04

4/27/04 - JL 10th Anniversary Mach 5
Reports are coming in that Speed Racer's Mach 5 has been appearing in stores as part of Johnny Lightning's 10th Anniversary Series. This is the second entertainment-related car to be released in this series, following Ecto-1A from Ghostbusters. Look for the Mach 5 to be randomly inserted into CARS assortments. Happy hunting.

4/24/04 - Shipping from Diamond Distributors
I picked up the most recent edition of Previews. Here are some items scheduled to ship to stores this summer:

- Batman Batmobile Die-Casts: The See Through Batmobile 2004 is a 1:18 scale die-cast. The Batmobile 1960 is 1:24 scale. And the Batmobile 1980 comes in 1:43 scale. All three vehicles are scheduled to ship in August.

- Batman Batcycle 2000 with figure is offered in 1:18 scale and is scheduled to ship in August at a SRP of $10.99

- Scooby Doo Mystery Machine 1:18 Scale Die-Cast. This appartently is the version offered by RC2. Why anyone would offer a 1:18 scale version of the Mystery Machine, so close to the release of Johnny Lightning's version is confusing, to say the least. JL's version is still sitting in practically ever store I visit. I think RC2 is going to get BURNED on this one.

Previews is also taking orders on The A-Team Season 1 DVD Set. It's scheduled to ship in June.

4/18/04 - Fast & Furious Slots
Well, news has been a little slow lately, so I figured I'd post this for those of you who haven't heard. Normally, I stay away from slot cars. They're cool, but I try not to get too broad with the coverage. I'm only one man! But, Johnny Lightning has released a set of The Fast & The Furious slot cars. Interesting, considering RC2 (ERTL) has been producing 1:64 scale die-cast cars from the films for the past few years. If you're into slot cars, these would be fun to play with. Also be sure to search for their Batmobile slot car. I saw one at a Hobby Shop, but passed on it.

Update: Apparently, the Batmobile comes in four color variations, three of them are chase cars.

4/15/04 - Car Collection Up for Sale
A frequent visitor of this site has sent me an e-mail saying that he is putting his entire collection of die-cast TV and movie cars up for auction, a collection featured right here on this site. It is an interesting mix of vintage and modern pieces. He asked me to spread the word, so if you think you may be interested, please click on the following links:

4/15/04 - Collectors' Collections
We have a new addition to the Collectors' Collections Gallery. Forum Member Kuan Chee Hai sent me some photos of his amazing collection of toys that primarily features the Batmobile. What's great about these photos is that some of them include family members. Thanks for sharing the photos Kuan. Click on Kuan's name above to see some of the pics he sent me. Scroll down the Collectors' Collections page to see past submissions.

4/11/04 - 1:18 Ecto 1 Found at Toys R Us!
While stopping in at a Toys R Us to pick up some things for my niece and nephew for Easter, I spotted the 1:18 scale Ecto 1 from Joy Ride (RC2). What a pleasant surprise. It is fantastic! So much detail. I guess the best thing about this is that it's the first EVER die-cast replica of the Ecto-1 from the FIRST Ghostbusters film (at least that I'm aware of). Every incarnation so far has been the Ecto-1A from the inferior sequel. This car is a welcome addition to my ever-growing 1:18 collection.

4/11/04 - Interesting Items Offered by HW
Thanks to a tip from Metro Privratsky, I visited 1 Stop Die-Cast's website to see some new offerings from Hot Wheels. There are three items offered on the site. One of them I find truly perplexing. It seems Hot Wheels is offering a Batmobile 3-Pack, or rather, a Bruce Wayne 3-Pack that features a red '74 Ferrari Dino, a blue '63 Shelby Cobra, and a green '57 Jaguar D. Is it me? Is anyone else as confused as I am? What is the deal? My mind is boggled. If anyone can shed some light on why HW decided to produce this set I'd like to hear it.

In addition, it seems Hot Wheels is re-releasing the 1:18 Batmobile, this time to include a figure of Batman, and they also seemed to have re-packaged the HW FE #31 Batmobile in "Alternate Channels" packaging. Visit 1 Stop Die-Cast to take a peek at these new items.

4/8/04 - Rare Item Added to Gallery
Thanks to Hollywood-Diecast Forum member Kuan Chee Hai, I've been able to add photos of some of one of the most desirable and rare pieces I've ever seen. Kuan owns an UNPUNCHED mint-on-card sample of the rare Playart Batmobile. I have NEVER seen one carded, let alone unpunched. Kuan also has samples of the Playart Batmobile boxed. Thanks for sharing them Kuan, they're awesome. Click HERE to see them and other photos of 1:64 die-cast versions of the 1966 Batmobile.

4/3/04 - The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Piranha
While browsing online, I stumbled across some info about the Spy Car used in some episodes of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. Click on the following link for some great photos and info:

4/3/04 - Talking Cars in April
It's the beginning of a new month, and that means it's time for another exciting edition of Talking Cars. This month's topics include: Knight Rider, The Munsters, Cobra, Mad Max, Hot Wheels 1:18 Batmobile, Fright'ning Lightnings, and Kidco. Click HERE and enjoy.

4/2/04 - Finally, A Response
Quite a while ago I sent an e-mail to DMT Productions to get some info about their line of die-cast vehicles from the TV series V. I finally got a reply:

Hello,
Please visit http://www.home.earthlink.net/~morrris99/
This is a temporary website that showcases all Visitor spacecraft currently available.
Prices vary, depending on which vehicle chosen and the configuration (in-flight mode, on ground, on ground/doors open). Skyfighter in flight---$45.
Vehicles are approximately H.O. scale, or 1/87 the original size. Skyfighters are about 2 1/2 inches long.
Current order time may vary from a few days to several weeks, depending on number of orders received.
Payment via www.paypal.com (mastercard and visa), US cash in registered mail (buyers risk), US money order, foreign bank draft drawn in US dollars.
No payments are accepted until the ships are ready to send.
Thank you for your interest, and hope to hear back from you,
Dave Hanson
DMT productions.

Update: April Fool's! Gotcha! Maybe one day we'll actually see something like this in stores. C'mon Mattel!! Make it happen. I'd pay just about ANYTHING for this.