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84 New Must-See Models THE PASSION, PRODUCTS & PERSONALITIES KICKIN’ ASTON 68Years of Land Rover Bond’s Spectre and Range Rover DB10 OWN THE ADVENTURE! ›› BoS 1970 Range Rover REVIEWED Kyosho Adventure ›› Mercedes Majestic 600 Edition Land Rover Defender 90 Pullman from Sun Star LS Collectibles Mr. Norm’s Blown S/FX Dodge Range Rover Classic Minichamps Land Rover from Supercar Collectibles Series I—and more! Tuned Toyota: AUTOart’s Rocket Bunny 86 PLus HAND-BUILT MASTERPIECE BYGONE BEAUTIES Super-scale Willys Hot Rod Beloved Muscle Brands from Yesteryear FALL 2017 $6.99 US $8.99 CAN Auto World 1968 Olds 442 W30 DCXMAG.COM Display until August 29, 2017

Mention Ad Code DCX2017 $9.95 Flat-Rate SHIPPING Dept. DCX2017, 3005 Old Lawrenceburg Rd. Frankfort, KY 40601 • Phone Orders: 800-718-1866 M-F 9am-5pm EST • Info (502) 227-8697





CONTENTS DIE CAST X | VOL. 13 | ISSUE 4 FEATURES OUT OF THE BOX 22 | Where the Tradition of Go-Anywhere 14 | e Definitive Name in Automotive Adventure Adventure Began e Legacy of Land Rover and Range Rover Minichamps Land Rover Series I 40 | Dearly Departed 24 | A Refined Revolution in Off-Roading Cherished Muscle Marques In Memoriam Best of Show 1970 Range Rover Classic 50 | Customizers and 26 | e Last Ride for the Ultimate Adventure Machine Craftsmen Kyosho Land Rover Defender 90 Adventure Edition Henry Martinez and His Scratch-Built Masterpiece 30 | Luxury Meets Utility in a Uniquely British Way ’41 Willys LS Collectibles 1986 Range Rover UP FRONT REGULARS 6 | Editorial 58 | Hot Wheels Highway 32 | Blowing the Doors off FX with a Supercharged Coronet Off the Beaten Path More Fast, More Furious, More Fun! Supercar Collectibles Mr. Norm’s 1965 Altered-Wheelbase Dodge 8 | Showroom 66 | Rear View New Releases & First Looks Oldie but a Goodie: Ertl’s 1969 442 36 | Motoring Magic in a Machine without Compromise Sun Star 1966 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Limo 46 | Celebrating the W30 Holiday Coupe Auto World 1968 Oldsmobile 442 54 | JDM Bodybuilding Raised to a Fine Art AUTOart Rocket Bunny Toyota 86 MODELS IN MOTION 56 | Kyosho’s Mega-Muscle Chevy Looks the Part Kyosho Fazer VEi 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 QUICK LOOKS 62 | Hot Wheels Elite Aston Martin DB10 James Bond Spectre Edition 63 | Automodello 1981 AAR Eagle Challenger 64 | Best of Show 1979 Ford Ranchero 65 | Quartzo Jochen Rindt Lotus 72C French GP Winner Die Cast X (USPS 017-276; ISSN 1551-854X) is published quarterly by Air Age Inc., 88 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897 USA. Copyright 2017, all rights reserved. Periodicals Postage paid at Wilton, CT, and additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40008153. CONTRIBUTIONS: All materials published in Die Cast X magazine become the exclusive property of Air Age Inc., unless prior arrangement is made in writing with the Publisher. Descriptions of products were obtained from manufacturers or their press agencies and do not constitute an endorsement by the Publisher or guarantee their safety. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Go to our website: DCXMag.com. Rates one year (4 issues): U.S., $19.95; Canada, $23.95, including GST; all others, $27.95. All international orders must be prepaid in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express accepted. EDITORIAL: Send correspondence to Editors, Die Cast X, Air Age Inc., 88 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897 USA. Email: [email protected]. We welcome all editorial submissions but assume no responsibility for the loss or damage of unsolicited material. To authors, photographers, and people featured in this magazine: All materials published in Die Cast X become the exclusive property of Air Age Inc. unless a prior arrangement is made in writing with the Publisher. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: To make sure you don’t miss any issues, send your new address to Die Cast X magazine, P.O. Box 420134, Palm Coast, FL 32142-8685 USA at least six weeks before you move. Please include an address label from a recent issue, or print the information exactly as shown on the label. For faster service, go to DCXmag.com/cs, and click on the customer service link. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address changes to Die Cast X magazine, P.O. Box 420134, Palm Coast, FL 32142-8685 USA.

www.diecastdirect.com Ad Code DCX2017 $9.95 Flat-Rate SHIPPING 1911 Ford Model T Race Car Hot Wheels Elite Series James Bond “The Golden Ford” “SPECTRE” Aston Martin DB10 1:43 Scale - $99.95 - New! 1:18 Scale - $179.95 - New! A-CULT-01003 - (Gold) HW-CMC94 - (Silver) 1949 Lincoln 1962 Cadillac Series 62 1947 Buick Roadmaster Cosmopolitan 4-Door Miller Meteor Hearse 79 Estate Wagon 1:43 Scale - $79.95 - New! 1:43 Scale - $89.95 - New! 1:43 Scale - $89.95 - New! NEO47010 - (Black) NEO46840 - (Black) NEO46505 - (Burgundy) 1954 GM Futurliner GM 1960s Ford Econoline 1960s Ford Econoline Parade of Progress Pickup Van “Clean-Rite Laundry “3 Dimensional Sound” 1:25 Scale - $40.95 - New! and Dry Cleaners” FG49-0400 - (Rangoon Red) 1:43 Scale - $144.95 - New! 1:25 Scale - $49.95 - New! TSM154327 - (Red) FG49-0399 - (Turquoise) 1968 Ford F-100 Pickup Land Rover Defender 1931 Ford Model A with Slide-In Camper “Tomb Raider Edition” Pickup Truck 1:43 Scale - $134.95 - New! 1:18 Scale - $219.95 - New! 1:18 Scale - $74.95 - New! NEO44849 - (Light Blue/White) KSR08902TR - (Gray) SS6110 - (Cherokee Gray) Dept. DCX2017, 3005 Old Lawrenceburg Rd. Frankfort, KY 40601 • Phone Orders: 800-718-1866 M-F 9am-5pm EST • Info (502) 227-8697

EDITORIAL e original Range Rover FALL 2017 | VOLUME 13, NO.4 Classic was a fascinating EDITORIAL mix of sophisticated Executive Editor style and engineering Matt Boyd ›› [email protected] that yielded unmatched Editorial Director/Surface Group Peter Vieira ›› [email protected] off-road capability. Copy Editor Off the Beaten Path Suzanne Noel ›› [email protected] A s with most issues of Die Cast X, the main story for this issue started with a single model CONTRIBUTORS that sparked an idea—an idea that quickly got out of hand! Kyosho’s Defender 90 Adventure Bill Bennett, Peter Celona, Wayne Moyer, Edition is a beautiful model with an interesting story as the culmination of 68 years of original Alan Paradise, Ron Ruelle, Dan Townsend, Land Rover production. With that seed of a story, I started searching around for another model or two to complement it and build a feature around. But very quickly, Rovers practically started Mike Zarnock falling out of the sky! LS Collectibles ’86 Range Rover appeared, and a request to Minichamps netted its sweet little Series I. Best of Show had a first-year Range Rover too. So, with the framework sketched ART out, research began—and as you might expect of a model with 68 years of history, the mountain of Creative Director Betty K. Nero story-worthy material was so high you’d need a Land Rover to climb it! If you’re a Land Rover/Range Rover fan, you’re in luck. If you’re not, you may be recruited into the Rover ranks after you read our suite Art Director Kevin Monahan of stories starting on page 14. Photographer Peter Hall e original Land Rover may be retired, but at least the brand is still going strong. Sadly, the same DIGITAL MEDIA cannot be said for some of the favored marques featured in our “Dearly Departed” feature. ose makes Web Producer Holly Hansen may be gone, but there are still a lot of great scale models commemorating them. We take a look at a few on page 40. Sometimes a defunct model can take on a second life as a hot rod or custom, and when that ADVERTISING machine is built from scratch, it’s even more inspiring. at’s just what Henry Martinez did with his giant Strategic Account Manager Mitch Brian scale ’41 Willys. Chassis, suspension—Henry did it all his own way, and the results are stunning! Stunning ›› 203.529.4609 | [email protected] in a different way was Mercedes-Benz’s magnificent 600 Pullman. Arguably the most impressive pro- Interactive Account Executive Joe Corrado duction limousine ever built, Sun Star produces a great 1:18 version, and we review it on page 36. And Japanese maestro Kei Miura is redefining the tuner aesthetic with his brands TRA Kyoto and Rocket ›› 203.529.4636 | [email protected] Bunny. AUTOart has just released the designer’s most celebrated creation—the Rocket Bunny Toyota Interactive Account Executive Jane Tacca 86—in 1:18, and we take a look on page 54. And old-school drag-racing fans will revel in the latest from Supercar Collectibles—the blown Mr. Norm’s S/FX ’65 Dodge from the legendary Mopar speed shop ››203.529.4628 | [email protected] Grand Spaulding Dodge. With the eighth installment of the movie franchise in theaters this past spring, the Fast & Furious series is going strong, and our resident Hot Wheels guru Mike Zarnock takes a look CONSUMER MARKETING/ at the latest F&F releases from HW. And our friend Wayne Moyer breaks down the latest crop of 1:43 in PRODUCTION SERVICES Showroom. e Media Source, a division of TEN, Whether you like mainstream muscle or a diecast road less traveled, I’m confident that you’ll find e Enthusiast Network something in this issue that suits you. And be sure to visit us on the web at DieCastXMagazine.com and on social media (Facebook: diecastxmag), and let us know what you want to see more of. anks for MARKETING & EVENTS tuning in, and enjoy! Marketing Assistant Erica Driver Event Manager Emil DeFrancesco Matt Boyd Executive Editor PUBLISHING [email protected] Group Publishers Louis V. DeFrancesco Jr., diecastxmagazine @DCXMag @DiecastX Yvonne M. DeFrancesco EDITORIAL Mail 88 Danbury Road, Wilton CT 06897 USA Email [email protected] REPRINTS AND LICENSING Contact Wright’s Media at airage@ wrightsmedia.com or (877) 652-5295. FOLLOW US On Facebook: diecastxmagazine On Twitter: @DCXmag On Instagram: @diecastx On Google +: DieCast X Magazine Visit us online: DCXmag.com Comments may be sent to: [email protected] e Association of e Network for RCX.com Magazine Media Global Media SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe, renew, or change your address, go to DCXMag.com/cs. Or write to DCX, P.O. Box 420134, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. PRINTED IN THE USA



SHOWROOM NEW RELEASES & FIRST LOOKS Virtuous Webster’s defines the word “paragon” as “a model of excellence or in 2015—most notably the flying-B shaped fender vent. ese are Paragons perfection.” Could there be a better name for a diecast manufac- beautiful—we can’t wait to see them in person. turer? It’s been quite a while since we’ve had a Paragon model in the Paragon 2016 magazine; the announcement of these gorgeous new Bentleys is the Just before we went to press, we got word that Paragon is also Bentley Continental perfect reason to have them back. Pics of this quartet of forthcoming launching a new line of GT3 race cars in the coming months—from Continental GTs—available in coupe and convertible form, in two colors the FIA GT3 Championship as well as the GT Asia Series—and Coupes and each—are preproduction, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at now some from IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Convertibles them. e droptop will be offered in Silver Frost or Sunburst Gold; the coupe in Burgundy or Verdant (green). e announcement actually ere are no model photos available yet, but Paragon has released 1:18 | Price TBD lists each available in left- or right-hand drive, so technically there are an illustration of the Rile y Technologies car from the Rolex 24 at eight versions! is model captures the styling updates introduced Daytona, and there will be some Audi R8 LMS cars as well. Great to see some U.S.-spec GT cars getting some love! Paragon Models; jadi-modelcraft.com e Return of Merc’s Triumphant Most Prestigious Marque British Sportster AUTOart Mercedes-Maybach S600 LS Model Triumph TR6 1:18 | $185 1:18 | $140 (est) Elsewhere in this issue, we review a model of Mercedes’ most e stocky little Triumph TR6 was the magnificent limousine: the legendary 600 Pullman. at icon final iteration of the classic TR series exited production 36 years ago; nowadays, the company’s before Triumph retooled with the wedge- top luxury-limo option is the Mercedes-Maybach S600. shaped (and problem-plagued) TR7. For Mercedes resurrected the “Maybach” name in 2016 as a many, the TR6 represents the peak of the luxury subdivision within the parent company, as AMG is the brand’s popularity and performance—the performance division. No one produces more current-model 2.5L inline-6 offering excellent perfor- Mercedes replicas than does AUTOart. To mark the return of mance and the squared-off contours the Maybach nameplate, it has produced a Maybach S-Class looking tough and yet refined. e low in 1:18 as part of its composite series. Shut lines and fine stance on large wheels gave the TR6 a details are excellent, and the interior treatment is befitting a distinctive look, which LS Models’ resin $200K luxury limo. For the full story on how the composite 1:18 model captures nicely. e detail on S600 measures up, check us out online. those wheels is a standout feature, as autoartmodels.com is the interior, which even does a pretty good rendition of the walnut-veneer more online dash. Most TRs were built for export, but @DCXMag.com this one is a right-hand-drive domestic 8 DCXmag.com model. We’ve seen maroon and navy blue colors too, but in our opinion, the British Racing Green is the color to have! LS Collectibles; exclusively from M & D International; motorheadminiatures.net

More Panache and More Performance for the Final MP Kyosho Ousia McLaren 675LT 1:18 | $100 McLaren model evolution moves almost as quickly as the cars themselves do. ese days, McLaren divvies up its models into three categories: the Sport Series, Super Series, and Ultimate Series. e car you see here—just released as part of Kyosho’s sealed (but diecast metal) body Ousia series—is based, like all models in the Sport and Super categories, on an evolution of the MP4-12C carbon-fiber chassis and powertrain that was introduced in 2011. ankfully, McLaren soon got away from that obscure name and, as it began developing a multitiered product line, renamed each car based on its power/performance. Hence, we get the designation “675LT,” which wrings 675 Euro-horsepower (666 U.S.-spec ponies) out of its twin turbo 3.8L V-8. e “LT” stands for “long tail” (an obvious callback to the 1990s-era all-conquering McLaren F1 supercar), an aerodynamic feature that produces an astonishing 40 percent more rear downforce than lesser models. e 675LT was introduced in 2016 as the top rung of the Super Series—and will likely be the final iteration of the 12C platform, as the all-new 720S introduces a new chassis tub and engine for 2017. Kyosho also offers the 675LT in white, but it is this classic McLaren Orange that is the most fitting send-off to the car that returned McLaren to the supercar world! kyoshoamerica.com; carvillemodelsshop.com Golden Anniversary Duo Just about everybody knows by now that 2017 Auto World and Maisto marks the 50th anniver- 50th-Anniversary Camaros sary of the Camaro. Chevy is certainly doing its part to 1:18 | $100 (Auto World); $30 (Maisto) raise awareness, starting with introducing a special more online 50th-Anniversary Camaro @DCXMag.com SS to pace the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 29, 2016. If that weren’t enough, the pace Camaro was driven by none other than Roger Penske in his 50th-anniversary year as a team owner—a streak that started with fielding the original ’67 Camaro in the Trans Am series with driver Mark Donohue. e Anniversary package that debuted on the pace car is now offered on the 2017 Camaro. It includes features seen on the pace car like the package-exclusive 20-inch wheels, a special grille and hood stripes, specific “Fifty” fender badges, and special leather upholstery and interior treatment. While the pace car was white, the Anniversary road cars come in Nightfall Gray Metallic. Both Auto World and Maisto produce 1:18 models of the Anniversary Camaro—Auto World has the white pace car, while Maisto is releasing the gray produc- tion version. Given their price points ($100 versus $30), they are obvi- ously not direct competitors, but it’s still cool to see them door to door and both are worthy additions to a Camaro collection. To see more of both cars, check out our expanded coverage at DieCastXMagazine.com. autoworldstore.com; maisto.com Exhaustive Detail and Exclusive Editions Fire Replicas Milwaukee FD Rescue 2 and Broward Fire Rescue Platform 32 1:50 | $279 (Milwaukee); $309 (Broward) Fire Replicas continues to deliver a diverse array of stunningly detailed fire and emergency service vehicles in 1:50. is time out, we’ve got preproduction looks at two upcoming releases: a Pierce Arrow XT Rescue wear- ing the colors of the Milwaukee Fire Department Rescue Company 2, and the Broward County Sheriff Fire Rescue Platform 32 wearing a spectacular 9/11 commemorative graphics wrap. Each model is crafted with a mix of resin, brass, rubber, and stainless steel, which allows impres- sively thin scale details throughout. e Milwaukee truck is made up of 385 individual parts; the Broward T32 has a mind-boggling 825! Each machine is limited to just 200 pieces and comes with its own custom display case. Fire Replicas is taking preorders now for these vehicles. ey are sure to sell out, so answer the call quickly. firereplicas.com

SHOWROOM Big News—and a Wonderful Hot Rod Power Tour in the Palm of Your Hand! Gesture—from the Diecast Johnny Lightning Muscle Cars USA Release 2 Hall of Fame 1:64 | $8 ea; $42 (set of 6) e Diecast Hall of Renditions in 1:64 scale of real-world vehicles are all the rage these days, especially ones that have appeared publicly—be that at high-profile Fame is being revamped auctions, in magazines, or at other media events. Case in point: the new series by Johnny Lightning that’s labeled the “Hot Rod Collection,” for 2017. Voting is which features cars seen on the Hot Rod Power Tour. In the set are three Chevys: a 1965 Nova SS, a ’69 Camaro RS/SS, and a ’71 Monte Carlo underway to select the SS. ey are joined by a ’69 Ford Mustang Mach I, ’70 Mercury Montego MX, and a 2001 Pontiac Firebird Formula with an awesome custom inductee class of ’17, but flame paint job. e Merc, Firebird, and Camaro are all Power Tour veterans, and the backing cards come with tech info on the car and its in the meantime, DHOF specific owner. e other three cars in the set are spec’d out as factory-correct versions of their respective models, and there is a B-Series organizers have just of each offering alternate color schemes. Unique scale wheel patterns and rubber tires really enhance the look of all the cars in the set! announced a partnership autoworldstore.com with children’s charity Top-Line Dart e Dodge Dart line was completely restyled for 1961, with the most controversial feature being the fins. ere with Care, which For reasons never explained, the 1960 fins were turned around, with the high end up front and dropping specializes in providing Neo 1961 Dodge Dart to meet the decklid at the rear. It was a one-year aberration; 1962 Darts went back to normal fins. At the families of children Phoenix the top of the Dart series was the Phoenix, available in four body styles. Neo has chosen to model the facing critical medical most popular Dart Phoenix, the 4-door hardtop sedan. From the new concave grille with turn signals issues with support 1:43 | $90 housed in pods at the extreme ends of the slender bumper to the wraparound taillights, Neo has nailed services during their both the shape and all the details of this top-line Phoenix—except that the lights flanking the rear time of crisis. DHOF has license plate should be clear backup lights, not red taillights. Inside, there’s accurate upholstery with pledged all proceeds printed chrome door handles and trim, a bright printed chrome full-width dash insert with the large from this year’s event— speedometer, and push-button shifter controls. e turbine wheel covers and wide whites are very being held in Las Vegas, well done, too.—Wayne Moyer Nevada, this November Neo; distributed by american-excellence.com 2—to ere with Care. Go to diecasthall.com for more information about the event, to see a list of nominees for this year’s inductee class, and to purchase your tickets for the Las Vegas event. diecasthall.com Little Big Rig Die-Cast Promotions Fleenor Brothers Kenworth ICON 900 Tractor 1:64 | $85 We are always impressed by how much detail DCP can pack into such a small package with its 1:64 18-wheelers. e latest—served up by b2bReplicas—is this Ken- worth ICON 900 with Fleenor Brothers livery. e truck is equipped with a luxurious 86-inch studio sleeper compartment and impressively detailed interior. Even though it is 1:64, all of the pneumatic lines and hoses behind the cab are modeled, and the hood flips forward to show a nicely detailed diesel engine. Even the suspension is functional! e Kenworth is pulling an equally detailed Brenner chemical tanker with a beautiful stainless finish on it. b2breplicas.com; 3000toys.com

C2 Send-Off Auto World 1967 Chevy Corvette L88 Roadster 1:18 | $90 1967 was the year the world said good- bye to the C2 Corvette, and it got a proper send-off with the introduction of the L88 version of the 427 big- block. Chevy rated the L88 at 430 horses—5 less than the L71 Tri- Power 427—but insiders knew the real story. With 12.5:1 compression, a giant solid-lifter cam and huge-port heads, the L88 was com- pletely un-streetable—and pretty much unbeatable on the track! Chevy’s numbers suggest that just 20 L88 were built in 1967, making it among the rarest production ’Vettes of all time. e Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals show in Chicago featured one of those 20—a Roadster in Tuxedo Black with blue hood stripes—and Auto World has just replicated that exact car in 1:18. e detail on the engine is stellar, with the special L88-specific domed air cleaner that fits into the func- tional hood scoop. Chassis and interior detail also deliver the goods, making this hardtop-equipped Roadster tough to resist. autoworldstore.com Mopar Gets the Point PhillyMint Dodge Challenger R/T 1:24 | $110 Here’s a fun one coming soon from PhillyMint. Any Mopar fans out there interested in an Alpine White 1970 Challenger R/T 4-speed with Colorado plates? Yeah, us too. is isn’t an official replica of the most famous movie Challenger of all time—the tag number reads “PHL-MNT” instead of “OA-5599” for example—but it’s pretty close. Purists may note that this car has a Hemi rather than a 440, making it more accurate to Kowalski’s ride in the 1997 remake of Van- ishing Point than the original 1971 film. But is a Hemi upgrade really a reason to gripe? e model is built exclusively for PhillyMint by Acme and features the correct vinyl buckets, Rally wheels, a pistol-grip shifter, a functional suspension, and a fully detailed Street Hemi. PhillyMint is taking preorders now, and there will be only 250 of these made, so act quickly. phillymint.com ree Decades of Indy Excellence from Replicarz 1:18 | $250 ea Replicarz continues to produce some of the most detailed, most interesting cars ever to turn a lap at the famed Brickyard. e next group will encapsulate three decades of Indy innovation and history. Legendary mechanic and designer Smokey Yunick built the winning car in just his third try in 1960. In 1964, he came to Indy with one of the most unique racing machines ever conceived: the Hurst Floor Shifter Special (aka the Offset Roadster or the Sidecar), which placed the Offy engine in the center of the car for optimal weight distribution and minimal drag-inducing frontal area, while driver Bobby Johns was suspended in a pod on the left side of the car. In 1971, Joe Leonard’s teammate Al Unser won Indy, but it was Leonard’s Samsonite-sponsored PJ Colt that ultimately captured the USAC Championship. And in 1985, Danny Sullivan pulled off one of the most spectacular and unlikely wins in Indy history with his March 85C, when he spun while making a pass for the lead, recovered, and then retook the lead 20 laps later. What we see here are preproduction 1:18 versions of all three models from Replicarz, part of its exclusive Indy series. Highly detailed engines, wheels, and suspensions are hallmarks of the series and we expect nothing less of these three new cars when they arrive in production form. replicarz.com FALL 2017 11

SHOWROOM DIY IMSA Porsche Awesome Aston Spark Porsche 934 1983 Sebring Winner AUTOart 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S 1:43 | $75 1:18 | $180 Porsche developed the 934 from the 930 Turbo to meet the Four doors, four seats, uncompromisingly aero-defined bodywork, and a whopping big 6.0L V-12, 1976 Group 4 requirements. SCCA quickly accepted it under combined with the latest suspension technology and English-leather luxury interior—that’s an the Trans-Am “Sedan” rules (figure that one out!). And 934s Aston Martin Rapide. Add body refinements like the chin spoiler and subtle rear ducktail, and mas- dominated the Trans-Am until they were replaced by the 935 sage the V-12 to make 550 horses and you’ve got the 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S, the subject of in 1978. en, in 1983, Wayne Baker built his own tube-frame AUTOart’s latest release in its high-end Millennium series. And they’ve really done it right—there’s chassis under IMSA’s relaxed “silhouette” GTO-class rules. not a flaw of any kind in the diecast body or its authentic high-gloss Diavolo Red paint. e big Baker, driving his “Do It Yourself” Porsche, finished ninth hood lifts open to show the V-12. All four doors open wide enough to show AUTOart’s excellent at Daytona. en, at Sebring, while running first in GTO, he three-tone upholstery and dash with fully detailed gauges. Big discs rotate through even bigger inherited the overall lead when the Heywood/Holbert 935 had calipers behind the accurate wheels, and the low-profile tires have nice tread but no sidewall details. problems with half an hour to go. Baker held off Bob Akin’s AUTOart has captured both the old-world luxury and modern aggressive look of the Rapide S very rapidly closing Coca-Cola Porsche, becoming the first—and well.—Wayne Moyer only—GTO-class car to take an overall win in an IMSA race! autoartmodels.com Spark’s model of this historic Porsche is a beauty. Spark’s accurate bright yellow paint is excellent, and the relatively few decal graphics (note the “Cannonball Express” sticker) match the Sebring car—except the small BBS decals should be on the front of the front air dam, not the sides. (Sample provided by motorsportsminiatures.com.)—Wayne Moyer sparkmodel.com Excellent Eldo Gorgeous Gran Sport Neo 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham Brooklin 1970 GS 455 Convertible 1:43 | $90 1:43 | $130 Cadillac’s Eldorado Buick came to the ’60s muscle-car party a bit late, but it made Brougham, which quite the impression. Originally introduced in late ’65 as the debuted in 1957, “Skylark Gran Sport,” Buick’s “Gentleman’s Hot Rod” was, by 1970, was Harley Earl’s simply the “GS,” with numbers denoting the engine displacement. baby. While the Up at the top was the 455ci V-8, rated at 400 horses (but consid- basic 4-door erably stronger than that). e 1970 GS models got fresh styling hardtop design was with a cleaner, longer body; bucket seats; and circular gauges in well done, Earl laid on the instrument panel. Only 1,416 455 convertibles were built, and lots of chrome and added Brooklin has just released this gorgeous white-metal model of rearward-canted versions of his one of them. at longer, cleaner body is just right, and its glossy previous P-38-style fins. e Eldo was priced at a whopping $13,074, and only 400 sold in 1957. Neo has Emerald Mist Poly finish is very good. e functional hood scoops chosen to model this first-year Eldo, and it has done a beautiful job of it. Body lines are very accurate, and grille are correctly blacked out, too. Interior detail has been and all of Earl’s chrome is there, reproduced with a combination of small decal badges, hot-printed upped a notch, with the deeply pleated seats and side panels hav- chrome, photo-etched parts, and bright plated larger pieces. Cadillac’s new quad headlights have fluted ing darker brown inserts and armrests, along with separate plated lenses, and the 1957-only wheel covers (with legible emblems in their centers) are especially well done. handles and cranks and a chromed crisp relief instrument panel Neo’s excellent “beige metallic” paint is a dead-on match to Cadillac’s “Nairobi Pearl,” with a clear gloss and AM radio inserts. Brooklin’s GS 455 rides on authentic 5-spoke coat applied after the small decals were in place. Dimensions are especially accurate all around; this is a wheels, and there’s lots of relief chassis detail.—Wayne Moyer beautiful model of a very rare Caddy.—Wayne Moyer Brooklin; distributed by brasiliapress.com Neo; distributed by american-excellence.com Picture-Perfect Packard Neo 1932 Model 902 Standard Eight Convertible 1:43 | $120 Packard introduced the lower-priced Light Eight in 1932 only to find that (a) it lost about $150 on each one built, and (b) many of its sales were taken away from the Model 901 and 902 Standard Eights. ere were no less than a dozen factory bodies offered for the longer-wheelbase 902 series. Among them was the good-looking 2/4 Passenger (Rumble Seat) Coupe Roadster. at’s the subject of this stunning resin-cast model in Neo’s top-line Deluxe Series. e very accurate resin body has crisp panel lines, and the two-tone cream-and- maroon paint is super smooth. Paint separation lines are perfect, even on the very thin beltline moldings. Hood louver control pins, a central hood hinge, engine bay steps, and running board edges are printed in chrome; wipers, fine mesh see-through grille screen, and those gor- geous double-row wire wheels are photo-etched; and window moldings are chrome-printed on the inside of the glass. From the “Goddess of Speed” mascot to the plated rumble-seat boarding step, Neo has nailed the 902 Standard Eight Packard Convertible.—Wayne Moyer Neo; distributed by american-excellence.com 12 DCXmag.com

Mercedes Über Alles Classy Classic 2015 Mercedes Formula One W06 Hybrid Brooklin 1947 Chrysler Windsor Town & Country Sedan 1:43 | $80 1:43 | $200 Mercedes-AMG won 16 of the 19 Formula 1 races in 2015, with Chrysler’s manager decided that a station wagon was needed for the 1941 model year but didn’t like defending champion Lewis Hamilton winning 10—enough to the traditional wooden box on wheels. He challenged his designers to do something different, and what secure his third World Championship—and teammate Nico he got took the country-club set by storm. Chrysler introduced the Town & Country 4-Door six- or Rosberg notching up six more. In the process, the FW-05 nine-passenger sedan with a metal fastback roof and wooden doors, side panels, and deck lid. e became, statistically, the most dominant car in F1 history. Ham- 1947 line offered two models: an 8-cylinder convertible, and a 6-cylinder 4-door sedan with a more ilton clinched his championship at the United States Grand Prix, standard roofline. Unlike most manufacturers, Brooklin has chosen the sedan as the latest model in its and that version is one of several available from Minichamps. is is a diecast model, so it took Minichamps much longer to develop Limited series, and it has done it exceptionally well. e wooden roof rack identifies this as an the tool-steel dies and hot-printed pads for the graphics, but early ’47 car as that was changed to chrome at midyear. Metal panels have an excellent it’s been worth the wait! e base silver paint is excellent, and authentic Maroon Metallic finish. ere are about 50 separate hand-fitted chrome- the graphics are completely correct for the USGP winner. e plated pieces. All the wood has really well-done graining, but Brooklin acknowledges complex body shape and suspension components, which have that the colors are a bit off on this first production run—the White Ash framework good carbon-fiber detail, are accurate too. What really stands is too dark, while the Mahogany panels are too light and not red enough. at should be fixed on the next batch, so these may become collector’s out, though, are the myriad small turning vanes, items!—Wayne Moyer deflectors, and other airflow control devices, Brooklin; distributed by brasiliapress.com from the low-mounted nose wing to the high tail.—Wayne Moyer carvillemodelsshop.com Awesome Alfa Fine Formal Cadillac TSM 1938 8C 2900B Lungo Touring Spider TSM 1938 Series 90 V-16 Town Car 1:43 | $100 1:43 | $100 If any car defined the “long hood, short deck” look, it would be the Cadillac stunned the competition by introducing an all-new 431 cubic inch V-16 for 1938’s top- open spider bodies built on the long wheelbase (lungo) Alfa Romeo line Series 90 models. While 1938 Series 90 cars were built on the relatively shorter 141-inch chassis by Carrozzeria Touring. Alfa built the 6C and 8C for one wheelbase, all exterior dimensions were up from 1937. e sharp “Vee” grille of Series 90 Cadillacs purpose—winning races—which they did: four consecutive Le Mans had bigger squares in their cross-hatched mesh, and both the streamlined triple hood louvers victories, then 1938 and 1947 Mille Miglia wins for the 8C 2900B and lower fender “speed lines” were highlighted with chrome. Only 311 Series 90s were built in cars. About 30 chassis with detuned engines were sold for street 1937, and just 11 of those were formal Town Car limousines. TSM’s model of one of those is simply use: Most had the short (corto) chassis and were bodied by Touring; superb! First, the shape of the blind-quarter, chauffeur-driven Town Car is right from any aspect. probably less than a half-dozen long-wheelbase chassis were bod- Next, the deep glossy black paint and semigloss “padded” top are flawless. And finally, every last ied by Touring. Aside from its flat windshield, there’s not a straight piece of brightwork is there with great scale fidelity. e open chauffeur’s compartment makes line on the body, and TSM has modeled the curvaceous shape it easy to see the authentic plain black leather upholstery, separate plated handles and cranks, perfectly. Its glossy black paint is equally perfect, and aside from a and correctly detailed dash, along with the new-for-’38 column shifter. (Sample provided by couple of printed chrome push buttons, all the trim is either plated motorsportsminiatures.com.)—Wayne Moyer or photo-etched. e interior has a leatherlike luster on its accurate tsm-models.com upholstery, and the two big round dials house Alfa’s strange collec- tion of small gauges and larger needles for the tach and speed- ometer. You’ve got to love the big double-row photo-etched wire wheels, and there’s basic chassis detail in the interior, too. (Sample provided by motorsportsminiatures.com.)—Wayne Moyer tsm-models.com FALL 2017 13

THE DEFINITIVE AutomotivNAMEIN LBY MATT BOYD; PHOTOS COURTESY OF JAGUAR LAND ROVER EXCEPT WHERE NOTED egend has it that the single most adventurous, rugged, Spencer, then managing director of Rover, approved the concept, Maurice worldly vehicle ever to traverse to the farthest reaches of got to work on a prototype, using the 80-inch-wheelbase Jeep rolling this planet actually started as a sketch—in the sand—on a chassis as its foundation, with a hand-built body out of an aluminum/ Welsh beach. Maurice Wilks, technical director of the Rover magnesium alloy because steel was being rationed in the still-recovering Company, was the artist, and the inspiration was a World postwar British economy. It sourced its major mechanicals from existing War II–surplus U.S. Army Jeep he had used on his family Rover car parts’ bins to keep production costs minimized (the 50hp 1.6L farm. Useful as the Jeep was, Maurice had contemplated a motor and 4-speed gearbox were out of a Rover P3 saloon car). e plan number of improvements, and he decided a British equivalent (produced was to produce a few of these rough-and-tumble little overland rovers by his company, of course) might do the Jeep one better, so he sketched to help cover the costs of converting back from wartime production to out—literally—a proposal, with improvements geared toward civilian and producing civilian models. Little could they have guessed that seven agricultural needs and using parts from Rover’s car line. When his brother decades later they would still be producing them! Land Rover capped 68 years of continuous production in early 2016 with three “Final Edition” Defenders. On the left is the Autobiography— loaded with every creature comfort. In the center is the Heritage—a visual throwback to the all-business early Series LRs. To the right is the Adventure—rigged with a roof rack, skidplates, knobby tires, and Phoenix Orange paint that recalls the G4 Challenge Rovers. 14 DCXmag.com

ve Adventure THE LEGACY OF LAND ROVER AND RANGE ROVER e arrival of the Range Rover in 1970 marked the second time the whereas the Land Rover had come close to perfecting a vehicle category, company would reinvent the off-road vehicle. Where the original Land the company actually invented a whole new one with the Range Rover! Rover was rough and a little raw, the Range Rover was smooth and polished—but every bit as capable. It embraced new technologies and ere have been countless imitators in the decades since, but there is still brought a level of sophistication to the 4X4 class that had never been nothing quite like the Range Rover anywhere in the SUV world. seen before. It aimed to flatten out the rough terrain for automotive adventurers while providing a level of on-road driving capability and Let’s take a look at these two amazing—and amazingly different— enjoyment that trucks had never experienced. It largely succeeded. And vehicles, trace their lineage and highlights, and try to capture some of what makes them some of the most admired and aspired to machines in history! FALL 2017 15

LAND ROVER TIMELINE 1962–1966 e IIA Forward Control (FC) cab-over pickup truck is launched on the LWB 109 chassis and running gear to increase load capacity without increasing the overall length of the vehicle. An improved version—the IIB—arrived in 1966. 1947 1968–1996 e original Land Rover is conceived by Land Rover builds a series of 110s for the Maurice Wilks and sketched in the sand on British military to use as patrol and scout a beach in Wales during a family vacation. vehicles. Among the most famous were Inspired by a WW II Army-surplus Jeep he the so-called “Pink Panthers” used by the used on his Anglesey farm, the prototype SAS during the Gulf War. Pink was chosen that would become the Series I LR fea- because it was excellent camouflage in the tured center steering (like a tractor) and desert at dawn and dusk! simple-shaped aluminum panels to avoid rationed steel or complex tooling. 1948–1949 1954 Series I production begins on an 80-inch A longer 107-inch wheelbase (LWB) pickup truck is added to the LR wheelbase, utilizing a 1.6L motor out of lineup for the ’54 model, while the standard wheelbase (SWB) grows a Rover P3 saloon car. It is a runaway to 86 inches. Queen Elizabeth is a big fan of the Land Rover. She has success in both domestic and export used them for a variety of purposes, going as far back as this Series I, markets. It is exported to the United which she used for inspecting the troops. She was known to drive her States beginning in 1949. own Land Rovers on her farm. TSM makes a 1954 Royal Inspection Series I in 1:43. 1950–1951 1957 1971 Various technical revisions to the original design: A hardtop is offered for the first e Special Air Service (SAS), Britain’s e Series III LR begins production. time. e four-wheel system is changed Special Forces unit, exploited Land Rover’s It featured a number of technical from a free-wheel front to the more famil- capabilities for its patrol vehicles. is is a improvements and would become the iar setup that engages the 4WD via a lever 1:43 replica of a 1957 Series I 86 from TSM. most popular and best selling of all Series to the transfer case. At the end of the year LRs. It was distinguished by revised 1951, the standard engine is enlarged from lighting inset into the front fenders. is 1.6L to 2.0L, gaining an extra 20 lb.-ft. of 1:43 model of a Series III 109 cargo van torque. Minichamps has several excellent version is by Cararama. 1:18 Series I models. We review one on page 22. 1956 PHOTO BY LEWIS COLLARD, COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS e SWB grows to 88 inches to make room for the introduction of the first 4-cylinder diesel engine option. 1958–1961 1974 e Series II debuts. e LWB grows to Land Rover revisits the Forward Control 109 inches, and an all-new 2.25L 4-cylinder concept with a 1-ton version designed gas engine bumps power from 52 to 72hp. to British military specifications. e 101 A revised IIA would arrive in 1961, including Forward Control Vehicle (FC101) is an air- a new, larger, more powerful 2.25L diesel transportable heavy-duty payload 4X4 based on the gas-engine architecture. utility truck powered by a detuned version of the Range Rover’s 3.5L aluminum V-8. It was an all-new purpose-built chassis not related to the civilian Series IIA and IIB Forward Control LRs and is not sold to the public. 16 DCXmag.com

1983–1984 e Land Rover Ninety and One Ten are launched, replacing the Series III. e leaf-spring suspension is traded for the coil-spring setup from the Range Rover. Other updates include a 5-speed gearbox, front disc brakes, and power steering. Visually, a flush grille and a one-piece windshield differentiate the new models. In addition, a new extended wheelbase 127 is introduced as a heavy-duty crew-cab pickup, with 50 percent more payload capacity than the One Ten. 1995 Several heavily disguised military-surplus FC101s appear in the 1995 Sylvester Stallone sci-fi action film Judge Dredd. 1998–2008 Starting in 1998 with Land Rover’s 50th anniversary, a succession of special editions are released, with various equipment and performance packages. PHOTO BY LRDRIVER, COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 1989 1991 1996–present 2015 Land Rover introduces a new model, the e 127 is renamed the “Defender 130” e British military orders a new group Defenders have been a staple on the silver Discovery, which combines the luxury- (but the wheelbase is unchanged), and it of utility trucks based on the heavily screen for decades. Two of the toughest oriented chassis of the Range Rover with remains the vehicle of choice as a support modified Defender chassis. e 90-inch in recent memory are the Defender 110 unique bodywork and a more affordable vehicle for overland expeditions. wheelbase is designated the Truck Utility V-8 pickup from the movie Lara Croft: price point. It is the first all-new vehicle Light (TUL-HS) and the 110 the Truck Tomb Raider, and the villainous Defender released by the company since the original 1993–1997 Utility Medium (TUM-HS), but they are 110 Crew Cab from the latest Bond flick, Range Rover in 1970. More oriented toward better known by their nickname “Wolf.” Spectre. No one has announced modeling comfort, it was a notable break from the e Defender 90 North American Speci- Nearly 100 different variants are produced, the Spectre LR yet, but Kyosho makes this traditional Land Rover concept, and some fication (NAS) comes to the United States. including the 110 scout vehicles that were beautiful 1:18 Tomb Raider truck. viewed it as foreshadowing the end of an a staple of British forces in Iraq. era. AUTOart made this excellent model of e 1993 versions were soft tops with the Discovery V8 some years ago. a 5-speed manual transmission, but hardtops and automatic transmissions 1991 followed later. All versions were powered by the 3.9L V-8. Importing ceased in 1998 Late in the year, the Ninety and One Ten when U.S. airbag and side-impact safety are renamed the “Defender 90” and standards became stricter. “Defender 110.” Kyosho makes several versions of the 90 in 1:18, while Century Dragon makes this excellent 110, which we reviewed in the Summer 2015 issue. 2016 Defender production finally draws to a close after 68 years and more than two million units sold. e series culminates with three Final Editions: the Autobiography, the Heritage, and the Adventure. e Adventure was built in both 90 and 110 versions in either Phoenix Orange, Corris Grey, or Yulong White, with a total of 600 built. e Heritage Edition was also available in both wheelbases, but all 400 examples are painted Grasmere Green. Just 100 of the ultra-optioned Autobiography Editions—all short-wheelbase, all in grey and black two-tone—were built. For collectors, Kyosho is making all three Final Editions using its 1:18 Defender 90 casting. We review the Adventure on page 26. FALL 2017 17

RANGE ROVER TIMELINE 1981 e first production 4-door Range Rover goes on sale, along with the first limited-edition model, the “In Vogue,” which would become the top option package on future models. 1951 A prototype “Road Rover” is built, combining aspects of the LR with a more carlike on-road chassis, creating what is likely the first true crossover vehicle. 1965 Land Rover acquires the rights to the Buick 215 (3.5L) aluminum V-8 from GM. is will prove pivotal in the development of the Range Rover. 1966 1986 Work begins on a prototype for a luxury- e top-option Vogue Range Rover adds Lucas electronic fuel injection to the 3.5L V-8 oriented vehicle that splits the difference and power climbs 30 percent. It also adds a more efficient ZF 4-speed automatic. is is in length between the SWB and LWB LS Models’ ’86 Vogue. Check out our review on page 30. LRs. Initially named the “Velar,” it will serve as the template for a new brand: Range Rover. 1987 e first Range Rovers are imported to the United States and receive an enthusiastic reception. 1970 1989 e Range Rover (aka the “Classic”) debuts. Range Rover is the world’s first 4X4 to be fitted with ABS anti-lock brakes. A BorgWarner Coil-spring suspension gives a luxurious chain-driven transfer box with a viscous-coupled center differential brings added and responsive ride, while the 3.5L V-8 refinement to the Range Rover’s driving dynamics, and the engine is enlarged to 3.9L to provides exceptional performance for a differentiate it from the Land Rover Discovery, which was introduced in ’89. 4X4 vehicle, and it comes standard with 4-wheel disc brakes—a first for a 4X4. Styling and safety are paramount in the design as well, earning it numerous awards. It has been modeled numerous times in scale; this is the 1:43 version from WhiteBox. 18 DCXmag.com

1992 Range Rover becomes the world’s first 4X4 to receive electronic traction control. e long-wheelbase “County” is introduced, along with adjustable-height air suspension. 1994 2013 Production of the Range Rover Classic e following year, the new ends with the Autobiography Edition after Range Rover Sport debuts. total run of 317,615. Dealer editions of this are prolific as well. 2010 e year of its 40th anniversary, Range Rover announces a third model line: the entry-level compact Evoque. 1994 2005 2015 e second-generation (P38a) Range Also in 2005, along with the flagship Range Rover launches a super sport version of the Sport called the “SVR.” Its fastest- Rover goes on sale. e styling is updated, refresh, Range Rover introduces its first ever product, the 550hp supercharged Jaguar V-8 propels it to 60mph in 4.4 seconds and but the utility and luxury of the Classic is all-new line: the Sport. Based on styling around the Nürburgring in just over 8 minutes—sports car territory for a 5,500-pound retained and expanded upon. AUTOart did from the Stormer concept vehicle, the SUV! Kyosho has just released this 1:18 resin model of the SVR. a nice model of the 2nd-generation Range Sport slots in below it by borrowing Rover in 1:18. structural pieces from the Land Rover Discovery 3. Several diecast companies have done scale Range Rover Sports. Maisto’s 1:18 version is an excellent value. 2002 e Gen-3 Range Rover (code L322) is released. Initially planned under BMW ownership, it was to use BMW mechanicals, but during development, BMW sold Range Rover to Ford. So after the first two years, an updated L322 was released in 2005 using Jaguar (another Ford property) mechanicals. 2012 2017 e flagship Range Rover is redesigned. Range Rover announces a fourth model to its range that recalls the code name of the original 1970 prototype: the Velar. Small and sporty, Models of current designs abound, it is expected to start around $50,000. e move signifies a further expansion of Range Rover into a full-fledged brand of its own. No including dealer edition 1:43-scale longer a spin-off or a specialty brand under Land Rover’s shadow, the emphasis on sport and luxury reinforces its distinct identity and has models like this. secured it a spot atop the SUV world for years to come. FALL 2017 19

EXPEDITION TIMELINE Land Rover and Range Rover both have rich traditions in off-road sports, and are the vehicles of choice for overland expeditions to some of the most remote and difficult-to-reach places on earth. To prove the capabilities of its products, the Rover brands have also organized and sponsored numerous events. Here are just a few of the most famous and extraordinary: 1971 British Trans-Americas Expedition Two Range Rovers undertake an expedition starting in Alaska and concluding in Tierra del Fuego on the southern tip of South America— mirroring the 18,000-mile distance of the Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition, also taking six months to complete. e deep, roadless jungles of the Darién Gap, straddling the borders of Panama and Colombia, represent one of the most challenging terrains on earth for a ground vehicle; that 250-mile stretch alone took three months to traverse! 1955–1956 Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition Six students from Oxford and Cambridge drive a pair of essentially stock SWB Series Is (one in each school’s colors) overland from London to Singapore—a journey TSM has produced both cars in 1:43. of some 18,000 miles, which took six months to complete! is began a tradition of extraordinary overland tests for Land Rover that continues to this day. 1974–1975 Trans-Sahara Expedition Range Rover completes a west-to-east crossing of 7,500 miles of desert in 100 days. Joining the Range Rovers were the first four preproduction Forward Control FC 101 LRs delivered to the British military, which con- ducted the expedition, also known as the “Joint Services Expedition.” 1977 London-Sydney Marathon A modified Range Rover wins the 4X4 class in the London-Sydney Marathon—the longest ever speed- based car race, at 18,750 miles. 20 DCXmag.com

1979 Inaugural Paris-Dakar Rally e French team of Alain Génestier, Joseph Terbiaut, and Jean Lemordant wins the first Dakar Rally in a Range Rover. Range Rover would win again (with different drivers) in 1981. French diecast manufacturer Norev marks its countrymen’s accomplishment with this 1:43 replica. 2003 & 2006 Land Rover G4 Challenge In 2003, Land Rover launches the spiritual successor to the Camel Trophy: the G4 Challenge. A second event is held in 2006. Eighteen nations enter teams. Competition vehicles are prepared from across the LR/RR range, and are distinguished by the Tangiers Orange paint and livery as well as special equipment. Matchbox even got in on the action with this 1:64 G4 Defender 110. 1981–1998 Camel Trophy Range Rover took over the sponsorship of the Camel Trophy in 1981, its second year. Nicknamed “ e Olympics of 4X4,” this race featured two- man national teams from participating nations who traversed grueling courses in some of the most demanding and remote locations on earth in identically prepared vehicles. Starting in 1983, the title sponsorship switched from Range Rover to Land Rover, with various 90, 110, Dis- covery, and even Freelander models used. is is IXO’s 1:43 model of the 1987 winning Range Rover. 1985 Diesel World Speed and Endurance Records 2009 Record-Setting Desert Crossing To help promote the launch of its new 2.4L turbodiesel engine option, the Land Rover LR4 turbodiesel sets record for fastest crossing of the Range Rover nicknamed “Bullet” breaks 27 speed and endurance records, Western Desert of Egypt, covering the 795 miles in 13 hours and including a record for averaging more than 100mph for 24 hours. 54 minutes. ✇ FALL 2017 21

out of the box by matt boyd Minichamps Land Rover Series I Where the Tradition of Go- Anywhere Adventure Began “Drawing a line in the sand”—a phrase that signifies a statement of principle and the willingness to stand firm for the priorities that one holds most dear. It is perfectly fitting then that the Land Rover—the brand that has stood as a bastion of all-terrain utility for seven decades—began as a line (well, several lines) drawn in the sand of a Welsh beach by Rover Company’s technical director Maurice Wilks. Wilks had been inspired by the U.S. 68 years, and was retired just clearance, and has a 30 percent hingepins are too large (likely to Army–surplus Jeep he had used this past year after nearly two better payload despite having make them more durable), and on his family farm but felt it had million examples had been built. less power. And being made the lack of an opening tailgate is room for improvement in several So it seems the automotive world out of aluminum, the LR body a tad disappointing. The biggest areas, so he decided to design a appreciated and rewarded that won’t rust, whereas early Jeeps gaffe may not be with the model British-built better one. When he boldness. were prone to corrosion. That itself but with how Minichamps pitched the idea to his brother, Looking at Minichamps Land choice of materials was largely markets it. Its literature labels this Spencer—who was, at the time, Rover Series I, the Jeep inspiration made out of necessity: Steel was as a 1948 model, but the grille, Rover’s managing director—and is clearly evident. The model still being severely rationed in headlights, and side markers tell a received the go-ahead, the rest, as rides on an identical 80-inch postwar Britain, but aluminum different story. Series I headlights they say, is history. Endeavoring wheelbase and is within an inch was in relatively plentiful supply, were located behind the grille until to out-Jeep a Jeep was a bold of the original Willys MB Jeep in and its lighter weight put less of the 1951 model year, at which time proposition, but the vehicle that length and width as well. Series a strain on the little 1.6L motor. they were relocated through the resulted (which you see depicted I has the same overall layout The shape, too, was dictated grille—as on this model. In 1953, it in scale on these pages) remained and the same suspension and by practical considerations. changed again to an upside-down in production—with remarkably drivetrain layout. But the LR Flat sides and constant radius T-shaped grille; so that and the few fundamental changes—for is taller, has a better ground curves allowed the bodies to be single fender-mounted marker assembled inexpensively using narrows the model year to a ’51 The 1.6L motor—straight out of a Rover P3 sedan—together with the headlight arrangement simple hand tools. But, of course, or ’52, and the engine settles it identify this as a 1951 model year Series I. The detail on the F-head plumbing is excellent. the reasons behind the now iconic (more on that in a minute). The LR shape pale in importance to its lights and grille are themselves 22 DCXmag.com mystique—which the model nails. well done, and there are other The shape is spot-on, but what fun items like the power takeoff really sells it are the finer details, socket in the rear valence panel like the mesh grille with the and the folding windscreen. The delicate oval “Land Rover” emblem removable canvas top (rendered in as well as the simulated rivets hard plastic but with a convincing along the tops of the doors where matte finish) and the removable the removable window panels side-window panels give a nice attach. All is not perfect: The door variety of display options too.

e interior is predictably are simulated with textured hard against the seatbacks when you AT A GLANCE spartan, as you would expect of plastics. A rudimentary instrument don’t have it mounted to the hood a vehicle that spends much of panel (accurately depicted) sits safari-style! MODEL its time open to the elements. All center mounted above a row of Land Rover Series I the surfaces are painted metal, simple levers that operate the Speaking of that, the hood lifts save the three-across vinyl- 2-speed transfer case. e long straight off after you flick aside MANUFACTURER covered seats and the rubber gear lever on the tunnel operates the plastic hood latches. Beneath Minichamps mats on the floor—both of which a 4-speed manual gearbox. e is a beautiful rendition of the little pedal arrangement has clutch and 1.6L inline-4 that was drafted from GENRE brake pedals sprouting up off the the Rover P3 saloon. Early into the Classic off-road 4X4 floor, and the peculiar, almost- 1952 model year, the Series I got horizontal accelerator pedal is upgraded to a 2.0L, but we can tell SCALE properly shaped and correctly this is the 1.6 by the shape of the 1:18 mounted to the firewall. In the distributor and the absence of a cargo bed, there is a proper divot large round breather on top of the PRICE to hold the included spare tire up rocker cover. So that pegs the $159 model year as a ’51, and the detail e dash lever arrangement of the 4WD controls is atypical of Land Rover. Early on, here is excellent. It is an F-head WHAT WE LIKE the Series I switched to the familiar part-time 4WD with transfer-case controls on the design with the intake side in the transmission tunnel—a setup that would last 60+ years! head and the exhaust valve in + Chassis and suspension the block (like a lot of older motor- detail cycle engines), and Minichamps does a stellar job replicating the + Versatility of display unusual plumbing arrangement options with individually molded and painted pieces. + Impressive engine detail e chassis is equally impres- make it seem more modern than sive. e ladder frame is nicely its 66 years. Certainly there are rendered as is the leaf-spring more Land Rovers still running than suspension. e area of most any other vehicle of comparable interest is, of course, the driveline, vintage—the company estimates distinctively offset to the right to something like 70 percent! e allow room for the large 2-speed blend of endurance and capability transfer case—all of which are make it tremendously appealing expertly rendered here. Note as a model; it’s a little slice of the odd location of the fuel tank adventure sitting there on your directly under the driver’s seat! shelf! Craftsmanship is excellent, and with a limited run of just e tread pattern on the tires is 504 pieces, you can bet it will quite convincing, and you’ve got preserve its collector value. to give credit to Minichamps for crafting front- and rear-specific e original Land Rovers have wheel hubs. cultivated a cultlike following over these many years, and FINAL THOUGHTS Minichamps’ Series I offers a great look into why that is. It’s well worth e steadfast consistency of the original Land Rover design and its adding to your collection. ✇ single-mindedness of purpose SOURCE Minichamps; distributed by Carville Models carvillemodelsshop.com FALL 2017 23

OUT OF THE BOX BY THE DCX TEAM Best of Show 1970 Range Rover Classic A Refined Revolution in Off-Roading By conventional wisdom, the Range Rover AT A GLANCE probably never should have been successful. MODEL From the outset, it was an incongruous 1970 Range Rover Classic concept—a rolling non sequitur combining two customer demographics that, to that point, had MANUFACTURER basically no overlap: well-heeled connoisseurs Best of Show with a taste for refinement and mud-in-the- teeth off-roaders with a penchant for adventure. GENRE Tweed jackets versus grungy Army surplus. But Classic off-road 4X4 during the mid-’60s, when the Rover Company had become the de facto authority on the off- SCALE road adventure subculture by virtue of the 1:18 supreme functionality of the Land Rover (LR) Series I and II SUVs, the company began to PRICE notice a previously unrecognized customer $145 category. WHAT WE LIKE First-year collector appeal + Bright, visible interior ++ Vertical bar grille is elementally appealing ere were consumers out there “Spen” King—nephew of Spencer awards, and was even invited to be when handling the model. e with enough resources and desire (whom he was named after) and displayed in the Louvre’s Museum vertical bar grille is elemental in its to go recreational motoring— Maurice Wilks (father of the LR)— of Decorative Arts because of its simplicity, but those clean, strong occasionally in some exotic and on a “100-inch wagon,” neatly innovative and arresting design. lines are a big part of the RR rugged locales—but who still splitting the 88- and 109-inch LRs And most crucial, customers Classic’s appeal. wanted a refined and comfortable and utilizing the aluminum 3.5L bought them! vehicle that embraced technology. V-8 recently acquired from Buick. e big windows and the And these consumers, it must As the first prototypes came at brings us to this model. light upholstery color—called be acknowledged, valued an together, the secret project was Billed as a 1970 “A” model, it is “Palomino”—give an excellent upscale image—and were willing assigned the name “Velar” (a play interesting to note that this is view of the interior details. A to pay a premium for it. What on the Italian word for “veiled”). a left-hand-drive (i.e., export) four-speed manual transmission no one but Rover understood A coil-spring suspension was model, and the yellowish beige was the only gearbox offered for (or at least hoped for) was just chosen to maximize both on-road paint is called “Sahara Dust.” the first decade of Range Rover how many such gentleman (and comfort and off-road traction. According to Rover production production, and the long-handle gentlewoman) adventurers were While not overtly luxurious records, only six left-hand-drive gear lever is spot-on in terms of actually out there. (at least in the beginning), the RRs were built in 1970; there authenticity as are the levers for Velar—which was renamed “Range are no records of the colors, so the integrated high/low transfer In the simplest terms, the Rover” (RR) after the first 40 or it’s certainly plausible that at case, with its viscous coupling idea was to take the best of so preproduction models had least one was painted Sahara and the controls for the Salisbury the LR’s functionality and then been built—did not punish its Dust. e color is accurate to the locking center differential. e loosen the cost constraints passengers on pavement, and factory paint, and the application underbody has only rudimentary on the engineering staff, to the V-8 offered up significantly is clean and smooth. e black detail—not enough to warrant challenge them to make the best improved performance and window trim is reproduced with flipping the car over and smudging multipurpose vehicle with the dynamics over the overworked tape, which looks a little two- the lovely finish. ere is an fewest compromises possible. 4- and 6-cylinder engines in the dimensional at certain angles, but exhaust system jutting out that Series LRs. And 4-wheel disc the application is more effective particular angle unique to first- ey then challenged the stylists brakes—a first for a 4X4—offered in black than it is when simulating gen Range Rovers. Wheels give a to make it modern, and striking, superior safety. e critically chrome. e forward-mounted fair approximation of the Rostyle and aspirational. Senior Rover acclaimed styling won numerous mirrors are correct to scale, but steel rims that were ubiquitous on design engineer Gordon Bashford they are fragile, so be mindful early Rovers, but they are a tad collaborated with Charles Spencer 24 DCXmag.com

THE BIG WINDOWS AND THE LIGHT UPHOLSTERY COLOR—CALLED “PALOMINO”—GIVE AN EXCELLENT VIEW OF THE INTERIOR DETAILS. too small to be true to the stock swapping wheels. abandoned its off-road roots. were pioneers. at’s what makes 16 inchers. at’s OK because Competitors like Mercedes would this BoS model so much fun; it was the original ones would be color- FINAL THOUGHTS copy that formula with vehicles the vanguard of an automotive matched to Sahara Dust paint like the G-Wagen—which, movement that no one saw from the factory. Rostyles also In its successive models, the ironically, was launched the very coming. What better reason to add came in a 15-inch size, however, Range Rover Classic would same year that a Range Rover so let’s call these ones replace- continue to move upscale, won the first ever Dakar Rally in one to your collection? ✇ ment wheels—which also explains adding more comfort, style, 1979. Modern Range Rovers have the oversized tire since that and technology as it catered risen to astonishing heights of SOURCE would be a common upgrade evermore to the luxury SUV performance and sophistication, Best of Show; distributed by American for any RR Classic model year category it effectively invented, but those iconic early-year RRs Excellence american-excellence.com but paradoxically, it never really Early Range Rovers placed the fuel cap in a e model captures that distinct angle First-year Range Rovers were comfortable by the standards of the day but a far cry from the notched recess in the right rear fender. e that Range Rover exhaust tips jut out at. modern luxury experience current models offer. Big windows and Palomino upholstery offer model gets this just right. Land Rover badges and light lenses look an excellent view. good too. FALL 2017 25

out of the box by matt boyd Looking at the final Defender—a find yourself in one of the most 90 Heritage Edition Soft Top— inhospitable areas of the globe in Kyosho Land Rover what strikes you first is how little need of motorized transportation, Defender 90 the Land Rover has changed the vehicle to come to your rescue Adventure Edition in two-thirds of a century. The will most likely have a “Land Defender 90 is a couple of inches Rover” badge on its upright grille. The Last Ride for the Ultimate longer, wider, and taller than At times, that single-minded Adventure Machine the 1948 Series I, but the basic devotion to purpose has cost design—a boxy little 4X4 with Land Rover some sales, and with If I were to ask you to think of the cars with the aluminum body panels atop safety and efficiency regulations longest continuous production run, what comes a ladder frame with full-time ever tightening in the major to mind? Many would guess the original air-cooled 4-wheel drive powered by a automotive markets, the time Volkswagen Beetle, which was in production around torquey little 4-cylinder motor finally came when the Land Rover the world for 65 years. Maybe the Corvette? It will driving a pair of solid axles design that traced so directly tie the Beetle’s benchmark this coming year (if through a manual transmission— back to that 1948 model could you discount the hiatus in 1983). But both trail the remains intact. simply no longer meet modern vehicle on these pages. When the final production Also intact is its mission to be standards. So the company gave version of the original Land Rover rolled its way the most capable all-terrain, all- the Defender a proud, dignified down the assembly line at the Solihull, England, purpose vehicle available to the send-off that paid perfect tribute factory on January 29, 2016, it capped 68 years of public anywhere in the world. And to its rich history. It did so with continuous production! for most of its life, it achieved that three special “Final Editions”— goal, becoming the conveyance the aforementioned Heritage; of choice for some of the most a so-called “Autobiography” ambitious vehicular adventures Edition, which took the prestige, ever undertaken. In fact, the luxury, and performance of the Rover Company embraced that Defender to its maximum; and reputation, sponsoring a number the “Adventure” Edition, which of seemingly impossible journeys epitomized the supreme capability to help prove the mettle of its and exploratory spirit that—more machines. Chances are if you than any specific technical detail— has defined Land Rover’s identity. Kyosho has chosen to model all three Final versions, using its excellent 1:18 Defender 90 casting as a base. Any of the three are worthy subjects for collectors, but to my mind, the Adventure is the most exciting, so I was overjoyed when Kyosho sent us an early example to review. 26 DCXmag.com

