Matchbox Cadillac Escalade

Thanks to Matchbox, you don't have to get a big NFL contract to roll with a Cadillac Escalade.  This Cadillac Escalade fits in a jacket pocket!  As you can see from these photos.  The Pocket Escalade is just perfect for taking the gang over to P.F. Chang's or our place by the lake.

A Matchbox Cadillac Escalade goes to P.F. Chang's

Diecast Photography Tip

It's fun to try and take a pictures of Matchbox cars with something interesting in the background.  In this case, I was able to capture a fountain in the background.

We took our Escalade down to the lake.

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

M2 Machines - 1966 Chevrolet Corvette 327

This 1966 Chevrolet Corvette 327 from M2 Machines looks great.  It takes on a really dramatic look when I play around a bit with photo filters!

Die-cast Car Photography Tip

Photo filters can be added to filter out the background and render your car a  little more dramatic.  Many filter sets are available with cell phone camera phones or on easy to use photo editing software.

Johnny Lightning Monopoly Water Works Truck in the Garden

It looks like this spring has sprung and this 1:64 scale Johnny Lightning Monopoly Water Works truck has sprouted up in this flower bed.

Johnny Lightning Monopoly Water Works Truck

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. 

 

Hot Wheels Datsun 510 Bluebird

This Hot Wheels Datsun 510 Bluebird is dressed for rally racing.  It's from the 2010 Nightburnerz series of cars.  This Hot Wheels car is loved for its stance and racing attitude.  However, the real Datsun 510 had an impressive record as a rally racer.

According to Datsunhistory.com, the Bluebird 510sss took team and class championships in the famed East African Safari rally in 1969.  It won the rally entirely in 1970.  You can see the aggressiveness of the Bluebird in the Hot Wheels car below.

This little Datsun has an impressive following and remains popular today.  It is a classic Japanese car.  There were two generations of Datsun 510.  The first generation was called the Bluebird and was introduced in 1967.  It sold in North America from 1968 through 1973.  A second generation of 510 was called the Nissan A10 Violet around the world and was sold as the 510 in North America from 1977 to 1981.  The Hot Wheels 510 Bluebird is obviously a first generation car much like the one shown below.

Photo by By Motohide Miwa from USA (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Cars like the Datsun 510 solidified Nissan's reputation and a maker of reliable, low-cost, cars.  In the late 1960s, Road & Track loved the Datsun 510.  While they tested the base model, they found it a sporty little thing.  The Hot Wheels version also fits that description.