Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,147: Bespin (Silhouette II)

BESPIN (Silhouette II)
Star Wars Classics Walmart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. DJK03 No. DJL05
Manufacturer: Mattel
Number: 6/8
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: About $1
Availability: 2016
Appearances: n/a   

Bio: This series of intergalactic Hot Wheels celebrates the many diverse worlds of the STAR WARS universe. Race from the icy reaches of Hoth, to the fiery lava flows of Mustafar. Zoom from the parched desert world of Tatooine, to the lush forest moon of Endor. Collect all eight and speed to a galaxy far, far away! (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: And Wheels Week is over! I got Bespin (Silhouette II) way back when it came out, and it's a perfect $1 collectible car. The axles aren't as janky as the Han Solo Twinduction, but they're not as smooth as many other cars either - that means when it flies out of a launcher on the tracks, it doesn't go terribly far. But sometimes you buy a car because it's gorgeous, and this is. The Silhouette II is an updated version of one of the first year of Hot Wheels cars, and it's been in and out of circulation since the 1960s. The II model has some tweaks and different engines - if you had your druthers, you'd probably want the original, but those aren't as cheap. I saw this one at Bookman's for $2 over Memorial Day weekend,so you can get it without spending real money if you have time to look around.

The futurism of the 1960s, retooled in the 1990s, and painted orange seems like a perfect fit for the Twin-Pod Cloud Car. Obviously, this is only one pod - but it looks sort of close to the concept sketches, what with the dome and the long nose. The chrome engine looks great, there's a nicely detailed interior, and the shiny orange finish looks superb. The cart art is no slouch either - and if you dare open it, you'll be treated to a Star Wars logo over where the trunk isn't. The vehicle has a metal top and a plastic bottom, which means it's not going to win any races.

The reason to get excited about this car - indeed, this entire set - is the great artwork on each car. It's Burger King glass-style simple, with clouds, Cloud City, the Millennium Falcon, and presumably as a gag silhouettes of a Cloud Car to go on a Cloud Car-colored Silhouette. Clever. It's really nicely designed and they didn't mirror-flip the Falcon to make the art fit either.

Walmart did multiple series of these $1 cars since Mattel got the license - themes included Movies/TV Series, in-universe factions, planets, masters & apprentices, and finally, characters. As far as I know they haven't done any more cheap cars nor planned to do them, which is probably smart, because I completely ignored their $4+ products and focused solely on the $1 ones. This may well be the best of them. If you see any version of the Silhouette or Silhouette II on the cheap it's worth a gander, but this Bespin version is a no-brainer. Get it if the price is right.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart. If you need another car to chase down, let me recommend the Tusken Raider-themed Tatooine deco on The Vanster. It's also worth noting that there are 51 state cars (plus DC) from around 2009 if you like this sort of "destination car." I don't believe I actually ever saw those - so if you're sitting on any, especially an Arizona-themed Hotbird, fax one my way. I hope Mattel does more of those for real-world destinations, because they'd be wonderful pick-ups in touristy gift shops at Presidential Museum and Libraries, or shops near national parks.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,147: June 21, 2024