AT A GLANCE MODEL Land Rover Defender 90 Adventure Edition MANUFACTURER Kyosho GENRE Modern off-road 4X4 SCALE 1:18 PRICE $155 (est) WHAT WE LIKE at may sound like a trivial I could find. for the 4WD transfer case; this is matter unless—like me—you’ve Inside, the Adventure grants a serious off-road machine, so no + Roof rack and snorkel struggled to fit a part to a model automatic gearboxes here! e deliver the “Adventure” that’s just a fraction off or doesn’t a few more concessions to com- doors are hinged on the outside stay seated once placed. is is fort than did the spartan 1948 (just like the real LR), so they open + Tread on the Goodyear how it should be done, so kudos model. In fact, it’s treated to the nice and wide, and more detail can knobby tires to Kyosho. e roof-high intake full Windsor leather-upholstery be glimpsed through the opening snorkel that feeds air through package—the Defender’s top rear door. + Phoenix Orange grabs the right-side fender to the little interior option—in a charcoal gray your eye turbodiesel engine is a neat detail, color, which the model captures Hidden hinges on the hood but there is a slight gap between nicely. e surfaces are a mixture keep things nice and scale, but First to grab you is the Phoenix the bracket and the A-pillar. at of soft-touch and hard plastics, they limit the open-angle height Orange metallic paint, contrasted and the use of standard-lens and there is plenty of detail somewhat. Still, you get a pretty by glossy black for the hood, headlights where there should be throughout. Note the presence fair glimpse of the molded panel grille, and roof panels. It’s a rich LED projector beams are the only of two gear levers: one for the that depicts the 2.2L turbodiesel color—arresting but not gaudy— miscues on the entire model that 6-speed manual transmission that powers all three Final Editions. and nicely applied on the model. (sourced from Ford) and the other In the Adventure (and also the A bright color on those expanses of flat metal highlight flaws; fortunately, aside from one or two miniscule specs, the paint is very good. Unlike other Defenders from Kyosho, the Adventure arrives with “some assembly required” due to the addition of the Defen- der Expedition Roof Rack and rear-mounted stepladder—each molded out of tubular black plastic. e moldings are precise, and the mounting holes cast into the body align perfectly, so snapping the add-ons into place take all of 20 seconds and they stay firmly in place once applied. e beautifully molded roof rack must be added by the collector, but the fit is e torquey little Ford-built 2.2L turbodiesel got extra grunt in the Adventure Edition. absolutely perfect. e molded panel is pretty convincing on this replica. FALL 2017 27

KYOSHO LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 ADVENTURE EDITION Left: Land Rover drivers don’t have to rough it like in the old days. A full Windsor leather package is part of the Adventure package. e model uses a mix of soft-touch and hard plastics to render it in scale. Right: Even the rear hatch opens on the model, so you get excellent views of the interior from every angle. Autobiography), the Ford-built the beautifully treaded Goodyear emerging from competing brands, running—for decades to come. In 4-cylinder has been pumped up MT/R knobby tires to find their so the Defender’s replacement the meantime, Kyosho’s replicas a bit, producing 148hp and a stout purchase on any surface. Note also represents a fresh start for one of the Final Editions are a great 295 lb.-ft. of torque (28 and all the extra protection from the of the most storied names in way to hang onto a little piece of 30 more than standard, respec- front and sill-mounted skidplates. off-roading. But dated as the the legend. My advice? Get the tively). e model’s powertrain foundations are, the Defender still Adventure. e extra gear is fun, is actually more interesting FINAL THOUGHTS excels at its core function—and the and it best sums up what Land from below, where the gearbox, retro styling is a huge selling point transfer case, and offset differ- e Final Editions represent a to many fans. It will be missed Rover is all about! ✇ ential axles are wonderfully bittersweet moment for Land for sure, but 68 years is a pretty detailed. e long-throw coil Rover. On the one hand, the design respectable run for machines SOURCE springs are functional too, allowing is positively archaic compared to that will remain respected—and Kyosho (kyoshoamerica.com); some of the modern SUV designs distributed by Carville Models carvillemodelsshop.com



OUT OF THE BOX BY THE DCX TEAM LS Collectibles 1986 Range Rover Luxury Meets Utility in a Uniquely British Way The year 1986 was a moment of calm during LS captures the a very frenzied period in the evolution of timeless shape that Britain’s most prestigious 4X4. The year before, defined a generation Range Rover had undergone its most extensive of Range Rovers. technological update, gaining fuel injection and Cypress Green paint a pair of new transmissions—a 5-speed stick and and meticulous sur- 4-speed automatic—to buttress its industry- face detailing really leading ride quality and slightly quirky but presents well. quintessentially English luxury appointments. Also in 1985, a turbodiesel- well, as the nameplate will now side mirrors; the model has a quirky hornless steering wheel powered Range Rover nicknamed have a dedicated and exclusive strange extra angle cut into the (mid-’80s Range Rovers had their “Bullet” had smashed no less than distributor in M & D International. top edge of each mirror, but that’s horns on the end of the turn- 27 speed and endurance records, pretty minor stuff and something signal stalk). e 3-spoke alloy including averaging more than at should bring some attain- that most collectors likely won’t wheels are very ’80s and very 100mph for 24 hours straight— ability and consistency for notice or care about. well executed, right down to their including fuel stops! And for the American collectors and allow LS trim rings and “Range Rover”– upcoming year, the company to compete on an equal footing e same feature that gives labeled center caps. e tires have was readying the biggest British with other sealed-body resin owners of the full-size Range appropriate if slightly shallow Invasion since the Beatles as it brands. We got an up-close look Rover such a commanding view tread on them, but they capture brought the Range Rover to the at two of the company’s offerings of the road—the tall greenhouse— that narrow, tall sidewall look that American market for the very with a British flair: a ’74 Triumph aids us in seeing the interior was particular to Range Rovers first time. TR6 and the Range Rover you detail. It’s finished in Silver Grey, of the era. ere’s no chassis or see on these pages. Being an ’ suggesting that this is a top-of- suspension detail on this model, LS Collectibles is staging a 86 model, the Range Rover the-line Vogue model, and while but the dual-exhaust outlet bit of an American invasion as reflects the technical advance- there is no definitive exterior identifies this as a 3.5L V-8 rather ments introduced in ’85 for the identification on Range Rovers than the turbodiesel. AT A GLANCE English domestic market, from to confirm that, keen eyes will MODEL which this right-hand-drive note that this one is equipped FINAL THOUGHTS 1986 Range Rover version originates. It’s the right with a center console for the color too: “Cypress Green,” in 5-speed transmission. e e Range Rover is one of those MANUFACTURER Range Rover parlance. e paint former confirms it as a Vogue; ’80s icons that is just coming LS Collectibles is smooth and nicely applied over the latter is as sure a sign as into its own as a collectible. It is this model’s sizable surface area. the steering-wheel location distinctive, it conveys prestige, GENRE that this is a British domestic and it’s just now reaching the age ’80s luxury/off-road e Range Rover doesn’t have market car. Legible gauges are where nostalgia starts kicking in much in the way of brightwork visible through the windows, and ramping up collector interest. SCALE or badging, aside from the block and the shape is correct on the Its authenticity will satisfy dis- 1:18 scripts across the hood and rear deck as well as little “Land Rover” PRICE ovals on the grille and rear fascia, $150 (est) but each of those is executed well. Smaller details like the head- and WHAT WE LIKE taillight lenses and marker lights are clear and have the proper Beautiful finish patterns of clear, amber and red lenses for the year. ere’s a tow + Convincing proportions loop located under the left front ++ Iconic ’80s wheel design bumper. About the only things that are even slightly off are the 30 DCXmag.com

this model will speak to those who remember the fanfare associated with the Range Rover’s arrival on U.S. shores. cerning collectors, and while it is Range Rover’s arrival on U.S. Source not likely to be at the center of shores. All we need now is an mainstream demand, this model ’87 edition with the steering wheel LS Collectibles, exclusively from M & D will speak to those who remember International motorheadminiatures.net the fanfare associated with the on the left! ✇ The characteristically tall greenhouse gives an excellent view of the interior, and little things The steering-wheel location makes it clear that this is a British domestic model. The Range like the defroster lines and block scripts look just right. Rover would not come to U.S. shores until the following year, in 1987. fall 2017 31

OUT OF THE BOX BY MATT BOYD Mr. Norm’s Grand Spaulding as throwing social gatherings Dodge was already well on its way and staging promotional events Supercar Collectibles to becoming the largest high- for “Mr. Norm’s Sport Club” to Mr. Norm’s 1965 performance Dodge dealership build the “scene” and draw in Altered-Wheelbase in the country. Located at the younger performance-minded Dodge corner of Grand and Spaulding customers. Local Chicago band avenues in the heart of Chicago, Blowing the Doors off FX with the dealership’s dyno tuning, e Buckinghams would often a Supercharged Coronet service, and performance-parts play at these gatherings. department was the stuff of legend. Norm Kraus had formed Late in ’64, Norm met driver Grand Spaulding Dodge racing Gary Dyer, and the story goes that team the previous year in 1964 to he suggested to Norm that the promote the dealership’s growing team shouldn’t be racing in the performance department, running same class as his customers (and a pair of Super Stock cars—one beating them!) if he wanted Max Wedge, one Hemi—as well to build goodwill and loyalty. Rather, he advised Norm to run in a high-profile class that his customers could look up to but not be threatened by, so they devised a plan to run one of the new altered-wheelbase Dodges for the 1965 season, A couple of issues ago, I reviewed the Yankee Peddler A/FX Dodge from Supercar Collectibles and was blown away by the accuracy and attention to detail that Supercar’s president and lifelong drag racer Scott Dahlberg put into developing that car. The FX cars are Scott’s personal labor of love, and it took him five years to get the post cars just to his liking. The Mr. Norm’s is only the second released, and it is effectively the same bodyshell, so why, you may ask, are we talking about it again so soon? For the same reason everybody was talking about it in ’65: that big honkin’ blower jutting out of the hood! 32 DCXmag.com

and Gary suggested they run it Spaulding Dodge graphics on it the side of the car, complete AT A GLANCE supercharged—as none of Mr. but left the car blue. It was this with a crown on its head (Norm MODEL Norm’s customers would be car that made an 8.63 pass at was the “Hi-Performance King,” Mr. Norm’s 1965 Altered- running a blown altered (S/FX) Lions Dragway late in the season just like it says on the door) and Wheelbase Dodge car. ey initially built their own that set the record—and the blowing steam out of its nose. copy of the factory-altered car benchmark for the new Funny Car MANUFACTURER but chose a 2-door post sedan class that would be established e color is Spanish Red, and it’s Supercar Collectibles for its more rigid structure, and the following year. But the red car gorgeous. But my favorite graphic they ran it supercharged—on gas with the full Mr. Norm’s livery is elements are the names on the GENRE at first but later switched to nitro. what they ran most of the season trunk lid. Gary Dyer stenciled 1960s drag racing and in match racing, and it’s a the name of all the drivers he e model you see here is that much prettier car, so that is the match-raced on the trunk, and SCALE configuration. An interesting bit one Supercar chose to model. he checked them off as he 1:18 of trivia: Late in the season, Norm defeated them—like a fighter pilot had the opportunity to buy Roger e biggest difference between marking his kills! PRICE Lindamood’s blue Color Me Gone, the Mr. Norm’s and previous $150 one of the original 12 factory-built A/FX cars is indeed the blower— e interiors of these FX acid-dipped hardtops that was but it’s not the only one. We’ll go cars are wonderful, with the WHAT WE LIKE 200 pounds lighter than their through them one by one, but push-button-actuated Torque- Hyper-accurate blown Hemi car. ey took the supercharged first a note on the graphics. Flite automatic and the skimpy motor out of the red sedan and Norm’s logo is a ram (Dodge’s little bucket sourced out of a + Beam-axle front suspension dropped it into the lightweight animal mascot) charging down van because it was the lightest ++ Officially endorsed by Mr. blue hardtop. ey applied Grand Norm’s and driver Gary Dyer is blown, altered-wheelbase post sedan was a terror on the match-race circuit, and helped Mr. Norm’s Grand Spaulding Dodge become one of the best-known Mopar Performance shops in the country. IN LOOKING AT THIS MODEL, IT WILL COME AS NO SURPRISE TO YOU THAT IT WAS LICENSED BY MR. NORM’S AND CREATED WITH INPUT FROM GARY DYER HIMSELF. IT SHOWS. FALL 2017 33

