Mattel Disney Pixar CARS Diecast: The Rarest Production Diecasts 2006-2012
Yesterday’s post was the rarest promotional CARS diecasts (giveaways not available to the general public). This list is the rarest-lowest number production CARS available for sale.
For singles, in normal circumstances, there are about 15,000 to 20,000 of each CAR produced for a case. So, for most diecasts even if they are never re-released and there is only one in the case, there is at least 15,000 to 20,000 floating around plus any produced for the international market – you can probably add another 20%. Most new CARS diecast are packed two to a case so you can do the math. Generally only CHASES and SUPER CHASES are packed one to a case and never get a a re-release but there have been exceptions such as Todd, the Pizza Planet truck or Mini. Obviously most get re-released in another case or more than one to the case so you can do the additional math – and common releases can number in the millions.
This is NOT a rarest packaging list. There are rare “cards” that are low in production numbers but the CARS themselves were re-released later on in greater quantity. These may not even be the highest cost or hardest to buy on eBay as it’s all about supply & demand – some CARS simply garner a lot of interest while others much rarer in supply don’t get that much attention.
Other configurations (2-packs, 3-packs, box sets) are generally produced in lower quantities but distribution is repeated – however when cases get canceled or situations arise with distribution problems, often times they end up with a low production run.
Note – I did not include oddball Pitty releases with eye position changes – hardly anyone cares that the Octane Gain Team Hauler Pitty has a different eye position than the Octane Gain Crew Team Pitty – even though in theory, his production numbers only in the few thousands.
The first grouping – the @4,000 count CARS are:
Outside of the three Super Chases: Frosty, Flash Jan Nielsen and Long Ge which were listed as production numbers of 4,000, the rest are a guess and there might be a swing of plus or minus another thousand but probably close enough.
In some of the situation, these were exclusives that just fell on the wrong side of the end of a line production so as retailer interest grew fallow – their release got erratic.
This pretty much applies to the last of the Final Lap CARS above: Hooman, Derek Decal Dobbs, Milo, Timothy Timezone Truecoat, Valerie Veate and Swift Alternator (not pictured). (Some other Final Lapers are getting a re-release as we speak so they are no longer on this list)!
In the same way, while Storytellers flew off the shelves, Target just didn’t seem all that interested so the Cousins and Showgirls got one brief release and done. Cousin Buford misses this list as he was packed 2 to a case but Cousin Jud & Cletus are on this list as well as the three Showgirls, Laverne, Rhonda and Sheila.
We might see the Santa CAR back next year with the Reindeer? But he’s on this list for now. Barry Diesel was a Matty exclusive. Wilmar Flatz was in one of the last lenticular cases – most retailers had given up on the line. Bumper Save crew chief was another Target exclusive that was not shipped to a lot of stores. Dirt Track Doc Hudson only made one appearance at the end of the vertical card 3-packs and has not returned.
Bessie was only 2 to a case towards the end of the CARS 1 and again, a lot of retailers essentially stopped ordering CARS 1 so there was not much available. And since it’s an expensive one to produce, it’s not super high on Mattel’s list.
LeLand Turbo was pretty much the same situation. There were so many CARS 2 2-packs on the shelf, retailers pretty much stopped ordering them by July 2011. While there were some order, it was pretty scant. Since all subsequent 2-pack cases were essentially canceled, what was to the first appearance of this 2-pack among many other cases, ultimately, it ended up as a one-shot release for now. It might return later but it’s not on the list of 2013 releases.
The @3,000 list:
Some of these are TRU exclusives which only got one release – and since TRU is not really all that large, the numbers are fairly low. That accounts for Hank Hallsum, the three Geisha CARS and the SUV’s from the Sarge’s Boot Camp box set. None of these are major characters obviously – we might see re-releases of the three Geisha CARS. Bubba and Ronnie Del Cooper are Target exclusives with short release windows – we might see them again but for now, they are on the short list. Leroy Traffik with Snow Tires was in one of he last oversized cases for CARS 1 and Brian Parks was only released internationally.
The @2,500 list.
The SDCC 2012 “Bubbles” Mater was produced in a small quantity of around 2,500. The others are all releases lost in transition to CARS 2 – Nitroade Crew Chief and Guido with Paint Rollers were essentially dumped overseas. (Luigi is not included as he looks the same as regular lenticular Luigi with a paint bucket accessory). El Materdor and Chuck ‘Choke’ Cables were only available overseas in limited quantities.
