Hello Everyone: I have received numerous e-mails from a lot of you lately wondering what is going on with Auto World and the website. The website should be up and running by May 1. New product should start shipping from my warehouse about that time too. The delay was caused by licensing issues. It took longer than I expected to get all the licensing contracts signed with GM, Ford, Dodge and Plymouth. Without the contracts, I can't tool any new cars, create new packaging or develop a website as everything has to approved by the licensors. The contracts are all signed now so things should really start to roll now!

Get ready, as the web site is going to AWESOME (free "club" for registering) and there is a TON of new stuff coming out! For 2006 there will be 12 new T-Jets, 12 new X-Traction, 2 new chassis (minimum of 6 new bodies to go with each of these new chassis) and at least one new track set (Dukes of Hazzard)!

Dig it?

Thomas Lowe
Round 2 LLC
Auto World

Thanks Tom, finally some news...even if it means we got to wait sooooo long :cool:

Outstanding!
Thanks for the update...
Scott

Thank You for the update Tom, All great news except for the waiting until May. Please keep us informed and also share any other info that you can to keep our intrest. Yeah right, loved these little cars since the very early 70's and will keep buying them now! Will you be at the Rockford (midwest) slot car show in March???

Thanks again,

Tom (rodstrguy)

Hi Tom.

There has been a little bit of impatience building here, one or two moaning about the delays. But the majority of us are patient. As you said yourself, nobody has really done much with slots for years so a bit more waiting will not kill us.

I did point out that we have an unequaled level of access with the Autoworld line, but even I did not expect you to come onto the forum personally!

I await your products with baited breath and credit card at the ready....


Mon

WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!

yeah, I dig it... :thumbsup:

--rick

Great News, Will be waiting to see whats cooking... :thumbsup:


BTW Tom welcome to Hobby Talk :wave: stop by when ever you have a few moments to chat, the guys are great the drinks are free and the conversations are priceless.

Jeff

ok so now I reread it...

Dukes of Hazzard track set? Yeeeeeeee haaaaawwwwww!

Is the track system going to be compatible with an existing brand of track, or will it be proprietary? (I guess that would be the right word to use...)

If it's not based on existing track, will adapters be available to combine with other brands?

thanx--

--rick

It may be a (very) small bummer that licensing issues caused such a delay in this whole thing, but on the upside we all get a few months to set money aside to prepare for the coming of the AW cars.

.......2 new chassis (minimum of 6 new bodies to go with each of these new chassis) .......

ooooooooo.......this could be interesting...... :thumbsup:

Compatible with Tomy.

Sounds great!

:thumbsup:

Thomas, welcome to the board!

In your absence we've solved all of your problems, laid out a complete business plan and product roadmap, and did an exhaustive competitive analysis for you. :)

Yeah right. We've speculated out the ying yang and came to some rather abstract and disjointed conclusions about what we would do if we were the Kings of the Auto World slot car product lines. Now I guess we can put our Fantasy Slot Cars game to rest and sit back and watch what unfolds over the next several months in the real world of Round2 and the Auto World products.

We're a hungry bunch, we're armed with fully loaded Parma 45s, and we can't wait to see the first models roll off the line.

Is it May yet?

Well said, AfxToo. You really have a way with words... :D

--rick

The only problem with hoping for May is that then half the year is almost gone... Hey, what happened to January...???

Hello Everyone: I have received numerous e-mails from a lot of you lately wondering what is going on with Auto World and the website. The website should be up and running by May 1. New product should start shipping from my warehouse about that time too. The delay was caused by licensing issues. It took longer than I expected to get all the licensing contracts signed with GM, Ford, Dodge and Plymouth. Without the contracts, I can't tool any new cars, create new packaging or develop a website as everything has to approved by the licensors. The contracts are all signed now so things should really start to roll now!

Get ready, as the web site is going to AWESOME (free "club" for registering) and there is a TON of new stuff coming out! For 2006 there will be 12 new T-Jets, 12 new X-Traction, 2 new chassis (minimum of 6 new bodies to go with each of these new chassis) and at least one new track set (Dukes of Hazzard)!

