 Big Banana Car
Just Look At It
Matchbox Basic Cars - 2021 #48 (also 2020 #71)
Item No.: Asst. 30782 No. GVX58
Manufacturer: Mattel
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $1.00
Availability: 2020-2021
Other: Peel Slowly and See
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The wheels are more of what I'm used to seeing from Hot Wheels, and the banana seems more like the kind of thing that would be on a blue cardback - but I'm not complaining. Matchbox still have lots of nifty, weird designs every year and if you track them down you'll be rewarded with fun for at least a few minutes. This is the kind of toy I'd like to see more of - it's not based on a big media property. It's not expensive. It is, by no means, aimed at a collector of any kind. It merely asks "Big Banana Car?" and you answer "yes, one please."
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I assumed, incorrectly, that the Big Banana Car was a whimsical design from Mattel. It was not. The Mutant Brothers put it together and it's a real car, designed by Steve Braithwaite, that is 23 feet long and apparently has a Ford truck engine. It's not a perfect match for the real thing. The real one says "yellofruit" on it, this one lacks such markings - but it does have some green and brown on it, and it does look like a pretty good toy banana with seats and a windshield.
It lacks the rear view mirrors of the real thing, but aside from that? It's pretty dang close. You can fit four people in it. It's yellow. I don't know what more you need. When I saw the design a couple of years ago I started scouring the pegs for it, and never found one. I assume this means it sold pretty well, especially since Mattel brought it back (unchanged) for two years in a row. It's such a clever design that it's a wonder that it did not already exist, because what kid doesn't want to play with their food?
It's a longer car, with yellow plastic and some black painted metal bits. The wheels are satisfying and big, with chrome wheels. If you ever see one up close, be sure to pay close attention to the paint. Mattel could probably have cast it in yellow and call it a day, but the brown aging lines near the front and the green near the stem are just marvelous little details. On the back is a place for a license plate or brake lights, but these are all left painted black like the rest of that element. At a higher price I would complain, but having black headlights and undecorated tail lights make sense when you're working with a $1 toy. The wheels are super smooth and even though I had to pay a slight premium for it (it was 20% off sticker price, but still, $3.99 at The House of Used) I can't complain too much. Shipping it off eBay would have cost more, and this was on my short list of Matchbox cars I really wanted to find in the wild.
If you still buy toys with which to amuse yourself, go get one of these if you can find one.
--Adam Pawlus
Additional Images
Click here to see more Mattel figures in Figure of the Day.
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Day 2,796: Mattel Matchbox Indiana Jones Ducati Scrambler
Day 2,802: Mattel Matchbox Indiana Jones Tuk Tuk
Day 2,838: Mattel Matchbox Big Banana Car
