Today's car of the day comes from Derby Driver 60's collection and is Matchbox's 2004 Audi RS 6.

The Audi RS 6 quattro, commonly referred to as the RS6, is the highest-performing version, and top-of-the-line specification of the Audi A6, positioned above the Audi S6. It is a mid-size sports-focused executive car, produced by the high-performance private subsidiary company quattro GmbH, for Audi AG, part of the Volkswagen Group.

Both versions of the RS6 have been produced as a five-door five-seat "Avant", Audi's name for an estate car–station wagon and a four-door five-seat saloon–sedan.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Audi RS 6

Car Of The Day: May 8, 2012

Today's car of the day comes from Derby Driver 60's collection and is Matchbox's 2010 Cadillac CTS.

At the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Cadillac presented the 2010 CTS Sport Wagon. The wagon became available in late 2009. The car is the first non-hearse Cadillac station wagon to be sold in the U.S. market.

The CTS Sport Wagon is available in either rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive layouts, and is powered by either a 3.0-liter DOHC V6 engine, or a 3.6-liter V6 with variable valve timing. The 3.0-liter engine produces 270 horsepower and the 3.6-liter produces 304. The wagon is available with only a six-speed automatic. (except the CTS-V wagon, which is available with a manual transmission).
The car is made for primarily the European market, where in some countries, wagons are preferred to sedans.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Cadillac CTS

Car Of The Day: May 7, 2012

Today's car of the day is Hot Wheels' 2011 Aston Martin One-77.

The Aston Martin One-77 is a two-door coupé built by Aston Martin.
It first appeared at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, although the car remained mostly covered by a "Savile Row tailored skirt" throughout the show, before being fully revealed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.
There was a limited run of 77 units as delivery started in October 2010.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Aston Martin One-77

A recent addition from Hot Wheels, I really love how these photos turned out.  Especially the first and third images.

Prior to the One-77's Paris Motor Show debut, various details about the car had been leaked, but official specifications were not fully revealed until the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

The One-77 will feature a full carbon fibre monocoque chassis, a handcrafted aluminium body, and a naturally aspirated 7.3 litre V12 engine with 750 hp (560 kW). Aston Martin claims that this will be the most powerful naturally aspirated production engine in the world when the car is delivered.

The car will also use a strengthened version of the DB9's 6-speed automated manual transmission and height-adjustable pushrod suspension coupled with dynamic stability control. It will feature Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres (255/35 ZR20 front, 335/30 ZR20 rear) and Carbon Ceramic Matrix brakes.

The top speed was estimated to be 200 mph (320 km/h) but actual tests in December 2009 showed a figure of 222 mph (357 km/h), with a 0–60 mph time of approximately 3.5 seconds.

The engineering and build source of the carbon chassis and suspension system is contracted to Multimatic of Canada.

The projected weight is 1,500 kg (3,307 lb).

Today's car of the day is Schrock Brothers 1957 Studebaker Scotsman.

The Scotsman was an automobile series produced by the Studebaker Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana, during model years 1957 and 1958, and a low-priced series of pickup trucks in 1958 and 1959. The name was based on the humorously offensive stereotype of Scottish frugality, the cars being built for function with minimal luxury.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Studebaker Scotsman

Dave Weber and I went up to the Shrock's garage yesterday for their annual Maple Syrup Festival.  While there we ran into STUTZ.  A great time was had by all and I came home with two new models (and ordered two more that will hopefully be completed soon!).

When Studebaker-Packard's financial situation worsened in 1955 and 1956, company leaders decided, rather than meet the "Big Three" automakers head-on, to compete with low-priced, basic transportation. Using the Studebaker Champion's two- and four-door sedan and two-door station-wagon bodies, the company created a vehicle which could undercut the prices of minimal-frill competitors the Chevrolet 150 and Delray, Ford Custom and Plymouth Plaza. The Scotsman had features reminiscent of the "blackout" cars of the shortened 1942 model year, from which chrome trim was eliminated by war-materials rationing, though such refinements have been added by latter-day enthusiasts.

Hubcaps and grille were painted; buyers paid extra for a basic recirculating heater for the passenger compartment. Interiors were fitted with painted cardboard panels—gray vinyl being the single standard for upholstery. Rubberized floor coverings replaced carpeting. The only chrome plating was on the front and rear bumpers and some minor interior parts. Painted bumpers were an option to reduce the cost of the car even further. On two-door models, the rear windows were fixed without winders. Standard windshield wipers were vacuum-powered, resulting in reduced performance as engine load increased. The only apparent frill was Studebaker's heavily promoted "Cyclops Eye" speedometer, the same as that used on the 1956 Studebakers. Dealers were instructed to avoid installing extra-cost accessories, on the rationale that a buyer who wanted frills on an economical car could buy a regular Champion for an extra $200.



