[cwbs]

If there's one model that I'd say it haunts my dreams, it's that doomed 1:18 Hot Wheels 456M.

What's left of mine is laid to rest inside some cardboard box in the attic. Ironically, its original box looks new.

I also have the BBurago one, but I can't stand looking at that hedious thing. Even the Hot Wheels in the bad shape it is looks a million times better than that aberration made by Bburago. Not even a sledgehammer can fix the looks of it.

Anyway, I was feeling a bit nostalgic and decided to search if there is any Hot Wheels 456M to be found on eBay. Turns out there are 5 at the moment. All in zinc pest color. I mean, "Champagne" color. Probably "Moët & Chandon", judging by the asking price:

https://www.ebay.co....kracer,tremonia

Now we all know that those particular models, in that particular color, are basically scrap.

Still, if you really, really wanted that model, and it finally popped up on eBay after a loong wait, would you risk buying it?

Not that I'm really thinking of buying any of those, no. I'm just asking, really.

 

[Guiddy]

Not Ferrari's finest effort, that's for sure. I always thought the 456 suffered from small wheels in the flesh, so it was always going to look the same as a model. I could think of better things to spend that kind of money on.
But it may complete some collections?
If you really wanted one you could strip and repaint it no?

 

[jazzy426]

Seeing that the sellers are asking for approx $100 over AUD i'll give these a miss. I too would love a 456M from Hotwheels badly (much like you I find Bburago one to bit too crude for me and mine dark blue 456 GT is currently sitting on my desk gathering dust) but the fact that this particular model has well documented zinc pest cases I don't really want to take the gamble. I won't consider paying more than 50 bucks for any Hotwheels foundation models even for the one that isn't zinc pest infested. I thought i read somewhere that Hotwheels did release a dark blue version of the 456M and if that is truly the case perhaps try looking for those instead?

the 456 is such an elegant grand tourer. Personally i prefer 456 GT over 456M in term of look but there are none in 1/18 scale other than the Bburago one. Perhaps some resin makers might consider making a sealed version one some day? I would love to see Maisto/Bburago produces this along with other neglected classic Ferraris one day but seeing the way they are going I doubt that will ever happen. The most they will just remake the exact same old Bburago 456GT with absolutely no upgrades whatsoever then chuck them in new fancy packaging and sell them at inflated price.

 

[ferrariforever]

I really like the 1:1, and almost pulled a trigger to get a 456M GT (manual transmission), but eventually realized that real estate is probably still a better option than exotics cars, even with the appreciation rate of those cars nowadays.
Regarding 1:18, indeed the zinc pest destroyed the left door of my Champagne 456M GTA. I'm in no rush getting another one because those 456M's can still be obtained for around 20 euro here locally.
I also have a red Bburago 456, bought for 1 euro. No matter how bad the Hotwheels one is, it at least has brakes and calipers. The Bburago one has nothing... But since they represent different cars, I'm keeping both of them.

Besides the zinc pest, lack of details of these models, the number one thing annoying me is that both the Hothweels one and the Bburago one seem to be 1:19 rather than 1:18! Put them besides the 550 or 575, you will notice that they all are equally long, while for 1:1, 456's should be about 20cm longer than 550/575.

BTW, I had no idea a blue 456M exists. But if the following picture is not a customized one, then the blue one must be ultra rare!

 

[forza!]

I've had the exact same dilemma. Then I decided to forget the whole thing, because why on god's green earth would you
deliberately buy a model which you just KNOW will deteriorate in front of you?

So that's it. No 456 in the collection. I will wait for the day when a manufacturer will have the courage to scale it down into our beloved scale.
Because after the 550 Maranello, the 456GT is my personal favorite Ferrari. So I needs it...

 

[ferrariforever]

I think the tour de france blue suits the 456M.

 

[ferrariforever]

Just look at this beauty!! It has aged so well in my opinion.

 

[cwbs]

Just look at this beauty!! It has aged so well in my opinion.

Oh yeah, that's top 5 on my 1:1 wishlist, right under the 575M and above the 612 Scaglietti...

 

[jazzy426]

I think the tour de france blue suits the 456M.

In that color, that is possibly rarer than a cyclops mounted on a unicorn chasing after a dragon!

Or maybe I should switch off my router and get out more... there might be tons of those gathering dust in corner shops around the country.

[/quote]

I think it has been years since i read up about the blue 456M and heck i wasnt even sure if i was dreaming or not LOL. But quick search on hobbyDB led to the the Hot wheels product code M1195 and it really looks like the dark blue unicorn is real after all

http://www.carmodel.com/mattel-hot-wheels/m1195/1-18/ferrari/456m-gt-1992/78471

Frankly i would prefer the light champagne colour over this but no.. i won't dare to buy something that has a good chance to crumble before my next birthday LOL. I haven't found any champagne coloured 456M here locally let alone the ultra HTF blue one.

 

[Mike K]

Yes, definitely look around more for it, I won one (MIB, no zinc pest or anything else) for $20 a couple months ago and I was the only bidder.

I also have the TDF blue 612 Scaglietti which makes a very nice pair with it. They also made the 612 in the champagne color so you could do it the other way around (blue 456 and champagne 612) It is much better than the Bburago, the wheels especially. Sometimes I wish that they would've done an Elite 456, but both the 456 and 612 are such good budget models, way better looking than a lot of Elites even. They're easily worth a place in any Ferrari collection, I hope that one of the resin companies will make the Venice Estate wagon and the GTA Cabriolet versions soon too.

The 1:1 is in my opinion one of the finest Ferraris of the past 40 or so years, inside and out. It's so important because it showed that they were moving on from all of the wedge shapes like the 400/412, TR, etc to instead bring back design cues from the 50s and 60s, and go back to their roots. The 612 was great in that way too.

 

[ferrariforever]

Yeah I think the Hot Wheels 612 is properly scaled and it dwarfs the 1:19 456m / 456.
My collection of the 2+2 Ferrari's: