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Respect the Classics: More Cars Mini Adventures

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  • Respect the Classics: More Cars Mini Adventures



    We love our Piston Cup racers from the movie Cars... we love a lot of the other Cars from Cars... Some of us met very few Cars that we didn't like... In the last installment of Respect the Classics, we looked at the Piston Cup haulers and racers in the Cars Mini Adventures product line... plastic Cars that were miniature versions of the diecast products... In this article, we'll look at some of non-racer Mini adventure Cars... As you'll see in photos, some had very funky paint schemes...

    And in keeping up with Mattel distribution, on the back of each 2 pack are the words:

    "Each sold separately, subject to availability... Colors and decorations may vary."


    Categories

    Mattel released many different series in the Cars Mini Adventures product lines... I didn't buy all of each; I just bought the ones I liked... I don't have many carded sets left anymore and didn't take pictures of them before I opened them... the series included:

    Sarge's Boot Camp - the Cars in this series were in Army colors like Sarge... 2 packs included Sarge and Fillmore, Sally and Mater, Sarge and Camo McQueen with Night Vision goggles, Ramone and Flo, and Guido and Red... I have no unopened sets other than Sarge and his trailer but do have photos of some of the loose Cars on cardbacks of other 2 packs... Mattel also released a Sarge's Boot Camp 6 pack.

    My 4 loose Cars in the Sarge's Boot Camp series:



    Lightning McQueen's Team - the Cars in this series were in the red and yellow colors of Lightning McQueen... 2 packs included McQueen and Mater, McQueen and Fabulous Hudson Hornet, Sarge and Fillmore, and Tractor and Luigi... The only unopened 2 pack I have is McQueen and Mater which is one of the sets I got on clearance at Big Lots for $2.00:




    Dinoco Dream - the Cars in this series are all in the Dinoco Blue paint colors... These were Piston Cup racers and included The King, Dinoco Lightning McQueen, and Dinoco Chick Hicks... McQueen was released in 2 packs with both The King and Chick Hicks... The Gray Hauler was released in the Piston Cup series in the Mini Adventures product line. More Cars in the Dinoco Dream series were released in the 1:55 diecast product line.

    Here's a picture showing the Dinoco Chick Hicks and Dinoco Lightning McQueen:

    (Photo used by permission of Pirelliboy; thank you, Pirelliboy)


    Radiator Springs Fire Department - the Cars in this series were all in fire department colors - basically red and white... 2 packs included Sally and Lizzie and Sarge and Fillmore... I have a few opened Minis in this series... they include Lightning McQueen, Red, and Sheriff.

    My 4 loose Cars in the Fire Department series:



    Tunerz - the Tunerz were probably my favorite Mini Adventures series - I liked them as well as if not more than the Piston Cup Racers... Here are two of the carded 2 packs:



    I bought these at stores like Target and Meijer for $5.99 to $6.99 each... I also picked up the ones you see above at Big Lots for the $2 clearance price... the Tunerz are probably the only ones I have both carded and open... There were a few other 2 packs in this series, such as Ramone and Fillmore who are pictured on the back of one of my 2 packs... had I seen this one in a store I would have bought it...

    The Tunerz were available on international cardback... Here's a Boost and Snot Rod 2 pack that I would love to add to my collection:

    (Photo used by permission of Pirelliboy; thank you, Pirelliboy)

    Here is a picture of the Ramone and Fillmore 2 pack from the Tunerz series:

    (Photo used by permission of Pirelliboy; thank you, Pirelliboy)


    Radiator Springs - This series included 2 packs of the townies in strange paint jobs... 2 packs included Ramone as a police cruiser and Flo:



    I have some other loose Minis in this series, including Red, Lizzie, Fillmore, and Sarge.




    Fillmore's Festival - we know that Fillmore was a hippie who drank a lot of the organic fuel... the Cars in this series had paint jobs that bordered on the psychedelic... 2 packs included Luigi and Guido and Sheriff and Doc Hudson (in purple)... Luigi and Guido are the only ones I have:




    Race Rods - The Race Rods series featured Cars that were modified to look like hot rods as far as their colors were concerned... I have a Sarge and Fillmore set unopened (but the cardback is damaged):



    I also have a carded Ramone and Sheriff set:



    Other 2 packs in this series included Flo and Sally, Tractor and Doc Hudson, Snot Rod and Mater (in Wingo Colors), Orange Lightning McQueen and Red Chick Hicks, and Lizzie and Red.

    Here's a picture of the Snot Rod and Mater:

    (Photo used by permission of Pirelliboy; thank you, Pirelliboy)

    Here's a picture of the Lightning McQueen and Chick Hicks:

    (Photo used by permission of Pirelliboy; thank you, Pirelliboy)

    Trailers - Mattel released a few Cars with trailers... unlike the trailer that came with the hauler, there were more along the lines of a camper trailer... I believe that Mattel released 4 in the US and I have 3 of them:

    Lightning McQueen:


    Sarge:


    Red:



    I really don't know why I bought the ones I did... I did see Purple Ramone with purple trailer in stores but at $8.99 retail I thought they were way overpriced... There was also a green Chick Hicks with trailer released in the UK; this was the only true release of Chick Hicks in the HTB paint scheme in the Mini Adventures product line... I believe that Rippers may have one of the Chick Hicks with trailer... he offered one to me at one time but I'd decided the trailers weren't for me.

