Better Late Than Never: Finding This Year-Old Plymouth 440 'Cuda, From M2 Machines

About a year ago, I got into the premium American muscle diecast brands. That means Greenlight, Auto World, and M2 Machines. The first M2 I added to my collection was an olive green/black roof '71 HEMI Cuda from the Auto Drivers series. From there on out, I designated the 'Cuda as my favorite classic American muscle car. To keep things going, my second M2 was a purple 383 'Cuda with the signature 383 vinyl, in contrasting white, slapped on the doors and the rear fenders. That one was from the Detroit Muscle series, Release 27.

I dug up old photos of both, shown below:

And just the other day, I walked into Walmart to check out the diecast selection. Naturally, I found nothing of interest. No new product. The Hot Wheels were already scalped clean. Matchbox was nearly nonexistent. The premium diecast section was pitiful. However, I spotted one gem among a pile of mundane M2 cars that have been sitting there for the past months. It was this purple 440 'Cuda from the Detroit Muscle series, Release 27. If you're paying attention, that's the same wave as the aforementioned 383 'Cuda I found last summer.

Yes, Walmart has managed to not put out any new stock in the recent months but somehow, someway managed to unearth a batch of old M2's. If they're as good as this one, then keep them coming. Purple is just a great, great color for basically anything. This 'Cuda even has purple wheels to match. Otherwise, it's totally bare. No '440 vinyl or contrasting two-tone roof that you normally see M2 do on these models. In a time where I've started collecting fewer and fewer M2's because of their quality issues, this is a welcome rare addition to the collection.

That makes seven '71 'Cuda's, by M2 Machines, on my shelf right now. It never gets old.

M2 Machines: Two from Detroit Muscle Release 33

To many of you, it may seem like I'm a huge muscle car addict. Most of my posts bleed red, white, and blue. I'm really not. I'm a die-hard tuner fan at heart. My top 10 list of favorite cars ever would probably be 90% Japanese. When I was younger, I was all about exotics. Muscle cars were never on my radar until the past year or so. A large part of that is because of this hobby. No, scratch that. 100% of that is because of diecast. I started seriously collecting them less than a year ago. It started with M2. Then, I fell in love with Auto World. Recently, I've been overdosing on Greenlight. Throw in a little bit of Johnny Lightning, Racing Champions, and what have you, and I'm now a fan of good ol' classic American muscle.

Of course, living in the U.S.A. means I get exposed to these all the time. Not necessarily when it comes to 1:1's, but definitely in 1:64's. All of the premium diecast brands we get here specialize in American muscle. No surprise, really. And I have no problem with it at all. The great thing about this hobby is it allowed me to gain an appreciation for all makes and models, regardless of country of origin.

Today, we come full circle and feature the brand that got me started on all this: M2 Machines. Two neat pieces from the Detroit Muscle line, Release 33. Two castings that I already have, but disguised in new colorways, one pink and one orange. As much as I knock on M2 for having such a limited selection of castings, they always knock it out of the park with inventive designs and colorways. That's called making the most of what you've got.

This is the 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442. I should note that I'm a sucker for anything pink. This one isn't hot pink or bright pink. It's a more toned-down metallic lavender type of pink. And it looks so, so fabulous. Throw in some stock wheels, simple striping, and spoiler delete and it's one of the classiest and cleanest 442's you'll ever see.

And then there's this 1970 Ford Torino Cobra SCJ Twister Special. A mouthful to say, but a sight to behold. I love collecting diecast that have trim-line designations. Small variations make a huge difference to me. The fact that this one is specifically the Twister Special really sweetened the deal.

Even if you couldn't care less about muscle cars, I'm sure these caught your attention. If you haven't already, get out there and take a good look at something you don't normally collect. You just might fall for it!

M2 Machines: Detroit Muscle Release 32

Today, I will be featuring these three cars shown here!

It was less than a year ago that I purchased my first M2 Machines. It was the summer of 2015, and I was wandering the diecast aisle at Walmart looking for something interesting other than your run-of-the-mill Hot Wheels and Matchbox. In the middle of the aisle, I found a pretty decent selection of Auto Worlds and M2 Machines. I spotted an olive green HEMI Cuda by M2, with a black HEMI vinyl and black roof. It was a color combination I've never seen before, and it was simply stunning. I took it home with me, and that's when my M2 addiction started.



Fast forward to now and I have a few dozen of these already. M2 makes great looking models, period. However, it's a love/hate relationship with this brand. From the outside, they look amazing; look closely and you'll see so many flaws that you contemplate whether or not it was worth the money. Execution is everything in diecast, and M2 meets that only halfway. Nonetheless, they make some models worth drooling over. These three illustrate my point exactly.

They are part of the Detroit Muscle series, aimed at collectors who favor vintage American muscle cars. They retail for around $6 and come in the acrylic cases shown above, which are perfect for display. Additionally, you also get opening hoods and opening doors.

I've never been a huge muscle fan in the past. Stepping foot into M2 Machines is a large part of why I've grown to like them quite a lot. Allow me to present these three models from Release 32, the '69 Chevy Camaro SS/RS, the '71 Dodge Charger SE, and the '69 Plymouth 'Cuda.

First is the '69 Chevy Camaro SS/RS 350 Z10. The first thing that struck me was the neon-orange striping and how well it contrasts with the white paint. Camaro's are a dime a dozen in the diecast world, but this one will win over even the most jaded Camaro fan.

Next up is the '71 Dodge Charger SE 383!

This is my personal favorite of the series. From the moment I saw pictures of this floating around on the internet, I knew I had to go seek it out. I'm usually not a fan of this shade of yellow, but it looks super clean on this Charger. The white roof finishes it off perfectly.

Lastly, the '68 Plymouth 'Cuda 440!

This one instantly reminded me of my first M2. Granted, that HEMI Cuda was a '71 and this is a '69, and they're slightly different shades of green. It's just so refreshing to see a unique colorway like this one. 

Instant classic.

For those of you new to M2 Machines, you probably noticed two things. One, these models look fabulous. Two, the quality needs some work. The extra opening features come at a cost. The door gaps are atrocious and the hoods rarely close all the way. Other slight blemishes may range from scuffed wheels to mangled tires to bent axles. I've even heard stories of cars falling apart. Whatever the case, I always recommend double checking before buying a model. It's not a sure-fire method of guaranteeing a defect-free product, but it certainly is better than not doing so.

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing and photographing the models! Now go out there and find some for yourself!