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Shite in Miniature II


Split_Pin

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Excellent, I have a saved ebay search for all permutations of this model now!

Speaking of which, my smaller scale Mira example landed today. I compared it with the competition* at the time.

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Its peak Mira in my opinion and on par with the CX AKA the reference point.

No play in the wheels and axles, crisp detailing, metal base and brown interior. 

The badging is a good effort but it's not in the correct font.

This is where the Majorette wins:

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Middle is the Norev Mini Jet and left is the Majorette.

They've covered 75% of all names the car had as far as I know, the exception being the UK 'Chrysler Alpine'. Not counting the MK2 versions which had the same range of names again, and a saloon!

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14 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I was idly scrolling through eBay under Superkings and found this - I'd no idea there was a transporter for the Road Blasters series, thankfully it was badly listed so no-one else bid. It's not perfect but can't be very common?

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Has the working steering too.

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Nope, can't be all that common - I don't think the RoadBlasters range sold very well, and especially not the big sets. From their launch in 1988, they'd already been pulled by the time the 1990 catalogue was published.

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13 hours ago, warch said:

That Roadblasters thing is awesome, ten year me would have loved that in 1987 (although tbh 45 year me still quite likes it in 2022). Hadn't realised it was a computer game tie in, Mad Max was hugely influential back in the 80s, so I assumed it was intended to cash in on that.

That's news to me too - I'd no idea the Matchbox range was a tie-in with Atari Games from their 1987 RoadBlasters arcade game. Cool. I can see how the Mad Max films might have influenced both the game and the diecast toys.

RoadBlasters

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Thinking about it, I'm surprised I never encountered this one as a computer game as it seems that the home console/ computer versions appeared around 1989 and 1990, which was the exact time I had my Amstrad CPC - and other chums had Commodore 64s, to my chagrin - both of which boasted versions of the RoadBlasters game.

It would have been right up my street - Chase HQ and Turbo Outrun were two of my favourites at that time, and seem to have similar gameplay.

I spent hours looking through the racks of cassette games in Woolworths and other game stockists on a Saturday, yet it seems totally unfamiliar to me! Weird.

I can see how it might well have appealed to new-ish Matchbox owner Universal Toys to tap into both the video game and action figure segments of the toy market, which had done so much to knock lumps out of traditional diecast vehicle sales since the 1970s - as well as looking a bit like smaller, cheaper Transformers. The goodies/ baddies concept of Turbo Force Vs Motor Lords probably was intended to have wider kiddy play appeal than just pushing nicely detailed models around a Motor City playtrack.

I only ever had one RoadBlaster model - 'Road Razor', a modified MB29 Tractor Shovel, which I believe was a gift from 'Santa' at a Scout Christmas Fair (where you got to queue outside an office in order to sit on someone's dad's knee and pretend you didn't recognise them in a cheapo beard and red 'n' white outfit).

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If we're still up for guessing games, then how about a crack at these? What mainline Matchbox castings were these Mad Max-esque toys based on? I've already given you one...

Thunder Gunner = Chevrolet Corvette (Bunglebus)

Carpow = Ruff Trek (Bunglebus)

Barrel Bomber = Kenworth, AKA Tyrone Malone (Bunglebus)

Speedking = Ferrari Testarossa (Bunglebus)

Street Eater = Transit Supervan 3 (AndyW201)

Turbo Special = Mercury Commuter (Bunglebus)

Road Razor = MB29 Tractor Shovel

Road Raider = Mercedes Unimog (Bunglebus)

 

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Motor Master = Peugeot Quasar (Bunglebus)

Streaker = Dodge Daytona (AndyW201)

Tow Nailer = Peterbilt recovery truck thing (Bunglebus)

Stick Up Pick Up = Ford Flareside Pick-Up (Bunglebus)

Killer Zee= Datsun 280 ZX (AndyW201)

Rampager = Sauber Group C Racer (Bunglebus)

Backstabber = Ford Bronco II (Bunglebus)

Parasite = 4x4 Jeep (or Jeep 4x4) (Bunglebus)

 

Best of luck!!

