Pinto Day would not be complete without a Mini CC version. And luckily for you, I do indeed have one in my fleet–this white-over-red variant by Motor Max’s “Fresh Cherries” line. And this is no garden-variety Pinto either, but a full-zoot Iacocca-approved Luxury Decor Option variant!
Okay, technically it was the Luxury Decor Group on the Pinto, but these fancy-pants option groups are commonly known as the LDO, and were actually called such on the Maverick/Comet versions. Ford was all about luxury trim in the ’70s–witness the success of the LTD (does it stand for Limited or Luxury Trim Decor? No one knows for sure), Granada Ghia, Gran Torino Brougham and Mustang II Ghia.
So what did you get with this trim package? Among other things, special upholstery with your choice of pleated vinyl or houndstooth cloth inserts, woodtone handbrake and shift lever, deluxe door trim panels (with a little chrome Pinto on a sea of woodgrain) and deluxe woodtone (notice a pattern here?) steering wheel.
Outside, rocker panel moldings, wheel reveal moldings, full wheel covers and bright window frame and belt trim set the deluxe Pinto apart. The Squire wagon was basically the longroof version of the LDO, with the addition of a cargo light and, of course, the Di-Noc wood sides.
Briefly in the 2003-08 period, diecast model maker Motor Max introduced an intriguing line of 1/64 and 1/24-scale ’70s “misfits,” including an AMC Gremlin, a Vega, a LeBaron T&C wagon, Dodge Diplomat, and of course this Pinto.
I remember seeing this Pinto at the local Wal-Marts pretty regularly in burnt orange and olive green (’70s Green), along with the Gremlin and Vega. At the time (2003-05) I was more into 1/18-scale, so never picked one up. But I finally decided they were worth buying at about the same time they started disappearing from stores.
I was fortunate to get this one during a Christmas shopping trip to Iowa City with my aunt and uncle. I had never seen one in red, and really liked it. I regret never picking up a Gremlin. For lots of pictures of these cool ’70s toys, this site has a review of some of the 1/64-scale versions.
image: mikedetorrice’s photostream at flickr
Since then, it seems that Motor Max has given up on the Fresh Cherries line, as no new models have turned up since the LeBaron in about 2009; the last one I was able to buy was a light blue T&C on clearance for $5. Too bad, because I think these are far more cool to collect than the ever-present ’65 Mustangs, Chevelle SSs and Tri-Five Chevys that clutter most department store toy aisles. Come on, Motor Max, I want a Cordoba!
A cousin had an orange and white 73 Runabout that must have had one of the LDO packages. I recall orange interior with some hounds-tooth plaid, and remember thinking that it was the nicest Pinto I had ever seen.
The Pinto model is ok, but that LeBaron wagon is what gets my juices flowing. I saw one of those on my local CL and thought very, very hard about it.
I had a feeling Pinto day would include your models, very cool, I always thought LTD stood for limited as in limited production the true mark of a luxury car is exclusivity rather than bits of crap stuck everywhere like US faux luxury. Bling is not luxury.
Limited = limited production? Not in These United States, where everybody is somebody whether W.S. Gilbert thought it was possible or not.
Remember, American Mad Men took the word “custom,” which originally meant a product created to a single customer’s individual specifications, and applied it to a trim level. Eventually, a not very exalted one.
Now, the same thing is happening to the word “bespoke,” which meant more or less the same as custom, but with more snobby connotations. Bespoke is in the process of being devalued by auto journalists, who now use it to mean something special that every purchaser of a given car will get. (“VW’s Mark 7 GTI gets bespoke seat trim and suspension settings,” for instance.)
Hmm, “special.” There’s another word that probably once meant something. Maybe “deluxe” even had meaning.
Brits (and, obviously, Kiwis) are still a little more precise with their English usage, and as a writer/editor, I respect that. Still, I like the fact that in the U.S. we can call things meaninglessly “Royal” as much as we damn well please.
I had only recently noticed the “bespoke” fad. As with most of them, I will try to hold out for at least awhile. Maybe it will pass.
I remember reading years ago that some PT Cruiser buyers were looking to attempt to sue Chrysler over their “limited edition” version since many claim to have been led to believe that there were indeed a limited number of them made and that would make them worth more than a “normal” model. The fact was of course that they cranked out thousands and thousands of the limited edition and never had any intentions of limiting them to a certain number.
As with my wife’s Ford Edge Limited and my Outback Limited, the ‘limit’ is their ability to limit production to everyone who wants one.
But I still feel special, thanks.
These Motor Max were fantastic models, a surprising addiiton of unloved cars for such a budget range of scale cars. I got all I could, luckily some were sold in Chile. Here are my Reliant and Aries.
You can see more pictures in my blog: http://ripituc.blogspot.com/2012/03/motormax-124-dodge-aries-k-plymouth.html
Motor Max also did both the Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni, Dodge Diplomat, Ford ’71 Mustang, Maverick and Mercury Comet, AMC Gremlin and Chevy Vega in 1:24, if I recall correctly.
On their Matchbox-sized models, they added the Ford Granada and Mustang II, AMC Matador and Hornet, Chevrolet Chevette and the first-gen Civic.
But clearly making this cars wasn’t the best business idea, as the Fresh Cherries range was killed by Motor Max after a couple years. Somewhat related, they recently issued the 1986 Ford Taurus in 1:43 as a police car.
Too bad Motor Max’s differentiation of the Aries and Reliant are different labeled boxes and colors.
The twins had different grilles and taillights, an important styling cue, MM lazily overlooked.
They also made some 1/87 scale cars as well (HO model railroad). The Pinto was actually a Bobcat. They also made a Maverick 2 door, Granada 2 door, AMC Hornet Hatchback, AMC Pacer and 1982-1983 Honda Accord 4 door. Quality wasn’t up to the standards of European models such as Herpa, Wiking or Brekina but very few other manufacturers made cars like these in HO scale. Even at full retail they were under $3.00 at Walmart but I bought up a bunch of these for a dollar each when they were on clearance.
Nice. I have one of these in an oh so 70s green on green.
Nice. I wound up using the wheels from one of the FC Pintos (minus body-color accents) on the old MPC wagon plastic kit:
I never knew about the color keyed wheel covers. I miss Pinto Day already.
I don’t normally buy these toys, but Walmart had a copy of my dad’s burnt orange and white Pinto so I just had to get it when they clearanced them. Its sitting by my computer right now.
Cool scale models! My family had a 1972 Pinto with this option, which at the time was called the Sports Accent Group. I think it was a spring ’72 late model year addition that continued in ’73 (and ’74, too, I thought, but maybe the name changed to LDO). Ours was Avocado and white (white body, avocado roof, underbody and interior). It had the shag carpet and houndstooth seats, too! I would love to have the real deal, but they seem pretty rare now.
That orange and white one looks just like the one my cousin had.
I used to own a 1972 Pinto with LDO trim back in the 1970s. It was one of the spiffiest cars I’ve ever owned, a two-tone blue hatchback with a black vinyl roof and *real* mag wheels. A peppy car that (with its rack & pinion steering) was a real pleasure to drive. That is, until one sad day. While I was stopped at a light some doofus drove right into its rear, caving in the hatchback so badly that I couldn’t open it from then on. I’m pretty sure it didn’t have the new plate meant to protect the gas tank which was called for in the recall but, still, the car didn’t burst into flames. It was still very drivable, which I did for many months afterwards. How I wish I still had it! Oh, well…