Stock# 19642
Collector# 649
CB's Die Cast Review: December 15, 1998
1999 First Editions #1
1936 Cord
The new year has arrived early
as far as Hot Wheels are concerned. For the first time in a long time, maybe the
first time ever, some of the new castings for the new year have been released before
January. The first 1999 car to appear is car #1 of the First Editions, the
1936 Cord. The new year starts off with a bang!
The 1936 Cord is a winning effort. Expect to see a number of limited
edition offerings on this model for years to come.
The Cord automobiles of the mid-thirties had a number of innovative features that did not
appear in other vehicles until decades later, such as front wheel drive. The model
810 series was introduced in 1936, and the 812 models debuted the following year.
The Cords were expensive, and extremely popular at first. Due to the financial
difficulties of the manufacturer however, the cars were rushed into production before all
the technical difficulties were resolved. Public interest waned.
The last Cords were produced in 1937.
Mattel has released a beautiful item that is based on the 810 Winchester Sedan of
1936. The Malaysian-made model appears to be an excellent representation of this
classic car, and matches photographs of the 810 found on various automotive historical
sites on the Internet. The body is painted in the ubiquitous maroon metallic, last
seen on the Dodge Caravan. The detail on the metal body includes the grill
ridges around the signature "coffin" nose, retractable headlights and non-uniform door
handles. A light housing sits above the recessed license plate area on the trunk,
along with the tail lights and gas cap. The plastic chromed chassis is moderately
detailed, and has the bumpers included. The ever-present flame logo sits on the
front passenger-side fender in silver, and is the only tampo on the body. The car
rides on small original-style chrome lace wheels. The vehicle is raked ever so
slightly, only noticeable if viewed directly from the side.
The glass is clear plastic, yet the interior is in shadow due to the small nature of the
windows. One has to hold the car up to a strong light to discover the interior is
a light purple plastic! Fortunately, the interior is not that noticeable under
normal circumstances, as the color clashes with the exterior paint. The
interior piece also helps to hold the rear axle in place, but cannot easily be seen
through the rear wheel well due to the model’s design. It is a shame that the
interior is not molded in a light beige or ivory, as the detail appears to be very fine,
with full inner door sides and floors. The dashboard has no features other than the
steering wheel.
The 1936 Cord matches well proportionally to 1971’s Classic Cord, which is
based on a customized 812 convertible coupe of 1937. Many of the details on the two
models, while not identical, do suggest they are based on cars from the same manufacturer
and era. The models are similarly designed, with the major differences being the
opening hood and metal chassis on the older casting. The two cars complement each
other well. One surprising note on the new First Editions car is that it is quite
heavy, in spite of the plastic chassis.
There are not too many negatives with this model. That annoying mold sprue
protrudes from under the roof, but is only noticeable under close inspection. The
interior should have been a lighter color, and the chassis should have been metal, but
this is just nitpicking. Having another Cord in the line is a welcome addition, as
those who have missed out on the 1971 issue will be able to pick up the 1999 model within
a few weeks. One of the biggest pluses with the appearance of the 1936 Cord
is that the car is available before the new year. One popular theory as to why is
Mattel wanted to release some new models before the post-holiday slow-down, when the
stores don’t restock for weeks at the beginning of the year. Of special note is
that, based on the stock number, collector number and copyright date, this is one of the
eight First Editions that was postponed from last year. In fact, if you remember,
the early carded Hot Seat and Dairy Delivery both listed the Cord as the
14th car in 1998.