Priced below the competition from $1,776 for the two-door sedan, Scotsman sales were projected at 4,000 cars for the short 1957 model year. In fact, over 9,000 were sold—not only to frugal or low-budget customers but also to wealthy notables such as former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. For, despite its austerity, the Scotsman delivered exceptional value and economy. The small six-cylinder engine delivered a claimed 30 mpg-US (7.8 L/100 km; 36 mpg-imp) of gasoline when the overdrive transmission was chosen. This was unheard-of mileage for a car of its size in 1957, although it came at a price: With only 101 hp (75 kW), the Scotsman was by no means a rip-roaring performer. It took about 20 seconds to reach 60 mph (97 km/h) from rest, at a time when sub-10-second 0-60 mph times were becoming more common, even among the low-priced field. However, it appears that few complained about poor performance in the early days of the Interstate highway.

Following up on the initial success of the first Scotsman, the 1958 models were changed little. An ever-so-slightly altered grille and round taillamp lenses were adopted, which allowed the company to keep prices as inexpensive as possible. Although the 1958 Champion received added-on tailfins in the back and fender-mounted pods up front to accept four headlamps (two per side) as was the trend in '58, the Scotsman remained finless in the rear and kept the old dual headlamp system. Promotional materials now referred to the "Studebaker Scotsman" rather than "Studebaker Champion Scotsman", a promotion of sorts from a sub-series to a model in its' own right.

In a push to increase fleet sales, Studebaker also offered the Econ-o-miler in 1958, based on the body of the 120.5 in (3,060 mm) wheelbase President sedan. The Econ-o-miler used the Scotsman's frugal exterior and interior elements and was pushed as a taxi model. In addition, Studebaker's police-package cars in 1958 were often Scotsmans with Commander and President V-8 engines.

The Scotsman, which got off to a great start for '57, continued its success in 1958, outselling the Champion, Commander and President lines combined. The Scotsman proved that Studebaker need not attempt to follow the styling trends of the rest of the industry. Building on the Scotsman's clean-lined look, Studebaker engineers and designers quickly and cheaply created a new compact car for 1959, the Lark, not as austere as the Scotsman, but able to seat six adults in a package markedly different from its competitors at the time.

Today's car of the day comes from Derby Driver 60's collection and is Maisto's 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350.

The Mercedes-Benz GLK (codename X204; Geländewagen Luxus Kompaktklasse) is a compact luxury crossover released as a 2009 model elsewhere and as a 2010 model in North America after its public debut at the 2008 Beijing Auto Show alongside the competing Audi Q5.

The GLK-Class was launched in 2008 and is built in Bremen (Germany), the first Mercedes SUV to be built there. Its design is heavily influenced by the C-Class.

The GLK was presented for the first time in 2008 in Detroit under the form of the Mercedes-Benz Vision GLK Freeside concept.

MBUSA partnered with four tuners to develop custom designs for the newly released GLK for the 2008 SEMA show in Las Vegas. Boulevard Customs, Brabus, RENNtech and Legendary Motorcar Company were the four tuners that had this unique opportunity to design their vision.

The GLK-Class shares the C-Class (W204) platform, and production plans continued after the demise of the similar Smart Formore.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Mercedes-Benz GLK 350

Bus Of The Day: May 4, 2012

Today's car of the day is EFE's 1959 AEC Routemaster.

The AEC Routemaster is a double-decker bus built by Associated Equipment Company (AEC) in 1954 (in production from 1958) until 1968. Front-engined buses generally with rear platforms, a small number were produced with doors and/or front entrances. Introduced by London Transport in 1956, the Routemaster saw continuous service in London until 2005, and remains on two heritage routes in central London.

The Routemaster was developed by AEC in partnership with London Transport, the customer for nearly all new Routemasters, although small numbers were also delivered to the airline British European Airways (BEA) and the Northern General Transport Company. 2,876 Routemasters were built, with approximately 1,000 still in existence.

A pioneering design, the Routemaster outlasted several of its replacement types in London, survived the privatisation of the former London Transport bus operators and was used by other operators around the UK. In modern UK public transport bus operation, the old-fashioned features of the standard Routemaster were both praised and criticised. The open platform, while exposed to the elements, allowed boarding and alighting away from stops; and the presence of a conductor allowed minimal boarding time and optimal security, but with greater labour costs.

The Routemaster became one of London's most famous symbols, with much tourist paraphernalia continuing to bear Routemaster imagery, and with examples still in existence around the world. Despite its fame, the earlier and more numerous London bus classes that the Routemaster replaced (the RT-type AEC Regent and its Leyland Titan RTL and RTW counterparts) are often mistaken for Routemasters by the public and by the media.

