GreenLight Collectibles, a toy maker based in Indianapolis, is creating a Route 66 series of tie-cast cars and trading cards featuring real-life Route 66 landmarks. Both will hit stores next month.
According to the news release:
Each car in the series will be packaged with a Route 66 trading card that highlights a stop along the highway. When deciding which tourist attractions would go best with their respective cars, GreenLight had to define what makes a great Route 66 business. The number one piece of criteria; you’ve got to have a gimmick. These stops all are an added reason that Route 66 gained its acclaim into motorist’s notoriety across the US.
The road side stops and attractions range from the modern and new, drawing on a modern wave of Route 66 enthusiasts to the aged and ancient, hardly recognizable points that have stood ground since inception. Route 66 holds a large bit of mystic, and tells a story of adventure, independence, long distance travel and our cultural revolution.
The cars chosen to represent alongside these destinations are reflecting of the personality and time period of which the location was established. Creating a great piece of collectible memorabilia for a route that paved the way into modern day automobile appreciation.
The first part of the Route 66 series includes:
- 1961 Chevrolet Corvette – Fawn Beige – The Blue Swallow Hotel
- 1965 Dodge D-100 Sweptline – Omaha Orange – Pops convenience store
- 1965 Ford Galaxie Convertible – Poppy Red – The Launching Pad
- 1965 Ford Mustang GT – Vintage Burgundy – Wigwam Motel
- 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS – Royal Plum – “Here It Is” billboard
- 1971 Plymouth ‘Cuda – Curious Yellow – Cadillac Ranch
The toy cars don’t always match the era in which the businesses were established. For instance, the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, N.M., opened in 1939, the surviving Wigwam Motels were built in the 1930s or ’40s, and Pops opened in 2007. Regardless, the cards of real-life attractions are a nice touch.
The cars and trading cards will be in stores in April. Only 4,000 of each of the cars will be produced. Information on where to buy GreenLight toys online and in retail stores can be found here.
(Hat tip: Action Figure Insider)