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20 minutes ago, barrett said:

@Split_Pin do you have the Mebetoys ones? In both 1:43 and 1:24 scale!

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The little one in particular looks great, but I don't think I've ever seen one for sale (and I literally search 'Mebetoys' on ebay multiple times a day)

 

I was trying to picture what a 1:24 scale ine might look like and there were 2 scenarios. A clunky scaled -up Guiloy type effort or a more crisp Bburago-like version. The latter definitely lives up to that! Much want.

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7 minutes ago, sierraman said:

The full range is in the ‘87 catalogue

I had a look through my '87 catalogue but didn't see it - and the RoadBlasters range (including sets) is listed as 'New' in my '88 booklet.

Maybe yours is a North American catalogue? As far as I can tell, the arcade video game was launched in June 1987.

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7 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

If we're still up for guessing games, then how about a crack at these? What mainline Matchbox castings were these Mad Max-esque toys based on? I've already given you one...

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Thunder Gunner = Chevrolet Corvette (Bunglebus)

Carpow = Ruff Trek/ Holden HX Ute (Bunglebus)

Barrel Bomber = Kenworth, AKA Tyrone Malone (Bunglebus)

Speedking = Ferrari Testarossa (Bunglebus)

Street Eater = Transit Supervan 3 (AndyW201)

Turbo Special = Mercury Commuter (Bunglebus)

Road Razor = MB29 Tractor Shovel

Road Raider = Mercedes Unimog (Bunglebus)

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Motor Master = Peugeot Quasar (Bunglebus)

Streaker = Dodge Daytona (AndyW201)

Tow Nailer = Peterbilt recovery truck thing (Bunglebus)

Stick Up Pick Up = Ford Flareside Pick-Up (Bunglebus)

Killer Zee= Datsun 280 ZX (AndyW201)

Rampager = Sauber Group C Racer (Bunglebus)

Backstabber = Ford Bronco II (Bunglebus)

Parasite = 4x4 Jeep (or Jeep 4x4) (Bunglebus)

Ding ding ding!! Full house!

Well done chaps, that's some good spotting... Anyone ready for a slightly more advanced identification challenge?

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Models from the Skybusters and Super Trucks range were also press-ganged into the RoadBlasters line-up... But what were they called in civvy clothing?

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1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

The Model A van is the Superchargers So High

The other van is the 4x4 Chevy Van/Rollin' Thunder 

The pickup is ( I think) the 4x4 Open Back Truck which went under several names in the Superchargers range. It could also be the 4x4 Mini Pick-Up, hard to tell from the picture

Yup, good going!

The pickup is the one I was most doubtful about too, but going by the profile of the rear wheelarch I agree it's a reworking of the Super Trucks/ Superchargers USA-1, based on the 4x4 Mini Pick-Up - itself yet another variant of the ultra-long running Ford F-series pickup, first seen back in 1968.

I'm also not sure any of the RoadBlasters Air Support Squadron or Rough Terrain Reconnaissance Patrol ever made it onto the shelves - there's no mention of them in the big Charlie Mack book, and I don't remember ever seeing any of them.

The Super Kings RoadBlasters are interesting also - the T.R.A.P.P.E.R. set seems to use the Peterbilt tractor unit like your A.L.T.R.A.C. transporter, while the M.O.R.G. set seems to use the Scania tractor unit as seen in the mainline Super Kings K-117 and K-130 construction low-loaders.

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Meanwhile, the V.A.R.M.I.T. is apparently the K-114 Crane Truck with various bits stuck on.

And then there's the only playset in the range - 'Run The Gauntlet'.

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"Can we get an evil child in to do the photos with this one? It's an evil playset, see."

"What about just vaguely creepy?"

"No, has to look proper evil. Otherwise the sets won't sell."

Never seen one of these in the wild either...

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None of this is helping ease my pain at having sold my previous ones!

