Alrighty then! The photos from our July 2013 meeting are here for you to enview and enjoy. “Enview” doesn’t mean anything; I just made it up. I should have used “peruse” — “for you to peruse and enjoy”; that’s much better. Also, perhaps you noticed the claim of newness in the title: Yep, very proud to announce that our Club Vehicles page is now online, for you to (again) peruse and enjoy.
Before we get to the meeting pics, I want to tell you of a little comedy adventure of mine: Cracked had a contest in which readers could submit, in the form of humorous photos, their interpretations of the theme, “If Famous Movies Had $50 Budgets”. You can see the winners here. My non-winning entry is below. Can you guess which big-budget blockbuster I attempted to re-create?
Yes, you’ve guessed correctly! It is indeed ”The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner”.
Enough with the verbosity! On to the July photos!
July 2013
Ken garnered several nice treasures this month. Here we see, L to R, Porsche 917 (Summer); Freeman Inter-City Commuter (Matchbox); and Hi Ho Silver (Matchbox). Interesting fact: While this Breithaupt page clearly identifies the blue racer as a Porsche 917, its own base states “B.R.M.P.154 CANAM”, suggesting that it’s a British Racing Motors design for the Can-Am racing series. …Except BRM was a Formula One racing team. Curious. The Commuter, according to this book, is based on a concept vehicle which never went into production (although this page notes that it’s not too different from the modern sport wagon). The Hi Ho Silver is … silly.
Ken had the ”Hi Ho Silver” personally autographed by Johnny Depp.
More Kenstuff. L to R: Ford LTD in “State Police” livery (Matchbox); Lola T222 Can-Am (Summer);Jaguar (Marx); unidentified Summer; and ’55 Chevy Bel Air (Matchbox), centerstage. The ’55 came from Jim’s collection; I’d seen it numerous times, thinking that the AFLAC logo was simply a promotional give-away. Turns out it’s a sales reward. Jim used to work for AFLAC, and he hit the sales goal of so many thousand units per so many thousand customers (or some such metric), and earned that little car. And now Ken has it. With no real effort.
By the way, this is the 2nd ”flat cardboard interior” Jag Ken has acquired; the 1st was in August of ’10.
Bob picked up this sweet adventure set which includes a Bronco 4-Wheeler (yes, the one with the half-a-motorsickle on the back), a Jeep CJ-7, and a (very rare) Sunagon. I couldn’t get an angle that didn’t have bad glare on the box window, so I’ve given you two slightly different views of the box, because that doesn’t help either.
If you squarnt your eyes the right way, it’s in 3-D! Not really, but go ahead and squarnt your eyes anyway!
Along with the vehicles (and a removable camping scene!), the package also includes several outdoors-y accessories. I’ve isolated them in this image below for your convenience:
So… Is the green person from Mars? I’m just tryin’ to figure things out here.
From Bob, I purchased this gorgeous Dodge Challenger MkIII (Matchbox). Quite some time ago, I had somehow stumbled upon some info or images of the MkIII online; I never expected to find a model of it (much less own one). Remember how, in our previous post, we re-introduced Ken’s obsession with garbage trucks? Well, thanks to Bob, in this post we re-introduce the reason I was able to acquire this little gem: it has a badly wankered wheel, and so Bob offered it to me for … an Embarrassingly Low Price®!
A Concept Car, from back when ”concept car” actually meant something.
No doubt some of you smart-alecky young whippersnappers are thinkin’, Yeah, right, “Dodge Challenger MkIII”, probably some total fantasy out of some Matchbox stoner’s head. In that case, I suggest you check out this conversation’s page 1 and page 2; perhaps you might consider this photo or this photo or even this photo.
In the future, driving with the top down will be completely inconvenient!
Bill added two more international-edition models to his collection…
One of these cars is facing the wrong way! Can you guess which one?
…As well as an Espanish Ford Escort, and a MOC stateside Bubble Gunner. A Gunner still in its original packaging — that’s just scrumptious.
Personally, I prefer these ‘retro’ illustrated cards to the super-stylized ones.
By the way, just for your information, the price tag on the Gunner is from Service Merchandise. I was very sad to see that chain go away, as it always had a good selection of Hot Wheels.
(Sigh) Service Merchandise — I’d spent many a money there. (But not enough to keep the business afloat, apparently.)
Bill also nabbed a few classic Redlines.
One of these things is not like the others. (Hint: it’s the plaid one.)
Sweet, sweet Redlines continue. Here, Bill has the rare plum Xploder; a Mongoose funny car with original stickers (not tampos); and, um, that blue squarish thing, whatever.
The Mongoose’s stickers are on backwards because the car’s previous owner, little 5-year-old Melvin, is an idiot.
Tom shopped and shopped and … Well, you get the idea. Starting at left, you see a ’66 VW bug; VW microbus; Rusty Wallace race tuck; ’67 Camaro; another ’67 Camaro; an unmarked(?) Highway Patrol; and a stretch limo (Majorette).
This is where I’d put a funny caption, if I could think of one!
You’ve been pretty good so far, so just to be nice to you — just this one time, mind you — I offer you this close-up of the Rust-Eze Wallet race truck.
Hmm — That doesn’t look like Circle Tracker *or* Circle Trucker….
Bob brought in several of Matchbox’s Great Beers of the World series models, of which Tom bought this 1932 Ford AA…
I’ve heard ”Corona” is Spanish for ”horse water”.
…As well as this 1932 Mercedes-Benz. *burp*
”Tonight, toniiight, let it be Lowenbr–” oops, I mean Henninger-Brau. Sorry, Mr. Producer. Sorry, everyone.
From me (Your Humble Webmaster), Tom purchased two vehicles: This Wal-mart exclusive “Red Card” variation of Invader…
In Australian rules football, this means Tom would have to sit out the rest of the meeting. So there.
…And this over-packaged, highly hot-rodded Ford Model A pick-’em-up.
Putting the model in a normal, rectangular shell in a typical wheels-down position just wouldn’t make sense.
So, does the physical model actually resemble the exaggerated cartoon illustration? Let’s finagle a better viewing angle, and make a determination:
Hmm. — Eh, close enough.
Suncoast Diecasters 