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Car Of The Day: February 11, 2010; Matchbox '68 Mercury Commuter
Topic Started: Feb 11 2010, 01:31 AM (542 Views)
Swifty
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The Mustang II is a Mustang too!
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Today's car of the day from harlans toys' collection and is Matchbox's 1968 Mercury Commuter.

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Wikipedia
 
The Mercury Commuter was Mercury's lowest-priced full-size station wagon from 1957 to 1968. When introduced for the 1957 model year it was priced below Mercury's other two new full size wagons, the Voyager and the Colony Park. It was initially available as a two door wagon and as a four door wagon with the former discontinued after the 1959 model year. The Commuter was temporarily absent in 1963, in concession to the new Meteor station wagons, but was reinstated for 1964, when the Meteor was dropped. The Commuter was phased out for good, like the full-size Mercury Montclair and Park Lane, after the 1968 model year. On a collectible scale model note, a 1968 Commuter wagon was rendered in the form of a Matchbox scale die cast car, however, along with a companion Matchbox 1968 Park Lane sedan.


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For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Mercury Commuter

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Another lovely transitional model from Harlan's collection, the Commuter seems an odd pick for Matchbox at first glance. And while it is, Matchbox saved money by casting both the Commuter and the Park Lane sedan at the same time. This particular model also started a long tradition of casting a Mercury station wagon once a decade (1977's Cougar Villager and 1987's Sable both had opening tailgates added, but the dogs were absent). The 1997 Sable wasn't offered, unfortunately, which is just as well as there wouldn't have been much left to go on by 2007 except perhaps a Mountaineer.

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As a car, the Commuter was a fairly typical station wagon for the era. Who knows how many drove their last miles in demolition derbies of the 1970s and 1980s?

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james_autos
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Minivan
Is it a transitional though? I don't ever recall seeing it with regular wheels.
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ErnestHughes
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Fullsize
another cool car. keep em comin.

EH
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harlans toys
matchbox
james_autos
Feb 11 2010, 04:14 AM
Is it a transitional though? I don't ever recall seeing it with regular wheels.
it is indeed a transitional.
the regular wheel version had the chrome disc type wheels not the normal black ones.
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JustDavid
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SUV
Very nice!
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ivantt
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New casting? Quick! Take it apart!
Just think, those dogs went on through a number of generations, and now their grand-doggies are in the back of the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser.
What a nice, fun casting for today's CotD.
Edited by ivantt, Feb 12 2010, 09:01 PM.
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Tone
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Rocket 88
Here is an example with regular wheels. The front wheels steer.

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James
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Mr.Bowtie
ivantt
Feb 12 2010, 09:00 PM
Just think, those dogs went on through a number of generations, and now their grand-doggies are in the back of the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser.
With a dog generation being about 2 to 3 years, and a almost 50 year old casting, its more like 15 great grandfather in teh Mercury :D
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ivantt
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New casting? Quick! Take it apart!
I figure about 10-12 yrs for thr average dog life, (some a lot older, some die younger) that means we have Great, great, great, great. great doggies in the Vista Cruiser!
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james_autos
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Minivan
I forgot about that regular wheels version. I think it looks nicer than the Superfast.
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Tone
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Rocket 88
Also note that while the superfast example pictured has no representation of the door for the gas cap, the otherwise similar-looking slow wheels version does have one.
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Sak
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Ezekiel 25:17
Bear in mind: there was a major tooling modification in 1971, when it sprouted a roof rack, where there was none. It also received wide wheels (as opposed to the thin ones that graced the transitionals, and so many Tomicas over the years) and red paint, as well as a sticker of a steer's head on the hood. The white police version has twin red dome lights up top, and pylons in place of our canine friends.
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Swifty
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The Mustang II is a Mustang too!
Sak
Feb 14 2010, 01:44 PM
The white police version has twin red dome lights up top, and pylons in place of our canine friends.
Would have made a great K9 unit with the original interior. ;)
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Sak
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Ezekiel 25:17
That's so true. The white one would've been great in a five pack with the Mercury sedan, the Toe Joe in emergency livery, the Stretcha Fetcha, and the Merryweather Fire Engine, if Lesney had ever wanted to market five-packs...
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ivantt
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New casting? Quick! Take it apart!
Sak
Feb 14 2010, 04:33 PM
That's so true. The white one would've been great in a five pack with the Mercury sedan, the Toe Joe in emergency livery, the Stretcha Fetcha, and the Merryweather Fire Engine, if Lesney had ever wanted to market five-packs...
"Tools not available." :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :P
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