Gashaball Supercarz by Kaiyu

I am always on the lookout for what I like to term 'Low end diecast' and found this new to me brand of approximately 1:64 or three inch cars, at the local service station when paying for LP gas. One of the best things about these sorts of finds are the interesting discoveries that you sometimes make while trying to find out who exactly makes the car.

Let me present for your enjoyment Gashaball Supercarz... by Kaiyu

 Gashaball Supercarz BMW X5

 Gashaball Supercarz BW Z4

 Gashaball Supercarz Porsche Cayman

Looking cosely at the rear of the blister reveals that they are Gashaball 'Supercarz'. I can deduce by Googling that they are a Chinese manufactured range of cars for the Mexican market. They are distributed in Australia by a company called 'Teddy and Friends' and retail for $1.99. Oddly, although Gashaball appear to be a Mexican brand, the packaging on these three cars is in English. 

 Rear of Gashaball Supercarz blister

base of Gashaball Supercarz BMW X5

For a closer look, I freed the BMW from its blister. The base has no manufacturers name, it says 2009 BMW X5 and Made in China and KY 80601-1. Despite not carrying the distinctive Motormax MM on the base, it looks very similar to a Motormax car. 

The wheels look identical those used in the 3inch Motormax range, and the car matches the BMW X5 in the Motormax catalogue (although in the catalogue it says it is #6025). The clear plastic windscreen with a cast in wiper is identical on both the Gashaball and the Motormax. 

I even checked a very good reference Dana Johnsons Toynutz page, and this packaging and brand isn't listed. I'm convinced this is a Motormax in another brands packaging. 

The baseplate details are niggling away at me though, so I googled the KY 80601-1 and discover a company called Kaiyu Industrial with this car on its website, and the product number. So it isn't a Motormax! Its a copy of a Motormax - and a very good one. 

See this post for more on Kaiyu diecasts.

Motormax now stocked in Kmart and Target

With the decline of the Matchbox brand, other diecast brands are filling the niche of the non-Hot Wheels 3 inch diecast car segment. Motormax are a brand that have produced cars for 'house labels' in Australian department stores for some time. Target has carried Motormax 5 packs under the Tough Stuff label for at least the last two years, and now Kmart are carrying Motormax cars in their own housebrand. 

Fairly plain packaging for the Kmart range of Motormax

I've never understood the 'colour changer' car concept - but it must be popular as they keep selling them!

The internal packaging of the Kmart range is identical to the Motormax 5 packs that Target carries, what is different is the outer cardboard slip. Even the range of cars is the same. 

Kmart are also carrying Motormax cars singly. At one dollar, they offer very good value for money. There are only ten cars in the single boxed range. 

It appears that the Motormax singles and 5 packs at Kmart are replacing the Maisto 'Fresh Metal' range at Kmart. There has been no new Maisto stock for some time, and the peg space is gradually receding. Matchbox has had their peg space at Kmart reduced to zero!

Motormax are a brand that have been around for only a few years, but the history of the companies that precede them is long. They started as Zylmex or Z-Toys back in the 1970's sending three inch castings to the world from Hong Kong, then became Red Box and are now Motormax. Not only do they produce cars under their own name in several scales and price points, they also produce cars that appear under other makers names such as these house brand cars and more recently in Australia - the DDA EH Holdens in 1:64 scale. 

What is the quality like ? Lets have a look at a 5 pack. I bought this 5 pack from K-Mart specifically for the black Mercedes SLS, so if anyone wants the other 4 - drop me an email and we can work something out! 

 BMW Z8

 Mercedes SLS

 Lamborghini 

 BMW

Porsche 

To the rating:

Normally I would review each car - but this time I will apply the rating to the 5 pack. The cars have uniformly excellent paint, with accurately applied tampo painting for logos, tail and headlights and some grilles. The interiors are attractive for the scale, and the clear glass is a pleasant surprise in this price point. Some of the wheels on the cars look very toylike, with overlarge rims and small tyres, others look very good. At roughly a dollar each (a little more at Target) they are very good value for money and even if they are meant for kids to play with, some of these castings do deserve a home in the adult collectors collection.

Motormax 3 inch diecast cars - 5 pack (Tough Stuff - Target house brand)

Quality  8

Design    7

Colours   7

X-factor  6

Rating: 28/40

Motor Max - mutated Holden ute

When is an homage an insult ? Perhaps when its an imitation that looks like it just doesn't quite carry it off. Thats the feeling I get when I look at the Motor Max utility. It has to be a Holden ute - but it just looks weird.

 The Motor Max ute

5 strange cars for $5 - where I first saw the strange ute

I first saw the Motor Max ute when I was in Toys'r'Us looking for diecast. Normally I dont even look at the rows of Fastlane cars. They are generic and designed for kids to flog to death. They are dirt cheap as well.  But the strange ute caught my eye. What was it ? I initially thought it might have been a Chev SSR. Was it a copy of the Matchbox Holden Ute ?

 Big 'M' in the grille. Bizarre headlight styling. 

I bit the bullet and forked out my $5 for the five car set and extracted the Motor Max ute. It was very light for a diecast, and the glass fitted very poorly, no interior either. The paint was pretty good though, and a nice colour too. Wheels are very over the top. 

 The base is surprisingly detailed

When you place it next to a Matchbox HSV utility the differences are obvious. While the general styling is the same, the Motor max ute is larger and more 'compressed'. It's as if the designers stretched it out and then pressed it back in with the body 'rising'. I dont even know what scale it could be - it is in the three inch category, but who knows. 

It is clear that it is not a copy or replica of the Matchbox, Motor Max have actually created their own casting. For general kid play use, this car will be fine. For an adult collector, I'd say it will be overlooked or collected as an oddity. You couldn't really place it in a Holden collection, and it looks nothing like the Falcon utility.

See also:
Matchbox Holden HSV Utility
Hot Wheels Ford Falcon FG V8 Supercar
Revolution Models Holden Torana GTR-X in white
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