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Volume VIII, Number 9/10 |
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Found in the Letterbox |
i enjoyed your
article on the jaguar xk120 in your last report. enclosed are a couple of
photos of the actual car. i had the pleasure of
writing
a jaguar tv commercial a few years back, where we were sent to europe to
film modern and historical jags in various settings for a brand spot. the
company was kind enough to send us this rare 120 for a scene in a london
alley. they were going to send us the xj13, but one of the ford family members
was in town and wanted to see the car. we also filmed one of the lemans
c-type race cars on a track in sicily. it was a helluva boondoggle. anyway,
i really love the work you and you guys do every month with the webzine.
everymonth i look forward to the latest issue. thanks for the hard work.
regards," "Dear Mr. Doug Breithaupt, Thank you for your web site, which has provided a wealth of fun and useful knowledge about toy cars. I have some questions for you or anyone who is interested or able to answer them: (1) What has become of the Superfast Matchbox and Red Line Hotwheel molds of the late 60's and early 70's? Who owns them? Will they ever reproduce those cars new, perhaps with differing colors, metal bases and the original (or very similar) wheels and suspension? (2) I gave my 3-year-old son a junkyard of Lesney Superfast cars and he recognizes the difference between those old smooth rides and the new rough rides. He calls the old Superfasts "bouncy" and "fast" cars because their metal bases and suspensions help those antique cars go faster and further on the track than all the new plastic base crud. Will we see that kind of quality ever again for a dollar or two? (3) Are there firms that produce replicas of the old Red Line and Superfast wheels so I can restore my old junkers to their former glory? (4) Is it just me or did all the talent for creating inspired molds for toy cars go the way of the Dodo after the mid 70's? Why is that when I compare the new 1/64 diecast cars (Johnny Lightning, Matchbox, Hot Wheels, etc) to the old Red Lines and Superfasts of the late 60's and early 70's, it seems the new molds don't exhibit the same flare or panache or feeling that the old mold makers had. The new molds seem too technical and look awkward on their wheels. The hoods are too flat or slope downward and the grill is pinched. The fenders are flat or the body is too narrow. Sure the paint jobs are phenomenal these days, but the feeling and styling of the molds at the 1/64 scale just doesn't seem to be there anymore. Am I just stuck in the past? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Thanks again." Quinton, Monterey, California Mattel owns all the old Hot Wheel and Matchbox dies that still exist. Some have no doubt been lost or are worn out. Both have re-released these older models at times. often they have created new dies that match the old casting. While the models from 35 years ago were quite good, there are many excellent models available today as well. Take a look at the new Matchbox Ford GT or the Hot Wheels Maserati Quattroporte and you will find they compare very well to the older models. There are some options to buy new pieces for old toy cars but it dramatically reduces the value of the older models to do this. If value is secondary it is fine. I do not have the Web addresses but a simple search should identify them. Today, the castings are done by computer while 35 years ago they were created by master model makers. Exact replicas in small-scale do not always look as good as the 1:1 version. Sometimes a bit of artistic revision makes toy cars look better.  "Hello from Germany,
I saw you're looking for GAMA MINETTE model cars. I've got a Ford GT
40 mint in original box. I could send pictures. If You are interested, just
send an email. Best regards," |
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"doug,
