Drugstore Diecast: Kinsmart Porsche 356B Carrera 2

One of the few places that we visit during the Covid crisis is our local drugstore.  In the dead of night, there are just a few customers coming in for necessities.  I also like to sneak over and check out the die-cast cars.  They are generally inexpensive diecast pullback cars, but some of them are nice little models that do a good job of evoking the legendary cars that they represent.  For example, here is a 1/32 scale diecast Porsche 356B Carrera 2 from Kinsmart.

Kinsmart Porsche 356B Carrera 2 (front)

Beige is kind of an odd car color, but I believe it was common in the original cars.  Against the drugstore fixtures, it looks perfectly at home.

Kinsmart Porsche 356B Carrera 2 (side)

It might be easy to denigrate a toy car that costs less than $10.  But, it's the Porsche design that is timeless.  No toy car will ever be a real Porsche, but a simple toy like this can make you remember one.

Drugstore Diecast: Kinsmart Dodge Viper

Sometimes the local drugstore has a car showroom that rivals anything in the city.  One of the CVS drugstores near me had this pair of Diecast Dodge Vipers displayed on a tower of diecast cars.

A Pair of Dodge Vipers at CVS

 You can almost imagine a car dealer or car show when you get down on the level with this little Vipers.  They are typically 2 for $10 or $5.99 apiece at the drugstore.

A Dodge Viper in profile

 

Drugstore Diecast: Kinsmart 1959 Chevrolet Corvette

The 1959 Chevy Corvette was a timeless classic. Today, it's price has officially reached the stratosphere. Fortunately, a die-cast version is available. This Kinsmart version was available at my local CVS drugstore.

Kinsmart 1959 Chevy Corvette

Funky Photos: Kinsmart Diecast Volkswagen Beetle with Pullback Motor

In these times of COVID, we are all isolated and every family wonders whether children will ever return to school.  Sometimes toys can offer a bit of distraction, a little bit of fun, and a glimpse at happier times.  For example, these short little Kinsmart Pullback Volkswagen Beetles are certainly a cheery dose of summertime flower power.

Kinsmart Pullback Volkswagen Beetle (profile)

These cars are shortened in caricatures of the original Beetle.  They are approximately 1/32 scale and measure about 5-inches long.

Kinsmart Pullback Volkswagen Beetle (front)

The cars have pullback motors.  Pulling them backwords winds up an internal spring-powered motor and letting them goes lets them race forward.

Kinsmart Pullback Volkswagen Beetle (angle)

I found this car at Walgreens.

Diecast 1956 Ford F100 Pickup Truck

The drugstore shelves are a bit depleted and all the toilet paper is gone.  But, some treasures remain.  This little diecast 1956 Ford F100 Pickup Truck remains behind to take away the remaining merchandise.  I only had time for a quick snapshot, but I think it's a 1:48 Kinsmart toy car.

For an inexpensive toy car, this one has a really rich paint job and a nice color.

Welly Die-cast 1/24 scale Mercedes 300SL

If you ever need a Mercedes 300SL for a trip to the beach, one of our area RiteAid stores had one conveniently located on the seasonal aisle with all the sandcastle building buckets and pales.

Welly 1/24 scale Mercedes 300SL

Available as a production car from 1954 through 1963, the Mercedes 300SL made reputation as a high performance marque.

The original Mercedes 300SL was powered by a 3.0 liter straight 6.  While there were a host of mechanical eccentricities--such as 1000 mile oil change intervals--the Mercedes 300SL was capable of 160 miles per hour back in 1954.  It was the fastest production car of its era.

A peek through the gullwing door reveals that the Welly rendition shows a vintage interior and the gear shift for the 4-speed manual transmission.

This is a fun little model for the collector who likes his toys to be toys.

Grocery Store Die-Cast Car: New York City Taxi

This little die-cast car was found in my local grocery store.  It has the traditional lines of a New York City Checker Cab.  I like the bright yellow car and thought it really popped so I took a quick photo of it perched on some magazines.

This was an inexpensive little car for kids, but it makes a good desk toy for older kids too.  It's hard not to smile when you see the bright yellow cab!

Drug store encounter with a Porsche 918 Coupe

I spotted this cool looking Porsche 918 Coupe at a local Walgreens store.  I'm not sure if it is Maisto, Welly, or Kinsmart.  But, it was one cool looking car!

Diecast Porsche 918 Coupe

It's the kind of car that you could imagine at a race track with a sports car club.  It's a Paul Newman kind of car.

Welly Diecast Lamborghini Models from RiteAid

Here's a battle.  Two drug store Lamborghini models are facing off.  The black car is a Lamborghini Diablo and the Green car is the more modern Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4.  Both cars are officially licensed Lamborghini and are made by Welly.  I found them in my local RiteAid drug store.

Die-cast Lamborghini Cars by Welly

These cars are cool because they are widely available, super-affordable, and easy to add to your car.

Welly Die-cast Lamborghini Huracan

Welly Alfa Romeo 4C Drugstore Find

Here is another great little die-cast car from a local drugstore.  This one is from RiteAid.  It's a 1/24 scale Alfa Romeo 4C by Welly.  This is a cool little car with opening doors.  It's also priced low enough for kids to actually play with.  Yet, the beautiful Alfa lines will always make it great for display on a desktop.

Welly Alfa Romeo 4C

The real car starts at about $55,000 and is propelled by a 237 horsepower 4-cylinder engine.  According to this Car and Driver review, it's a fast but uncompromising sports car.  It's the sports car that many old sports cars used to be. But, like old sports cars, the driving experience promises to be unforgettable.

It's exciting to have real Alfa Romeo sports cars wandering the roads of America again.  This model is a great commemoration of their return.

Finding one of these model Alfas can be tough.  Kids at the drugstore play rough with the toy cars on display. 

Kinsmart 1955 Chevy Stepside Pickup

I recently ran into this unusual die-cast toy truck at my local CVS.  This model is a 1/32 scale 1955 Chevy Stepside Pickup made by Kinsmart.  The thing that is cool about this one is the paint job.  This little die-cast truck has a "weathered" look complete with muddy tires and mud splatters on the door.  It looks like a really old working truck.

Kinsmart 1955 Chevy Stepside Pickup

I give kudos to Kinsmart for this model because it really is a creative approach to the die-cast car market.  If you can find it and add it to your collection, this old truck is sure to be a bit of a conversation piece. 

 

Walgreens Diecast Chevy Suburban

This is another mystery car from Walgreens.  It is a 1:24 scale Chevy Suburban from the 1950s.  It's a cool looking car but I can't tell you if it is Maisto, Welly, Kinsmart or some other brand of die-cast car.

Walgreens Die-cast Chevy Suburban

Die-cast Plymouth Prowler

The Plymouth Prowler was introduced as a concept car in 1993 and first produced in 1997.  Production carried on between 1999 and 2002.  A total of 11,702 Prowlers were produced.  You still see Plymouth Prowlers on the road from time to time.  The idea of a modern hot rod was appealing to many people!