Arriving with “Chase” Fred with Stickers will be the “re-scaled” Fred sometime in September, 2008.
And man, they aren’t kidding.
Fred has been down-sized … or right-sized depending on your perspective.
He might just be half the man he used to be.
How many more of these can I come with before I show you the picture? 
And no, that’s not MINI Fred … it’s almost Fred Jr. though … but of course, it makes sense on a lot of levels to make the change … Fred (v 1.0) compared to the animated version was way, way too large – his hood line is higher than TJ, a Hummer!
It’s been suggested that Fred is a Studebaker Lark though he looks more in line with several Fiats* or its European/Russian knockoffs like the Riva or he’s really a combo of everything … In Wikipedia, Fred is listed as a 1962 AMC Rambler but I don’t see it.
* The Yugo was based on this Fiat.
Because when Fred is next to the Security SUV, he’s not that tiny (and if he were the Rambler, he would be almost exactly the same length as a Dodge Dart which Rust-Eze is).
Okay, now Fred might be a tad too small – more like a combo Fiat & the Nash Metropolitan. But, I guess at least he’s no longer larger than the Hummer and Mattel saves a ton of metal Fred was a heavy sucker also.
So in September, we can say hello to Fred, The Biggest Loser in one sense but also special enough to warrant a “chase” version on top of reduced-weight Fred sans stickers version. So, what I believe is going to happen is when Fred v2 get released, intermixed will be 20,000 Fred’s with 3 stickers on the doors and the back trunk – so good luck!
(I THINK PHOTO PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN FIXED – LET ME KNOW IF PHOTOS DON’T SHOW – THANKS “H” FOR PHOTOS!)
26 Comments
June 2, 2008 at 1:10 am
Yes new one makes sense, but old one?
Typical Mattel (shrugging shoulders!)
Must be a movie moment/double/3-pack?
Surely they won’t get away with selling half a car they have already released for the same price, especially when you can get the large one anywhere?!
(MET: Fred (v1) is hard to find on the shelves. I haven’t seen one since early 2008 …).
June 2, 2008 at 7:27 am
WOW! He’s tiny.
He looks about the same size as Lizzy now.
Thanks for the info and photos Met!
June 2, 2008 at 9:03 am
Met,
Big W in Edinburgh has over 25 of them!
He is pretty much everywhere, mostly as WOC, but there are loads of Supercharged around.
If anyone who I might trade with needs one, no probs.
June 2, 2008 at 9:27 am
ok, now see, that’s just a physical representation of how you usually look to all of us jackdaddy!
June 2, 2008 at 10:09 am
I am glad I have several of the ver. 1.. I sure hate the small one.
June 2, 2008 at 10:26 am
Look at the PT / Flik set, shouldnt PT be about half the size of Guido? They are the same scale in the package but no one seems to care. Yeti should have been about 50% bigger yet it looks so cheap and tiny.
Noel
June 2, 2008 at 11:12 am
Big Fred will go the way of the FHH with white tires; he’ll be “retired” and everyone new to the Cars game will want one (well at least the completists).
So am I reading correctly that there will be 2 new Freds? A regular one and a chase?
I think a lot of Cars are out of scale. The Dinoco helicopter?! Barney & Al?! Red, Sully, TJ and Yeti should also be bigger, Guido should be smaller. We as adults know that and it bugs us but I think most kids don’t care or even know what scale is.
And lets not forget; the new rate hike for Cars now in effect so you get to pay MORE for LESS Fred! Ha!
(MET: Yea, you’re right – Sarge is also a tad large … and you[‘re right ‘MORE for LESS Fred!’ – damn, I missed that one! And yes, I believe intermixed with the release of v2 Fred will be some 20,000 of them of Fred with stickers – er happy hunting?)
June 2, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I honestly didn’t mean to post that three times, my laptop was playing up earlier.
I like the small Fred, but shouldn’t Mattel have released the Cars our kids want first before they start nitpicking at ones they already have.
I just showed Jack the picture, he simply said –
“Have I got the mummy one, and thats the baby one?”
So he wants a baby Fred?
An ugly brown degenerate rusty metal baby.
My son has no concept of scale in regard to his toy cars with regard to Fred.
Die cast Dinoco Helicopter at $900 anyone?
June 2, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Pay More For Less FRED! Thats good. Sounds like the Gas situation. Pay More, Drive Less!
June 2, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Am I the only one who can’t see the photo? Dang Firefox! JD, I’ll send you a Diecast Dinoco helicopter when I send you the LS LMQ if you want. They are everywhere in San Diego right now.