    Chick Hicks:
    Pirelliboy has the Chick Hicks with trailer in his collection and has allowed me to include photos:

    (Photo used by permission of Pirelliboy; thank you, Pirelliboy)

    Chick Hicks trailer with cardback:

    (Photo used by permission of Pirelliboy; thank you, Pirelliboy)



    Cardbacks

    Here are a few photos of cardbacks of the Mini Adventures products that show pictures of loose Cars in the 2 packs; note that some of the paint schemes are definitely not canon to the movie.
















    Loose Cars

    Here are photos of my non-Piston Cup racers in the Mini Adventures product line:


    Mack (part of the Octane Gain 6 pack):


    Mack and Lizzie:


    Tunerz:


    Boost:




    DJ:




    Snot Rod:




    Wingo:




    Bob Cutlass and Darrell Cartrip:


    Red:


    Sarge:


    Mater:


    Fillmore:


    Lightning McQueen (Camo and Fire Department):


    Ramone and Flo (from Lightning McQueen's Team):


    Sally and Sheriff:



    In Conclusion

    The Cars Mini Adventure product line another attempt by Mattel to separate us from the money in our wallets... Some people bought them because they really liked them... Some people bought them because there were no new 1:55 diecasts in stores to buy... In addition to the Piston Cup Racers and Haulers that were covered in a previous article, I also liked the Tunerz and the Bob Cutlass/Darrel Cartrip 2 packs... these Mini Adventures were painted a lot like their 1:55 diecast versions and that's why I liked them more than some of the others... I've not seen any Mini Adventures in stores for quite awhile, and I haven't searched on eBay for them... And once again, Mattel started a product line and didn't finish it...

    As always, thanks for reading... I appreciate your comments and your feedback... I may retake a few photos as the lighting in some of them isn't the greatest and some of the pictures may be a little blurry... if you have photos of any other Minis, either loose or carded, that you'd like to share, please feel free to post... but other than that... this concludes the article series on the Cars Mini Adventures.

    Chris
    Last edited by cac1959; 03-19-2012, 12:49 AM. Reason: Added more photos


    I am cac1959... I am a Cars-a-holic... and a proud supporter of Nathan's Playroom

  • #2
    Did anyone here get the Screaming Banshee from the Mini line? That thing actually seems like it might be cool. Have never seen one in person.

    signature courtesy of BomBom77
    http://www.pixarcarsdiecast.com/foru...ars-for-trades

    Comment


    • #3
      i do not collect these although some do look good in their different colour guises.good article, again thanks cac1959.

      Comment


      • #4
        Great job once again Chris!

        Comment


        • #5
          I've got 4 Mini's that I picked up second hand with the Drive In Race Off play set and my son loves them. I would like to get some more of them, but the standard retail price was too high for my taste and I when they were on discount I wasn't interested in them... Oh well....

          Oh - good article too Chris - the Tunerz and "Tuner Painted" cars are my fav...

          Comment


          • #6
            Found some cases listed for sale on eBay...

            Case F contents:
            1 Chick Hicks Hauler, 1 Luigi/Mack, 2 Gray Hauler, 2 Tank Coat #36 / No Stall #123, 1 Sheriff/Mater, 1 Lightning McQueen/Ramone, 1 Lizzie/Red, 1 McQueen/Chick Hicks (4x4 Buddies), 1 Flo/Sheriff, 1 Doc Hudson/McQueen

            Case E contents:
            1 Mater/Lightning McQueen (Fire Department), 2 Sally/Mater (Sarge's Boot Camp), 2 Ramone/Flow (Fire Department), 3 Lizzie and Sally (McQueen's Team), 2 Fillmore/Sarge (Radiator Springs), 2 Fillmore/Sarge (Sarge's Boot Camp)

            2008 Case P contents:
            2 Mater/Lightning McQueen (McQueen's Team), 2 Sarge/Camo McQueen (Sarge's Boot Camp), 2 Sheriff/Mater, 1 Dinoco Chick Hicks/Dinoco McQueen, 1 King/Dinoco McQueen, 1 Flo/Ramone (Lightning McQueen's Team), 1 Black Fillmore/Sarge, 1 Flo/Ramone, 1 Doc Hudson/Sheriff (Sarge's Boot Camp)


            I am cac1959... I am a Cars-a-holic... and a proud supporter of Nathan's Playroom

            Comment


            • #7
              More photos added

              I have added more pictures of carded Minis to the article... thank you, Pirelliboy, for use of the photos.


              I am cac1959... I am a Cars-a-holic... and a proud supporter of Nathan's Playroom

              Comment

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