Spotted these on the Bay.... are they really HotWheels? Never seen these cars... Any collectors knows 'em ?

HERE (http://www.qksrv.net/click-1606754-5463217?loc=http%3A//cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D6030579022)

Zanza, Those are Tyco "S" cars. Mattel only purchased Tyco a couple of years ago. Those cars (very early Tyco) pictured were direct competition to Aurora Vibrator and Tjet cars. Then Tyco produced the tycoPro, HP2, Curvehugger, HP7, 440 and 440x2

There are several good sites on-line that can show you the history and time-line of Aurora VS Tyco. It is interesting to see how these two companies worked their mini "horse-power" war as they developed new chassis. If I can find a good link, I will post it for you.

Anyone else have a link to a good site on this info?

I know about a little of the story of Tyco prior to Mattel.... But sorry, I never saw these cars in the Tyco S line....I own 2 Tyco S, and their chassis are black not grey. Moreover there's no mustang or charger in Tyco S line...
Your response does'nt satsify me :p

I beg to differ on the identity of the cars...

I'm pretty sure they are Bachmanns. At least the Charger and the Corvette. The Mustangs, I dunno... they actually don't look exactly alike, they may be two different manufacturers. Bachmann? Eldon? Marx? Was there ever a Mustang in the Tyco S line? (edit: I wrote this before reading your response, Zanza...)

The chassis do look similar to Tyco S, but at that time I think that everything that wasn't Aurora was an inline design and pretty much looked like that...

--rick

edit: now I'm second guessing myself on the Vette... maybe Eldon?

Zanza, how come I can't "read" this & other links of your's? :(

I did however pick up the item # at the bottom of my screen and all i've got to say is....................

Those are some way cool Mustangs, I don't care who makes'm, me wants 'em!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

okay, new thought... they're Eldons except for one of the Mustangs.... not sure which one...

see www.hoslotcars.com and "browse the huge list" for Bachmann and Eldon

--rick

When I saw the Vette I also first thought at Bachmann, but i checked mine and it's not a bach...Unfortunately I don't have any Eldon to check at

I'm not buying the HW story & what's with the playboy bunny on the hood?

Well, I just learned something new too! Thanks guys! I was looking mostly at the p'up shoes.

These cool lot of rare and strange cars finally went for 400 bucks...and is logged in my SLOTCARS AND DOLLARS Blog

ok, here's my final answer:

based on pics at the site I referenced above, the Charger, Corvette, and the blue Mustang are all Eldon. The giveaway on the Mustang is the way the A pillar meets the roof. The roof hangs over it a little, it doesn't flow into the roof smoothly...

that being said, I'm stumped on the silver Mustang. The reference site has a listing for a Bachmann '69 Mustang Mach 1, but no picture. I'm asking questions about it on another board (Yahoo HO World), see what they know...

--rick

So I'm assuming that these cars are not worth $400.00!?!?

This is why I stay away from auctions with description words like...pre-production, x-employees & prototype. These words mean that there's no one around to verify "IF" they are legit or not.

It's too easy for someone to make these at home & pass them off as something "Special".


Oh, and not to mention there seems to be alot of "Playware" on that silver Mustang.

I'm done now!

Well spotted PARKRNDL, they are effectively Eldon cars if we compare with Pickell's site's pictures... You've a good eye :)

But the front grille of they grey Mustang one is strange indeed. And it seems to be longer than the blue one, despite it has the same too much long A pillar

and by looking the form of the front lamp casing, it's impossible for it to be a 69 mach 1 ( or it will be very badly reproduced in term of accuracy)

Maybe Tubtrack (the buyer with deep pockets) paid this amount only for this grey Mustang

I know tubtrack. He is a big time collector and seller of slot stuff. I sent him an email and will let you know when he gets back to me.

Back in '97 I had an operation. New I would be off my feet for 3 months so I got my first modem. Wow 14.4s were slow. My first search was ho slot cars. Down around listing 500 (I had way to much time to kill) was a simple site with a list, prices and contact info. Prices were too good to be true so I called him. Seemed like a good guy. So hoping it wasn't a painkiller induced hallucination I placed an order. He was selling Tyco Harley cycle trailer twin packs 3 for $25. Got 12 :) !0 TCR Lambos for $10, 15 jam car Mustangs for $10 and a bunch of other stuff. Ah, the good old days.

