Stock #52903
Collector #022

CB's Die Cast Review:  October 10, 2001

2002 First Editions™ #10
Nomadder What™

The new model year is upon us as far as the First Editions series is concerned.  Already the first seven of 42 new models have been released around the world, and four have surfaced in the United States.  In August, Nomadder What was the first to appear, much to the surprise and disbelief of collectors planet wide.  As the sightings increased in the weeks following, Mattel confirmed the early circulation and released the names of most of the new castings, as well as some pilot model pictures.  There appear to be some good models in the group.  But, this one ...?

Nomadder What is a custom rod based on a 1950s Chevrolet Nomad wagon, and catches the eye at first glance in the blister pack.  When freed from the package, both good and bad features became evident to me.  The die-cast body is painted in orange pearl.  The chassis is molded in translucent orange plastic, revealing a lot of interior detail from below; a practice started with 2000's Vulture and continued with last year's Vulture Roadster.  The interior is chromed plastic and includes the headlights and grill up front and the taillights in back, as well as the transmission and drivetrain underneath.  It also includes a soapbox derby racecar in the cargo area.  The glass is formed from two pieces of gray tinted plastic.  The back half of the roof is part of the glass, allowing an unobstructed view into the cargo area.  Silver and black decorations based on 1957 Chevy Bel-Aire styling are tamped on either side, and the modern Hot Wheels flame logo is tamped on the right side in silver.  The car rides on five-star wheels and is manufactured in Malaysia.

Well, the good, the bad and the ugly all apply to this vehicle.  Generally speaking, I like both the orange pearl paint and the translucent chassis, but both have been used to excess in recent years and I don't care for either on this model.  Secondly, this car has a wide short nose, which flairs out even more over the exaggerated rear fender fins.  The car has the appearance of a bat from the front and a bathtub on wheels from the back.  I wasn't happy to see scratches on top of the plastic roof.  I hope most of these components are unblemished before they are installed.  And orange translucent twin exhaust pipes extending from the rear would have been more appealing if designed as part of the chromed insert.  The roof/window part can be snapped off with little difficulty, providing a better view of the derby racecar in the back.  I actually think Nomadder What looks better with the roof removed.

Now for the good news:  the model is not a lowrider, thankfully.  It gives the illusion of having greater clearance due to the contour of the lower sides, but it still is greater than other recent designs.  The front axle is solidly mounted, and the rear axle has a slight amount of play, giving the model excellent balance.  There are some nice details that take advantage of the translucent chassis in the design, such as the front parking lights.  The model is tail-heavy, but should perform well on all the track sets.

Nomadder What is one ugly-looking rod, but the kids should enjoy it if it performs up to expectations.  And, that's what this is truly about.