Colin's Toybox: Hot Wheels Ferrari FF

Like many kids growing up as car enthusiasts, I developed a passion for Hot Wheels, and Ferrari. Over the course of my childhood, I quickly found a favorite car, and a favorite Hot Wheels--the Ferrari F40. Hot Wheels introduced their F40 along the time the real car was introduced, and they did so with the F355, the F50, the Enzo, and now there's this-- the Ferrari FF. As a Ferrari nut, and an avid Hot Wheels collector, I had to snap one up.
I applaud Hot Wheels' efforts in this replica. The side profile looks dead on; the side air intakes on the front fenders are nicely replicated, as is the odd curvature of a body-line that distinguishes the lower portion of the car from the roof. Up front, the detailing is quite good for a small-scale car. The odd grille and lower air intake are done well, and would look better on a darker car. The only downside of the front is the ill-fitting headlight tampos. Out back, the story is a bit different. There really isn't much to see. Yes, the taillights resemble the actual units, and the quad exhaust looks reminiscent of the real deal, but really detailing is sparse; its almost as if Mattel engineers rushed this replica to market.
But it's a Ferrari, and it's a Hot Wheels, so I had to have it. Why didn't I pick up a red one? I hate red cars if I can help it; the FF--along with many other post-modern Ferraris looks dowdy in red--almost more of a lookatme car than it should be. I also have a thing for silver or gray replicas. I love the FF (even though most people don't), and I am quite happy with the overall effort put in here.

Colin's Toybox: Hot Wheels Demon

I picked this car up at a garage sale when I was about four or so; I cannot believe it's stuck with me, either. In that day and age, I tended to crush cars pretty quickly. I guess I loved this thing too much to kill it.
As I got older, I began to do research on this car, and it turns out that the original name was Demon. It was changed to Prowler sometime in the early 1970s, and has remained so ever since.
One thing that I found in my research, is that like the popular Beatnik Bandit, this, too, was an actual custom car. Built my famed car customizer Daryll Starbird, the "Lil Coffin" was a popular show car that won many awards; since Hot Wheels was still relatively new, the comany began emulating (or would that be directly copying) real show car, and putting them in the hands of millions of children.
This car has helped me become a better automotive fanatic by teaching me about historical custom cars that helped shape the hot rod and custom car scene. I still like the Lil Coffin, and it's one of very few customs from that era that I do like.
Kudos to Hot Wheels for educating someone without even meaning to do so. And for that, I will always treasure the Demon.

Colin's Toybox: Hot Wheels Ford Frontrunnin' Fairmont

This is an oldie; one of the few cars that's miraculously survived my childhood. Like most of the cars in this era, this Hot Wheels represents a contemporary Ford product--the much-loathed Fairmont Futura two-door. While this casting was available an a plethora of variations, I only managed to save this Color-Changer variation. Shockingly, it still has all its paint; moreover, it still changes color--barely.
As older Hot Wheels go, this one is far more detailed than its newer cousins. It has a molded front fascia, the taillights are recognizable, and the profile is distinctly Fairmont. Unfortunately, this casting, too, suffers from Hot Wheels "big wheel syndrome". This would no doubt look better with same size wheels, but I guess since it's modelled after a rear-wheel-drive car, Mattel's gotta accentuate the wheel arches somehow.
I like this casting, and I would like more in my collection. Sadly, these are creeping up in value, so the odds of finding one cheap are pretty much shot at this point. Oh well. I suppose its good I have one replica in my collection. If I come across any more I will snap them up. Can't hurt, can it?

Colin's Toybox: Hot Wheels Porsche 928

As a 928 enthusiast, Hot Wheels had the bases covered for me; when I was little, I had a bunch of a casting called "The Predator" or some such if I remember correctly. As I got older, the name was changed to "Porsche 928", and throughout my years, I had numerous castings. My favorite was probably the aqua/green one that was in the Porsche 5 pack. I had a bunch of them, but somehow they all went missing. My next favorite, and I am not sure where this casting originated, is the white one pictured here. I do like the simple Hot Wheel 5 spokes, but thought this casting needed a proper dose of European flair. So did Hot Wheels, apparently. Out with the 5 spokes, and on with the BBS-replicas.
The color and wheels suit this car extremely well. Again, like the Camaro from last week, my biggest gripe here is with the wheel size. If just toned down one notch, this casting would look worlds better. As it sits, though, I'm not complaining. It's nice that Hot Wheels took the time and effort to replicate a car that doesn't exactly have a cult status among Porsche aficionados. As a 928 enthusiast, I respect Mattel's efforts to replicate my childhood dream car. I just wish they didn't skimp on the interior. For $.99 though, we can't have everything can we?

