One of the late, lamented Ertl’s seminal mold sets was a 1969 Dodge Charger that weighed only slightly less than an anvil (a Hot Wheels 1:18 of the car weighed even more), and had about as much real detail. But we loved it — to the tune of tens of thousands sold, including some rarities and special editions – and hoped that one day we’d get a higher-detail variant. Which we ultimately did, from Ertl, as part of their “Authentics” line. Now that Auto World has those mold sets, we can count on seeing a few of those old colors and desired editions re-appearing – only this time, with a hat full of really slick gizmos and detailing built in. This Hemi Orange ’69 R/T is a wicked good-looking car, and the shape and stance are just right on sweet chromed wheels and red-stripe rubber; it’s got opening doors, hood and trunk, all on “real” hinges, a retractable antenna, a working suspension, steerable wheels, working visors, tilting seats, and one of our favorites, a driveshaft that spins with the rear wheels. The headlight doors swing up, too, if you’re really nimble, and the interior is a full-on affair with a jeweled dash and fabric seat belts. The paint and build are excellent, as is the way Auto World took the already good mold set and made it even better by giving the car a good dose of car-guy authenticity; check out the faux overspray on the chassis, the beautifully built, painted and piped 440 V8 under the hood, and the spare in its lined and detailed trunk, and you’ll see what we mean. – Joe Kelly, Jr.
1:18 | $84.99
