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Ertl Toy Car Reviews
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ERTL Thomas & Friends: Caroline
by SoadFan Caroline the little vintage car is one of the Ertl die cast toys within the Thomas the Tank Engine range. She is quite a small compact little car and so smaller than many of the other die cast model toys in the range. We bought our little Caroline car for just £3.25 and she came in a simple blue and red toned cardboard backed ... pack. The pack had a clear see through plastic front. These packs were most often hung on special display stands at the time and I always thought that having them laid out liked that gave young children a good chance to look at what was on offer within the range. ********************************************************** Caroline is modelled on a vintage style car and looks smart enough in a shade of deep red as her main body colour. The majority of the car is made from a die cast metal and then painted in a powder coated looking fashion. The paint has been really very durable and has not chipped or cracked at all. However Caroline has not always been at the heart of the action during role play and so she has remained fairly pristine. This may in part be due to her not having been used as much as some of the main characters that we have amongst the Ertl die casts we own. Even so, as the other die cast Ertl toys have faired very well over time, I feel there is no reason why Caroline should not prove just as long lasting if played with more vigorously. ********************************************************** In terms of quality, Caroline seems well made and has a good little set of small plastic wheels that move her easily along with just a light pressure. She is best suited to being used on flatter surfaces rather than deep pile rugs. We used her on slim carpet style childrens play mats and she seemed to run over those well enough without getting caught at all. Carolines face is not as well modelled as some of the other Ertl die cast toys. But in their favour, I must say that they didn't really have much to work with in the first place. Carolines character has her eyes set into her headlights, so what is left to make up the remainder of her face is just a nondescript nose and mouth. I do feel this gives Caroline a not all that friendly looking expression. ********************************************************** When I compare this little car to some of the other Ertl die cast models, I feel that she is somewhat lacking in terms of style and panache. This is in part due to the fact that as a character her expression and appearance is a little boring and staid. This makes Caroline not as attractive to the eye as many of the other Ertl model toys. In this case I don't feel the end result is a fault with Ertls design and interpretation, its more to do with Caroline as a character from the Thomas the Tank Engine series. ********************************************************** With all that in mind, I feel that a rating of 3 stars is about right for Caroline. She is well made and built to last, but a little on the small side and rather lack lustre, so not as nice as other Ertl Thomas toys we have. NB: These small toys are not best suited to children under 4 years due to small parts and die cast metal construction. Read the complete review |
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ERTL Thomas and Friends: The Canal Boat
by SoadFan We bought one of these little Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Canal Boats as an addition to an ever expanding range of Ertl die-cast toy trains, cars, figures etc that were made as a group of complimentary and matching items for children to play with and collect. The Canal Boat was made to the same high standards as the ... other die-cast models in the Ertl range and so its really nicely made and seems built to last. Our little Canal Boat came in the usual type of clear plastic fronted pack that had a slim cardboard backing to it. We paid £3.75 or so for the boat, which at the time was mid way between the pricing levels for the product. ********************************************************** The Canal Boat is one of the many characters from the tv series and can offer another level of play for a child who already has some of the trains and other models within the range. We used to have these all laid out for play time on a series of carpet style play mats, one which was city a road and rail theme, the other a country side road and rail theme with a small river running through. These proved very useful and the little Canal Boat could easily berth next to the train tracks, so that pretend freight from the Troublesome Trucks could be offloaded on to the boat and then sent off to place far, far away, on the other side of the playmat. ********************************************************** The main body of the Canal Boat is made of die-cast metal which has been modelled and made to look very close to the Thomas character. The boat has a nice light rusty brown top half and a deeper blue black hull. The little chimneys on top of the boat add to its quaintness and the details along the side of the boat make it look very effective and pleasing to the eye of a child. The under body of the boat has a very handy, small and effective set of wheels. This means that the little boat can glide along the playmat or a similar flat surface with ease. The wheels do not detract from the look of the boat at all, but do make it easier to plot a course with. ********************************************************** As with all of the other Ertl Thomas range of die-cast models, this one really does encourage lots of roll play and plenty of exciting adventures. Children are able to re create scenes from the tv and films to great effect, but can also more importantly use their own imaginations to think up new and interesting adventures for the Canal Boat. Price wise, you can expect to pay between £5 and £8 for the Canal Boat, which is not too much to pay for a long lasting, well made collectable toy. The colours used on the model we have are still as bright and vivacious as they were when we bought the model and everything works just as well as it did when new. ********************************************************* In terms of a rating, I feel that the model ought to get at least a 4 star rating as its built to last and looks just as it should. The addition of the wheels means the boat can be used on a variety of surfaces. NB: Due to small parts and die-cast metal construction, the toy is not suited to use by the under 4's. Read the complete review |
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ERTL Thomas and Friends Fat Controllers Car
