Jada Toys 1:32 and Hot Wheels 1:64 1961 Chevrolet Impala

Recently classic cars finally appeared in the Fast and Furious set.  Now i'm not talking about Muscle Cars in the movie franchise that includes the overly done 1968-1970 Dodge Charger's, but the classic cars from the 1950's and even a hot rod from the 1940's.  All of this is thanks to Cuba and their recently lifted embargo from the U.S. allowed the chance to see car guys in action in Cuba.  One of them is Dom's pristine 1961 Chevrolet Impala and how it looks so good alongside the smaller Hot Wheels version.

The Impala nameplate appeared in 1958 as a more higher-end model than the Bel-air name that has been a staple to Chevrolet in the 1950's and most importantly starting in 1955 when the small-block V8 finally made history.  After the landing deck rear-end of the 1959 model the 1960 and 1961 models went for a less extreme version.  The first iconic mark is the bubble top roof that gave the roofline a sleeker appearance and better visibility.  Tri-taillights, a hallmark to the Impala line in the 1960's, makes its first appearance here.  The chassis has an X-brake to give the car better structural ability despite the tendency to flex.  The engine bay also had another important debut, the 409 CID V8 that makes 380 horsepower through a 4-speed manual transmission with the shifter on the floor.

Jada did an excellent job with the 1961 Impala standing out in its cherry red color and looking stylish with the 5-spoke mag wheels.  The front has a chrome eggcrate grille with four round headlights, a chrome bumper that contours the headlights, and a nice job with the upper grille top that is crisply done (the smaller-scale Hot Wheels version does a poor job with this area).  On the hood you'll find CHEVROLET on the hood, chrome fender tips, and the rounded windshield design.  Note the roof is metal, but is separate from the body indicating a possible future convertible variation.  On the sides is the beautifully crafted beltline with the silver trim that ends with Impala SS on the rear fenders.  At the rear the side trim connects to the upper edge of the trunklid then dips to a V in the middle.  The trunklid is less vast than the 1959 version and has a detailed antenna mast on the right-rear fender.  The tri-taillights are nicely done here and have that rounded feel to them and for those who don't recognize this car from the movie a black F8 plate on the rear bumper.

Now Jada sells these cars loose with pullback motors, but if they come with a box they do not have the pullback motor.  Either way you are stuck with a luggage cover for the rear seat and the pan on the base.  Still the base shows off the X-frame, drivetrain, and exhaust details.  The interior has front and rear bench seats where I added silver striping to the ends of the bench, detailed door panels, and a driver-oriented dashboard with large steering wheel, horizontal speedometer, and switches and controls angled at a 45 degree upward.  Very nicely done.

In 2012 Hot Wheels released the 1961 Impala casting and it has big shoes to fill after the 1962 Bel-Air casting is one of my favorites and a perfectly done casting.  The first release was a gorgeous blue color, followed by a red version with chrome wheels, and then the Cool Classics version where it debuted its first metal base in satin dark blue (or purple).  The front has the correct grille and quad headlight details, but the upper grille portion is not correctly done.  The roof has the correct contour and even with all of those pinstripe graphics the side stripe still remains in white.  The car has a pro-stock look with a lowered stance and modern touches to the car.  At the rear is the tri-taillights nicely detailed and the V-shaped curve of the center trunklid area.  The base shows off the exhaust system but nothing else thanks to the plethora of vehicle information from Mattel.  The interior has the typical bench seat and dash layout, but lacks the fantastic detailing found in the 1962 Bel-air.  Note the red version has the Hot Wheels banner in black on the windshield: this is found in the Wal-mart exclusive versions in 2012.

Both are nicely done 1961 Impala's, but the Jada Toys version in 1:32 is the best and looks great in red.

Update 1/18/20:  What a coincidence!  Hot Wheels now offers the same red deco as the Jada Toys version for their Fast and Furious line: