#1040 KINDER SURPRISE – TRAKTOR POWER RACE (2003)

This a complete series (it comprised only three models) of fantasy tractor dragsters made by Ferrero for their famous chocolate eggs. I do not collect them and they are too new for this blog, but I liked them so much, that I decided to keep them.

They are relative simple and carry plain bright colours. They are all made up of three pieces that fit each other (one of them chromed) plus the wheels. They are inexpensive (as most Ferrero surprise toys currently are), but not very easy to find…

Not much to more to say about them, except that they recall me to some Micro Machines, such as there here. There are not many scale models of drag tractor vehicles, either real or fantastic ones.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Name: TRAKTOR POWER RACE
• Scale: unknown scale
• Year: 2003
• Company: Ferrero (Italy)
• Size: approx. 4 cm

#994 MICRO MACHINES – TRAINS SERIES (1989)

MM’s enthusiast mostly collect cars and trucks. Other kind of vehicles are not so popular, including the trains made between 1989 and 1990, but they are very nice collectables, so colourful and beautifully detailed.

I have five complete sets plus a couple of pieces that make incomplete sets. Today I am presenting there:

• Continental Bullet

• High Speed Bullet

• American Passenger

• Iron Man No.1

• Transcontinental Freight

 

All of them from 1989, when the Trains series was started. Each of the sets included 5 pieces, that is one locomotive and four wagons, or two locomotives and three wagons. The first series consisted of 8 collections, exactly the five above plus the same last three in repainted versions (and with different names:

• Lightning Express (sames as American Passenger, but in grey/yellow/white)
• Cannonball No.9 (Same as Iron Man No.1, but in different colours)
• Western Freight (same as Transcontinental Freight, but in different colours)

Each blister came with 10/12 tracks, which were exactly 8 curves and 2/4 straight tracks, that could be attached to each other forming long rail loops around or through you Micro Machines cities.

In 1990, all train sets were re-released in alternate colours, but without changing the names. Unfortunately, these are very rare to see, as they were only available in some countries and also in low numbers. That same year there were three additional sets with sounds called Power Sound Trains: Steam Train, Passenger Locomotive and Great Plains Diesel. These three are more common than the standard 1990 releases, but still rare. The casts used for these are the same, the paintwork is different, and they produced two sounds when pressing a button located on top of one of the wagons (generally, the biggest one, that also hold a cell battery.

Several playsets were released to be combined with this series, such as 2 different Train Stations, an Engine House, a Trestle (kind of bridge), or the bigger Train Central City (with a big colour playcard, several buildings with Super Micro Light feature and more rails to extend your lines). Some of these included a complete Power Sounds Trains set, others didn’t include any trains.

Noteworthy is the Power Train City, a playset in which the trains could be dragged automatically along the rails with a system that was probably the same used in the different slot tracks released over the years.

There is still a train station, released in 1996 in the “highways and Byways” style with one train set, two cars, tracks and onel building, but the vehicles were previously released (the train is the Transcontinental Freight from 1989).

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Name: Micromachines Trains Collections: American Passenger, Continental Bullet, High Speed Bullet, Iron Man No.1, Transcontinental Freight
• Scale: unknown.
• Year: 1989
• Company: Galoob (U.S.A.)
• Size: approx. 2 cm

#963 SIMPLE WISHES – SEVERAL PHAT BOYZ MODELS (2003)

The Phat Boyz are sometimes mixed with Micro Machines or with other 3 inches cars, since they have a size that does not match either of them. We could say they are approximately as long as a Micro Machine, but as wide as a 3 inches model. All are marked PB CHINA in the base, but, in any case, they are nearly unmistakable.

I knew them from sites like puremicros.com, where there is a nice and almost complete gallery of Phat Boyz toys. Everytime I saw them there, I thought they were ugly, (maybe you have the same thoughts right now while reading these lines), but as soon as I got this little lot in my hands, I changed my opinion. They are beautifully casted, you can absolutely recognize which model is being represented, and the selection is also quite remarkable; where can you otherwise find a Ford Focus or a Ford Ka (from around the year 2000)?

I have 5 models, from which 4 of them are Fords, so I guess maybe they came in a set, as I got all of them from the same person. Some of them are European sets that differ in the colour from the American issues.

The models are:

• Ford T-Bird (1957) - purple

       

• Ford Mustang (1990) - yellow

        

• Ford Focus (2003) - gold

  

• Ford Ka (2003) - green

• Toyota Celica (2002) – light blue

 

They were advertised as “Phlat, Phat and Phast!” and sold mostly in two-packs. There were also three-packs, five-packs, carrying cases and playsets available. They were available at Walmart, and I tried to find an old website for these cars, but the only url stated in the blister card is Walmart.com; “Marketed by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Bentonville AR 72716 shop at Walmart.com.