by SoadFan Thomas the Tank engine and Friends started out as a wonderful range of books, films and childrens programmes. Children everywhere fell in love with the wonderful characters that were created and many jolly exploits were had by Thomas the Tank Engine and the rest of the talking trains on the island of Sodar. The Fat Controller also known ... as Sir Topham Hatt and his iconic turquoise blue car were just a couple of the many Ertl items we still have. In 1985 Ertl began to manufacture their first series of die-cast and plastic Thomas engines, cars and characters and continued in the uk up until 2004. There was a time when we seemed to gain at least 1 Thomas Etrl die cast toy per week, as the kids loved them and the more they saw them on tv the more they wanted some of their own to play with. They were so popular and still are, so I was rather surprised to see that they were not listed on Dooyoo. However after a few product suggestions I am pleased to say that I am now able to review some of the lovely characters and models we have and share thoughts on them. You can still pick up the car for between £3 to £5 online and in collectors toys shops. ********************************************************** There are so many reasons why everyone admired and liked the Fat Controller but just as many reasons that they didn't. At times he could be rather unkind and abrupt in his treatment of Thomas and the other engines, but other times he managed to redeem himself with the odd kindness here and there. He certainly cut a dash in his impressive outfit and he always arrived in style in his wonderful Fat Controllers Car. Our Fat Controllers Car came in the same blue and red pack that the majority of the Ertl Thomas range did. It was set behind a see through clear plastic film that kept it in place and showed it off to prospective new car owners. The artwork on the pack showed the car parked on the side of a country road and clearly showed itself to be one of the Thomas the Tank Engine range of products. I have always thought that the packs were well thought out, as they were easily displayed and most often had special stands, where many of the range were displayed together. That meant it was easy for a child to pick out the item that they wanted and see which they already had. The Fat Controllers car is a must have for any Thomas fan, as the Fat Controller cannot get from A to B without it. Our car has been on many an exciting journey and been played with time and time again. ********************************************************** We paid £3.75 at the time for the car and I recall that being the set price for many of the items in the range, although some of the trains were a a little more and some of the trucks etc were a teeny bit less. The car itself is well modelled and I think it has just enough detail for small children to admire and recognise. The car looks very good up close, as do all the Ertl die cast toys from the range. Many of the products used both plastic and metal to produce a good result, but our Fat Controllers Car is mostly made from metal. This means that the car can bang and crash its way around and not suffer any damage. This is especially good as the car was often in a hurry to rescue Thomas and his friends and so would be thrust enthusiastically around till it got to its final destination. ********************************************************** The car has a set of small black wheels with silver trimmed hub caps and matching front and rear silver chrome effect fenders in case of bumps and knocks. The wheel arches of the car curve impressively over the wheels and give the car an elegant retro feel. The small windows on the car are made from tinted plastic and ours have not cracked at all, even after being played with many times. The under body of the car is made from dark plastic and is imprinted with the Ertl trademark. It protects the underbody of the car from damage and also encloses the 4 wheels to hold them safely in place. The wheels are thread through slim metal wires, but again we have not had any damage to those at all, so they must be strong enough to do the job, even though they so look slim to the eye. The car is a nice shade of turquoise blue. Its very bright and happy looking and the enamel used has not chipped or cracked at all. Its perhaps not as fresh as it once was, but it was never a really glossy looking colour and had a slight matt effect to it, so over all it has faired very well indeed. ********************************************************** We used to have a couple of really nice play mats that were like small short pile rugs with printed road and tracks on them, one was mainly a countryside theme and the other was a road and town theme. The Fat Controllers Car used to race across them easily and they formed an important part of the pretend island of Sodar that the children made for themselves. For such a simple little car it gave everyone so much fun and so many happy hours of safe driving! I think that the children were able to reflect upon what they had seen on tv and in film about Thomas and his friends and so when it came to play time they had lots to draw on. This is part of what made the little car so very much a part of the action all the time and increased its charm 10 fold. On its own as just anyones car, it was well modelled but not to the nnth degree. It was always the fact that it was Sir Topham Hatts car that made it the car to have. ********************************************************** Today Thomas the Tank Engine toys are still popular and I see no reason why this little car wouldn't make a wonderful gift as part of a selection of die cast Thomas vehicles. My rating for it is a big 5 stars, as it has stood the test of time and can still bring a happy smile to children young and old, myself included. Would I recommend it? Yes 100% ! NB: Due to small parts the car is not recommended for children under 3 years. Read the complete review |
Ertl Toy Car |
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1 review Manufacturer: ETRL / Toy Car / Type: Boats |
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1 review Manufacturer: ERTL / Toy Car / Type: Cars |
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1 review Manufacturer: ERTL / Toy Car / Type: Buses |
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1 review Manufacturer: ERTL / Toy Car / Type: Cars |
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1 review Brand: Ertl / Toy Car / Type: Cars - The features of this item are Doors Open, Hood Opens, Wheels Steer and Wheels Roll. Includes Slimer The Ghost. |
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