included in 1 position - but I couldn't really choose between them - and I didn't want to list them 3 times.  I have other later Yatming Grand Prix cars that just look plasticky.  But these three?  Metal base and lots of detail get them into the top 15! 

#14:  No. 1078 - Jaguar XJS;  Opening doors and metal base, a bit small to my eyes which might have kept it from the top 10.  A fairly frequently modeled car, more like the long and thin proportions of Hot Wheels mid '80s Jaguar XJS vs. the fat and squat proportions of Corgi's XJS.  This particular example again has a broken rear axle...

 #13:  No. 1016 - Porsche (911 or 912) Targa;  The highest ranked of the plastic base cars.  Given how commonly 911s are modeled, I'm not sure quite how it got to 13th place vs. the LUV and other models....  But its got a pretty nice "gotta-have-it" factor which got it to 13th place.



#12:  No. 1057 - Plymouth Duster;  a great car, never modeled (particular these nasty mid '70s versions (unappealing full-size cars can be very appealing 1:64 cars!)), with opening doors and a metal base...   ...and some ugly stickers.   Includes custom side exit exhausts. 


 #11:  No. 1062 - Datsun 280Z;  .and now we start to get into the SERIOUSLY nice castings...  at first glance this one looks like a Tomica (though in fairness, the actual Tomica 280Z is just a bit more svelte and petite - where this one is a little chunky and high).  Metal base, opening doors, nice detail, etc. all make this a must have for your collection.  Available in at least the 2 colors shown! 

THE TOP 10!!!

#10:  No. 1055 - Toyota Crown;  another Tomica contender (in part since no one else models Japanese market sedans like the Crown...).  This one has the quality you'd expect from Tomica - but in a casting you won't find from them...  I just wish my example was in nicer condition!

#9:  No. 1060 - Pontiac (Firebird) Trans-Am;  This one SHOULDN'T have made it into the top 10... How can a car that was modeled AGAIN and AGAIN by just about every toy company on the planet - make it into the top 10 in a list where unusuality of casting is a major criteria...?  I guess by just doing the very common casting very, very well...  Available in at least 3 colors with excellent trim and metal work - and chrome metal headlights from the baseplate....  Not quite as nice as the super nice Tomica firebird (perhaps the best '70s Firebird ever modeled) - but plenty nice in its own right!  I actually prefer this car over my mint condition Johnny Lightning's from about 5-10 years ago. 

#8:  No. 1087 - Mercedes Benz SLC;  A hard to find model of a favorite 1:1 scale car (remember Patrick Swayze in Roadhouse...?).  Nice feel and nice heft.  The picture doesn't do it justice. 

The Matchbox 500SEC is one of my favorite Matchbox models of all time.  While this Yatming isn't THAT nice (and is a little smaller) - it is still a nice one to have in your collection...

#7:  No. 1067- Ford Mustang Turbo Cobra;  Like the Firebird, this one is of a more commonly modeled car, so you wouldn't think it'd make it into the top 10...  But in the metal, it just feels nice.  This is a quality piece... 

Focus on the beige one.  The white one (No. 1028) is a plastic based casting with doors cast shut.  While the cheaper casting is obviously based on the nicer one - it loses the hood scoop and gains the rear wing.  Avoid it and go for the quality beige version - you won't regret it! 

#6:  No.1053 - Cadillac Fleetwood Broughham;  This one is actually one of the most common of the nice Yatming models - its pretty easy to find on EBay.  I have 3 of them - all in the same wine/burgundy color.  But full size Cadillac castings are hard to come by in general  - and this one is a beauty - with wonderful heft.  And its even got a nice size from a scale perspective - not quite as large as I'd like it to be - but still definitely a big car relative to other Yatmings...  If you don't have it, you need it! 

THE TOP 5!

#5:  No. 1061 - Mercedes 450 SEL;  This model was featured in my 450 SEL comparison a few months back, and while it didn't win it, it still gave a good effort.  In that article I commented on how it tried to out-Tomica the Tomica model.  This one might actually be better than the ubiquitous Matchbox version...  450SELs are a pretty commonly modeled car (Majorette, Tomica, Zylmex, Matchbox, etc.), which is the only thing that keeps this casting from even better than a 5th place finish. 

