Rahal's 1986 Bud/Red Roof racer looks a winner in 1/18 scale ... Not to namedrop, but as a young newspaper reporter I was in Bobby Rahal’s garage at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway just after driver Gordon Smiley was killed in a horrific qualification day crash in 1982. It was Rahal’s rookie season and the young... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Johnny Lightning 50th Anniversary cars
Anniversary release cars feature metal storage tins ... We knew that Johnny Lightning would be surprising us with some unique releases to mark it’s 50th Anniversary, and the latest releases offer a fun twist with snazzy metal storage tins. Our review product is Release 2 with the tins, with version A and B cars. We... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Replicarz 1990 Indy 500 winner
Arie Luyendyk's Lola racer a red, white and blue 500 winner … Dutchman Arie Luyendyk was a consistent top-tier competitor in IndyCar during the 1980s and 1990s, but he had never won an Indycar race until the 1990 Indianapolis 500. What a place to start. He went on to be a two-time Indy 500 winner,... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Autoart 2017 Ford GT
Ford GT, old or new, beautiful in any form ... Even before the recent Ford vs. Ferrari publicity machine rolled through our collective conscience car guys and gals knew all about the original Ford GT40, and at least a bit about its more modern Ford GT spinoff. While the first was a butt-kicking racer that... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Autoart’s 2016 Ford Focus RS
Ford's raciest Focus, the RS looks great in 1/18 scale … For my job reviewing cars for Public Radio I got to test drive the pocket rocket that is Ford’s Focus RS. Better put on your big-boy pants and racing shoes if you go that route. See my review https://savageonwheels.com/2017/06/02/2017-ford-focus-rs/ In short, the RS is... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: NEO’s 1959 Chevrolet Corvette XP-700
Long-nosed Corvette XP-700 concept a mixed bag of styling ... General Motors was big into concept cars in the 1950s, many having fighter jet and missile styling, be it the nose, tail or just the model and engine names, such as the Oldsmobile’s Rocket 88 in Pontiac’s Starfire. So, naming an experimental or concept car... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Auto World 1970 Ford Torino Cobra
1970 Ford Torino 'Cobra Jet' was bargain muscle car ... My wife’s family had an early 1970s Ford Torino, and while it looked OK and had oodles of power, it wasn’t really a very good car. But these were the big Fords that raced in NASCAR in the day and in coupe version had a... Continue Reading →
Die-Cast: Autoart Lamborghini Centenario
Lamborghini Centenario a beauty and a beast! ... We all know beauty is more than skin deep, but with supercars like those made by Lamborghini and Ferrari, well, the skin better be sizzling hot or why pay a million bucks for one, right? So, the two Italian supercar makers are constantly trying to outdo the... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Replicarz 1989 PC18 Indy 500 winner
Emerson Fittipaldi's 1989 Indy 500 winner in 1/43 scale ... As a newspaper reporter I was roaming Gasoline Alley at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and watching bits of the race from inside Turn 1 when Emerson Fittipaldi won the 1989 Indianapolis 500. It was an exciting finish, but one I had to watch and re-watch... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Autoart’s Nissan R390 GT1, 1998 Le Mans
Beautiful detail on Nissan's 1998 Le Mans GT racer … Le Mans racers have always been cutting edge, even in the 1920s and ‘30s when the endurance race was new. But for the past 20 years or so many of the top cars have developed into bubble-top racers with carbon fiber chassis, and engines that... Continue Reading →