Some blurb I found from a page that sadly won't display pictures but has some tantalising text:

Year of production: 1988
Number of small vehicles: 16
Number of large vehicles (Superkings): 4
Playset: 1
Known prototype: 6

Thunder Gunner (Corvette '84)
Carpow (Ruff Trek)
Barrel Bomber (Kenworth Super Boss)
Speedking (Ferrari Testarossa)
Street Eater (Ford Supervan II)
Turbo Special (Mercury Police Car)
Road Razor (Tractor Shovel )
Road Raider (Unimog)

Motor Master (Peugeot Quasar)
Streaker (Dodge Daytona)
Tow Nailer (Peterbilt Wrecker)
Stick-Up Pick-Up (Ford Flareside Pick-Up)
Killer Zee (Datsun 280Z)
Rampager (Sauber Group C)
Backstabber (Chevrolet Blazer)
Parasite (Jeep CJ)

Large vehicles (Superkings):

Turbo Force:

ALTRAC: Air/Land Repair Center (Peterbilt + Kaman Seasprite) - RB-2521
TRAPPER: Turbo Force reconnaissance & power reserve (Peterbilt) - RB-2531

Motor Lords

VARMIT: Vehicle Armor Redesign & Modular Intelligence Transport (Crane) - RB-2522
MORG: Mobile Operations Resupply Gantry (Scania) - RB-2532


Playset:

Run the Gauntlet - RB-2560

Prototype:

Road Blasters Air Support Squadron (RB-2570):

Learjet, Cessna 420 & Cessna 210

Road Blasters Rough Terrain Reconnaissance Patrol (RB-3000):

Ford A, GMC Van & Pickup

So It looks like I won't be adding any of those monster trucks to my small collection. When I win the Euromillions later I'll be buying all existing ones off eBay

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Oooweee.

Buses galore, peeps.

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Yup, looks like Market Blokey has been the ultimate beneficiary of someone's 1/76 bus collection.

Mostly older style stuff, though two Wrightbus Geminis and an Optare Delta were in evidence.

Plus Days Gone, Corgi Classics commercials and whatnot:

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I had a quick guddle in the box, but there wasn't very much of interest.

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But there was more up top in the 'usually overpriced' section - probably the same BP Corgi promos that were on offer last month...

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No 50p tat box today, I'm afraid - I know in the past Market Blokey had complained that the 50p box tended to attract kids who then started getting a bit handsy and careless with the rest of his stock, so maybe that's been a deliberate decision on his part.

There were a couple of moderately bashed older models up top - 

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Lesney Foden tanker, and Dinky Beetle and double deck bus, plus a big military vehicle that looked roughly Action Man sized.

There were also a few Britains/ Dinky military vehicles for which I have a curious blind spot, so I completely overlooked them...

But stay! What's that further over...?

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Oh, okay.

Some fairly scratched-up Corgi Classics US buses, but also some uncommon items too:

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All-plastic Minialux Berliet was very, very nice.

I was sorely tempted by this one.

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Magirus Deutz by NZG Modelle was smaller scale, but decent. I thought I'd taken a separate pic of this, but I was also busy juggling my drippy umbrella and laptop bag, so I must have been mistaken.

But here it is on the right, if I zoom in on the bigger pic:

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Big Joal Volvo in 1/50 scale was quite appealing too.

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A few small paint marks to the corners, but broadly okay.

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And I thought this one was some modern cheapo Chinese pull-back toy at first...

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But it's actually a Japanese-made Diapet Mitsubishi Fuso bus.

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Can't be all that common at Belfast markets...

I'd hoped these loose models were also a fiver, since that was the price on the boxed stuff, but sadly not - £10 each.

Not saying they're not worth that, just that it tips my speculative mingebag threshold somewhat.

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There were also a few mildly interesting items still in the box behind the stall, too:

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Plastic Mercedes one-and-a-half decker was unusual; red and cream Dinky (?) Atlantean was also quite nice.

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Two Dinky AECs were less wonderful - one on the left hand been hand painted in places and had nylon speedwheels; the one on the right was on cracked rubber tyres but a little shabby.

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Plenty of Dinky Atlanteans, but they'd been sanded in places, which was odd.

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Other, older 1950s Dinky buses had been repainted.

The rest of the box was made up of 1980s/90s Corgi Plaxtons, Routemasters and Metrobuses - probably nothing you haven't seen before!

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