Note to collectors - Yatming actually made 2 versions of the 450 SEL.  This is by far the nicer (and larger) version, though the other one (No. 1012) also can have a metal base and opening doors.  You want 1061, not 1012....).
  



#4:  No. 1088 - BMW 6 Series;  As a kid, the 635i/M6 models were one of my dream cars, but for some reason they were seldom modeled by toy companies.  I've got a Siku version that is too large (typical of Siku models), and of course I have the earlier (and unfortunately over-scaled Matchbox 3.0 CSI), but I think that this Yatming is the only correctly scaled version of the '80s 6 series. 

Plus, its just a nice model in its own right.  Metal base, opening doors, nice detail, nice grill, good trim, etc.  The puke-orange color is a bit unfortunate, as are the random tampos (note that the 2 I show in this photo have different tampos).  Overall, an excellent model - that got to 4th place...   The top finishing model of a European car. 




#3:  No. ? - Nissan Silvia (200SX for those of us in the USA);  The baseplate didn't have a number - I don't know why.  I think this one is super rare - I've never seen it anywhere other than my collection.  If not for the poor Yatming wheels this car would easily be mistaken for a vintage Tomica. 

My friend Kevin Gounaud's Mom Karen drove one of these when I was in middle school, though hers was more of a wine//burgundy color vs. red.  But even though 200SXs were common sights on the roads in the '80s, I'm not aware that it was modeled by anyone other than Yatming and Tomica - and the fastback Yatming is NICER than the notchback plastic base-plate Tomica model.  Yes, I just said that a Yatming is a nicer model than a Tomica!

It was a little hard to place this car.  Its a great casting, so definitely deserved to be in the top 10.  I originally had it in 5th or 6th place before moving it to 3rd on account of how unique the casting is...

#2:  No. 1075 - Ford Galaxy;  ...And now for something completely different....  

This model is perplexing.  It is like nothing else Yatming has done (except for maybe a yellow Malibu that I've seen on EBay?).  It was a throw-back model of an American muscle car - and thankfully an unusually modeled muscle car.  And of course it has a metal base, opening doors and nice trim work...

This one is somewhat available on EBay - I've seen it multiple times - so you should be able to get your hands on one.  And oddly, both of my examples, and almost every EBay one, are in mint condition.  Therefore I'm not sure that this is AS vintage of a vintage Yatming as the other ones on this list.  But if its not, how do I explain the quality, the number, the metal base, etc.?  There is probably a story that I'm not aware of.  But regardless, a very nice piece.  The 2nd best Yatming in my collection...

NUMBER 1 - THE BEST YATMING CASTING EVER...

#1:  No. 1054 - Plymouth Fury;  Wow - did I really just pick a pea-green model of a 1970's America car that was awful, fat, slow, ponderous and gas-guzzling (that just happened to be driven by my great-grandparents Corey and Ruth Bubar...) as the best Yatming of all time?!? 

You bet I did!  If the Crown was like a domestic market Tomica, then this one is practically a Tomica F-Series with a Yatming name on the bottom.  A bit nicer than the Furys (all police cars and taxis) modeled by other toy companies (including Tomica) (note that the Matchbox Fury police car was a generation newer than this one - so is a different model altogether).  Nice size/scale (though I'd still prefer it to be a touch larger), nice heft, nice features, nice trim and detail, etc.  Buy it if you can find it - the best Yatming of all time!  

I hope you enjoyed the read - this article was a lot of work to put together!  I'm sure that you'll disagree about which cars I included, and how I ranked them...   Heck, I disagree already with some of my choices!  Let me know your comments, or send me (johncliffordcarroll@gmail.com) photos of your favorite Yatmings that should've made it into the list... 