Despite the retirement of the original version, the Routemaster has retained iconic status, and in the late 2000s work began on an updated version, which entered service in February 2012.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: AEC Routemaster

This was acquired from bangerkid45 (thanks Jon!) at the Keystone CARnival this year. 

The Routemaster bus was developed in 1947–1956 by a team directed by A. A. M. Durrant and Colin Curtis, with vehicle styling by Douglas Scott. The design brief was to produce a vehicle that was lighter (hence more fuel efficient) and easier to operate and that could be maintained by the existing maintenance practices at the recently-opened Aldenham Works. The resulting vehicle seated 64 passengers despite being three-quarters of a ton lighter than the RT family, which seated 56. The first task on delivery to service was to replace London's trolleybuses, which had themselves replaced trams, and to begin to replace the older types of diesel bus. The Routemaster was intended for London use, being designed by London Transport and constructed at the AEC Works in Southall, Middlesex, with assembly at bodybuilder Park Royal Vehicles, a subsidiary company of AEC.

It was an innovative design and used lightweight aluminium and techniques developed in aircraft production during World War II. As well as a novel weight-saving integral design, the Routemaster also introduced for the first time on a bus independent front suspension, power steering, a fully automatic gearbox and power-hydraulic braking. This surprised some early drivers, who found the chassis unexpectedly light and nimble compared with older designs, especially as depicted on film on tests at the Chiswick Works "skid pan". Footage of RM200 undergoing the skid test at Chiswick was included in the 1971 film On the Buses.
The Routemaster was a departure from the traditional chassis/body construction method. It was one of the first "integral" buses, with a combination of an "A" steel sub-frame (including engine, steering and front suspension) and a rear "B" steel sub-frame (carrying rear axle and suspension), connected by the aluminium body. The gearbox was mounted on the underside of the body structure with shafts to the engine and back axle.

Package Car Of The Day: May 3, 2012

Today's car of the day comes from juantoo3's collection and is Corporate Express Promotional Marketing's 1980 Grumman Olson P-500.

United Parcel Service, Inc., typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the world.
UPS is well known for its brown trucks, internally known as package cars (hence the company nickname "Brown"). UPS also operates its own airline based in Louisville, Kentucky.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: UPS

Stubbier than the Action version, but I lack both vehicles in my collection.  Something I would very much like to correct (especially the Action!)

The UPS package car (or van) is a major symbol of the U.S. business world, with its iconic status referenced in an early-2000s ad campaign following UPS' sponsorship of Dale Jarrett in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: the ads were about how the company would prefer to race the truck over a stock car despite the futility of doing so, as "people love the truck".

The classic UPS package car is built on a General Motors or Ford chassis, has a manual transmission, manual steering, and no radio or air conditioning. The older ones are easily recognizable due to their round headlights and turn signals set onto a sculpted fiberglass hood. These are either Grumman Olson or Union City Body P-500, P-600, or P-800 step vans (a recent redesign changed the look, replacing the round turn signals with ovoid LED ones). The cars lack manufacturer's name or badges.

Newer package cars in North America have either a Freightliner Trucks or Navistar International chassis; automatic transmissions and power steering are slowly appearing in package cars. UPS also operates Mercedes-Benz Sprinter box vans (occasionally with Dodge badges) as well as Dodge Grand Caravan minivans.

UPS has ordered Modec electric vans for its UK and German fleets. Energy costs play a huge part in the potential profitability of package delivery companies like UPS, DHL and FedEx.

When UPS ground vehicles reach the end of their useful service life and are no longer roadworthy (typically 20–25 years or more, but generally when the body's structural integrity is compromised), they are almost always stripped of reusable parts, repainted in household paint to cover up the trademark, and then sent to the scrapyard to be crushed and broken up. The only exception to this policy is when a package car is repainted white for internal use, usually at a large hub. Prior to scrapping, UPS trucks and trailers are assigned an ADA (Automotive Destruction Authorization) number and must be crushed under supervision of UPS Automotive personnel, which records the vehicle's destruction, as UPS does not re-sell any of its ground vehicles.

When using non-proprietary vehicles such as Ford E-Series vans, Dodge Caravans, or Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, UPS will often remove the vehicle badging as to not provide free advertising to the manufacturer.

Car Of The Day: May 2, 2012

Today's car of the day is Norev's 2004 Renault Wind.

The Renault Wind is a roadster by the French automobile manufacturer, Renault. The Wind was originally a concept car unveiled on September 2004 at the Paris Motor Show as a 2+1 roadster.
On February 2, 2010, Renault announced that the Wind would enter production. It was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on March 2, 2010. The production version is a 2 seater, as opposed to the 2+1 seating of the concept car.