Dig it?

Thomas Lowe
Round 2 LLC
Auto World

Id rather be patient and wait if it means everything is done and done right :) Sounds like all bases are covered and hearing about the new Track set is nice to hear too!!

Compatible with Tomy.

It would also be great if the AW track is less expensive than Tomy. If it is, I might have to convert. I'm running Tyco right now.

Compatible with Tomy.

I won't press you for details but will there be any pieces we have not seen before in Tomy?

I have seen all sorts of things people talk about wanting. 1'' & 2'' straights, 21'' curves, jumps, chicanes and so on.

My own personal wish would be for a large-ish curve that starts out tight and opens out as you drive it.


Mon

We're talking complete sets. You need bread and butter pieces plus all the accessories like controllers and power packs and guard rails first. Other than a wider or narrower radius curve that nests with existing curve pieces, those are all oddball niche pieces that address very specific exceptional applications. Jumps: great for one of a kind goofball tracks like "Herbie Dukes it Out in Hazzard County" or "Sponge Bob Meets the Flintstones. Chicanes: been done already, very niche and limiting for anything other than a 2-lane track. Little stubby filler straights: these address a need that's not really applicable to a turnkey home set.

With perhaps too much reading between the lines, I don't think we're talking about large or foundational sets with a racing/model motoring inspired theme with lots of track footage, i.e., the makings of a complete track system with all the bells and whistles of the old Aurora MM track system right down to railroad crossings and cobblestones. Tomy doesn't even go anywhere near there today. I think we're talking little "collector sets" that are intended to address the niche adult set-collector market. I think it'll be more along the lines of what we've seen Mattel do over the past several years with their Sponge Bob/Batman/Funkmaster sets, but more geared toward the adult collectors rather than the little kiddies who throw the sets away after 2 weeks

Of course anyone that wants a Tomy system or is looking to add on one would love to have an inexpensive alternative to the Tomy track prices. But so far we haven't seen the JL/RC2 products take on the cheap-knock-off role. All of their products have been targeted at vintage slot car collectors looking for complete nostagic products, not just pieces and parts. (Even though some existing JL products have effectively been relegated to that roll based on prices and oversupply.) But of course the final word rests with the newest member of our little online community...

Great news, can't wait to see these new bods. Thanks Tom.


:thumbsup: rr

We're talking complete sets. You need bread and butter pieces plus all the accessories like controllers and power packs and guard rails first. Other than a wider or narrower radius curve that nests with existing curve pieces, those are all oddball niche pieces that address very specific exceptional applications. Jumps: great for one of a kind goofball tracks like "Herbie Dukes it Out in Hazzard County" or "Sponge Bob Meets the Flintstones. Chicanes: been done already, very niche and limiting for anything other than a 2-lane track. Little stubby filler straights: these address a need that's not really applicable to a turnkey home set.

With perhaps too much reading between the lines, I don't think we're talking about large or foundational sets with a racing/model motoring inspired theme with lots of track footage, i.e., the makings of a complete track system with all the bells and whistles of the old Aurora MM track system right down to railroad crossings and cobblestones. Tomy doesn't even go anywhere near there today. I think we're talking little "collector sets" that are intended to address the niche adult set-collector market. I think it'll be more along the lines of what we've seen Mattel do over the past several years with their Sponge Bob/Batman/Funkmaster sets, but more geared toward the adult collectors rather than the little kiddies who throw the sets away after 2 weeks

Of course anyone that wants a Tomy system or is looking to add on one would love to have an inexpensive alternative to the Tomy track prices. But so far we haven't seen the JL/RC2 products take on the cheap-knock-off role. All of their products have been targeted at vintage slot car collectors looking for complete nostagic products, not just pieces and parts. (Even though some existing JL products have effectively been relegated to that roll based on prices and oversupply.) But of course the final word rests with the newest member of our little online community...

I agree with everything you say, but I just wanted to cover some of the stuff that crops up in wish lists on forums like these.

So long as his passion & commitment doesn't waver, I can imagine TL is open to anything given time.

