1/43 Muscle Cars - something strange happened in the US around the turn of the century

I bought a few road champs at of all places Cracker Barrel.  

I too bought a bunch of Road Champs. Also, the local Wallymart had the Maisto Road and Track models for sale - 1999 T-Bird, M-B 500, and M-B CLK racer. There were also a lot of NASCAR stockers by Racing Champions, Mark One, and a few others, plus there was a mall NASCAR store selling the Revells. The NASCAR stuff seemed to fade away with the death of Dale Earnhardt. The last significant 1:43s (pre-2010) I recall were the Modifiers brand, which came with parts and tools to make your own street racer. Post-2010, I bought some GreenLight 1/43s in Toys R Us before that chain shut down.

Just this afternoon I picked this one out of a box in the back of my workshop/storage junk place.

Did you notice the price tag? 

 Asheville Diecast in the 90's was the back of Fremont Brown's Office Supply store in West Asheville, NC.  He was my main source for my early 1:43 models, including Buby Collector's Classics, Solido, and finally, about 1999, Brooklin.  Fremont later built a new Asheville Diecast a little further out and I stopped by every few months into the 2010's.  

Another big coincidence:  we are looking for retirement homes.  I was just on zillow today looking at Asheville, NC!  It's a bit pricey!

Posted by: @mg-harv

I too bought a bunch of Road Champs. Also, the local Wallymart had the Maisto Road and Track models for sale - 1999 T-Bird, M-B 500, and M-B CLK racer. There were also a lot of NASCAR stockers by Racing Champions, Mark One, and a few others, plus there was a mall NASCAR store selling the Revells. The NASCAR stuff seemed to fade away with the death of Dale Earnhardt. The last significant 1:43s (pre-2010) I recall were the Modifiers brand, which came with parts and tools to make your own street racer. Post-2010, I bought some GreenLight 1/43s in Toys R Us before that chain shut down.

And also sold through Walmart in the Road & Track series were a Maisto Jaguar Mark II, cream with wire wheels,  a circa 2001 S Type in metallic beige, and a deep blue circa 1999 XK8 roadster with top down.   All nicely done and correct 43rd scale.

@john-quilter I wish I hadn't missed that S-Type!

@d-m-holcombe At some point that was also Asheville Office Supply, as shown on this Schabak. And Karl, price-wise Asheville is about like Franklin TN I think.

@mg-harv  Same place, Harv.  The address is 1434 Brevard Rd, Asheville, NC, 28806.  Last time that I noticed the sign was still there, but upside down.  Fremont sometimes would be there and I talked with him a few years ago one afternoon about the "good old days."  Nice guy, and I still have several models that came from him.  I miss him.

And Karl, real estate values and prices in the southern Appalachians are a little higher than most people expect to find.  I've got a recent tax statement to prove it!  I think one of the main reasons is that right now early flowers are starting to bloom, tree buds are swelling, and day-time temperatures are around 60 degrees.  Of course, it's still early March and we could have a dusting of snow most any time!

@d-m-holcombe. That’s a cool little car museum there on Grovewood Road in Asheville Estes-Winn

https://www.grovewood.com/antique-car-museum/

I never got any of those Road & Track branded Maistos.  I always thought hey were >1/43rd scale.  Oh well.  I don't ever remember seeing the Modifiers in the late 1990s, or I would have bought several!  But then the NASCARS in 1/43 were around which I was not too interested in.

Posted by: @mg-harv

@john-quilter I wish I hadn't missed that S-Type!

A good substitute might be the many colors of the Hongwell-Cararama brand.

I have a few 1/43 muscle cars and certainly if I saw more available at a toy aisle somewhere, I would very possibly purchase some.

Everything I found out about Magmas, I put here! https://www.maronline.org.uk/magmas/  

1968 Chevy Camaro

I realize that my post here is not exactly "spot on" to this conversation but I expressed my frustration with decent quality 1:43 muscle cars on another post a few months ago - I'd love to see some early muscle cars - first year Barracuda, first year Charger, etc.  Anyway, here's a shot of two Kyosho Shelby Mustangs along with a 1:1 photo from a vintage event a few years ago, since we clearly have some folks on this forum that like that era Ford station wagons -and for good reason!