Colin's Toybox: Hot Wheels Chevrolet Camaro Z-28

I have stood by my beliefs that a Camaro is probably the first car I recognized, and was able to recognize based on design cues; as I got older, my Camaro love switched from fourth-gen, to third-gen, and now, as a somewhat mature car enthusiast, I have grown to appreciate the late second-generation cars. As a young child, I really didn't know shit about cars compared to what I know now. I only learned of the differences between the early and late second generation cars probably in about seventh or eighth grade but that's one interest that stuck with me. I had a few of this casting from back in the day, but most have been crushed by now.
I've had this example for a few years, now, and I think it depicts this model very well. The color scheme is spot on, right down to the 1970s-era (Malaise-era) rocker stripes in ghastly orange. I do like it, though, because it reminds the collector (or enthusiast) what this generation Camaro looked like when new. My biggest grip (beside the wheel size, obviously) is the cluttered front-end detailing. Either detail it all, or not at all. I think this particular example, since it has the correct decal tampos, would benefit greatly from headlight and taillight detailing. Sadly I don't have the steady hand required to make such alterations, or else I would happily do so.
For what it is, it's a decent piece; Hot Wheels can, and has, done better, but this is a good starting point. If you're a seasoned Camaro collector, and need a late second-gen, this is probably your only choice. Would I buy another? Probably not; I'd get the 2012 rendition of this bodystyle. It looks better and more proportioned, and it looks realistic, too.

Colin's Toybox: Matchbox Ford Sierra

As a child, I always lusted after the Matchbox examples of cars not sold in the US; now, I was quite young when the Ford Sierra and Merkrur XR4Ti were sold new, but I knew the difference. I knew that the Ford Sierra was the European counterpart to our Merkur, and I think I learned this from Motor Trend; when I was in second or third grade, my babysitter and I would go to our public library, and I would sit in the bottom level and relentlessly look through old car magazines, dating back to the early 1980s if not before. There, I discovered the idea of spy photos-- pictures of cars before they were scheduled to hit the streets.
I recall flipping through a 1982 or 1983 Motor Trend where they had a cammo'd Merkur mule, but clearly wearing a Ford badge on the front, and riding on Mustang wheels. This piqued my interest. I knew Ford sold cars across the globe, but this was the first time I really took note; I had been to Europe a few years before, and got myself acquainted with the foreign cars and trucks not sold here. The Suzuki Sidekick was the Vitara, the European Ford Escort was quite a bit different than ours, and the Chevrolet Cavalier was sold as a small Opel. That newfound discovery of actual cars being sold as different nameplates really made my interest in Matchbox spike.
I've known about the various Majorette Peugeots, and Renaults, but it was then that I realized Matchbox was spreading their worldwide products here. I think the Saab 9000, Rover (Sterling) 827, and the Vauxhall Cavalier (or is it a Vectra) were some of my favorites. Because I had a fascination with the Merkur as a child, the Matchbox Sierra quickly became a favorite as well. Except there was a problem. Since mine was hastily destroyed by a ten-to-twelve-year-old me, I had no example in my collection. A few years ago, I received the Texaco version as a Christmas gift, which I also have a 1:18 Auto Art of as well. The white one, which represents my childhood example in good shape, was given to me this past winter. While I was not expecting it (Heck, I even forgot there were any good condition white ones left), I certainly do enjoy this piece. Not only does it take me back to my early days of discovering world-wide cars, it does so with such joy. I cannot look at it without thinking back to that day I flipped through a Motor Trend, and discovered that one of my childhood curiosities was indeed sold all over the world.
I will always love the Merkur XR4Ti, and I think it's quite amazing that Matchbox had enough sense to cast all of these cars when they were new. Surely, no toy company will churn out contemporary Fusions, and Taurus SEs, much less the base model. Kudos, Matchbox, for letting these cars live on, some thirty years after production ended.

Colin's Toybox: Hot Wheels Chevrolet Corvette

As a child, I loved the contemporary Corvette, for the same reason I did so the Firebird--it looked cool. As a youngster, I associated the Corvette with all things awesome, even if the car itself was no more cooler than a Camaro. When I was in first grade, a kids' mom had a tan C4 Corvette that I used to get rides home in sometimes. I remember it because it smelled like a combination of burnt cigarettes and stale perfume--not quite a good combination, no? Anyway.. that's not the point. I had a bunch of these cars when I was little-- well, not this exact casting. I had the original Hot Wheels C4 Corvette that was simply titled "1980s Corvette". In 1984, the C4 was introduced, so it could've represented any Corvette from 1984 to 1989. I often called them a vast array of names "85 Corvette", "new Corvette" among many others. Sadly, almost none (except this one) survived my destructive childhood.
This one, I've had for about the same time (I think) as the Peugeot 405 I posted earlier; like it, I baby this one incredibly. I make sure that if there's dust on it, I clean it off. While I don't like the real car very much, I have a strong bond with this lone example of its Hot Wheels brethren. And I hope that does not change.

