Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS: Mattel 1:55 CARS and Disney 1:43 CARS – How to Tell Them Apart
With the new Disney Store releases of some Piston Cup racers (especially hard to find Mattel 1:55 Sidewall Shine or Transberry Juice), how can you tell from a photo if it’s a Mattel 1:55 CAR or a Disney Store 1:43 scale Piston Cup racer?
Of course, presuming it’s just a photo of one without any sense of scale.
Here are some clues.
From this angle of not just Sidewall Shine but all the others, it looks like the Disney Store diecasts all have smiling expressions while the Mattel 1:55 Piston Cup racers generally-rarely have smiling expressions.
In the case of Shiny Wax, there are definitely fewer circles … BTW, that is NOT a plastic faceplate on the Mattel 1:55’s, it just looks that way from the design scheme which the Disney Store one skimped on.
For the most part, the Mattel 1:55 CARS are slightly brighter and have a deeper, richer color scheme – presumably more coats of paint and a brighter finish.
There are more tell-tale signs at the bottom. the Disney Store CARS have screws holding the plate to the CAR and a long white production code while the Mattel 1:55 CARS have rivets and a short production code XXXX EA (for most CARS).
It also appears that all the Disney Store CARS have black bases but the rivets versus screws and the production codes are easier to tell.
Though note, the first-other wave of Piston Cup Racers CARS released by the Disney Stores do NOT have the long production codes and are blank … (Lightning McQueen, King & Chick)
As are the Thailand produced CARS such as Chick Hicks here …
Though all Chick’s made by Mattel since mid 2006 (in China) have the white letter production codes. The current Disney Store Chick Hicks have a black base, and screws but no white production codes. Presumably the other Disney Store CARS were manufactured before this new lead law deal but now, they have to tracked by production batches – hence the giant numbered code on the 5 new racers.
Here’s the visual checklist – as you can see, they have not added a lot of new CARS since the first townies batch of 2006 …
The only one listed here but not out is Fabulous Hudson Hornet.
But if you have any question if it’s a Disney Store 1:43 CAR, just ask them for a snapshot of the base … if it’s black and has screws, it’s a Disney Store 1:43 scale CAR. The clincher might be the long production code.
Oh yea, collect them all.
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24 September 2009
20 Comments
curious, how much are the 1/43 scale Cars at the disney store?
(MET: $5.50 or sale price 2 for $10)
thanks Met!
Have they released Doc Hudson at the Disney Store at all? I know the graphic above is of Fabulous Hudson Hornet, but they call it Doc Hudson. I’ve noticed that all Doc Hudson Shake ‘n’ Go’s are now actually the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, so I’m wondering if that is the case here.
If anyone likes slot cars, Carrera Go has a 1/43 scale Lightning Mcqueen slot car (King and Chick Hicks, too). They look quite nice, and come in a WOC/ROR style package. I’ve seen a few of them on the bay recently.
One possible advantage to the 1:43 scale is the availability of slot car racers. There are no 1:55 scale slot cars. Usually slot car racers have interchangeable bodies. I’m looking forward to the first customizer swapping bodies and getting McQueen onto a track!
I’ll have to think about that, let me know what you might want!
If this were a Science Fair entry, I’d give Met an A+ for this post!!
My son loves his Disney Store Sidewall Shine. Everytime he shows someone he says, “Isn’t he huge??”.
if the disney cars were easier to get, and if they would release all the racers (sans apple) then i would be tempted to get them, plus there bigger, but abit rubbish how they have all the same expressions,
least mattel racers have 3 diferent models for racer,
another diferent between the disney store and the mattel racers is the mattel ones have side and back windows seperate to thier bodies,
the dinsey ones have painted windows.
Someone say APPLE…then, “Q” of the late great Star Trek: The Next Generaion, would snap his fingers and it would magically appear…
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3504/3950568587_137f4f1bf2.jpg
huh…wonder why disney got permission and mattel didnt…
Is this for real????
If it is, I have to tell my friend. She works at a Disney Store, AND is an Apple fanatic.
Nope, it’s not real. It’s a custom. Search for it on ebay and you’ll see it.
#190336674923
I haven’t bought any of the Disney Cars until they came out with SideWall and Transberry. I bought them, and I LOVE them. They are huge! Just a fun addition to the collection. So now I am on the hunt for the rest of the Disney collection. Anyone have a Disney Trunk Fresh for trade?
Great post MET! I was noticing this trouble as well, especially on eBay. I get a saved search emailed to me for Sidewall Shine.. well once the Disney one came out… that search result became huge as they flooded the market. Sometimes from the photos it was a close call as to a Mattel or Disney Store version. And the title of the auction hardly ever tells you.
seems they can’t agree on Shiny Wax’s shade of green… or maybe it is changed every race season…
Love the detailing on both, but the Mattel Shiny Wax color is better. More contrast with the circular pattern.
Great job with the photography Met!
cool post, but i will stick to the 1:55 cars! 🙂
me too, 1:55 itself has been more than enough with Mattel’s never ending surprises