Stock #B2193
 

CB's Die Cast Review:  August 13, 2003

HWC™ Series Two - Neo-Classics™ #2
`71 Plymouth® GTX

The first “traditional” HWC Spectraflame car of the year is released in the form of a 1971 Plymouth GTX.

With the appearance of three distinct segments within the entire “Series Two” this year, the offering based on the original rendering of Hot Wheels have been classified as “Neo-Classics.”  HWC.com defines the Neo-Classics segment as “new school meeting old school” or, as a group of castings that would have been great Spectraflame-era candidates had they been tooled at that time.  The GTX, with the real car having been created during that era, certainly fits the bill.  Another “new school” feature is the introduction of new Spectraflame colors – again, the logic being that, had Spectraflame paint been used beyond five years, the pallet would have been expanded.  We first saw this last year with the introduction of Spectraflame Midnight Blue on King Kuda.  This year, we see “second generation” Spectraflame Antifreeze on the GTX.  While the new Antifreeze exhibits the same chameleon-like qualities of the original, it is noticeable darker and much more transparent.

The model utilizes the 2001 First Editions casting, modified to have a zinc-plated diecast chassis along with RSWs and Torsion Bar Suspension.  The body maintains its abstract design, with the windshield molding relief blending into the door edges instead of having separate seams.  The front area is chromed plastic, with the grill painted gloss black and the correctly recessed headlights painted silver.  The taillights and reverse lights are highlighted on the rear bumper, as well as a rendering of a blue California license plate.  The interior is cream colored plastic underneath clear plastic glass.  The black and white tampos are based on prototypical markings and are applied crisply.  The car rides on the aforementioned RSWs and was crafted in China.

The 1971 Plymouth GTX captures the earlier Hot Wheels era extremely well, and provides a nice contrast to original cars painted in “first generation” Antifreeze.  The purists may not like it for various reasons.  But it is a solid and popular choice to be rendered in this venue.