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
Capital Diecast Garage Australian diecast forums - become a member today!