BMW M1/1M: 1st example ever seen of combining flat and glossy paint on a single factory paint job

This BMW M1 (or 1M, which is what I think it is supposed to be called - so as not to confuse it with the ultra-cool M1 of ~1979-1981), is a favorite 1:1 car of mine, and a nicely done scale-model by Matchbox.

This particular version has really nice paint detailing, with expensive looking pin-stripes and really nice tampo headlights and tail-lights. 

But what really caught my attention was the 2 shades of black paint...  The overall car is in glossy black - a typical glossy paint that you'd expect to see (and be happy with) on a Matchbox.  But then it has contrast areas, painted in the same shade of paint - but now in matte finish... 


Yep, you read that right.  This is a black on black BMW that has the same black-on-black type of finish that you'd see on a tuxedo.  The first example I've EVER seen of a matte and glossy paint finish on the same car. 

The main car is in glossy black.  But in the photos on the right, you can see the pinstriping outlining the areas (the middle of the hood, the doors and the rear side quarters) where it has matte paint. 

Overall, it is a REALLY nice effect, and a really nice paintjob, on what was already a very nice model.  Nice job, Matchbox! 

Who Made the Best Vintage Studebaker Lark Wagonaire? Lesney's Matchbox vs. Corgi's Husky

...And we are back with a true vintage post...  

...doing a comparison that must have been done many times back 40 years ago, when both these models were fresh off the pegs (or more accurately - fresh in their paperboard boxes). 

The blue Lesney Matchbox Studebaker Lark Wagonaire is a model that I've had in my childhood collection since before I can remember memories - at least back to when I was 3-4 years old.  Given that I was born in 1974, and Matchbox took their line to Superfast around 1969 (though of course it took a year or more for the stock to trickle down to the stores), this car is older than me.  I'm *guessing* that it was originally one of my oldest sisters' cars - that I exercised my little brother rights on and stole...   (not that they cared - they didn't care about Matchbox cars at all - and if I asked them now, I can guarantee that they wouldn't remember this model).  But it is probably equally likely that I got it as a new car when I was an infant, or that I stole/inherited it from some older kids collection when I visited their house.  Regardless, the model has been in my collection back to my earliest memories. 

However, the model pictured is not the ACTUAL model from my childhood collection.  While I still have that original model, it is even more beat up than the pictured model, with a broken front windshield and a missing retractable roof.   Therefore I chose to photograph this (marginally) nicer model. 

Its interesting that it was modeled at all, since in true 1:1 scale, the Studebaker Lark Station wagon was far from a volume seller in the USA.  Studebaker was in its last throws before bankruptcy, and while the retractable roof on the wagon was a nice gimmick, it didn't enable the car to set any sales records.  Why Lesney chose to model it, vs. other Detroit choices, is a bit of a mystery.

The interesting thing, but one that we often see in the toy world, is that Corgi chose to copy Lesney, and themselves model the same car.  Why we couldn't have had any other Ford/Chevy/Dodge wagon (beyond the full size Mercury wagon that Lesney came out with soon after) is again a mystery.  But regardless, Corgi brought the Lark Wagonaire to their 1:64 Husky line - in very similar size - and again with a retractable roof - which gives us a great opportunity for a comparison...!  Which toymaker made the best retractable roof wagon? 

Before I begin with the actual comparison, I'd better set the record straight about my biases...   Regular readers of this blog know that I'm a hard-core Matchbox guy - though I definitely prefer the later higher and softer-sprung superfast cars to the hard regular wheels cars (can you imagine how cool this Lark would be if Matchbox had converted it to Superfast spec...?).  And regular readers also know that, while I consider Corgi Juniors/Husky to be a legitimate and long term competitor to Matchbox, I generally don't prefer them over Matchbox/Tomica/Siku/Majorette/etc.  Will these biases impact my decision?  Read on! 

Size-wise, the 2 models are very close, but the Husky is a tad bigger - both slightly longer and slightly higher.  While the Husky is still very much in scale, it gives the Husky a bit more presence than the Matchbox.  Note that in real life, the Lark was not considered a full size car - so it SHOULD be slightly smaller than Lesney's (full size) Mercury wagon.  Anyway - Advantage - HUSKY! 