The 2,000 Super Chases.
As noted on the Russia racer card, only 2,000 – and since Memo Rojas Jr. (while it read 4,000) was only available in the “P Case,” in the quantity of 2,000, that’s all we know is available worldwide.
And the holy grail of production CARS – the Motor Speedway of the South Apple CAR – only 1,000 official ones available. 
So while Tach O Mint has never been released as a plastic tire CAR and Gask Its was only also available as a French mail away as a plastic tire CAR, both received rubber tire releases so I am not including those two on this list. Since the rubber tire versions are from Mattel in the 1:55 scale and from a few feet away, you cannot tell the difference, I do not consider in the absolute lowest run category.
Again, this list is not meant to note the most valuable or any that you should collect, just noting the ones that have the lowest production runs (as of now).
And yes, Taia Decotura (Tire Talky Truck) & Mattel’s Taco Mater are technically on this list but I suspect we will see a release eventually so for now, I will leave them off the list.
For card collectors, here’s Frank G’s list of the rarest CARS on cards.
metroxing
2 January 2013
Disney Pixar, Disney Pixar CARS 3, Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS, Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS 3
21 Comments
Is it just me, or am I just a die-hard collector? I have all of these listed above, and other than ‘El Materdor’, I didn’t really pay outrageous prices for any of them. I’ve actually got triplicates of ‘Hooman’, the three ‘Showgirls’, the ‘Cousins’, and a few others.
Very interesting list – thank you, Met. Living in Europe, I find one point particularly interesting – you mention that “El Materdor and Chuck ‘Choke’ Cables were only available overseas in limited quantities.”, putting them in the same category.
I frequently travel through central Europe and have seen great numbers of Chuck Cables in Germany and Austria, also a few in the Netherlands. I was , however, never able to find a single El Materdor; including Germany, Austria or France. I wonder if they ever surfaced in Italy or England?
Judging from the numbers I have seen I would believe that El Materdors are much scarcer than Chuck Cables..but again, this is just based on the Cars I have seen in stores.
(MET: Sometimes it’s impossible to really know as you’re right – sometimes “perception” is correct – when you see a lot on the pegs, there really are “a lot” on the shelves but other times it’s a fluke of distribution – if 500 cases gets shipped to Germany & Austria, it may seem like a lot at that time but in the overall amount available worldwide, it’s pretty much nothing … or when cases get dumped overseas, if it “disappears” from mainstream distribution, I think you pretty much have to “not count it …” Right now, if CARS are dumped in Central America, South America or Africa/Middle East, they effectively disappear off the secondary market grid (“if it’s not on eBay, it’s not anywhere”)… someone did tell me they found a lenticular Paint Guido/Luigi in South Africa .. so, for all we know, many of the “lost in transition” CARS are gathering dust on a shelf in Mauritius, Belize or Kuwait City 🙂 ).
The three Geisha cars, I know they came in multipacks.
Does anyone know what they were and were they all TRU exclusives?
(MET: As of now, yes – all three are exclusives, 2 came in a 10-pack, the one with the umbrella (Tomiko) came in a 5-pack).
Okuni and Shigeko came in the Tokyo Spy Mix-Up 10 pack.
Tamiko came in the Streets of Japan 5 pack.
Does this count consider only the US distribution?
(MET: Pretty much. In early years, there was much fewer items available int’l – and some lines not released overseas but now, it’s getting closer to 70-30 … but for this post, I tried to take in account approximate int’l releases numbers – for instance, most CARS 2 TRU box sets are not available overseas even though TRU does have int’l stores).
Todd was released in both the singles Case H (just before KMart Day) and then again in the KMart Case. I’m pretty sure Mini was also in the H Case but I can’t say with complete certainty. There were 2 Cars in the Case H that were also in the Kmart case so if Mini wasn’t the 2nd one then I don’t know what it was.
(MET: I believe that J case was canceled).
Nope, it was definitely Case H because I ordered it direct and received it. Most retailers didn’t get it, it was pretty much only ordered by secondary resellers. I think remainders ended up at Big Lots later in the year.
A few comments on this list.
