Archive for the ‘American Muscle’ Category
Summer Blockbuster: All NEW Auto World 1:64 scale die-cast is coming!
The time is approaching! Sound the alarms, tell your friends, start your engines, and open the windows near your collection because it’s about to get some fresh air. For months, we have been developing an all-new line of true 1:64 scaled die-cast. This entire line of die-cast will be TRUE 1:64 scale all the way down to the wheels and tires. Even the hard wheels and tires on the 2.99 versions are scaled to real tires. As collectors ourselves, we’ve harnessed our years of experience and knowledge and channeled it into the ultimate line of die-cast destined to become the benchmark of quality, scale, and authenticity in the marketplace. The entire line revolves around the unique thrilling experience of finding your favorite small cars, prolonging your childhood, and the passion that these little machines ensue. There will be 3 versions with all new tooling that will be available at mass retailers like Walmart, Meijer, and Toys R Us (currently as of this writing) nationwide late this summer!
2.99 versions:
These are constructed using a die-cast body with a plastic chassis featuring 2 piece free-rolling hard wheels. Most will have no opening features, but are specifically geared toward play-factor with fast-rolling wheels! Remember those regrets as a kid when you ruined your BEST-rolling cars by taking them into the sandbox? Yeah, these are those. They’re fast. You’ll want to roll them everywhere. These will be packaged in a blistercard.
Release 1 will include:
2012 Camaro ZL1 Convertible
2012 Corvette Z06
1966 Pontiac GTO
1967 Corvette 427
1967 Buick Gran Sport
1984 Camaro
5.99 versions:
These will feature a die-cast body AND chassis with 2-piece knurled axle (dumbbell-style) with correctly matched and scaled rims and rubber tires. Most models will have opening hoods with a multi-piece engine. The attention to detail on these is world-class. We’ve lost sleep, consulted experts, and nearly cancelled vacations in order to make these as accurate as humanly and mechanically possible! These will be packaged in a blistercard and include a mini box to protect your car once removed from the package. These include:
1971 Dodge Dart
1961 Dodge Dart Phoenix
1967 Ford Mustang GT 390
1976 Cadillac Coupe De Ville
1969 Pontiac Trans Am Coupe
1966 Chevrolet Impala
6.99 versions:
These feature a similar level of detail to 5.99 cars, but will have a licensed tie-in and will include a newly tooled hard plastic display case! These will be in a protective plastic clamshell. Release 1 will replicate cars from both Road & Track and Car and Driver magazines. These include:
2011 Callaway Corvette
1965 Ford GT40
2012 Ford Mustang BOSS 302
1966 Oldsmobile 442
2011 Hennessey Camaro
1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1
Summer Blockbuster: All NEW Auto World 1:64 scale die-cast is coming!
The time is approaching! Sound the alarms, tell your friends, start your engines, and open the windows near your collection because it’s about to get some fresh air. For months, we have been developing an all-new line of true 1:64 scales die-cast. This entire line of die-cast will be TRUE 1:64 scale all the way down to the wheels and tires. Even the hard wheels and tires on the 2.99 versions are scaled to real tires. As collectors ourselves, we’ve harnessed our years of experience and knowledge and channeled it into the ultimate line of die-cast destined to become the benchmark of quality, scale, and authenticity in the marketplace. The entire line revolves around the unique thrilling experience of finding your favorite small cars, prolonging your childhood, and the passion that these little machines ensue. There will be 3 versions with all new tooling that will be available at mass retailers like Walmart, Meijer, and Toys R Us (currently as of this writing) nationwide late this summer!
2.99 versions:
These are constructed using a die-cast body with a plastic chassis featuring 2 piece free-rolling hard wheels. Most will have no opening features, but are specifically geared toward play-factor with fast-rolling wheels! Remember those regrets as a kid when you ruined your BEST-rolling cars by taking them into the sandbox? Yeah, these are those. They’re fast. You’ll want to roll them everywhere. These will be packaged in a blistercard.
