Reviewed: '70s Matchbox Cars

Since when has Matchbox been owned by Mattel? Why wasn't I alerted? No big deal, I picked up a few new cars and really liked them. I got a letter in the mail bag and they wanted me to do this:


Jason, would you do a diary entry reviewing your Matchbox cars collection? P.S. Try not to look like too much of a geek.


Signed


Jason


Wow! Same name and everything--eerie.




Blue Shark is in my Top Ten of Good Stuff. Rather than being an embarrasing offshoot and replica of a passenger car, the race car deal made this a bit special. A special note: The aerodynamics of this model are especially good and arguably most the later Matchboxes didn't come close to the sheer coolness of this.

Tested, Again!: I had to find this (not a chore, believe me) and gave it one more roll, it's still in great shape. Playing with this car in particular has always been ridiculously fun, so cool.



Same story, another quality car. Hi-Tailer came about a few years
after Blue Shark and had arguably the more durable wheels to prove it. This model was a bit heavier than most of its counterparts and had a striking design. You see it's a good car, don't you? The guy in the driver's seat seems to be more than satisfied.

Tales From The Road: I shrunk myself down to an uncomfortable size and took this for a spin. Although I haven't yet come back to "normal" it was totally worth it.

Note to self: Wrap it up...

Stolen. No I didn't forget and it's time for someone to come clean! Atlas Truck was one of my favorites and one day, poof, it was gone. Me thinks I foolishly put this in my personal effects and some jackass stole it at lunch time. What was great about this one is that it had a slow rolling motion and would go and go. Come to think of it, maybe it just rolled off somewhere. Mystery solved!

Notes: I miss my Atlas Truck, I have some deliveries to make and I can't do it without it.



There's one word for this: Franchise Killer. After this was released in 1979 things were never the same for Matchbox. The lukewarm sales made a company in trouble more so. Oddly enough, Matchbox had been making Rolls-Royce's for years but the American ad blitz was too much. The problem? The car. It's not a faithful reproduction and it's so boring it all but drives you to Hot Wheels.

Part II: The most ridiculous thing on here is the plastic bumper and grill. What? Totallly unacceptable...

Let's leave this on a positive note or well, a potentially alarming one. I love this car. The Matchbox Boss Mustang is one of the most gorgeous anythings we're likely to see. It looks like a Mustang, imagine that. My favorite version is the one pictured. Boss Mustang also appeared as 1975's Piston Popper too and models were made in the early '80s. By far this is the best one.


An Idiot's Confession: I have an odd attachment to this, it's just great. That black hood is great to see close up and so are those gold tinted windows....

Images courtesy of www.shabbir.com