Detail-wise, both models have nice cast metal detail.  The Husky has a bit more, and deeper, detail in the metal, with more crease lines.  Both cars have "Studebaker" written out on the tailgate - but the Husky's lettering is slightly more pronounced and so easier to read.  I'll give the slight edge to the Husky on the metal-work, though the trim on either car would make any modern die-cast envious. 

Base-plate-wise, the Lesney has a metal baseplate, while the Husky's is plastic (Husky/Corgi was one of the first to go with plastic baseplates, though it took Matchbox 25 years to copy them).  Neither have any detail/trim on it, but the metal vs. the plastic feel makes it easy to give the advantage to the Matchbox...

Both models have nice detail on the grill and bumpers.  The Husky has a cross-hatched grill, the Lesney a straight slat grill.  Again, a close competition in looks, but the fact that the Matchbox's is metal vs. plastic again gives it the advantage. 

From a rolling perspective, neither car has any suspension, but somehow the Husky just rolls slightly nicer than the Lesney. 

Paint-wise, both cars are done in a flat paint.  But I've never liked the superman blue Matchbox color, so I'll give the advantage to the flat eggshell white of the Husky. 

Both cars have full interiors, with very equal detail in them.  The Husky is in ambulance trim which is kind of cool, but the Matchbox has a fully reasonable interior on its own.  I call this one a tie. 

Now we get to the most unique element of the competition - the sliding roof...  The Matchbox's is made of metal, while the Husky's is the same plastic "glass" as the rest of the glass on the car.  They both slide easily and cleanly.  Both are very nice and cool.  In either case, if the other car DIDN'T have it it would be a major point of differentiation.  I'll give the (very slight) advantage to the Matchbox. 

Which take us to the 2nd to last element of the competition - ie - other features.  The Lesney comes with a tow-hook - broken off in this car (and I think in EVERY one of my 3-4 examples).  But here the Husky shines - since while it doesn't have a tow hook - it DOES have a movable tail gate.  The addition of the dropping tailgate really adds to the appeal created by the already cool retractable roof, to create an undeniable win in the "other features" category for the Husky. 

Regarding other non-attached features, there should be a stretcher (similar to the one that Lesney included with their Mercedes ambulance) that is missing from this Husky model.  But the Lesney model is also missing IT'S other features - that being a (somewhat random choice of a) hunter and 1-2 dogs (some examples came with 1 dog, some with 2).  I actually have one of the dogs someplace, but of course couldn't locate it for the photo shoot...  I declare this category a tie.

So who wins the competition?  Well, the Husky wins 5 categories, the Lesney wins 3, with 2 categories ending in a tie.  And I think its very appropriate that the points work out in the Husky's favor, since I can't help but feel that its just a slightly nicer model...  Overall winner - HUSKY! 

The best looking Miata is... ...an Italian Miata? (or maybe - the one that is in your garage!).

(This post about 1:1 scale (real) cars, vs. 1/64 scale toy cars...   ... though given the Miata's size, it's ALMOST a Matchbox...).

My first new car, this '99 Miata, was purchased in June of '98.  She's now almost 18 years old, but still beautiful and in great shape.  I've loved her since she was new.  I think of her as a golden retriever puppy (given her black color it should be a Lab retriever puppy - but still she's a golden puppy in my imagination), always playful, bouncing around, ready to go for a ride.

I know what the muscle car snobs say about Miatas, that they need more power, that they are chick cars, etc.  What they miss is that the Miata is one of the most perfectly balanced and honed cars ever made.  Yes, it's not overly powerful, but it loves to have the engine wrung out at 10/10ths, and once it's up to speed, that utterly communicative chassis lets you keep it at speed like no other car I've ever driven.

I own several other cars, including a Porsche 911 and a BMW 330i ZHP, both of which have substantially more power than my Miata.  But consistently my long commutes get done in the shortest time when I drive my "under-powered" Miata...   She zips through traffic with ease, with me always knowing exactly where my car ends and which gaps I can squeeze into.