I agree with your opinion on what the first set will be like and, as usual, you have put your views across succinctly.

I would be tickled to death to see a good inline chassis offered under these cars, like a SRT, super G+ or Tyco type. That would then throw Mr. Lowe back on top of the heap as building a good looking, reliable, fast car. I don't mind carrying that type of car in my shop, even if it does cost more than the cheap JL cars now.

My customers do not collect, they want fast cars with good detail. Most of them will buy a JL clunker to get the body for their SRT or Super G+. I rarely ever see the JL chassis run on the track.

I just use the JL cheapys for rentals for the small kiddies because they are fairly slow.

Mr. Lowe, since I can't get my emails to get to you would you mind emailing me at benefeld@iland.net and put Johnny Lightning in the subject line so I can speak with you about some product. I will send you back my phone # or call you, which ever you choose

Ronnie B.
Ozark Raceway
Warsaw, Mo.

Geh geh geh...I'm gonna get them Duke boys!!!


:thumbsup:

If the track sets come in a box with celebrity endorsement, like the old AFX sets with Jackie Stewart and Al Unser, it immediately raises their value immensely. We've talked about buying cars with little one or two car dioramas, like a American Grafitti theme perhaps, with the right couple of cars. A themed track set with the right set-only cars and accessories, and themed packaging targeted at adult collectors is really just an extension on the diorama idea: the ultimate diorama, an interactive diorama. I've never been a big fan of seeing another small "me too" set, but if it's put together in the right way to distinguish itself from the other sets it could be a highly sought after collectible and create its own little niche market.

Man!

I'm so brand new to this scene that I squeek! Yet, after reading the posts above I am like my 5 year old the day before Christmas!

"What can this Auto World be?" "Is this a new realm to explore?" "Do I have enough money for what I am about to experience and crave?" "Should I get a life?"....don't ask my wife on that one please..... :cool:

So...again, this might not be the correct place to ask this....but I always say it is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission: Is there any talk about a body for the new Mustang, Charger and Camaro concept coming out someday?

Now THAT will definetly get my heart to pumpin'! :thumbsup:

little one or two car dioramas, like a American Grafitti theme

There are a few 2 car sets I can think of (2 Lane Blacktop, AmGraf, Bullitt) that I would buy in a heartbeat. :thumbsup:

just my .02

Jeff

Amen to that Jeff, just don't forget Smokey and the Bandit... Afx semi and their Trans Am. Too cool.

How about a "Gone in 60 Seconds" set, both the original and the remake. I think those 2 would be GREAT!!!

gotta throw in my plug for Gumball Rally... that would be the 4-lane set with the red Ferrari, blue Cobra, yellow Camaro, and black Porsche...

--rick

Car guy and Rick i'll second that 'emotion' :thumbsup:

Now if wishes were horses and beggars could ride, then I would like to see some of the "evil" cars that are out there...


Wraith, Black Lincoln, The Car, Christien (sp) just to name a few...

Jeff

I would 'dig' the Lotus Espirit from the two James Bond films. I know JL had the license for diecast because the cars were repackaged here (UK) as Corgi, comsequently I made a small fortune selling the 'proper' versions.

In fact many of the 007 cars would make good slot cars, especially this November when the next film comes out...


Mon

Prices?

Awesome news, I just got my computer hooked back up after moving into our new home (well not "new", but new to us).
Keep up the great work Tom. you really are the cats meow to us slot car guys. (Lenny is right in there too, with some cool work).

This is great news, I can add to my Tjet, Xtraction collections!!

Awesome. Thanks for the update Tom. Really look forward to the new slots.

gotta throw in my plug for Gumball Rally... that would be the 4-lane set with the red Ferrari, blue Cobra, yellow Camaro, and black Porsche...

--rick


Niiiiice

gotta throw in my plug for Gumball Rally... that would be the 4-lane set with the red Ferrari, blue Cobra, yellow Camaro, and black Porsche...

--rick

I agree!!
Scott

can't wait til may hope there will be pictures of the new releases soon.