Colin's Toybox: Hot Wheels 1980s Pontiac Firebird

Like thousands of little boys who grew up in the 1990s, Hot Wheels were a big part of my life; for me, though, the ones I cared about most were replicas of the cars of my youth. Ironically, now I dismiss the third-gen Pontiac Firebird almost entirely, but when I was little kid, I still considered it cool. So much, in fact, that I had version of this "iconic" "muscle-car" by Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Majorette, among a host of other makers.
The Hot Wheels represents my favorite rendition of this car by far; although it suffers somewhat from the typical "skinny" problem most Hot Wheels tend to have, it's worlds better than the fat, stubby Matchbox version, and I won't even harp on the Majorette. Finished in this color combo, this model is an exact replica of one of my favorite childhood toys. For whatever reason, I--rather my parents--bought multiple copies after I would lose one for whatever reason.
Now, nearly fifteen years after my last "new" copy got lost, I managed to secure another one. Even though this newly-acquired replica is still not quite "mint", it's fared a ton better than the examples I beat the mercy out of; and I plan not to do so with this one. I plan to keep this in its current state, not only has a reminder of my childhood, but as a reminder that Hot Wheels actually did realistic cars with realistic, non-far-fetched tampos and wheel sizes. To me, that's what Hot Wheels always has been, and because I am recapturing the lost cars of my youth, it's what Hot Wheels will always be.

Colin's Toybox : Matchbox Nissan Prairie

Today, I present something a bit different in my collection; a minivan. Growing up in the 1990s, the minivan played a vital role in school-children transportation. Sure, the SUV was quickly gaining ground, but minivans were still quite prevalent. Vehicles like the Dodge Caravan, Chevy Lumina APV, Toyota van, and Ford Aerostar were all made by toy companies shortly after their introduction.
Matchbox decided to do one different; since their lineup relied extensively on vehicles available in Europe, the Nissan Prairie was born in diecast form.
Like all of Matchbox's 1980s to mid-1990s offering, this one strays far away from the rampant tampoing and hideous graphics that plagued the later years. Instead of flashy--and quite unrealistic-- paint, this MPV bares the same factory-esque color scheme that makes this generation of toy cars so lovable to me. Obscure (nowadays, anyway) cars in realistic paint jobs; what's not to like?
Apparently, a lot. This model was never popular, be it in toy form on in real life. The Prairie (called the Axxess in the US) was pulled from our market in 1991, roughly at the same time that Matchbox discontinued sales of their replica on our shores.
As a toy car goes, this is one rather unique one; not only is it a decent piece of Nissan history (okay, that's debatable), but it's a vehicle that has more interest in the toy spectrum than the real thing. As a car nut, I am glad I have this thing in my collection; it's one of the oddball vehicles I remember from my youth, and I almost forgot what it looked like until I re-found this little guy.

Colin's Toybox: Hot Wheels Pontiac Banshee

Every child has their own favorite diecasts--or favorite cars for that matter. Growing up in the 1990s, Hot Wheels did concept car replicas like no other toy company I know--and they were quite good at it. It seems that Hot Wheels were the official concept car replicator of GM; all the memorable Pontiac concept cars have by done by Hot Wheels. One of my favorites--and I can't quite for the life of me figure out why, is the Pontiac Banshee.
Introduced as show car in 1989, the Banshee paved the way for Pontiac styling well into the 1990s; the front end closely resembled that of the third gen Firebird, combined with a slight nod to the upcoming fourth-gen car, and the profile was generic 1980s/1990s "concept car". Out back, the rear end was oddly futuristic; not realistic at all. But as a small boy, I simply didn't care; to me, it looked the business, enough to where other kids in my class thought it was a race car. Good thing I had no idea what the powerplant was--or if there even was one, but I doubt it'd be a fast car, much less by today's standards.
I've had this one for a good.. well, over twenty years. Honestly, it doesn't look terrible, especially considering how much of a bastard I was when it came to my possessions. For about five or six years, I was a destructive ass, and damn near ruined all of my cars--most of which I won't even come close to replacing. Thankfully, I liked this one enough to spare it. And that's a good thing, because there aren't nearly enough of my childhood relics left. I need to preserve this one so it lasts another twenty year. If I don't play with it, and pretend to do "burnouts" and perform "crash tests", then it might last that long--and I hope it does.