June 2, 2008 at 2:18 pm
msully darling,
I meant an in scale one, like the size of the plastic one you can get, but solid metal.
My little dig at the possible forthcoming resizing of cars already released!
Quite a few are out of scale actually.
My British sarcasm going a miss as usual!
You yanks! HAHA
Met – do you think we should have a Disney pixar Cars out of scale released die cast range thread?
June 2, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Wow, that really is a drastic resizing. I do think the new version’s actually a bit *too* small, but I guess(?) that’s better than way too big.
June 2, 2008 at 5:59 pm
msully I can’t see the photo now either; I could earlier today though.
(MET: That’s odd … maybe try refreshing the cache? Click in the address bar and hit return while holding down the shift key).
June 2, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Off subject and not sure were to post. Met perhaps a Trading Post?
I just picked up a Red mia/tia.
Would like to trade for a combo of singles or for a MM.
Here is what I am missing. In no particular order:
Red/Stanley, Sheriff, Yellow Ramon, Crusin’ Ramon, Doc Hudson – Fabulous Hudson Hornet w/chrom rims and Barney Stormin.
To the hunt!
georgehp from San Jose, CA.
(MET: When we move, we should be able to set up something – if you can’t get a trade completed, drop me an email: metroxing (at) gmail.com – I might have some extras if you’re an opener, I think most are SC cards … I don’t need the Red Mia/Tia).
June 2, 2008 at 6:43 pm
msully,
You may try downloading the IE tabs extension for Firefox. All you have to do is right-click on the tab and select “switch rendering engine.”
I was wondering where the photos were too…
I’m so excited for the chase cars but am worried I won’t find any; not enough to blow all my money on ebay though.
June 2, 2008 at 7:20 pm
JD, OK I get it. Yes, we Yanks are quite literal. I normally “get” your dry humor, but that one flew right by me.
Kid, thanks for the tip, I’ll give it a try.
My husband hates the whole “out of scale” thing, but I really don’t mind if it means I can get buy them as part of the line. I wouldn’t buy huge in-scale versions.
I agree New Fred is too small, smaller than Rusty?
June 2, 2008 at 7:29 pm
thats not fair i hope ill find a big one before its too late i still have it
June 2, 2008 at 10:25 pm
LOL….”WE KNOW HIS NAME”,”WE KNOW HIS NAME”, AWE C’MON MATTEL DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO SHRINK FRED? NOW THE KIDS CAN LOSE HIM ANYWHERE<—— JUST KIDDING 3 STICKERS THATS GREAT I’M IN,” SEPTEMBER HERE WE COME AFTER CHRISTMAS IN JULY” !!!
June 2, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Wondering if Mattel will also make mini fred accidently missing the license plate as well. Then there would be three mini freds to find. Now that another bright idea from the think tank to get us to buy three of the same cars with minor variants… Ramone anyone? I think these brainstormers deserve another ransberg for their marketing genious…
June 3, 2008 at 12:20 am
hey george, I have some of those singles and would love the red mia and tia. Really would. Email me at sunniegirl_2001@yahoo.com and we can arrange something if you would like.
Annie
June 3, 2008 at 9:24 am
“georgehp
June 2, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Off subject and not sure were to post. Met perhaps a Trading Post?
I just picked up a Red mia/tia.
Would like to trade for a combo of singles or for a MM.
Here is what I am missing. In no particular order:
Red/Stanley, Sheriff, Yellow Ramon, Crusin’ Ramon, Doc Hudson – Fabulous Hudson Hornet w/chrom rims and Barney Stormin.”
George, a couple are in abundance here in the UK – our local Disney store has about 10 Crusin’ Ramones just sat there and yellow Ramone is in bargain bins cause there’s so many! Sheriff’s also not too rare either.
Let me know how you get on and if you want me to pick any up for you (they retail at about $6), then that’s not a problem.
June 3, 2008 at 12:38 pm
To Paul Brake
Thanks but I replied to Annie’s post. I will try and set something up with her. If it dose’s work out I will post again. I appreciate your offer to help.
georgehp from San Jose, CA
June 3, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Will this make the older, larger Freds more valuable?
(MET: Well, in the US, they’re not easy to find anyway but I suspect not by much – most current collectors are set, I think casual collectors probably won’t care either way … unless you want a ‘dad’ Fred & a baby Fred
)
June 28, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Now if they would just fix Fillmore. He should be at LEAST the size of Mater & Red.
July 18, 2008 at 3:51 pm
The Wal-Mart that I work at has a bunch of the large Freds. At least they did the other day when I was digging through trying to find a Mater for my son.
August 2, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I’m with JD on making more new cars before nitpiking the old ones!!