I've got the best-looking Miata...   The first generation (NA) was too rounded...  the third generation (NC) was slightly too big and fat...  And while the reviews of the newest (fourth (ND)) generation are nothing short of glowing about the car ("the best Miata ever"), the knife-edge styling has not yet enabled me to warm to it.  But mine....?   It's got the best curves of any of them, with stretched fenders that turn the innocence of the NA first generation into a sexier looker....   Plus, I love the black and tan color combination - my favorite - even though I literally changed my mind with the salesman four times before settling on black...   the Mazda speed NB version is the only version that I feel is better than mine, it came out several years after I bought mine, if it'd been out when I was buying I undoubtedly would have gotten it.

But then I saw an article in Car and Driver, saying that Fiat was going to use the Miata as a basis for the new spyder, and that it would have styling hints from the old 124/2000 spyder...  I'd previously heard Alfa would be using the Miata as the basis for THIER new spider - but this was the first time I'd heard about Fiat taking advantage of the Miata's architecture.

Either way, I was somewhat open to the idea.  I've never owned either a Fiat nor an Alfa spider/spyder, but they are both cars that I'd thought about and looked at for 4 decades.  I didn't like Fiat/Alfa taking the cheap way out and NOT bringing a truly unique car to the table, but still...

...But then I saw these photos of the new Fiat in Car and Driver...   ... And I was SMITTEN.  It looks like the perfect modern updating of the 124/2000 spyder.   Check out the round headlights, and the trapezoidal taillights!

Wow.  If I can get the excellent dynamics of the 4th gen ND Miata, but in a package that heralds back to the Fiat 124 spider...?!?   SIGN-ME-UP!  I might have just found my next new car!

The Final Battle of the Full Size SUVs, Part III: Chevy Tahoe Throwdown, Matchbox vs. Hot Wheels vs. a mystery contender!

For my third installment of this blog trilogy, I focused on the Chevy Tahoe.  The Tahoe is an interesting vehicle in that it is shorter than the Suburban but based on the same platform, creating a challenge for toy makers who want to model both of them.  As discussed in my last post, Matchbox screwed up by first making this well-scaled version of the Tahoe (in green to the right), and then following it up with an undersized and equal length Suburban (when the Sub is a foot or so longer in real life). 

 

Matchbox was first to the party with this Tahoe.  The first one was a pretty red with yellow stripes version (prettier and brighter paint than the alternate variation in the far right of this photo).  This green version is from the late '90s, when they brought out "Premier" 2 packs, with a painted and an unpainted model.  I never understood the appeal of the unpainted model (other than that you didn't need to strip the paint if you wanted to custom paint it), but the painted model here is a nice toy. 

It has nice rubber wheels, alloys, and really nicely detailed paint-trim.  But more importantly, it is a nice model in itself, nicely sized, a full, square model of a full, square SUV.  It doesn't have a metal baseplate (one of my pet peeves), but admittedly the plastic baseplate is easy to deal with when you want to drill out the rivets and strip/re-paint the casting. 

In the photo above, you can see 2 more color variations of this model - a black and white police version (no light bar), and a maroon/red version with an ugly black grill.  I've got a few additional colors (the red/maroon version mentioned previously), but wasn't able to lay my hands on them for this photo shoot.  I chose to focus on the green version, since it's easily the nicest of the 3. 

The next contestant who came to the party with this blue casting, without a name on the base.  I bought it at a store (vs. an EBAY/toy show find), but I can't remember exactly who made it.  Probably Motor Max, or Malibu, or another Wal-Mart brand that is there for a while and then disappears. 

 

The model is actually a pretty OK model.  It is a model of the next generation newer Tahoe, but sized almost exactly to the Matchbox model - so in scale.  It has a full interior, but is in black with dark windows so it is hard to see.  The paint is fine but boring, with little additional paint detail.  The wheels feel a bit cheapy, though width-wise they are more in scale than Matchbox' wheels.  Overall, it is a solid effort and a solid model, a nice one to have in the collection, but not an outstanding "must-have" model. 

