Today we have two questions about what I call sub-series’ of GreenLight cars.  The first---about Green Machine models---comes to us from Texas, and the second---about Black Bandit™ cars---was sent from a collector in Japan.

QUESTION
“[I] Wanted to know when you guys will be putting the "Green Machine" logo back on the cars. You did it for a while, but then stopped. I know exactly why you stopped doing it (to make it harder to spot in the store), but maybe you guys could make a hobby edition and put it back. Or something like that.”

Benjamin
San Antonio, Texas

A Green Machine™ Camaro with Green Machine printed on the package.

ANSWER
Benjamin,
You already answered part of the question.  We stopped printing “Green Machine” on the package so that collectors would have a better chance of finding them.  For the cars you buy at big stores like Target, you probably won’t see the Green Machine name called out again.
However, it’s possible that we will print “Green Machine,” like in the photo above, on a future “hobby only” release.  Thanks for your question!

QUESTION
“What is the story behind the Black Bandit Series and how did it jump from the ‘Other Company’?”

Jessie
FPO AP Okinawa, Japan

ANSWER
GreenLight owner Kevin Davey created the Black Bandit™ concept in 2003, and released the first model in 2004:  a 1960s Volkswagen Samba Bus.  He owned DieCast Alley from 2003 to 2006, and commissioned the Black Bandit cars as a way to offer a unique and valuable collectible through the DieCast Alley website.

In the early years, GreenLight didn’t have any suitable castings to use for a Black Bandit car, so Kevin looked elsewhere.  By 2007, it was a different story.  GreenLight then had a tooling bank of vehicles appropriate for the Black Bandit series.  You probably know that the first one to appear was the 1971 Dodge Charger Super Bee, below.

Look for this Mustang---Black Bandit #9---in February.  It’ll be available exclusively from DieCast Alley.

Pre-production Sample of 1968 Mustang GT Black Bandit

The Black Bandit concept has been so popular that the GreenLight team decided to integrate it---in limited quantities---into the GreenLight assortments available to hobby stores and Toys “R” Us.  Look for these in March.

Thanks for your question Jessie!

If you have a question about GreenLight replicas, please send an email to AskGL@greenlighttoys.com

To view the previous MacTalk, click below.

Past Mac Talks:

Rear Spoilers

Green Machine Characteristics