Who produced the first die-cast scale model DeLorean's?

[MrSmith]

Quite simply, who produced the first die-cast scale model DeLorean's?

Was anything made back in the early 1980's?

I have looked on ebay but haven't really been able to come up with much.


thanks

[Mark D]

I'm pretty sure it was hot wheels. They did a small 1:43 scale model of the prototype DeLorean, then later did the production version but didn't have the licensing or something along those lines, so it got released with a few changes to make it look less like a DeLorean but allowed them to use the same tooling they had already created. I'm pretty sure it's all here on the board if you search in one of the hot wheels threads

[pk2678]

I agree. Search for HotWheels and Turismo or just Turismo.

[DMCMW Dave]

Also look for something made by "Zee Toys". They had a 1/43 DMC with working doors. Also mid-80s.

There is actually one on eBay right now.

[MrSmith]

Thanks guys, it does kind of surprise me that DeLorean didn't have something in the dealers, with the undoubtedly massive interest they would have received in dealerships about the car. Dealerships as long as I can recall always have toys, car branded mechanise filling up their shops with things to sell to the customers,


thanks for the info!

[AugustneverEnds]

Here's your ebay link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ZEE-DIECAST-VHTF-DELOREAN-/171604556199?pt=Diecast_Vehicles&hash=item27f46db9a7

[Totally 80s]

How can the answer be "Hot Wheels" when they didn't make a Delorean? They made something that looked like a Delorean and was called Turismo.

To me if it ain't called a Delorean it ain't a Delorean.

[chris williams]

I agree with the above AFAIK it was the Zylmex Co, that released the 1/43 scale car under the brand name of Pacesetters. They were in blister packs and were sort of based on the Hotwheels theme were you could buy lots of different models and you could get a 'launcher' for them to race each other, all very hotwheels without the quality! I know this because the club bought all the old stock years and years ago and sell them through shows and our club shop: http://deloreans.co.uk/product/pacesetters-delorean-164/
Chris

[djdogbone]

Yeah, I bought the Zee car when I was a kid. It was the only legit DMC I found...couldn't have imagined I'd own one some day.

[chris williams]

Couple of pictures of the packaging:
3226732266
Chris

[pk2678]

How can the answer be "Hot Wheels" when they didn't make a Delorean? They made something that looked like a Delorean and was called Turismo.

To me if it ain't called a Delorean it ain't a Delorean.

That depends on how you interprete "produced". If we are talking about mass production, it seems to be Zee-Toys. If we are talking about "making some", it should be Hot Wheels / Mattel. See here http://hotwheels.wikia.com/wiki/Turismo for the real DeLorean prototype models made before they changed the die-cast-tooling for producing the Turismo.

--Peter

[DeMopar]

There wasn't much out there in the 80's. I remember hunting for a Hot Wheels or Matchbox Delorean in the mid 80's and finally came across Turismo. It almost looked like a Delorean but something just wasn't right about it. (I didn't realize until much later that it was based on Proto-1) It was the closest thing I could find so I bought several of the yellow versions and painted them silver. Some time in '85 or '86 I came across the Zee Toy car which looked more like a Delorean, but seemed to have a cartoon-ish look to it. I also remember trying to find photos of a Delorean which were also hard to come by back then. All I could find was an old Road and Track article and the famous "Coke" poster. I often wondered why Delorean stuff was so scarce back then? Was it because of licensing issues or the bankruptcy?