 

That brings us to the final model - a Hot Wheels model of a newer Tahoe that is only available in emergency guise - in this case - a fire chief's car.  This one IS a nice model.  I'm not usually a fan of emergency models that don't come in civilian versions, but this is such a nice model that I don't mind it.  Size wise it stacks up again exactly in line with the first 2, so the scale is great.  Its suspension is slightly cut down, so its a little lower, but not so much as to be terribly unrealistic. 

 

I don't know what Hot Wheels did to make it such a nice model - but this is the one you want to play with and zoom around.  The tires are plastic but the wheels just look cool - why can't Matchbox regularly make wheels this cool?  The push bar in the front looks super tough.   Unlike the other 2 it has no rear mirrors - but you don't really notice their absence.  For a $.99 car - its a bargain!  If you don't have this model and happen to see it on the pegs - you should DEFINITELY pick it up.  Just writing about it makes me want to buy a 2nd one and repaint it in police colors! 

 

So, which one wins this throw-down...?  Well, the blue generic model is easy to eliminate - it's a nice model - but somehow lacking in overall appeal against the other 2.  I immediately relegate it to 3rd place. 

But the battle for first is a tough one.  Its the classic Hot Wheels vs. Matchbox battle - a battle run as often as the V8 Mustang vs. V8 Camaro battle in real life (which incidentally - is a battle I've always followed closely - loving the Fox body Mustangs of the '80s, being under-whelmed by the ugly Mustangs of the '90s, liking but somehow not loving the retro Mustangs of the '00s (and loving the contemporary retro Camaro - especially in ZL1 form), but then being utterly smitten by last year's redesign of the Mustang - and the new GT350....).  The Hot Wheels has a strange appeal - similar to the appeal of the Hot Wheels Suburban in the last article.  I want to put my hands on it and play with it.  It easily wins the battle of the $.99 basic cars - running circles around the red and black basic Matchbox's...   But compared with the more expensive premier version of the Matchbox...? 

 

Yes, the rubber tires, alloys and paint detail of the Premier Matchbox give it the edge to push the Hot Wheels back to 2nd place.  But just imagine if Hot Wheels ever made a "Whips", or other adult collectible, version of this casting - with glossier paint, more detail, a metal base and rubber tires...?  Then I think we'd have to do a re-match - and I bet the Matchbox would lose. 

 

But today we're not dealing in what-ifs.  Today we are dealing with the cars that came to the comparison test.  All correctly scaled - all contenders.  And out of that grouping, the Premier Matchbox wins the gold metal! 

Battle of the Full Size SUVs - Part 2: Who makes the best Chevrolet Suburban?!?

This post carries on my theme from a few weeks ago, when I compared 2 Matchbox castings of full-size SUVs - the Expedition from the late '90s with the Lincoln Navigator from the late '00s.  While the Navigator was the ultimate winner, I was thrilled to have both castings - both since they are great castings - and since I love (correctly scaled) models of full size SUVs. 

 

I'm a sports car guy in real life (RX7s, Miatas, 911s, etc.), but there is something naughtily enticing about these tough looking land yachts for the road...  And since the SUV revolution that started in about 1990 with the launch of the original Ford Explorer, Toyota 4-Runner, Nissan Pathfinder, Isuzu Trooper, etc., the toy makers have finally started to model these beasts in some nice detail... 

 

The modeling took a long time to come about...  Sure, in the '80s Hot Wheels had done the full size Ford Bronco, Matchbox the full size Blazer with off-road wheels in police guise and the '80s Cherokee (arguably the original contender in the '90s SUV craze) and Majorette the Cherokee with off-road wheels and a dog in the back (a favorite casting that I actually DON'T have), but they took a long time to respond to the next wave of SUVs... 

 

Majorette was the first to model one of them - with a nice casting of the 2nd generation 4-runner - most typically found in red.  Maisto produced a CRAPPY casting of the original Explorer (although it is so awful it doesn't really deserve mention).  But it was a long wait - until the Expedition and the Tahoe came out from Matchbox.  Some time in this range Matchbox also brought out a nice Jeep Grand Cherokee.  But then in Matchbox' mid '00s Renaissance they suddenly opened the floodgates and started producing some great models, like the Hummer H3, the Volvo XC90, the Jeep Liberty and the Nissan XTerra. 

 

But I digress.  This article is about the FULL-SIZE SUVs known as the Suburban.  Do we have any models of it - and if so - which is best? 

 

Ironically, Hot Wheels stepped into the scene as one of the first, with a non-regular-line-up Suburban that was too long to fit into a normal storage tray.  But since the Suburban is indeed a long vehicle in real life, it was right in scale.  I first saw this vehicle as a companion to their NASCAR race car series, frequently emblazoned with some race team's name on the side.  And this is the first model of it that I had - mine the blue one with the Square D electrical name on it.  But for this comparison, I showed my later one - a red "Team Bartwell" one done up with extra paint detail and rubber tires as part of their "Whips" series. 

This is a seriously nice casting.  As mentioned, the length is spot-on and gives it a lot of presence when compared to ordinary 1/64th scale vehicles.  Its a late '90s model, so its big and squared off - the way I like my SUVs.  The rubber tire, glossy paint and paint detail really finish off a beautiful casting.  The rims are BEAUTIFUL - MAGNIFICENT - EXQUISITE!    The only improvements I might make would be a metal base and opening doors or tailgate. 

 

Next up, and bought at roughly the same time, is a Code 3 collectibles fire chief suburban, a model of the same late '90s generation Suburban as the Hot Wheels. The size is right in line with the Hot Wheels, again too long for an ordinary storage case.  If anything, this model feels even more squared off than the Hot Wheels model.  This one is aimed at adults and again has great detail, with rubber tires, nice rims that are accurate replicas of the real Suburban rims, wipers, non-cast but attached mirrors, and excellent paint.  I would have loved to find this model in a normal consumer (non fire or police) version, but I don't think that one was ever made.  Interestingly, while the detail is more accurate on this one vs. the Hot Wheels, the Hot Wheels just feels more enticing...  The Code 3 is the one you want to have in your display case, while the Hot Wheels is the one you want to pull down and play with on the floor.   Advantage, Hot Wheels!

 

Next up is a JADA toys Dub version of the next generation newer Suburban.  I've never been a fan of JADA, since they often sacrifice realism in the name of crazy/fantasy customization, but this one was accurate and nice enough that I had to buy it.  It is in tan/bronze and looks much more rounded (too rounded for my tastes - though that generation of Suburban was more rounded - it wasn't as rounded as JADA made it).  This one has twin rear doors rather than a tailgate - a nice differentiating touch.  This is also the only version with a roof rack - though the body color paint that was applied to it makes it less appealing than the flat roofs of the others.  Typical of JADA it has big oversize rims and rubber tires.  The casting itself has a lot of detail, but little in the way of paint detail.  Overall, it comes off as a solid contender and a surprisingly nice casting, but is just not as nice as the first two... 

 

Finally, I have 2 Matchbox castings of the Suburban as a Police vehicle.  I talk about these last, since their size automatically relegates them to last place.  As an adult, correct scale is important - and these are scaled too small - smaller even than the Expedition/Navigator reviewed earlier - and smaller than Matchbox' own Tahoe that the Suburban is based off of (the 2 toys are roughly the same length - and since the Sub is longer in real life, the height and width of it has to be lower and narrower than the Tahoe to maintain consistency).  The scale issue is a killer... 

...but aside from the scale issue - it is an OK casting - and a NICE casting when in premium guise.  Matchbox had this odd run of premium cars where they would add opening doors to the premiums when they weren't available on the base model - meaning that the premium cars were no longer just nicer paint and rubber wheels - but were almost separate models.  I have an Impala police car with an opening trunk, and a Grand Cherokee, BMW X5 and this Suburban all with opening doors.  In the case of this Suburban, the detail really shines up the casting - meaning that it displays REALLY nicely!  Just don't put it beside something else that should have been smaller than it in real life!