Release 1 will include:
2012 Camaro ZL1 Convertible
2012 Corvette Z06
1966 Pontiac GTO
1967 Corvette 427
1967 Buick Gran Sport
1984 Camaro
5.99 versions:
These will feature a die-cast body AND chassis with 2-piece knurled axle (dumbbell-style) with correctly matched and scaled rims and rubber tires. Most models will have opening hoods with a multi-piece engine. The attention to detail on these is world-class. We’ve lost sleep, consulted experts, and nearly cancelled vacations in order to make these as accurate as humanly and mechanically possible! These will be packaged in a blistercard and include a mini box to protect your car once removed from the package. These include:
1971 Dodge Dart
1961 Dodge Dart Phoenix
1967 Ford Mustang GT 390
1976 Cadillac Coupe De Ville
1969 Pontiac Trans Am Coupe
1966 Chevrolet Impala
6.99 versions:
These feature a similar level of detail to 5.99 cars, but will have a licensed tie-in and will include a newly tooled hard plastic display case! These will be in a protective plastic clamshell. Release 1 will replicate cars from both Road & Track and Car and Driver magazines. These include:
2011 Callaway Corvette
1965 Ford GT40
2012 Ford Mustang BOSS 302
1966 Oldsmobile 442
2011 Hennessey Camaro
1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1
Legends of the Quarter Mile
The ‘Legends of the Quarter Mile’ presents 1:18 scale die-cast 1971 “Jungle Jim” Camaro Funny Car. The Legends line celebrates the well-known drag racers of the late 1960s through mid-1970s who helped put drag racing on the map. These were the brash and over-the-top people who took to the emerging technology of the era without a second thought. In doing so, they attracted countless fans to drag racing and set the stage for the sport as we know it today.
http://www.autoworldstore.com/product_p/aw1112.htm
1970 Plymouth® Superbird – Car & Driver April 1970 Cover Car
Released January 2013
CAR and DRIVERTM was born as SPORTS CARS ILLUSTRATED in 1955 and renamed in 1961. Over the years, hundreds of exceptional vehicles have taken center stage on CAR and DRIVER’sTM cover. Auto World has expanded their American Muscle lineup of 1:18 replica vehicles to commemorate these polished and chromed beauties of yesteryear. Dubbed the ‘Aero Warrior’, the Plymouth Superbird was a sister car to the Dodge Charger Daytona. Both cars were sold with huge nose cones and rear spoilers that made them legendary among the competition. These were the first stock cars to be modified aerodynamically.
The short-lived Plymouth Road Runner Superbird was a highly modified version of the Plymouth Road Runner with well known graphics and horn. Developed specifically for NASCAR racing, the Superbird, a modified Road Runner, was Plymouth’s follow-on design to the Charger Daytona fielded by sister company Dodge in the previous season. This diecast car from Auto World is Painted in lime light poly with black interior and was released for the first time with a 426 hemi!
Auto World Die Casts offer superbly accurate detail. From the die-cast body with opening doors, hood and trunk to the chassis with a 4 speed manual transmission this car is as realistic as the original release. The steering wheel and front wheels turn together. Highly polished electro-plated chrome parts complete the details and the whole car sits on Goodyear polyglas tires with steel wheels w/hubcaps.
How to ValueDie Cast Collectibles
Collectibles are any items — antique, used or new — that are desired by collectors. The collectibles market is nearly as diverse as the world itself. Collectibles could be as opulent as Rolls Royces and priceless rugs, or as tiny and trifling as Beanie Babies and buttons. To find the value of a collectible, you will need to use several of the many resources that are readily available to almost every collector.
1) Identify
Identify exactly what you have.
2) Condition
Condition is all-important in the collectibles market. Damage, flaws or missing elements usually affect values negatively.
3) Guide Books
Consult collectibles guidebooks for values of your exact items or those that are similar. Look at the online auctions to see how similar products are doing.