I’ve seen some for sale on eBay, but they are rare and tend to appear in foreign countries, so most of the times it is not worth paying the shipping costs.

UPDATE (2023/Oct): Two more for the road!

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: SEVERAL PHAT BOYZ MODELS
• Scale: unknown
• Year: 2003
• Company: Simple Wishes (U.S.A.)
• Size: approx. 3 cm long

#960 CORGI JUNIORS - AIR BUS HELICOPTER (Nr. 35-B) and ARMY RED CROSS HELICOPTER (Nr. 40-B) (1975 and 1977)



Among the Corgi Juniors, this helicopter model is one of the most fragile ones. The blades are made of plastic and can be broken or bent in some models. It also has 4 very small wheels that are part of the base and that can also be broken.

The helicopter represents an helicopter similar to the Boeing CH-47 Chinook. Despite being named "Airbus" or "Air Bus", I am not aware of any double-engine helicopter by the European aircraft manufacturer. Maybe the name is just referring to an aircraft for transporting people by air, and therefore Air-Bus.

Corgi, like all the other die-cast manufacturers, released several versions of each model, and in this case, the Airbus came in a military and a civil version.

The civil model is painted orange and has "Airbus" stickers. The "A" logo is slightly similar to the real Airbus (the company) logo, but it is not related. It was available from 1975 to 1979. There is a colour variant in blue with the same stickers as the orange model, but this one is way rarer than the two showed in this entry, and I do not have it.

The military model was made in dark green and had stickers with the word "Army" and the Red Cross. It was available in 1977.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: AIR BUS HELICOPTER (Nr. 35-B) and ARMY RED CROSS HELICOPTER (Nr. 40-B)
• Scale: Unknown
• Year: 1975 and 1977
• Company: Corgi Juniors (Great Britain)
• Size: approx. 7 cm

#938 CORGI JUNIORS - SPACE SHUTTLE (1980)

I got this model just a few days ago. It came in a lot with other stuff and It is in great shape, so I was lucky to find it.

I had never seen it before, so, to my surprise, I first opened the lids and admired the wheels feature with great astonishment. It is probably the best Corgi Juniors model I have ever seen.

The inside part shows a gold chromed plastic part that represents the equipment of the shuttle (whatever it is, I am not familiar with it). 

Another action feature of this little spaceship is that the landing gear can be locked up (for flight) or down (for take offs and landings), which is a very cool thing considering its size. This action can be triggered from a small hinge in the base.

This version has U.S.A. stickers, although there are other versions. Most notably, a shuttle with yellow stickers from the James Bond film Moonraker. I will try to get that one too, so I have both. 

I also presented a Columbia Shuttle model by Yatming some time ago, but this one is far better (being the Yatming model not bad at all).

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: SPACE SHUTTLE (5-C)
• Scale: Unknown
• Year: 1980
• Company: Corgi Toys (Great Britain)
• Size: approx. 6 cm

#833 MAJORETTE – GAZELLE (Nr. 371) (1976)

Majorette's helicopter is maybe one of the most iconic scale models made by the French die-cast manufacturer. It was first available in 1976, and it has been constantly re-released in new decorations until the late 90s.

It is bigger in size than the ordinary 3 inches car, and thus classified with a 300 reference. This is another price category, although the helicopter has many plastic parts and is probably cheaper to produce than the rest of the 300 series models. Maybe this is the reason why Majorette kept it so long in the catalogue...

Apart from that, it was surely a best-seller, since it was the only helicopter in the line until 1988, where the Dauphin 2 (Nr. 322) was also included in the assortment. Being different to the rest of your counterparts, makes you an eye-catcher, and, my theory here is that it sold very well.

It was also not uncommon to see it as the load to a bigger trailer truck, like that one the 600 series.

There have been so many decorations of the Gazelle that listing all would require a considerable amount of time. That is why, I am just showing the two I own. One of them (in "Red Cross" / "Croix Rouge" decoration) is quite old, while the second one (Rescue decoration) is more modern.
 

The blades can be bent in order to fit in a regular plastic box, and they are of course a bit fragile. Also the tail is made of plastic, and can present stress marks if it is not completely broken.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: GAZELLE (Nr. 371)
• Scale: Unknown scale
• Year: 1976
• Company: Majorette (France)
• Size: approx. 10 cm