Today On The Boulevard: Matchbox And Hot Wheels - A Classic Car Surprise

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Today On The Boulevard. Today's classic cars were just a regular sight when they were first made, so most people back then might not have put too much thought into the way they were designed. But today, they have a certain charm, and they are among the many cars that are drooled over at a car show. Sure, they don't have the capabilities of modern cars, but in my opinion, they are timeless. Now, a lot of these cars still exist, and many of them are in good working order. But unless you go to a car show or a museum, you are most likely not going to ever see them. Additionally, if you live in then United States like I do, then there many classic cars that you will never see. That's one of the reasons why I love Mattel's two diecast brands. Thanks to them, we get to see many nice examples of classic cars from American, European, and Japanese manufacturers.

Now then, this year is pretty much over, so I really didn't think there were going to be anymore surprises from Matchbox or Hot Wheels, but I was wrong. As it turns out, both brands had a few more classic car releases planned for this year, and I couldn't be happier. Sadly though, I was only able to find one release from each assortment. But you know what? That's fine because both of them are the main ones I wanted. Alright, I've made this intro long enough, let's go over the one from Matchbox first.

I might be into cars, but I'm more of a casual enthusiast, and that's why there are many cars I don't know about. So for example, when I think of Morris, the Mini is the first thing that comes to mind. But Matchbox has made me learn about the manufacturer's Minor, and the casting they made depicts the '56 1000 Tourer, which is the name of the convertible version.

This is definitely not a 1950s sports car like the '56 Jaguar XK140, but it's still a beautiful classic nonetheless. Oh, and I'm actually pretty happy with their decision to give us the convertible version of it. Why is that? Well, the Morris Minor 1000 Tourer is a fixed profile convertible, and we don't typically get diecast versions of them. Whenever Mattel's diecast brands decide to give us a convertible, it's usually the cars that have the other configuration. So the entire roof folds or retracts down, which is why there is nothing else after the casting's windshield. But a fixed profile convertible only has a center section that slides back, and that's why this casting's window piece is shaped the way that it is. So a casting like this is definitely a sight for sore eyes.

Besides the casting itself, I'm very pleased with the design choices that were made for this debut release. Cream is among the many colors that are great for classic cars, and a red interior only adds to the car's overall appeal. But those are not the only great design choices that were made, though. This release also features a period correct black and silver license plate. So in my honest opinion, this release is truly perfect, and it's another example of why I feel Matchbox is the go-to brand for classic cars.

Now, I might like how they chose to make this casting for their Moving Parts Line, but there is one bad thing about that decision, though. Since it's not a basic release, collectors like me who just want to admire it will have a much harder time trying to get its various releases. Sure, the Moving Parts might be easy to find in your area, but the stores in California are not always putting these out. And even when they do, there's never enough to go around. On the other hand, Matchbox's basic cars a sent in much larger numbers, so a lot of the releases end up being just a tad bit easier to find once the hype dies down. Of course, I can't complain because I was able to find one of these. But I would like to have at least two examples of this beautiful classic, and people could decide to start hoarding any and all releases of it like they do with the various Datsun castings. Okay, that's enough negativity, let's move on to the classic surprise from Hot Wheels.

If you like cars, which I'm assuming you do since you like Matchbox and Hot Wheels, then I'm sure you heard of Jay Leno and his Jay Leno's Garage show. Now, I have seen quite a few episodes, but I never really became an avid watcher. Of course, his show is not bad at all, and each episode usually features some of the world's hottest cars. So what does that have to do with diecast? Well, Hot Wheels has decided to put together a Jay Leno's Garage themed Car Culture assortment, and it is sure to please automotive enthusiast of all ages. I know I was pleased by it, which is why I wanted to find all five of the releases, but like I said in the intro, I was only able to find one. However, there's a reason why I'm extremely happy that I was able to find the '66 Chevy Corvair Yenko Stinger.  

Back in 2003, Hot Wheels created the Vairy 8, and it was basically a Corvair with a lot of modifications done to it. Now, I do have to admit that I don't completely like everything about it. The rear window intake scoop is fine, I just never liked the part on its front bumper that sticks out. But I still chose to add it to my list of things to get off of the secondary market because I wanted to have at least one example of Chevy's Corvair. But I can definitely scratch it off of my list now that we have a much better looking Corvair casting. And you know what? I feel this is the casting we should have had all along.

For the most part, this is a pretty good replica of the Corvair that appeared on Jay Leno's show. However, the actual car has 5-spoke wheels whereas this model has 8-spoke wheels. So it's not completely accurate, but I'm actually very pleased with the wheels they picked. Sure, the real car's wheels don't look bad, but certain classic cars look really good with the Minilite style wheels, and this is definitely one of those cars.

I know this casting depicts the Yenko Stinger, and most of the real-life cars are white with blue stripes, but I hope there will be more releases than this. After all, this is currently the best looking Chevy Corvair casting, so I would love to see other things done to it. Now, I don't know about you, but I would love to see a better version of the various Vairy 8 releases. In other words, I want to see a racing themed release of this casting, and it doesn't have to be anything extravagant, either. All it would need is a simple stripe design, a racing number within a circle, and some additional decals. So hopefully they'll be able to make one like that for us.

Well, those are the two classic cars that I found. I do wish I was able to find the other classics from both assortments, but something is better than nothing, and it's not like I didn't really want these. So I'm not disappointed at all.

So how do you feel about the two classic cars that are featured in this post? Go ahead and let me know your thoughts down in the comments section. Alright, that's all for this edition of Today On The Boulevard. Until next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting.