Die Cast X Archives - Page 10 of 14

Who You Gonna Call?: Ecto-1 In Collectors’ Hands at Last

Well, well, well – at last, one of the most desired movie car icons of the last quarter century has arrived in true 1:18, and the ripple effect is catching up “serious” collectors as well as movie car fans. Hot Wheels Elite’s new 1959 Cadillac limousine-style Miller-Meteor Futura Duplex – a handful of a name […]

Look Back 1:18: Lane 1968 “Nickey” Camaro

Lane Automotive was – and still is – a supplier of high-performance automotive parts, based in Watervliet, Michigan. In the late 1990’s, they also became a supplier to the 1:18 diecast hobby, offering re-pops of Ertl molds that were built to spec for sale to an image-hungry musclecar collector base. Those early models were fairly […]

Look Back 1:18: Revell Germany’s Messerschmitt KR200 “Kabinenroller”

Park the Prius; unplug your Volt; use those do-it-yourself fuel cell plans you just bought for the Mini to spark up the backyard barbecue. All that physics-stretching, newfangled technology is namby-pamby stuff. If you want to make mileage like they did in the old days, think microcar. These ’fifties-era spawns of the European postwar economy […]

Look Back 1:18: Precision 100 Ford Mustang Convertible

There are a few milestone models in the 1:18 hobby. On the one hand, there are the early, inexpensive Bburagos and Ertls that attracted most collectors to the scale in the first place, and on the other, the super-detailed (and far pricier) one-to-eighteen offerings from makers like Exoto, Lane Exact Detail, and GMP that introduced […]

Alfa Male: Minichamps 1:18 Alfa Romeo GTA 1300 Junior

Minichamps’ model of the 1972 Alfa Romeo GTA 1300 Junior is an outrageous looking thing, much like the real car it’s patterned after. All bulging fenders, riveted-on bodywork, and molto bad attitude, it come out of its box looking… angry. And that would be just about right; these were ripping little cars. 1290cc DOHC inline […]

The Phantom Rises: Automodello Releases the Phantom Corsair in 1:24 Resin

Rust Heinz’s Phantom Corsair was a standout machine at a time when streamlining and aerodynamics (or at least styling that looked aerodynamic) were making profound changes to car design – and, by extension, what folks considered stylish and modern. The Phantom cost twenty-four grand to build at a time when a mini-mansion could be had […]

Miniauto reminds collectors that Bauer’s Mercedes Benz 500K is nearing SOLD OUT status

If you think that expensive models linger longer on the store shelves, you might want to think again. Miniauto rang us this afternoon with the news that the highly anticipated 1:12 Bauer Mercedes-Benz 500K “Spezial” Roadster – tagging at an eye-watering $1,750.00 MSRP – is almost sold out. If you have not yet placed your […]

BONUS PHOTOS: Spark 1:18 Dauer 962 Le Mans

Dauer’s answer to those drivers who dream of hammering a race car down the open highway is this 962. Sure, it’s been prettied up, and it’s had a few creature comforts and safety features added, but under the leather and added finery is an honest-to-gosh race car, right down to the 720-horse boxer motor. We […]

Lap of Luxury: M&D International Rolls Out A Winner

Luxury Collectibles came out of left field (actually, Brooklyn, New York, by way of Florida and China) a couple of years ago, and got pushed out into the daylight by the father and son team of Drew and Matt Heitner. Drew is the head, and Matt the heir apparent, of M&D International, the worldwide point […]

FIRST LOOK! Hot Wheels Elite 1:18 “A-Team” Van

You have to hand it to Hot Wheels Elite. These guys have a knowledge of their audience that rivals Lady Gaga’s – and like the singer, they have a chart-topping talent for knowing exactly what to do and which buttons to press to get the crowds cheering. Take, for example, this 1:18 A-Team van, the […]