Tag Archives: American-Excellence

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Die-cast: IXO’s Citroen Dyane, 1976 Monte Carlo Rallye

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High-value 1/43 Citroen reflects early rally racers …

Ah, the dear old Citroen 2CV is an icon, at least on the other side of the pond, being what the average French car buyer drove during the middle years of last century. But as it aged, even staid Citroen had to start developing cars to meet the expanding needs of mid-1960s buyers. Remember, there was a baby boom going on overseas as well.

So, the roomier Citroen Dyane with a rear hatchback debuted in 1967, and met with good success, enough so that the car remained in the French car maker’s lineup until 1983. Continue reading Die-cast: IXO’s Citroen Dyane, 1976 Monte Carlo Rallye →

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Die-cast: NEO’s 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Hardtop

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Ford Fairlane 500 exudes bad boy attitude …

My brother Steve owned a black 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Hardtop with gold accent trim down the side in the late 1960s, so when I saw NEO’s 1/43 scale version, I wanted to give it a closer look.

This one is black and white, with the upper portions (hood and trunk) being a creamy white, not as bad-boy looking as my brother’s black beauty. Still, the 1957 was elegant yet sporty with its slight tail fins and jet-like round taillights. Somehow 1950s cars looked great in two- and three-tone color combos, something you rarely see these days. Continue reading Die-cast: NEO’s 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Hardtop →

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Die-cast: NEO’s 1959 Chevrolet Corvette XP-700

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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 the XP-700 seems natural enough, and that’s what Chevrolet did with its body styling experiment for Corvette on the 1959 auto show circuit. The XP featured a wide-mouthed, low-slung Ferrari-style nose protruding from the already recognizable quad headlights in rounded fenders that Corvette introduced in its 1958 model. Continue reading Die-cast: NEO’s 1959 Chevrolet Corvette XP-700 →

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Die-cast: NEO’s 1958 Rambler Cross Country 6

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Rambler wagon was economical, so is model …  

Station Wagons were the SUVs and crossovers of years ago, long before we knew to call them anything but wagons.

And there’s some thinking now in the car world that wagons, which behave much more like cars than trucks, may be on the verge of a comeback. Rumor has it that Millennials prefer the lower-riding wagons to the taller SUVs and CUVs of today. We’ll see. Continue reading Die-cast: NEO’s 1958 Rambler Cross Country 6 →

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Die-cast: NEO’s 1964 Dodge 330 sedan

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Affordable Dodge sedan stirs memories …

My uncle Clarence Winston (Wink for short) Savage had a beautiful dark metallic blue 1964 Plymouth Belvedere that I just loved as a kid. He could make that car’s tires bark several times between his house and ours, a half block away. He was a hot foot, one of the things I liked about him.

The Fury was Plymouth’s B-body coupe and sedan, while Dodge went with a more mundane name, the 330. So, when I spied NEO’s new 1964 Dodge 330 I was happy to review it for Scale Auto DC, just to see how it measured up to my memories of the oh-so-similar Plymouth Belvedere, which was a 4-door. Continue reading Die-cast: NEO’s 1964 Dodge 330 sedan →

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Die-cast: WhiteBox 1962 VW Karmann Ghia

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This Karmann Ghia is low cost too …

Volkswagen’s Karmann Ghia was a looker, but inexpensive, making it a perfect collectible car, if not for its propensity to rust. But in the model car collecting world we don’t have to worry about such mundane matters.

So collecting a 1962 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia now is easy. Ghia’s were the cute rounded thing that so many of our buddies drove in their teens, or early 20s. They were, like the Beetle, reliable and inexpensive, but way sportier looking. Dare we say sexy? Continue reading Die-cast: WhiteBox 1962 VW Karmann Ghia →

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Die-cast: NEO 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 Futuramic

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Olds’ Futuramic coupe swooped its way toward the 1950s …

Post-WWII cars have their own charm and simplicity, yet even by 1949 General Motors was trying to get a little swoopy with their 2-doors, plus adding muscle. Plus at Oldsmobile the Rocket 88 was a name that launched the Greatest Generation into their growing family years. Continue reading Die-cast: NEO 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 Futuramic →

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Diecast: NEO’s 1956 DeSoto Firedome

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Pink DeSoto Firedome will light up a display case …

Pink was a hot color in the 1950s. Think Florida, think flamingos, think the Latin influence of Cuba and Desi and Lucy. Two-tone cars also were all the rage as the nation climbed out of the gloomy war years into the bustling 1950s.

So, a two-tone pink and metallic rosy dark pink 1956 DeSoto Firedome 4-door Seville seems to perfectly reflect the mid-1950s’ look and feel in the automotive world. To that end, NEO has cranked out a beautifully finished and detailed 1/43 model of the DeSoto, aglitter with chrome trim. Continue reading Diecast: NEO’s 1956 DeSoto Firedome →

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Neo’s 1960 Plymouth Valiant Wagon

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Plymouth Valiant Wagon sharp in 1/43 scale … 20180620_154322

Wagons are ho-hum these days, and nearly extinct, unless you count crossovers as wagons.

But in the 1960s they were a big deal as families tried to make room for the Baby Boom generation that was rapidly filling up their sedans. At the same time, a sizeable portion of auto buyers was looking for smaller, more economical cars. Hey, all those kids needed food and sneakers too! Continue reading Neo’s 1960 Plymouth Valiant Wagon →