Rear View

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: Welly Peugeot 403 [Rear View]

Diecast Review: Welly Peugeot 403 [Rear View]

Proletariat Pug by Ron Ruelle The mid-Twentieth Century was a golden age for European car design—full of lithe, sporty cars that exuded performance and class. In 1955, French manufacturer Peugeot debuted a saloon styled by famed Italian design studio Pininfarina, but its image was quite different. The Peugeot 403 was a pretty basic car. Its […]
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 […]
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