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(More customer reviews)There was a time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. But we all know that. The massive Brontosaurus and the fierce Tyrannosaurus Rex, and all that. But I speak of a different kind of dinosaur, one equally extinct in today's market of automobiles as those long-gone giants of flesh and blood. The dinosaurs I speak of were giants of steel and oil, of iron and power steering fluid. They best of them were adorned, inside and out, possessed ridiculous amounts of all that made them great- steel, glass, chrome, and above all lots and lots of fake wood. The last wood-paneled station wagons whose paneling was genuine wood were made in the 1950's, but the ones made since retained premium status. A lesser Vista Cruiser would have had no exterior wood to speak of, so the ones that carried it on their exterior body panels were marked as the best of their kind, kings of the road and undisputed masters of family motoring. There was no minivan in 1971. There was no titanic SUV either. Only the V8 station wagon.
This model pays a fitting tribute to all those grand old automobiles- the Kingswood Estate, Vista Cruiser, Electra Estate, Safari, Colony Park and so many more. It carries what I believe are real rubber white-stripe tires, is adorned with remarkably good-looking fake wood, and has a glossy black paint job in addition to a fair bit of chrome here and there. It runs far more than the average Matchbox car- $5 or so in most cases- but it is worth it. Build quality, entertainment value, and educational value are all tops. This car could be used to teach as much about America- and her love affair with cars- and what both used to be like as a trunk of history books.
Huge, crass, and inefficient in their use of fuel, cars like the Vista Cruiser are now gone, but perhaps not quite completely. Even the dinosaurs managed to leave some lasting legacy, keep some part of them alive. By that I think I mean alligators and crocodiles. Been around forever. But with the recent trend away from trucks and back towards cars among both the fading minivan and the changing SUV, new vehicles have emerged. Vehicles that serve as an indication that while the exact form of the Vista Cruiser may never again grace the interior of a showroom, something like it may be doing so now. Take a look at the Ford Flex, for one. Ford calls it a crossover SUV, but with that body, that profile, I don't know who they think they're kidding. The Flex is a good old American station wagon, just like this Vista Cruiser. I think I've even heard of some enterprising folks slapping fake wood all over a Flex or two. I don't think, hearing such news as that, dinosaurs like the Vista Cruiser are truly gone.
This is as fine a Matchbox car I have ever seen. Not only is it simply well-made and good-looking, but as you can see it represents a tremendous amount, a whole era of motoring and family cars. And for folks like me, who grew up seeing and riding in such dinosaurs of steel, oil, and fake wood, a model like this has tremendous nostalgic value. And models of Oldsmobiles, any Oldsmobile, help serve to remind the world that such cars were once being built. They help, essentially, to ensure Oldsmobile is remembered.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Matchbox 2010 Lesney Edition, '71 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, 1:64 Scale.
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