JOHNNY LIGHTNING COCA-COLA 1968 PONTIAC GTO

The artwork on this 1968 Pontiac GTO from Johnny Lightning is simply brilliant. There haven't been many snowmen released throughout the various years of the Coca Cola vehicles by Johnny Lightning or even Matchbox who also are licensed to provide official Coca Cola imagery on their 1/64 sized vehicles.


This vehicle was released as part of the 2003 Coca Cola Polar Bear Series. Even though it doesn't have any polar bear imagery on the actual vehicle it did come in the same designed blister pack with the backing card of a polar bear and two cubs putting a star on top of the Christmas tree that the rest of the series had. This particular vehicle was not released to the shops with the others but instead, it was offered for purchase by members through Johnny Lightning's website. This means there weren't as many of these made as the other vehicles, meaning it is harder to find in collector stores and online websites than those other vehicles.
This is a yellow 1968 Pontiac with a thick dark blue bordered in white strip down the sides and over the bonnet and boot (hood and trunk). On the side strip is the Coca Cola word logo in white as well as the top part of a winking snowman wearing a red scarf and black top hard with the words ICE COLD written on it. The white Coca Cola word logo is also on the boot. On the roof the same winking image also appears but this time it's a full body image. He is holding a glass of Coke in both hands in front of his body. He's standing beside a yellow real estate type sign with the words For That Refreshing New Feeling. There's also the red Coca Cola with white letter logo beside the Snowman's head. In the background there are snowflakes falling.

The wheels are quite good with red rimmed tyres where you can see the tread. The seats dashboard and other parts of the interior are white. --James N Sympson  Shop here

VANGUARDS 1/50 THAMES TRADER BOX VAN 'LUCOZADE'

The Thames Trader box van comes in the smart, and familiar, yellow color scheme of Lucozade. This will make a very pleasing addition to the collection. Shop here

VANGUARDS 1/43 LEYLAND COMET TANKER

The Comet cab is linked with a tanker body, producing a very nice model. The initial livery is Power, in its green coloring set off with gold lettering. Shop here

YAT MING 1/18 - 1923 FORD T BUCKET WHITE DIECAST CAR MODEL

1923 Ford T-Bucket Roadster White Diecast Car Model 1/18 by Yat Ming

A stunning replica of one of Fords most recognizable and iconic car. Beautifully crafted 1923 White Ford T-Bucket Diecast Model Car features opening trunk and steerable front wheels. No collection is complete without this beautiful car.

TOY CARS OF JAPAN & HONG KONG

 

This book presents a unique selection of the most rare and collectible toy cars made in Japan and Hong Kong in the 1950s and 1960s. Three particular groups of toys are covered: the magnificent large-scale tinplate cars made for the American market; the smaller but equally sought-after Japanese diecasts by Model Pet, Micro Pet, and Cherryca Phenix; and plastic friction-drive cars made in Hong Kong. Some of the toys pictured are so scarce that they are believed to be among a mere handful that survive in mint condition with their original boxes. This book provides many fascinating new insights to the history of the companies that made and distributed the toys, using long-forgotten trade journals, rare catalogs, and interview with people who worked in the toy business at that time. See more

THE COLLECTOR'S GUIDE TO TRANSPORT TOYS

This is a magnificent album of gorgeous double page color spreads. Everything from pedal cars, die cast, tinplate, and other materials.

A useful feature is the inclusion of the same figure in each spread so that one can immediately see the comparative sizes from one to another. This is especially useful in the case of the early Matchbox which were not made to any consistent scale. Instead they wer made to fit the box!
Thus the overall dimensions in inches are given instead.
More modern diecast is often made in 1:50 scale (metric O guage) and 1:43 scale is close enough to look well on an O guage model train layout.
Not a reference but a dream book: Especially the hard-used timplate Buddy L and pedal cars which were not made as collector's items.
I well remember the Doepke line of construction equipment made in the late forties. Twelve fifty then, now extremely collectable and expensive.--El Cutachero  See more

SCHUCO CLASSIC TIN TOYS: THE COLLECTOR'S GUIDE

The history of Schuco can be traced back to the birth of Heinrich Muller in 1887. Muller had begun making his own toys as a teenager, and he soon joined the Bing Company. In 1912, he left Bing and, together with Heinrich Schreyer, a local merchant, formed the toy company Schreyer & Co., which in 1921 became known simply as Schuco. The company began by making small felt and plush covered mechanised figures and animals. One very famous Schuco toy, which was first produced in the 1920s, was the Pick-Pick Bird. An incredible 20 million were made in a production run that lasted until the 1960s. It was in the mid-1930s that Schuco came up with its Schuco-Patent-Motor-Car. As early as 1946 Schuco toys were appearing in American stores and the boom was about to begin. Sadly, by the mid-1960s, the writing was on the wall and the end of the tin toy was not far away. Diecast metal and particularly plastics were the new high-tech materials, which had begun taking over as early as the late 1950s; tin was perceived to be slightly old-fashioned. There was also the so-called 'safety issue' of tin toys with sharp edges and small children. The company did not turn to plastics until the early 1970s; by then it was very much a case of too little to late. By 1976, Schuco had gone out of business. This informative and beautifully illustrated book is an absorbing record of the history of this internationally famous mechanical toy producer. Anyone interested in collectable toys will be entranced by the illustrations; anyone who is interested in the history of transport will be fascinated by the changes that this century has seen. ---See more