Auto World Premium Release 3b May be the Nicest Mix to-Date...

It's pretty tough to pick a 'best Auto World mix ever', but in my books this is it. Unlike many brands, there are no weak castings in the Auto World arsenal. The winners and losers only depend on which cars you like better. When it comes to scale and detail each Auto World casting is more or less equal. The same can't be said for other brands. Hot Wheels' older castings tend to lag their newer ones, and some of the older Johnny Lightning castings aren't as accurately scaled as their modern counterparts are.

So what makes this mix of Auto World Premium Release 3 the best-to-date? It comes down to 3 things: casting selection, casting variety and presentation (color choice and quality control). As a side note, it's not like the mixes have gone downhill in the 2 years since this one. Mixes coming out this month are just as well executed and high quality as Release 3 was.

First, let's talk about casting selection. Everyone has their favorite castings. For Auto World, my top 5 are the 1969 Chevy Kingswood Estate, the 1976 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, the 1970 Chevy Impala, the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado and the 1964 Ford Country Squire. So out of my top 5 Auto World castings, 3 made it into a 6-car mix! That's pretty exciting for a diecast geek like myself.

Second, let's talk about casting variety. This is a little less subjective than casting selection. If there's one 'knock' on Auto World it's the lack of casting variety they offer. That is certainly changing with Auto World tooling up new castings and the promise of pickup trucks joining the brand. But for now, Auto World is mostly muscle cars. Beyond muscle cars, they offer 3 'land yachts', 2 station wagons, 1 convertible, 1 race car and 3 modern sports cars in the premium lines. With that limited selection, this 6-car mix manages a convertible, a modern sports car, a station wagon, a couple of land yachts and a muscle-ish car. Talk about a mix with a little something for everyone!

The 3rd factor that makes Auto World Premium Release 3 impressive is the execution. First things first. Quality control is flawless on this mix. And it is 99% of the time with Auto World. This mix just feels a little more than perfect quality. Nothing is even slightly off. Let's talk about color choice too. The gold is perfect for the Kingswood Estate. It's got a little nostalgia/Mad Men/art deco feel to it. The deep green 1970 Impala with a black vinyl roof is beautiful. In my books it's one of the top 5 cars Auto World has ever put out. And what's more iconic than a bright red mustang? The Cadillac gets a metalflake light red that really suits it, and the cream-colored Comet Caliente is perfect in-person even though it was tough to capture under the lens. Finally, the lone convertible in the mix looks great in champagne with a black interior.

This is a really tough mix to beat in my mind, and as a side note, I hope we see the 1964 Ford Galaxie Convertible casting used again. I'd love to hear what your favorite Auto World mix is in the comments below. Enjoy!