Saturday, June 18, 2011

DUKES OF HAZZARD #12 MOLLY HARGROVE'S PLYMOUTH ROAD RUNNER


 The third Dukes of Hazzard release series brings die-cast collectors and fans of the TV show Molly Hargrove's Plymouth Runner. Now I've got to be honest it's been a while since I've seen this show and I don't remember much about this vehicle other than Daisy drove it when she got a job at a racetrack and I'm pretty sure Molly Hargrove was an ex professional race car driver when she was younger or something so Daisy is going to be her protégé or something. I don't remember and that's the thing, Johnny Lightning really should have provided a brief synopsis somewhere on the packaging, explaining about this car and what episode/s it appeared in. Also maybe the bonus sticker could have been a bit more relevant in telling the story. I mean obviously Daisy is in a racing suit and it's likely the same one she wore when driving this car but why not have a picture of her getting into this car or sitting on it rather than the General Lee? This is by no means a unique problem with just this vehicle, there are many spread over the six (at time of this review) Dukes of Hazzard releases where a similar reliance on memory is needed. 

Oh and what's with the orange engine? Granted I admit I don't recall the episode in detail but I'm pretty sure it had a normal coloured engine if we got to see it at all. 

Release 3 also brought some of the other most popular (thereby hard to find now) vehicles of the six releases (so far at time of this review). They were the most similar to actual used in TV show General Lee, Double Zero Mustang (popular by collectors who don't even like Dukes of Hazzard), Uncle Jesse's Chevy Ute and Eno's Racing Car (popular in no small part to the sticker of the Enos in uniform and hound). Six vehicles made up release 3 and the other one was the Finchburg County Sherriff (red and white) police car. 

Release 3 kept the brilliant innovation of the packaging from release 2 where you can view the vehicle in the packet from all six sides including through the back of the blister pack. Unfortunately though Johnny Lightning did away with the bonus magnet and replaced it with a sticker instead. However they kept the same rectangle format that was much more popular than the cut around the characters way they did with series 1. So there's no difference in viewing the sticker to the magnet if kept in the packaging but obviously a magnet does not bend and droop over time like a sticker does standing behind the car on display. The sticker with this one is as mentioned Beau, Daisy and Luke sitting on the bonnet (hood) of the General Lee. 

Like all Dukes of Hazzard Johnny Lightning vehicles, the normal cardboard backing with a small plastic blister has been replaced by the whole thing being entombed in plastic. I like this as it certainly ensures if you are a keeper in packaging type person that it stays in great condition, even if you buy it online and it comes through the post. My only criticism is they could reduce the top part in size (above sticker) as it would then fit on more smaller shelves in people's houses to display it.--James N Simpson Shop here

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