For more information on valuing collectibles visit.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4729167_value-of-collectibles.html
The Auto World brand has been dipped!
You may have noticed that there is a new branding look for all Auto World products. As you know, Auto World makes everything from small-scale die-cast, to 1:18 scale die-cast, to HO slot cars. We are a growing company endlessly adding to the AW line. We needed to establish an overarching brand look to unify all products. So, after months of research and brainstorming, we narrowed it down to a simple approach. Nearly all products now have the left side solidly coated in deep red (Pantone 1797C to be exact). Internally, we call it “the dip.” Think of it as if each product was “dipped” into red Auto World paint along its left edge.
This simple, added design element will be carried over into nearly every AW product we make. This new look will be our foundation in the market as well as make our products more recognizable on retail shelves. From 30 feet away, you’ll be able to walk down the retail aisles and spot the AW products easily. Remember that … because our new line of 1:64 scale die-cast will hit the pegs in late summer of 2013. More on that soon! Look for us!
Round 2 to create Car & Driver Die Casts
The Joester Loria Group, licensing agent for Hearst publications, has secured new deals for two of the media company’s top brands–Car and Driver and Road & Track.
Round 2 has created die-cast vehicles based on both publications’ popular covers. The collection launched at the end of last year; additional product will roll out this week at the New York Toy Fair.
Sneak Peek: American Muscle 1971 Super Bee
New to the Auto World blog? This is just a taste of things to come from Auto World. Absolutely nowhere else will you find pics of this upcoming 1:18 scale musclecar. The item number is AMM929 and won’t be available until October! So, gather ’round… we’ll be posting new and exciting sneaks and info in the future on a regular basis.
We at Auto World are striving to make the American Muscle product line better than it’s ever been. Happy collecting!
Auto World: For All You Do, This Blog’s For You.
Round 2’s Creative Team consists of a small, fiercely dedicated group of individuals who juggle a variety of responsibilities. As most folks know, we don’t just make a great slot car line (Auto World), a 1:18 die-cast line (American Muscle) and a custom die-cast line (Auto World Custom & Premium), but we also produce models kits (AMT, MPC and Polar Lights) and a holiday figural line (Forever Fun). As you can imagine, with such a variety of projects, there’s never a dull moment at Round 2. (Maybe our mascot is a kangaroo because we’re always jumping from one project to another!)
In any case, I’d like to introduce you to the people behind the products. (In future entries, I’ll plan more detailed individual biographies of my fine cohorts.) As seen in the photo above, from left to right:
Jamie Hood is Art Director for Forever Fun and Model Kits, and on occasion contributes to Auto World as well. Jamie’s primary focus is product development, and he has a particular talent for reviewing sculpts, test shots and dealing with production-related issues. (If you’ve been following Jamie’s excellent entries on our model kits blog, you already have a fair idea of Jamie’s many talents.) With our Forever Fun holiday lines just starting to get under production, Jamie has been reviewing test shots and pre-production samples of Rudolph, Peanuts and Little Drummer Boy on an almost daily basis the past month or so. In addition to those responsibilities, Jamie is an accomplished artist; his most recent contribution, art-wise, at Round 2 was his stellar illustration of the Enterprise-E for our Star Trek model kits line.
Bob Plant (that’s me) is Creative Director at Round 2. Mostly that seems to mean that I get loads of e-mail and sigh a lot. (For variety, some cursing is involved occasionally, as well.) Other than that, well, I guess describing my job is a little tricky — mainly I try to make sure that things keep rolling and that I provide any support the creative team needs to get their job done. My background is in graphic design, so I still design some of our packaging as well, and recently have particularly enjoyed working on model kit boxes and instruction sheets. I’m a Trekkie/Trekker from way back, too, so it’s been a thrill being involved with the Trek kits. I can’t tell folks how exciting it is to be bringing back some of this vintage styrene — the Mr. Spock kit and the UFO Mystery ship are particularly thrill-worthy and absolutely make my geek heart jump for joy.