I collect multiples of every car, the only exceptions on this list is I have 1 Dirt Track Doc and 1 Apple in the Speedway of the South.
1. Gaskits French Promo was a rare release. But later he was re released as others mentioned as a Light year launcher, but not it did not have the same production dates, and coupled with the rare Gaskits baggie with 15 languages makes it unique.
2. I would not have put Bubba as lower in production than the Storyteller Show stoppers. But thinking about this further, since there were 2 Bubba packs per case and only one Show Stoppers 3 pack per case it would seem that he was more abundant. However since the Show stoppers were released twice, both as singles and in the 3 packs, then production probably evens out. In the end it really depends on which was produced more the 3 packs or the singles for the Showstoppers.
Storytellers 2.0 released 11/30/09 $14.99 ea. 6 per case
[2] Bubba and Mater (2 pack)
[1] Showstoppers 3 pack – Laverne, Sheila, Rhonda
[2] Cousins 3 packs – with Buford, Jud, Cletus.
[1] Sponsorless Mcqueen, Doc Hudson, …………..
(MET: I don’t think every Target received the multipacks – I believe the extras were sent to Target.com which sold out very quickly – well, the Shwostoppers and Bubba packs did …).
Met:
In 2009 if production was such that each store should have received one case: (1683 Targets at the time)
Cousins Cletus and Jud:
1683 x 1 case of singles = 1683
1683 x 1 case of 3 packs with 2 cousin 3 packs per case = 1683 + 1683 + 1683 = 5049 for Cletus and Jud.
5049 + 1683 for Buford (2 per case) = 6732
I think all collectors love these lists, Another one that comes to mind is Van with bumper sticker Chase (with sticker)can’t be many that had the sticker?
(MET: Yea, I doubt there’s more than a couple thousand of those but it’s such a minor release …).
How about Tyler Gremlin.??? I would put him in the Leland Turbo section. I hope he comes out later as a single.!! He’s the only lemon im missing.
Love these lists! I was wondering why the Apple car wasn’t on the other list. All cleared up for me now.
Wow can’t believe only 2,500 Chucks. That means I went through more than 5% of the total supply ever made so far thanks to the help of some great overseas Cars collectors.
It’s tremendously awesome of you to help so many of us, Jack. I wouldn’t have half of these releases if it weren’t for the thoughtful community at T5AD and CTT. In fact I believe I have about 75% of this list, with 100% thanks to forum hunting tips and caring trades/sales/case splitting. 🙂
Got to believe there were more Storyteller cousins than showstopper girls. There was 1 of each in the singles cases with the exception of Buford as already mentioned. However in three pack cases of 6 there was only 1 set of showstopper girls and at least 2 each of the Cousins and the Bubba pack. 3 of 1, I believe the Bubba but don’t remember for sure.
Fascinating. I love these lists and explanations. That some of these releases didn’t seem rare to one person on viewing the store shelves, while a person in another location would never ever see them just proves the oddity, joy, and aggravation of the distribution system.
I found 1 Bessie in the wild, at a KMart. The card was crinkled and beaten to heck and stained with some real-life tar substance. I was never so happy to purchase such a spoiled product….
you are very lucky
i had to pay 150 on e-bay for my bessie
I have been able to get at least one of every car discused here except El Materdor & the apple car
the gask-its car was released with plastic tires with the launcher that looks like a tire
i got it off e-bay from a us seller but i do not know if it came from overseas or not
some of these were so easy to get and others were almost impossible
On the trading forums Frank is always a popular one to go after. Any idea how many Franks were produced?
I regret not picking up more Bessies back in the day. When I first started collecting, I went to a local toy shop that had multiples of her on clearance. Thought she would be cool to have but didn’t know she was HTF.
(MET: Frank was released twice so there are a few more Frank’s out there but I think it’s well under 10k plus his popularity so …).
Hi, it seems to me that from the list of #4000 pcs.
are missing BUFORD COUSIN #7
Hi SEDEMA
Interesting on the rare list.
What seems to be limited in QTY was easily accessible to me..
I managed to buy multiple of Chuck Choke Cables, Brian Parks and Guido Lenticular by end of 2011 till June of 2012.
By the way, how about Tokyo Mater w Oil Stains? Any idea on the QTY?