He is also very honest. I got a Tyco VW drag bug from him on e bay. The first thing I saw when I opened the box was a $20 dollar bill and a note. He spotted a crack under the stinger pipe. I had to flex the body to see it and would have never spotted it on my own.

There are only 5 sellers on e bay that I trust on ebay when it says prototype. Pays to be careful.

anyone notice the screws on 2 of them are same colors as the cars

I know tubtrack. He is a big time collector and seller of slot stuff. I sent him an email and will let you know when he gets back to me.

Back in '97 I had an operation. New I would be off my feet for 3 months so I got my first modem. Wow 14.4s were slow. My first search was ho slot cars. Down around listing 500 (I had way to much time to kill) was a simple site with a list, prices and contact info. Prices were too good to be true so I called him. Seemed like a good guy. So hoping it wasn't a painkiller induced hallucination I placed an order. He was selling Tyco Harley cycle trailer twin packs 3 for $25. Got 12 :) !0 TCR Lambos for $10, 15 jam car Mustangs for $10 and a bunch of other stuff. Ah, the good old days.

He is also very honest. I got a Tyco VW drag bug from him on e bay. The first thing I saw when I opened the box was a $20 dollar bill and a note. He spotted a crack under the stinger pipe. I had to flex the body to see it and would have never spotted it on my own.

There are only 5 sellers on e bay that I trust on<a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-1606754-2202639" target="_top" > eBay! </a>
<img src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-1606754-2202639" width="1" height="1" border="0"> when it says prototype. Pays to be careful.

Pickell's website is probably one the best and most useful HO site I know. I love especially his way to maintain your very own collection, so even when I'm at work I know almost exactly what I've bought, or waiting for or not already updated on my own website: invaluable tool and also for searching some model when you're in doubt like in that case. I offered him to send some pictures of cars he don't have pic of, but he never reply back...

As for tubtrack I bought him one time Rotafast cars but it was way too much for the shipping charges, so I bought the other Rotafast cars directly from the guy in Argentina: shipping was way cheaper LOL

Bob says all 4 are Eldon cars.Zanza, I feel your pain about overseas shipping. Very expensive to get a set shipped. Single cars have cost me anywhere from $6 to $18. Midland HO sent me 36 cars for $9.50 and I had them in 3 days. I'm confused.

I have contacted Kelly 3 times over the last 2 years. I didn't get a reply either.

Interesting line of thought on the HO World board from a knowledgable collector...

The pic on Kelly's site, with which I was matching up the blue auction car, is not a pic of a car in Kelly's collection but rather a scan of the pic in the Eldon catalog. The blue car does indeed match that pic, but neither looks like the production Eldon Mustang. The collector pointed out that back then, manufacturers advertised pics of cars that they didn't even make. Examples: Atlas used pics of Aurora's Galaxie and Thunderbird in their early catalogs. Early Faller photos show Atlas cars on their tracks. The silver auction car is what the production Eldon Mustang looks like. The blue car... well, it seems to be anyone's guess.

In light of that, here's my guess: It's an Aurora Mustang. For whatever reason, Eldon's Mustang wasn't available for pictures, so Eldon's modelers doctored an Aurora to look more like what Eldon's finished product would be. I mean, the roof is definitely not Aurora, nor are the hood vents, but look closely at the rest of the car. If you told me that was an Aurora Mustang that was customized by an expert modeler with a blended roof and hood vents, I'd believe it.

if that's the case, then it is a rare pre-production mock-up, possibly 1 of 1 or 2 in existence. Interesting...

Anyone else ever hear the old myth that the original Torpedo that Preston Tucker unveiled at the car's press launch had junkyard Big Three frame and running gear?

--rick

I read the thread also on HO List... Like you at first sight I thought it was an Aurora (all the front is really close to), it was only the rear part that was different).... YOu're possibly right.
And if Tubtrack bought it, he probably knows why...(he seems to have big deep pockets but also a wise collector)

The Silver Mustang is Eldon, I have a white one just like it. The blue looks like a Atlas that has a new roof. In fact the blue one is the only fastback Mustang I have seen with out the roof vents. Also it has no trunk lines. It looks like an Atlas that has had the roof modified.

Roger Corrie