Ron Ruelle

Tonka Crater Crawler [REAR VIEW]

Tonka Crater Crawler [REAR VIEW]

Recalling a space-age tough truck By Ron Ruelle In the 1960s and ‘70s there was perhaps no toy more ubiquitous than the Tonka Mighty Dump tipper truck. Inexpensive and indestructible, these things were meant to be played with in back yards and sandboxes. The giant yellow truck had plenty of company, as Tonka made similarly […]
Hot Wheels/Kellogg’s Terry Labonte Chevy Monte Carlos [Rear View]

Hot Wheels/Kellogg’s Terry Labonte Chevy Monte Carlos [Rear View]

Author: Ron Ruelle   If you were to rattle off a list of stock car drivers who have won multiple NASCAR titles, you might overlook Terry Labonte because he holds the distinction for the longest gap between titles—12 years—having won in 1984 and again in 1996. But the soft-spoken Texan’s combination of on-track success, nice-guy […]

Diecast Review: Vintage Doepke Jaguar XK 120 (Rear View)

Diecast Review: Vintage Doepke Jaguar XK 120 (Rear View)

A Tale of Redemption and Restoration The line between collectible and toy cars can sometimes become blurred, especially in the eyes of different people. Here’s one story involving the classic Jaguar XK120 model from Doepke. Doepke was a small toy maker that made big toys. Many of their offerings were large scale, such as toy […]
Diecast Review: Anson 1963 Ford Thunderbird Roadster

Diecast Review: Anson 1963 Ford Thunderbird Roadster

TWO-SEATER T-BIRD MAGIC RECAPTURED – TEMPORARILY by Ron Ruelle When Ford introduced the first Thunderbird in 1955, the car was an obvious response to the Chevrolet Corvette: A sporty looking two-place convertible–not a performance monster but a boulevard cruiser. While the Vette would undergo multiple redesigns as a two-seater (with increasing abilities), Ford made a […]
Maisto Audi R8 LMP 1:18 Diecast Collectible [Rear View]

Maisto Audi R8 LMP 1:18 Diecast Collectible [Rear View]

The First R8 was a First Rate Race Car The Audi R8 is one of those exotic cars that you swear you could actually own someday. In a world of Ferraris and McLarens that crack the half-million dollar mark, a new R8 is a relative bargain, and it comes with a racing pedigree that outshines […]
Diecast Beatlemania: The Yellow Submarine

Diecast Beatlemania: The Yellow Submarine

by Ron Ruelle Over the past decade, music lovers have been celebrating the 50th Anniversary of various milestones by the Beatles, and 2018 brings one that appeals to diecast collectors too. “The Yellow Submarine” movie and album were released in 1968, and the first model of it came shortly after. There have been many different […]
Anson Saab 900 Turbo Cabriolet

Anson Saab 900 Turbo Cabriolet

Diecast Saab Story by Ron Ruelle Prior to its demise as a car company a few years ago, Saab filled a strange position in the U.S. car market. The Swedish company’s styling and engineering were quirky and heavily influenced by the parent company Saab-Scania’s aerospace roots, but it was not so strange as to scare […]
Rip-Roaring Fun: Kenner’s SSP Cars

Rip-Roaring Fun: Kenner’s SSP Cars

The early 1970s were a great time to be a kid who loved car toys. Hot Wheels and Johnny Lightning fueled the imagination with cool cars that were designed to go fast. Slot cars were going strong with the battle between AFX and Tyco. And the folks at Kenner came up with their own take […]
Norev Renault Caravelle: Italian Design, French Engineering, U.S. Name…

Norev Renault Caravelle: Italian Design, French Engineering, U.S. Name…

In the issue of Die Cast X due out later this month (Spring 2018) we took a look at a model of a fast, swoopy marvel of sports car engineering from Renault: the Alpine A110 recreated by Maisto in 1:18. This time we’re checking out a model of an earlier, somewhat slower, but still gorgeous […]
Shark Tale

Shark Tale

The Motormax 1961 Chevrolet Mako Shark by Ron Ruelle If you hear the name “Corvette,” what undersea creature immediately jumps to mind? Stingray, right? That name has been used on and off for over half a century on versions of the American sports car legend. The name first showed up on a 1959 race car, […]
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