SUPERCAR COLLECTIBLES MR. NORM’S 1965 ALTERED-WHEELBASE DODGE Above: Does this look like the cockpit of an eight-second car? A stock steering wheel and a Above: Just as important to the realism of this car was the beam front axle set on functional skimpy van seat with a lap belt was what Gary Dyer had to work with. Below: e big Roots metal leaf springs. Below: at jumbo battery helped weight distribution, and it’s fully blower isn’t the only new item under the hood. All-new pulleys—complete with a flexible wired on the Mr. Norm’s. Even cooler is the cable that runs from the chute through the rear rubber belt—and an all-new ignition system were designed for this model. bulkhead and attaches to a pull handle on the roll bar. thing in the Dodge catalog. e so plastic makes sense), and set of headers runs down under FINAL THOUGHTS dashboard housing is stock, but they’re so well painted you can’t the car to either side of a nicely the instrument panel was replaced really tell. ey’re held in place rendered TorqueFlite. In looking at this model, it will with a lightweight fiberglass piece. with functional hood pins, and come as no surprise to you that Supercar captures all of that and I’ve shared my thoughts on those Under the car is where we get it was licensed by Mr. Norm’s tucks a racing tach onto the top before—cool in theory but a pain to the second major difference and created with input from Gary of the steering column. ere’s to actually operate—so I’d prefer between this model and the Dyer himself. It shows. What also a simple 4-point roll bar in back, simulated pins like the ones that previous A/FX cars. at axle shows is how much Scott Dahlberg triangulated over the section of are used on the cast-metal trunk. is no stock B-body torsion-bar loves the FX cars and how much the chassis that’s been cut to setup. It’s not even the custom he cared to get them right. at allow the rear axle to be pushed e four-hole blower scoop just K-member of the factory light- enthusiasm is infectious. When forward 15 inches, and that bar peeks above the factory hood weight cars. Nope. e Mr. Norm’s Supercar announced this car, I adds needed stiffness. e trunk scoop, but when you lift the car ran a van-style solid beam axle, preordered mine the next day, opens, and I still marvel that hood off, that’s when the magic so Supercar went to the trouble sight unseen—largely on the Supercar took the trouble to run happens. Obviously the scoop, to cast all new suspension pieces. strength of the Yankee Peddler a braided metal pull cord from blower, and manifold are all new— Not just a molded replica either; I reviewed six months ago. e the chute all the way through and beautifully rendered with this car has metal leaf springs, new presence of the blower, the beam the trunk, through the bulkhead, their different paint finishes. But spindles, a new steering rack, plus axle, and the history behind the Mr. and up into the cabin where it’s the entire pulley system had to all the required shackles and other Norm’s name made it a must-have attached to a pull handle on the be replaced as well, and Supercar hardware to mount it up—pretty for me. I now have a match race set roll bar! has included a flexible rubber belt much exactly the same process for maximum realism. Even the as the race teams, except that the up on my display shelf! ✇ e hoods on these cars distributor and ignition setup had race teams had a parts bin to raid, are plastic (they have to make to be redone, and unlike on the whereas Supercar had to make SOURCE a different one for each engine Peddler, this fuel tank is tucked all this stuff from scratch! It’s just combo—carb, injected, or blown— inside the engine bay. A lovely awesome. Supercar Collectibles supercar1.com 34 DCXmag.com

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OUT OF THE BOX BY MATT BOYD And it produced the car for a long Pullman limousines of various time, although not many. When configurations—including about Sun Star 1966 it was first presented to world in 60 Landaulets with a removable Mercedes-Benz 600 1963, the standard-wheelbase rear section of the roof, giving Pullman Limo sedan cost more than $20,000. VIPs in back an open-air conver- (A brand-new Ferrari cost about tible experience. But to me, the Motoring Magic in a Machine $13,000 that year.) But unlike Pullman defines the 600, and as without Compromise Ferrari, Mercedes kept the with most limos, it’s what’s inside Grosser in production essentially that counts. unchanged for decades, finally retiring it in 1981, after about at’s because Mercedes built 2,700 had glided majestically off a a wholly distinctive—and awe- largely hand-built assembly line. inspiring, engineering-wise— Of those, most were standard- power system to operate virtually (short-) wheelbase sedans, but every convenience and mechanical 428 were extended-wheelbase system in the car. It has power everything: windows; seat adjust- We all know that familiar cliché about German practicality. The Mercedes- Benz 600 Pullman is a 21-foot long, 3-ton battering ram that smashes that stereotype. The car, which is affectionately nicknamed der Großer, is many things, but “practical” is not one of them. We also know what they say about German engineering. That stereotype the Pullman validates— in spades! This is almost surely the most mechanically ambi- tious, complex machine Mercedes-Benz—a company legendary for innovative engineering—has ever produced. 36 DCXmag.com

ers, front and rear; sunroof; close Eleven thousand dollars to replace! fingerprints, but the foundation is AT A GLANCE assist on the vaultlike doors; even And if one of those pressure lines there. It should be noted that Sun MODEL the trunk open/close mechanism. pops a leak, the whole system Star also produces the model as 1966 Mercedes-Benz 600 could fail—not to mention fill the a Landaulet, so it has chosen to Pullman Limo ose features may be found on innards of your car with mineral oil, mold the roof separately. As such, high-end luxury cars today, but because that’s what the system there is a seam at the base of the MANUFACTURER remember that this was 1963. Also, uses. Good thing only rock gods, C-pillar and the roof creaks a little Sun Star these systems aren’t electrical. movie stars, and heads of state when you operate the doors, but Electric motors were too noisy tend to own Grossers. it actually doesn’t hurt the car GENRE and unrefined for the market visually and having the option to 1960s luxury Mercedes was catering to. Instead, e rest of us can own one a go topless is a bonus. ere’s a lot it designed a system of hydraulics little more affordably in 1:18 thanks of chrome on a Grosser, and Sun SCALE to operate the whole car, from to Sun Star. And there are no Star does pretty well in this regard 1:18 the luxury appointments to the hydraulic lines to worry about! e as well. It’s a mix of metal and suspension. All of it is tied to a overall presentation and shape of chromed plastic, but the latter is PRICE giant pump spun by the big 6.3L the model is impressive, to say done well enough that you cannot $135 V-8 that pressurizes the system the least. Contours are correct, readily tell which is which. ere’s to an alarming 3200psi. But that and that distinctive low-slung a nicely etched tri-star hood WHAT WE LIKE does make all the systems virtually stance is captured. For a car called ornament; the trunk badging is silent and operate with a strength “Grosser,” the model is not as big painted on. ere are little chrome + Size and styling yield tre- that clunky servomotors could as expected, but a quick measure brackets for flags on the tips of mendous shelf presence never muster. It also makes the confirms that the wheelbase and the front fenders (as I mentioned, system mystifyingly complex and overall length are correct. Maybe this car is a favorite of heads of + Stance is spot-on to extremely maintenance-intensive. it’s the car’s reputation that set state—and a few dictators!) but no der Großer And expensive. Really, really outsized expectations? e finish is flags themselves. It wouldn’t be expensive to fix. e multichannel quite good as well. With all that flat hard, though, to modify the model + Nice interior and engine pressure valve in the driver’s door expanse of black, it’s a constant to accept some custom flags. detailing that operates the power windows? battle to fend off smudges and Long, low, and menacing, this is one of Mercedes’ most formidable creations —and certainly its most mechanically complex! THIS CAR HAS A PALPABLE AURA EVEN IN SCALE. IT SAYS THE OWNER IS SOMEONE IMPORTANT AND SERIOUS- MINDED AND TASTEFUL. HIGH-CLASS, IN EVERY SENSE. FALL 2017 37

SUN STAR 1966 MERCEDES-BENZ 600 PULLMAN LIMO Above: e steering wheel and dashboard are nicely appointed— not that the VIP owner is likely to spend time up front! Left: e rear doors open nice and wide to give a full view of the 2X2 seating arrangement in back. e detail is good, but the color palette is unusual. e model comes with four e trunk does not open on Sun Star does a nice job with the big SOHC 6.3L V-8, which is one of Mercedes most opening doors. ere were some this casting, but that’s no huge famous. At 300hp, it has the brawn to pull the Pullman, but it gives back 50hp to run the 6-door Pullmans built, but most loss in my view. e hood does hydraulic pump! were sold as the model appears. open; just tip a fingernail under the Sun Star informed me that it is big vertical grille section and lift. It fuel-injection system. ere’s less palpable aura even in scale. It says working on hinge fitment for the opens nice and wide, and hinges detail on the hydraulic pump and the owner is someone important second run of these cars, but are firm enough to stay open associated plumbing than I would and serious-minded and tasteful. honestly, it’s already pretty good. (usually) despite that heavy grille like to see, but otherwise, the High-class, in every sense. And piece trying to drag it back down. engine gets high marks. rich, because decent-condition e front doors have old-style Pullmans auction for half a million doglegs and they’re a little stiff e motor is the venerable M100 ere’s relatively little to see now, and a serious restoration to open, but the rear doors have 6.3L SOHC V-8 made famous in on the bottom of the chassis. e could double that. Just maintaining hideaway hinges and they open the 300SEL factory hot rod, but hydraulic suspension may not be that hydraulic system will set you easily. e interior has a peculiar this is the car that engine was all that visually gratifying anyway, back thousands—per year! But hue; the seats have a claylike red/ developed for. Even with tame so I’m not sure we’re missing who cares? is is the meanest, brown color to them, whereas the luxury-oriented cam timing, the anything to speak of. e wheels coolest, classiest limo ever ridden simulated wood trim (Sun Star was 6.3 was good for 300hp, but that look great though; they really in. And that’s why you’ll want one going for burled walnut, it looks monster hydraulic pump soaked up fill the arches nicely, and the car of Sun Star’s fine models of it. like) is slightly orange. e molding 50hp on its own, so the net power hunkers menacingly over them. It offers it in a number of colors shape on the interior looks good, of the Grosser was rated at 250hp. as well as a couple of landaulet but I’d like to see mellower and Sun Star does a nice job with it too. e relationship of wheel to wheel versions that might appeal to you more realistic colors. I have no such arch is part of what defines the even more, depending on your concerns about the steering wheel e block is fully 3D molded (no Grosser’s signature look, so it’s personal taste. Whichever you and dash—they look great. motor plate here), and there is nice good to see Sun Star get it right. choose, it will be one of the most detail on the twin-plenum Bosch Hubcaps and tires look good too. eye-catching cars on your shelf! ✇ Chrome bits are a mix of metal and plastic. You can’t really tell which is which by looking— FINAL THOUGHTS which is the point. SOURCE e Grosser, especially in Pullman form, is almost a caricature in its Sun Star sunstarmodelcars.com formidable presence. is car has a 38 DCXmag.com

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DEARLY DEPARTED You know that part in the Academy Awards show where they take a break from handing out Oscar statues and play that “In Memoriam” reel, which pays tribute to all the stars that passed away during that year? There’s a sadness to it, of course, but also a bittersweet nostalgia as you are reminded of some great performances—sometimes by people who have faded from the spotlight who you may not have thought of in years. That’s kind of how automotive enthusiasts feel when they spot a great car from a defunct manufacturer and why collectors still seek out many such cars years—sometimes decades—after the brand has disappeared from the market. In the diecast world, replicas of those missed marques sometimes generate even more collector interest than the still viable brands. So we thought we’d take a look back at some of the more interesting makes that have fallen by the wayside and the models that have been—and continue to be—made of them. It goes without saying that this list is not comprehensive nor is it intended to rank the models shown above ones that are not. With that said, let’s look at these models in memoriam: BY MATT BOYD PACKARD RIP 1958 Yat Ming has done several value-oriented Packards in 1:18, including this stylish ’53 Caribbean co nvertible. Leading up to World War II, Packard was a premier luxury and performance brand, but following the war, it struggled to modernize and retain its identity. Packard offered industry-leading suspension and transmission technology, and in 1954, it purchased stylish but economically unstable Studebaker. e latter’s designs ultimately won out—Packard was retired as a nameplate after 1958. 40 DCXmag.com

EDSEL RIP 1960 e fate of Edsel proves that marketing alone does not a successful automobile make. Ford launched the new brand in 1957 after an advertising blitz that hyped its arrival more than a year in advance. When it finally did debut, the actual car was…underwhelming. Truth be told, the Edsel was not a bad car, but the promises and expectations had been so lofty that nothing could likely have lived up to them—at least nothing with that nose on it! Reliability problems only compounded the issue, and poor sales doomed the marque after just three years. Its last design—the Comet—was reassigned to Mercury just prior to its launch in 1960. One wonders what might have been had it debuted as an Edsel. e advertising campaign for the Edsel was first-rate; the styling and build-quality less so. e controversial fate of Edsel does make for a compelling collectible. Spark does a nice ’58 wagon in 1:43. DESOTO RIP 1960 DeSoto was one of the first casualties of Chrysler brand consolidation. ere have been several Positioned in the middle of the range, it was squeezed out when Chrysler produced in various scales over moved down-market in the mid-1950s, and not enough space remained the years. Currently M2 makes between it and siblings Dodge and Plymouth, so ultimately DeSoto model designs were absorbed by Chrysler itself. But there are a number of mid- to nice versions in 1:64. late ’50s DeSotos that are worth adding to your collection— chief among them, the 1955–60 Fireflite and Adventurer performance models. FALL 2017 41

