Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The 1933 Willys Panel Van was one of only two vehicles in the second release that continued on with the greatest artwork ever to appear on die-cast vehicles from the first Universal Monsters (2004 blue backing card) series. The only other from this second release (2005 red backing cards) was the 1976 Ford Van (Wolfman themed). There are some other great cars amongst the rest of this series, a couple not so great as well, but these are the only two with great murals of classic Universal monsters on the sides, which I'm guessing were left over from selection from the first release.
This 1933 Willys Panel Van has the Creature from the Black Lagoon in a sort of American Indian how hand in the air pose on the sides. A full moon is over his shoulder. The roof image isn't as clear or as good and may have been why this didn't make the cut in the first series is of the Creature standing up with both hands in the air, the same colour green background behind him is pretty stupid and doesn't allow him to stand out. Like all the vehicles in this second release it comes with a car cover, this one is green and black (the exact same design as the other Creature from the Black Lagoon vehicle's car cover), with the movies text logo on the sides.
If you're only going to buy one Creature from the Black Lagoon vehicle I'd get the 49 Mercury from the first blue carded release. Also from the 2004 release 57 Chevy Bel Air is another great option from the previous series. As mentioned before there's also a second option from this second red carded release, however unless you're going to collect all the vehicles, I'd give the 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe from this series a miss as it's paintwork is pretty average.
All the vehicles that made up the Universal Monsters Release 2 series are -
1 1980 Aerovette - just a black car with red windows and no decals give it a miss. It has a Dracula car cover.
2 Hispano Suiza Cabriolet - this is the best of release 2 vehicles, is an old fashioned convertible similar to what Mr Burns drives on The Simpsons and the one that was in the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade film. It has a bat flying in front of the full moon on the doors and Dracula written on the boot (trunk). The car cover is black.
3 Howlaboo Fantasy Custom- brown dragster type vehicle wolf man themed.
4 1976 Ford Van - Nice artwork reminiscent of the original release vehicles is on each side of this van of the wolf man with a lady unconscious or dead in his arms. The car cover with this one is hairy, it's nice!)
5 Corvette Stingray - The Phantom of the Opera is on the side of this dark grey Corvette and a skeleton is on the bonnet (hood). The car cover is red just like a theatre curtain.
6 2001 Hummer - A really bad paint job means this dark green hummer with yellow painted windows and part of Frankenstein's head painted on the roof is a bit of a joke. Unless you're collecting the whole series, give this one a miss.
7 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe - You've got to look hard at the black decals (sides) and light green (bonnet/hood) on this dark green vehicle to even make out what it is. It's the Creature from the Black Lagoon. There's much better vehicles promoting this guy, one in this series as well as the original that are so much better than this. A light green car cover is supposed to look like scales.
8 This 1933 Willy's Panel Van - Much better tribute to the Creature from Black Lagoon, the creature is painted onto the sides (along with a full moon) and the roof as well. The logo words are also on the doors.
9 Chrysler Atlantic Concept - Comes with Egyptian hieroglyphic car cover. This dark sand coloured vehicle has the mummy on the doors and some hieroglyphics on the bonnet.
10 1971 Pontiac GTP Judge - Mummy themed again, but this time with a human on the side who I assumed fights the mummy in the film or turns into it.
11 - Lotus Esprit - Marketed as Frankenstein but is pretty much just chains on the side of a lotus.
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1933 WILLYS PANEL VAN #8 * THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON * Johnny Lightning 2005 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS MONSTERS 1:64 Scale SERIES 2 Die Cast Vehicle & "Monster Shroud" Car Cover
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