Terri Rach (that’s pronounced “rock,” and she, indeed, does) is Art Director for Forever Fun, but she also contributes to our other lines as well, particularly in a graphic capacity. Terri’s background in graphic design and advertising has been invaluable — she’s equally adept at designing a poseable holiday figure blister card as she is putting a model kit ad together. Terri ran her father’s ad agency, Impact, for many years, before striking out on her own as a freelance designer. Among her many clients were Playing Mantis and Round 2. At last, we convinced her to come on board full-time, and, in addition to her fine graphic skills, she’s proven herself to be an excellent conceptualist and product developer, working on Peanuts, Rudolph and Little Drummer Boy, developing both product and packaging. Terri posts Forever Fun progress reports on our sister blog, www.foreverfunblog.com — check it out!
Mike Groothuis is Art Director for Auto World, American Muscle and Custom & Premium. Mike’s focus is packaging design, but he also has his hand in the development of product as well, and is responsible for much of the beautiful and highly accurate pad print artwork that can be seen on our 1:18-scale American Muscle die-cast, as well as our Custom & Premium vehicles, which cover a wide range of vehicle types, from vintage delivery trucks to dragsters to funny cars. Mike is a fantastic photographer, and recently completed photography and packaging design for our line of classic automotive kits. Mike also specializes in photo-realistic renderings of automotive subjects; his illustrations have graced packaging art for Playing Mantis, RC2, and Greenlight. Be sure to check out Mike’s Auto World progress reports (and his excellent product photography) at www.autoworldblog.com.
John Greczula is Art Director and Brand Manager for the automotive segment of our model kits. A styrene kit fanatic from way back, John knows more about the history and the many permutations of MPC and AMT car kits than anyone I’ve ever met. His knowledge has been invaluable in restoring (“backdating”) these classic kits to their vintage glory. John’s obsessive attention to detail has helped ensure that the kits we release meet even the most serious model kit fan’s expectations. John is also a graphic designer who handles his own packaging, having a particular knack for accurately recreating vintage model kit boxes. John’s obsession with styrene car kits is nearly equaled by his peculiar fascination with the Gorn, from Star Trek the Original Series.
Tony Karamitsos is Brand Manager for Auto World, American Muscle and AW Custom & Premium. Tony has serious real-world experience with automotive restoration (specializing in muscle cars), which makes him perfectly suited for our automotive lines. Tony’s unparalleled attention to detail and intimate knowledge of many makes and models of cars have helped ensure that Auto World’s die cast and slot car lines are the most detailed and accurate on the market. Tony is one of the hardest-working individuals I’ve ever met – Tony runs a successful business as a DJ on weekends, restores cars in the evenings, (and occasionally drag-races them!) while still finding time to spend with his wife and three sons. (Three weeks ago, I saw him doing some serious partying with his wife in Vegas, but perhaps that’s a story for another time…)
Andy Jewett is Art Director Web Services and manages our many websites and blogs, from Forever Fun to Custom & Premium to Model Kits and everything in between. Andy is the most recent addition to our team, and his sardonic wit and enthusiasm helps keep us entertained. Andy is one of those multi-talented individuals who can handle the intricate inner-workings of our many websites while still making sure that everything looks pretty on the outside: he’s a true tech with taste. Andy has a great sense of design, and is also an accomplished comics artist, whose work has a distinctly indie (as in “independent comics”) bent. In the jack-of-all-trades department, Andy recently completed a couple of illustrations for our Rudolph packaging.
There you have it folks – a small taste of the personalities behind the product, and a big, big part of the reason why I look forward to coming to work every day.
American Muscle: 1967 Chevy Impala SS427
1st deco sample! The upcoming American Muscle Chevy Impala is incredible. We’re still working out some details on this stunner to make it the best Impala ever released from this Ertl mold.
We’ve added some serious attention to detail to the American Muscle cars to improve them better than ever.