Studebaker styling was cutting-edge. is sleek Starliner looked years ahead of any other American car when it debuted in 1953. STUDEBAKERRIP 1967 Danbury Mint made a great bullet nose ’50 Commander Progressive postwar Studebaker designs defined the company, and the signature bullet in 1:24 years ago. nose on the ’50 Commander and Champion is among the most recognizable styling features of all time. e Packard merger gave a needed infusion of cash, and the ’56–64 Hawk series were as fast as they were stylish—especially the factory-supercharged ’57–58 Golden Hawks and ’63–64 GT Hawks. Auto World has retooled the roughout much of its history, this quirky offspring of Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson remained an old 1:18 Ertl AMX casting to independent company and most of its more appealing models were produced during that time, but near produce this ultra-cool 1969 the end of its run Chrysler acquired the brand (because it owned Jeep). Ramblers, Javelins, and AMXs are Kim Nagle Super Stock car. legitimate muscle car collectibles in 1:18, and even the odd Gremlin and Pacer show up in 1:43 and 1:64. AMC RIP 1988 42 DCXmag.com

PLYMOUTH RIP 2001 Oh, this one hurts! ere have been so many glorious Plymouths over the years—from the classic ’50s Fury to some of the most legendary muscle machines ever to roast a rear tire down Woodward Avenue. Six Pack Road Runners and Hemi ’Cudas are among the all-time favorites for millions of muscle car fans, and who could forget Richard Petty’s Hemi-powered Belvederes and Superbirds in NASCAR? When Hurst Performance Shifters is 1:18 ’69 Hemi GTX convertible from Auto World is wanted a muscle car to help promote a great example of Plymouth’s upscale muscle car. its products, it struck up a deal with Olds. Signature White-and-Gold H/Os OLDSMOBILE RIP 2004 (Hurst/Olds) showcased one of the longest marketing partnerships It was a long downward slide from the Rocket 88 and 442 to sleepy Silhouette mini- in Detroit history. vans and Alero rental cars. Olds sales peaked during the malaise era of the late ’70s to early ’80s, but as other GM brands reinvented themselves, Olds’ identity aged poorly—squeezed out by shrinking space between Buick and Pontiac. Still, the Rocket 88 will always have a claim to being the first true muscle car, and Toronados and 442s will remain among the classiest. Danbury Mint’s lovely ’49 Rocket 88 is as sorely missed as Oldsmobile itself. In addition to producing the 1:18 442 we review on page 46, Auto World also distributed Johnny Lightning, so it is responsible for a number of 1:64 versions like this ’69. FALL 2017 43

PONTIAC RIP 2010 Pontiac’s demise in 2010—after a long illness—was all the more tragic because just prior the brand had finally shown signs of remission. e G8—launched in 2008—was a world-class performance sedan fully deserving of the Pontiac legacy, but it came too late to rescue the brand from years of plasticky Grand Ams and grotesque Azteks. Coming to terms with having seen the last GTOs and Firebirds has been hard; we still see Poncho-faithful custom shops building Trans Am concepts based off the current Camaro! Evidence of Pontiac’s enduring popularity can be found in the number of models available, like this ’69 GTO from Auto World. Pontiac may have pulled the name from a Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In bit, but it wasn’t fooling around when it introduced e Judge for 1969. 44 DCXmag.com

HUMMER RIP 2010 Maisto’s 1:18 H1 soft top is an affordable example of the first generation of consumer Hummers. Don’t think Hummer qualifies as muscle? Maybe not traditionally, but we challenge you to find a brawnier factory 4X4 ever sold to the public than the original H1! AM General designed that monster for the U.S. military, but civilian versions prompted GM to buy the rights to the Hummer and release the H2 based on a beefed-up Tahoe/Suburban chassis. When gas prices spiked and the Great Recession hit in 2008, Hummer tried to respond with a downsized H3, but it was not enough and the brand was axed as part of the 2010 GM bloodbath (along with Pontiac and Saturn). e H2 was built on a stan- dard Chevy SUV platform but featured plenty of extra bravado. MERCURY RIP 2011 SOURCES e 1991 Cougar—seen here in 1:43 Acme Trading Co. acmediecast.com by BoS—might be one of the last Auto World autoworldstore.com truly distinctive Mercurys. Best of Show (BoS); distributed by American Excellence american-excellence.com Danbury Mint danburymint.com GreenLight Collectibles greenlighttoys.com Johnny Lightning; distributed by Auto World autoworldstore.com M2 Machines m2machines.com Maisto maisto.com Neo; distributed by American Excellence american-excellence.com Spark Model sparkmodel.com Sun Star sunstarmodelcars.com Like its GM rival Oldsmobile, Mercury lost its identity gradually, eventually becoming a stable of rebadged Ford products with little to distinguish it in customers’ eyes. But fans remember the glory days of Montereys and Marauders, Comets and Cougars, and they still seek them out in scale. ✇ Neo’s 1:43 1957 Turnpike Cruiser is the peak of ’50s flair for Merc. FALL 2017 45

OUT OF THE BOX BY MATT BOYD A decade later, Olds entered Oldsmobile decided the Cutlass the sporty compact fray with needed sharpening. Engineers Auto World 1968 the F-85, sharing a unibody raided the Police Package parts Oldsmobile 442 Y-platform and innovative bin to produce the B09 package, aluminum V-8 with the Buick which consisted of a heavy- Celebrating the W30 Skylark and Pontiac Tempest. duty police suspension, a special Holiday Coupe high-output 330ci V-8 (good ose three siblings would move for 310hp), and a sporty manual up to an intermediate body-on- transmission—along with subtle frame chassis for 1964 and enjoy “4-4-2” fender badging calling larger, more powerful engines. out the 4-barrel carb, 4-speed Olds had assigned its sporty gearbox, and dual (2) exhaust 2-door F-85s the name “Cutlass,” system. e option package but when Pontiac introduced its would not be officially named the “GTO” version of the Tempest, Long before alphanumeric model names became the norm in the luxury sports segment, Oldsmobile was ahead of the curve. And while Oldsmobile’s image slid into obsolescence in recent decades (unfortunately leading to the division’s demise in 2004), in the 1950s and ’60s, Olds was seen as a sophisticated performance machine. The heyday began in 1949 when the “Rocket” 88 was introduced; its 303 V-8 made it the fastest thing out of Detroit, and today it makes a convincing case for being the first muscle car. 46 DCXmag.com

“4-4-2” until the following year, option also got you a 10-bolt with prominent fender bulges, AT A GLANCE but nevertheless, the legend had limited-slip differential, and all sweeping rear glass, and a bullet- MODEL begun. at legend grew—along 442s got beefy anti-roll bars and shaped C-pillar that enhances the 1968 Oldsmobile 442 with engine size and output (to other suspension upgrades as in dramatic profile—especially on this 400ci/345hp)—in ’65, and again previous years, making it among Holiday Coupe. e triple vertical MANUFACTURER in ’67 with the introduction of the best handling of all muscle stripe behind the rear wheel was Auto World “Outside Air Induction” (don’t cars. For many, the ’68 is the optional on all 442s but W30 cars you dare call it “Ram Air”), better beginning of the best years for the got them standard, and the white GENRE known by its option code: “W30.” 442 and the W30 is the best of matches the interior. is is an Muscle car the best, making this Cinnamon updated version of the old Ertl Another leap forward came in Bronze Holiday Coupe from Auto 442 casting, so the badges are SCALE 1968 with the launch of an all-new World something special for screen-printed rather than cast 1:18 body style, at which time the 442 collectors. or etched pieces, but they are well was split off into its own separate rendered with nice crisp lines and PRICE model instead of being an option e 442 shared its A-body edges on the scripts. e trim and $90 package on the Cutlass. ere was platform with siblings from molding—and the Olds has quite a a new motor too—still 400ci but Buick, Pontiac, and Chevy but for bit—is painted on, and that’s really WHAT WE LIKE with a torquey long-stroke crank many GM muscle fans—myself the only obvious place where the shared with the new 455 available included—the Olds is the most model reveals its origins. e front + Beginning of the prime era in full-size Oldsmobiles. e W30 attractive of the bunch. Gone fascia is nicely done; effective for 442 was again the top engine option, was the boxy F-85 bodywork use of flat black paint enhances identified by scoops under the of the previous generation, the look. + Thorough updating of a corners of the front bumper that replaced by a curvy new coupe favorite casting fed cool outside air straight into the engine. Checking the W30 + W30 = instant muscle-car street cred Don’t let the dapper look of the Olds fool you; with the W30 package, the 442 was a fearsome performer! AUTO WORLD’S MODEL IS A NICE UPDATE OF THE CLASSIC 442 CASTING; THE EXTRA DETAIL AND THE ADDED CACHET OF THE W30 HARDWARE ADD EVEN MORE APPEAL. FALL 2017 47

AUTO WORLD 1968 OLDSMOBILE 442 Bronze-colored engine block, twin snorkel cold-air induction, and bright red plastic fenders e white interior with black carpeting is true to life and looks great. e only miss is the are all signature features of a ’68 W30—and the model has them all. pedals: e gear lever and transmission housing are for a TH400 auto, but the floorboards have a clutch pedal. Doors swing open on old- and due to the duct routing, the Olds introduced the famed SSII wheel e badging is painted rather than etched school doglegs, but the throw is windshield-washer reservoir was pattern in ’68, and these wheels have the but is deftly applied and looks great. e pretty good and the hinges are relocated to the passenger side on correct argent gray centers with silver “2” in “442” was for dual exhausts, which is nice and firm. It’s worth noting W30s, but this model still has it on painted edges. fully molded on the model. that the car has wing windows; the non-W30 driver’s side. ose 1968 was the last year for them two quibbles aside, the motor are the wheels. Olds introduced other muscle cars. To dismiss on hardtops and convertibles, matches OEM spec quite nicely. the Super Stock II (SSII) wheel a 442 on the basis of its style although they hung around a While that air induction setup for 1968, and the look would and creature comforts is to risk while longer on 2-door post is the engine bay’s centerpiece, define Olds performance cars for an embarrassing reality check, cars. e black carpet, lower checking the W30 option also the next 20 years. For ’68, they particularly in the W30’s case. door panels, and console are all netted you special D-port heads, measured 14 inches with the Oldsmobile’s most potent correct for white interior cars and usually a 328-duration cam centers painted argent (gray) and performer was a legitimate like this, the bucket seats are (more on that in a minute). e the holes rimmed in silver with a 13-second car off the showroom nicely shaped and trimmed, and W30 was laughably underrated thick outer chrome ring. e ones floor—quicker than many of the seatbacks even fold forward. at 360hp—just 10 more than on this car are a little oversize, but those pure muscle machines. the standard 442. In reality, the the detail and coloration are both Auto World’s model is a nice e gauges are well detailed, but W30 equipment added 40–50hp very good. e tires are convincing update of the classic 442 casting; some of the other switchgear along with a mountain of torque! replicas of the stock Redline the extra detail and the added could use a little paint to pick F70-14 bias plys, even if they cachet of the W30 hardware them out. e biggest question at rowdy cam sacrificed idle lack the official “Firestone Wide add even more appeal. Auto mark on the interior concerns vacuum though, making power Oval” sidewall scripts. World does need to sort out the transmission. e gear lever brakes impossible. Olds thought the correct pedal set, but all in is for the Turbo Hydramatic 400 that might be a problem for FINAL THOUGHTS all, the Cinnamon Bronze W30 automatic, but there’s a clutch some customers, so it devised is a fine way to commemorate pedal in the footwell. e TH400 a workaround. W30 4-speed e Olds 442 is often labeled the pinnacle of Oldsmobile was available on the W30, but only cars had only manual brakes, but a “luxury” muscle car—the 319 such examples were built in it was possible to order power implication being that it is not performance. ✇ ’68 (compared to more than brakes with the automatic—at a machine singularly focused 1,100 4-speed W30s). Either which point a tamer cam was on performance, and therefore SOURCE would be authentic, but the shifter substituted, sacrificing a little somehow less pure than some and the pedals do need to match, top-end power for drivability. Auto World autoworldstore.com and as we’ll see when we get to the powertrain, the error is the is appears to be how the Auto pedal set. World W30 is spec’d out as there is a power-brake booster on the Speaking of that powertrain, firewall and the transmission let’s get to it! e hood is heavy housing is the TH400. Also note on this model and the hinges don’t the bright red inner fenders; these want to stay open on their own, are absolutely correct. All W30 so to really enjoy the motor you cars had specially molded red may need to fashion yourself a plastic fender wells in place of prop rod. is is a W30, so the sheet-metal ones to allow the pair of 4-inch-diameter air ducts air ducts to pass through from fed from the bumper scoops is the bumper. the central feature. e ducts themselves are just a tad too thin, One of the things that makes muscle-era Oldsmobiles so stylish 48 DCXmag.com

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