I admit I was a bit surprised at yesterday’s reaction to the special pink versions of muscle cars M2 is releasing. I definitely like it when diecast companies mix it up and take risks. Pink Ford Torinos are not quite what I had in mind, exactly. Still, props for doing something different. Just 24 hours later we’ve received word of another release (this time sans pink). Yet despite a new casting I find this one almost too conservative and ultimately disappointing. Here is the lineup for M2’s 3rd VW release:
A strong red (M2 would like us to call it “Deeper Maroon”) looks pretty good, but a couple problems jump out at me. 1) The sunroof should not be the same color as the car, and 2) in 1965 VW switched from the sliding ragtop sunroof like the one on this model to a conventional metal one.
Here’s what I mean:
Old style sunroof
1965+ sunroof (this is actually a ‘66)
It shouldn’t be much of a secret that companies like M2 and Greenlight use the same castings for multiple model years, but VW people like me notice.
Speaking of:
I think it’s fair to speculate with a reasonable degree of certainty this ‘53 and the ‘67 are the same casting. I get that companies need to save money and can’t produce casts for every model year. M2 doesn’t send us pictures from any other angle but I’m guessing they made it look like the open sunroof was piled up at the back as they’ve done previously. I’m also guessing they painted it the same blue as the rest of the car. What bothers me most about this particular model, however, is those wheels. VW never offered wheels even remotely like that, and certainly not in 1953. It seems a strange choice to go with the simpler “blade” bumpers but then equip the model with gaudy wheels.
What really strikes me as odd is that M2 does not only have two wheel choices. Yet again they go on the ‘58 bus...
And your Chase car. I have not been notified of a “Super” Chase like the pink Detroit-Muscle release got, so perhaps that was a one time thing. I will note that M2 informed me that this is a new casting, although they are not even advertising that fact on their promotional photos. So I’m guessing even they have a feeling it underwhelms.
I may seem unnecessarily hard on this release. My first car was a 1969 Beetle and for many years I was a die-hard VW fanatic. It was really my pathway into becoming a true car enthusiast. (And when I couldn’t afford the cars, a diecast car enthusiast...) I’m able to note the little things that are off. These models, however, strike me as having deficits even the non-VW person would quickly spot. The red ‘67 in particular with the sunroof painted over brings to mind visiting someone’s house and noting that the light switch covers have been painted over the same color as the walls, because the painter was too lazy to remove them.
However, I’m obviously not the final word on these M2 models. What do you think? Will you be adding them to your collection? Let me know in the comments!