In December 2011, Renault announced that the Renault Laguna, Renault Espace, Renault Kangoo, Renault Modus and Wind lines would be axed in the United Kingdom as part of a cost-cutting plan to help the company earn a profit.

This change took effect in February 2012. The Laguna, Espace, Kangoo, Modus and Wind lines are still available in Europe.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Renault Wind

This was acquired from bangerkid45 (thanks Jon!) at the Keystone CARnival this year.  It represents the 2004 concept but the production car (surprisingly this car was only released in 2010!) is very similar.  The lag time from concept to reality makes the new Camaro's lag time look like a rushjob.

The concept Wind's design is like other Renault vehicles such as the performance versions of the Clio and Mégane. The production Wind, however, is heavily based on the Twingo, evident in its overall size and stance, and also it's semi-circular door handles exactly the same as those on it's Twingo counterpart. The steering wheel and pedal assemblies in the concept are adjustable and fold away automatically when the door is opened for easier access. Producer is Erdenechulun.

The production version is styled very similarly to the concept car, however some changes have been made, such as a roll bar behind the seats, a spoiler, and other minor changes. The Wind features a one piece metal roof, that rotates 180° backwards (much like the Ferrari 575M Superamerica), as opposed to being made of several pieces like many other metal roof convertibles. Renault claims that it takes 12 seconds to fold the roof away, which is quite quick compared to most convertibles.

Half-Track Of The Day: May 1, 2012

Today's car of the day comes from juantoo3's collection and is Corgi's 1942 White M3A1

The Carrier, Personnel Half-track M3 was an armored vehicle used by the United States, the British Empire and the other Allies during World War II and the Cold War. Nearly 43,000 were produced, and supplied to the U.S. Army and Marines, as well as British Commonwealth and Soviet Red Army forces, serving on all fronts throughout the war.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: White M3A1

Between the world wars, the US Army sought to improve the tactical mobility of its forces. With the goal of finding a high-mobility infantry vehicle, the Ordnance Department had evaluated the half-track design by testing French Citroën-Kégresse vehicles. The White Motor Company produced a prototype halftrack using their own chassis and the body of the M3 Scout Car.

The design, using as many commercial components as possible to improve reliability and rate of production, was standardized in 1940 and built by the Autocar Company, Diamond T Motor Company, and the White Company.

Offered with a choice of White 160AX or IHC RED 450 engines, the M3 was driven through a manual constant-mesh (non-synchromesh) transmission with four forward and one reverse gear, as well as a two-speed transfer case. Front suspension was leaf spring, tracks by vertical volute spring. Braking was vacuum-assisted hydraulic, steering manual, without power assist. The electrical system was 12-volt.

The M3 was the larger counterpart to the M2 Half Track Car. The M2 was originally intended to function as an artillery tractor. The M3 had a longer body than the M2 with a single access door in the rear and seating for a 13-man rifle squad. Ten seats were arranged down either side of the vehicle, with three in the cab. Racks under the seats were used for ammunition and rations; additional racks behind the seat backs held the squad's rifles and other stowage. A small rack for mines was added on the outside of the hull just above the tracks. In combat, most units found it necessary to stow additional food, rucksacks and other crew stowage on the outside of the vehicle. Luggage racks were often added in the field, and very late vehicles had rear-mounted racks for this crew stowage.

Early vehicles had a pintle mount just behind the front seats mounting a .50-caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gun. The later M3A1 adopted a raised, armored 'pulpit mount' for the .50-caliber, and .30-caliber (7.62 mm) machine guns could be used from mounts along the sides of the passenger compartment. Many M3s were later modified to the M3A1 standard. The body was armored all around, with an adjustable armored shutter for the engine's radiator and a bulletproof windscreen.

The halftracks were initially extremely unpopular and dubbed "Purple Heart Boxes" (a grim reference to the US Army's decoration for combat wounds) by American troops. Chief complaints centered around the complete lack of overhead protection from airbursting artillery shells and that the armor was inadequate against machine gun fire.

Total production of the M3 ran to nearly 41,000 vehicles. To supply the Allied nations International Harvester produced several thousand of a very similar vehicle, the M5 half track for Lend-Lease.

Since White was the original manufacturer I've given that one the nod as the manufacturer of this particular version.  But since these were made by a multitude of truck producers over the course of World War II if anyone is an expert and can narrow it down further I'd be much obliged!

M3A1 - Any vehicle with the improved M49 machine gun ring mount over the right hand front seat. Between 1942 and 1943 all M3 Half-Tracks (standard and A1s) were continually upgraded. These improvements included a number of drive train, engine, and stowage improvements.

After World War II Israel produced several further variants of this design.