Can it get any cooler than the Trans Am Racing season of 1970?
If you are not qualified to answer that, google the names Parnelli Jones, George Follmer, Marc Donohue, Sam Posey, and Dan Gurney. Or “1970 Trans Am”. Then prepare to go deep into the google-sphere. Photos, stories, videos, it is a bit addictive. And the cars. Oh the cars. Trans Am fans know what I mean.
I am not the racing nut that some are, but the Trans Am series is so intertwined with the pony car era that it is impossible to not become familiar with it if are even a casual fan of these cars. Not to mention the sub-2.0 liters category, with its Porsches and Alfas and Audis and eventually Datsuns, the Trans Am series of the early ’70s is a goldmine of gearhead porn.
After your little google voyage, we then dare you to try and avoid hitting ebay and gobbling up the Trans Am models from the Vintage Racing series in 2011. It is near impossible to not want them, it just might be the aftermarket pricing that will keep you from jumping all in.
There are a lot of great models in the Vintage Racing series, and of course we have spent more than enough time on the BRE Datsun. But in all honesty, for me the gems are the Trans Am cars from 1969 and 1970. And over the next few months we will try and get through all of them.
So it is probably appropriate to start with the two cars that won the series for Ford in 1970: Parnelli Jones’ #15 and George Follmer’s #16 1970 Mustang Boss 302’s. There is not one without the other, so it makes perfect sense that Hot Wheels did both, even though they look so much alike.
And both are amazing models. The ’70 Boss 302 casting made its debut in this series, and to us there is no doubt this is the best Mustang casting Hot Wheels has ever done. It may also be one of the most realistic models Hot Wheels has ever done as well. The details are so spot on, the stance screams Trans Am, and while it seems trivial, look how perfectly the wheels fit in the wheel wells. Considering other castings have been botched, this is at least evidence that they can do it right when needed.
As much as I am sad that this type of series hasn’t continued, we can at least be happy that the 2011 Vintage Racing Series was completed, and we have some amazing models. It was the Racing Series of 2012 that didn’t make it, cutting short the Japanese Racing batch. Now excuse me while I go cry…
(Find the 2011 Hot Wheels Vintage Racing on ebay…)
Hot Wheels Parnelli Jones ’70 Mustang Boss 302 & George Follmer ’70 Mustang Boss 302 (2011 Vintage Racing):
Coming next:
That really is a great Mustang casting. I never saw these ones when they hit shelves as they didn't sit for long. The red one from the 2012 Racing Muscle segment was more abundant, but I didn't know that one as well as these Bud Moore cars.
It's a damn shame that this casting was cut from the Flying Customs series in 2013 (it was on preliminary lists), and the currently cut short Cool Classics. Here's hoping that this casting will indeed see the intended Cool Classics release in the Heritage line that was mentioned recently.
-doomus
Yes, this is yet another well-executed casting. I have George Follmer's #16, and it remains one of the gems in my collection.
For me, exactly, Parnelli Jones' Mustang is better. Why? Because it's got the right stuff on it, but on George Follmer's, where would you get the idea of red head lights?! Obviously weird.
But by that being said, I would like you to do the “Cool is Cool is Cool” post on the Javelin AMC. Cheers!
I have both of these mustangs, I bought them both a few years ago and never thought they were that special but they've always been my favorites. It's cool to know that these are fairly sought after and now I'm kind of upset I opened these haha
Opened mine too but the series in New Zealand started with hiss and a roar but we never saw the later stuff because the market was flooded with the first 10 or so castings then the rest just didn't appear shame really it is one set I wanted along with the 2012 which just didn't happen what a bummer
Well, the red headlights are actually accurate to the car: http://www.ponysite.de/saac31_gfeiner757sports1.jpg and http://www.historictransam.com/images/Monterey11/_ROL2604.jpg
-doomus
I'm just realizing that I think the red one from 2012 Racing Muscle mix is done after George Follmer's '69 Mustang… d'oh
-doomus
Great castings! I worked at Parnelli Jones Firestone in the 70s and would talk to Parnelli at the annual Christmas party. Really nice guy if you could get past the bad rug on his head. I think he only wore it to the parties. 🙂