Colin's Toybox: Hot Wheels Peugeot 405

It seems like my Hot Wheels collection is never-ending; and you may be right as I keep adding new pieces on a semi-weekly basis. This 405 holds a special place in my heart. I had one of these when I was about eight or nine, but unfortunately crushed it during my rampant destructive phase. This one I received in a huge collection of cars given to me at Christmas one year. A family friend had connections, and my car collection grew by about five hundred cars. Most of them were doubles, but what did I care? Diecast of any scale make me a happy camper.
Finished off an a very realistic--and quite good looking green and silver/white two tone scheme, this little Peugeot certainly makes the case for itself--if not only for the type of car it is, but the amazing lack of tacky paint/tampo schemes that plagued Hot Wheels during the late 1990s (and today that relentless tackiness runs rampant). While not quite a favorite of the Hot Wheels staff (this car has been seldom used over the years, and to my knowledge, this issue is the most recent one.), the 405 definitely grabs car enthusiasts into the Hot Wheels fold. For me, the more obscure cars a toymaker turns out, the better-- and that's what I like about Hot Wheels. They don't stick to cliche muscle and sports cars, nor do they overdo the presence of exotics in their lineup.
Hot Wheels has always been about doing cars for car people, and making millions of little kids develop an interest in cars at a fairly young age. However, unlike most children, I didn't flock to the made-up cars like many kids did. I used Hot Wheels' wide library of cars to develop my own taste in cars--what I liked, what I didn't, what cars I thought were lame, and what cars I thought were downright cool in their own way. I had a bunch of Hot Wheels over the years, but as I've grown older, I must say that this particular 405 is quite possibly my favorite Hot Wheels car I currently own-- aside from the recent 1980s purchases to bring back my childhood.
As a kid, I destroyed this one, and now I regret it deeply. This Peugeot 405 serves as a reminder that one should not destroy childhood possessions, for they may come back to bite you. Fortunately, this one has been damage-free for a record 10 years now-- and I hope it stays that way.

Colin's Toybox: Hot Wheels Volkswagen Brasilia and Volkswagen Thing

Here are some more cars from my rather large Hot Wheels stash; as readers know, I have a seemingly endless supply of Hot Wheels cars, and as of late, I've begun focusing my collection on real cars in realistic, non-garish colors. When I returned from my hiatus of collecting, I was eager to snap up all I could; problem was, Hot Wheels were few and far between, even at the "big box" retail stores, such as Target and Wal*Mart. Around 2000 or so, I began to not the resurgence of decent Hot Wheels, not in only the cars they churned out, but the color combinations in which those cars were available.
I have always been somewhat of a closet VW fan; the problem is, there's way too many Beetle replicas for me to sift through, and to be honest, most of them look like absolute garbage. As an enthusiast, I wanted-- more like needed-- more choices. That's where Hot Wheels comes in. The VW Brasilia and Thing are just two of the many new Hot Wheels that are actually awesome, both from far away, and up close. I've been wanting decent VWs for years, and all the sudden, it seems like Hot Wheels has delivered.
And they have. Gone are the tacky decals that adorned their earlier models (and now, sadly, have made an unfortunate return), and in their place are decent semi-realistic paint colors. Combine this with a nice wheel size (and choice), and these two mark some of the best $1 VWs on the market. The Thing has been released in other cars, and I'm not quite sure if I have more in my collection. The Brasilia, too, has other colors waiting for me. Unlike the Thing, the Brasilia has been a recent victim of Hot Wheels' new "tampo everything" strategy.
These versions, though, represent the epitome of the enthusiast' catered Hot Wheels at its best. If you don't have these, and you're a VW nut, get them while you can. You will not be disappointed.

Colin's Toybox: Hot Wheels Z Cars

For years, Nissan's Z-Cars have been some of my favorite cars--ever. When I was younger, I had a variety of Hot Wheels' replica of these things. Blue with purple graphics, maroon with yellow trim, this purple one (in horrible condition), and I had no shortage of the Z30 and S30 cars either. Sadly, the only Z31 I can remember having as a child was a craptacular purple one with kanji on the side. Did Hot Wheels predict the coming "ricer" fad?
Either way, the Z-car was not quite a Hot Wheels favorite-- the S30 has since been retired, only to be replaced with a new casting, and both the Z31 and Z32 cars died quietly with no funeral. I know these aren't the best diecast Zs out there, but they remind me greatly of my childhood. I have since collected a bit more, and hope to one day to a full family photoshoot of all my Hot Wheels Zs. Someday..