A First: Maisto Design's Tow & Go, featuring Two Cool Cadillacs

We're going to interrupt the Matchbox posts to feature some new product by a different brand. First Maisto feature on this blog. First of each of the respective cars in my collection. This is the Tow & Go pairing featuring the Cadillac Escalade EXT and Cadillac STS-V, from the new Maisto Design series.

Many of you may have checked your local Targets recently and seen the new product by Maisto, labeled Maisto Design. It's Maisto's attempt to revitalize the brand and make it more attractive to collectors, having been hidden in the shadows for the past few years. The packaging refresh is eye-catching, but don't be fooled by what's on the outside. The models, and castings for that matter, are largely similar to what they've released in the past. Still the same cartoon-ish modifications on their models. Still the same, odd, 1/55-ish scale. Bottom line: they might not be for you.

This pair really caught my eye for one reason and one reason only: that STS-V. I don't remember ever seeing this particular car in diecast form. Better yet, this one is actually close to 1/64 scale, which is what I primarily collect. The STS-V is a car that I loved when it came out, and I think the design is still as sharp as ever. I can immediately forgive the exaggerated "DUB" look and the generic tampo treatment put on by Maisto. This is one I had to have in my collection. They've released this casting in the past, but due to spotty distribution, Maisto's 1/55 scale cars never made it to retail.

I know most of you have already tuned out by now just looking at the photos. Who on earth thought those deeply inset wheels were a good idea? For those of you still there, I bet you're already thinking about this model's potential. A simple wheel swap and tampo delete just might do the trick. Maybe some extra work is necessary, such as cutting out the fenders a little more to fit those new shoes, but this STS-V can look spectacular in the hands of a deft customizer.

Let's not forget there's another model in this set. The Cadillac Escalade EXT is arguably just as good, if not better, than the STS-V above. This one actually looks fairly realistic because the truth is, there are Escalades out there that look like this. Minus the graphics of course.

At the end of the day, these are two models that are well-detailed and competitively priced. It just all depends on your tolerance of tacky modifications.

If You Don't Succeed, Try Again: Matchbox's Best-Of-World Series, Part 1

Matchbox is one of those brands that gets kind of neglected nowadays. It doesn't have the sheer firepower that Hot Wheels has, and distribution and availability has been frustratingly spotty. As of the past few years, the releases have been largely generic castings, the kinds that hang on the pegs for months and only get spontaneously picked up by desperate parents who need a toy for their crying child. As a result, collectors have almost completely forgotten about the orange brand. I, myself, rarely check the Matchbox pegs now, under the assumption that I'll end up finding the same insignificant models that I saw on my last trip to the store. And the trip before that. And the trip before the trip before that.

Well, Matchbox is listening. They are slowly phasing out more generic castings in favor of licensed ones. How many of you have seen Target stores completely rid themselves of Matchbox pegs altogether? Fortunately, they're coming back. Matchbox has announced that singles will be making their way back to Target within the year. That's something I'm definitely looking forward to.

But the biggest buzz regarding Matchbox has been this. The so-called "Best Of World" series. It's essentially a direct heir to the Supreme Heroes line from last year, with a few important changes. By the way, remember the Supreme Heroes line? Maybe you don't, and I wouldn't blame you for it anyway. Talk about short-lived; the series was canceled after just two waves (of four models each). In summary, a complete failure. And when you fail, you go back to the drawing board. You rethink, restrategize, and redesign. This is the end result, and it's a heck of a series.

Ten models, total, in the series, eight of which I've acquired. The other two, a golden fire engine and a BMW motorcycle, can stay on the pegs for all I care. Each of these models comes with extra details and, most importantly, molded wheels with rubber tires. The modern version of the Matchbox Premiere series that I so loved during my childhood. More on that in the coming days, but let's focus on these models first.

The series is a melting pot of castings, from emergency to service vehicles, modern to classic cars, sports cars to sport bikes, spanning numerous countries of origin, hence the "Best Of World" moniker. It's almost a shame that there's only ten models altogether; there's so much potential with all the great castings that Matchbox has in its arsenal. Hopefully we'll see more in the future. I'd like to think that this initial wave is a "test run" or sorts for Matchbox.

The four I'll be showing today are the BMW 1-Series M, '93 Ford Mustang LX SSP, Lamborghini LM002, and '69 Cadillac Sedan DeVille. I'm gonna go ahead and say that the 1-Series M is the best car in the set. Obviously, that's a biased point of view as it's both my favorite BMW and my favorite Matchbox casting, but the rest of these are fantastic in their own rights. See for yourself! Which model is the one for you?