Home > The Rack

The Rack

There’s a Prestone Product for Every Car Care and Maintenance Need

Prestone is renowned in the automotive world as a supplier of quality fluids such as brake fluids and coolants. Recently, Prestone Philippines sent us a sampler package that showcases their expanded range of automotive lubricants and car care products.   Prestone D-Tech 500 Full Synthetic Heavy Duty Diesel Engine Oil Meeting the requirements of API CI-4, ACEA E7, MB 228.3 ...

Read More »

When Do You Need to Change Your Car Windshield Wipers?

Your car’s windshield wipers are very important as they serve as your first line of defense when driving under torrential rains. The wipers also instantly get rid of small debris that block your view when driving under any weather condition. Because road accidents usually happen due to poor driving visibility, windshield wipers are considered most vital for safe driving, along ...

Read More »

Finding Miniature Treasures and a Conundrum During Quarantine

When the government placed Metro Manila under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in March 2020 to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus, my wife Shawie and I took the opportunity to declutter our home, especially the other part of our duplex that I use as my office – slash – mancave. Since we have been working from home (WFH) since ...

Read More »

America’s Choice: Motor Max and Fast Lane 1950 Chevy Bel Air

In 1949, General Motors (GM) gave Chevrolet their first new styling after World War II, with the Deluxe as the up-market model. At $1,492, the 1949 Chevy Deluxe Styleline 6-passenger 2-door sedan was the most affordable model and it was equipped with the tried-and-tested 92-horsepower “Stovebolt Six” 216.5-cubic-inch (3.5-liter) inline 6-cylinder engine, 11-inch drum brakes, full instrumentation, and front stabilizers. ...

Read More »

Below Expectations: Maisto 2009 Ducati Desmosedici GP9

The Ducati Corse team had many reasons to look forward to the 2009 Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP) season. Their lead rider for the Ducati Marlboro racing team was Australian Casey Stoner, who obtained Ducati’s first MotoGP World Championship title in 2007. Partnering with Stoner was the 2006 MotoGP World Champion, Nicky Hayden, who was nicknamed “The Kentucky Kid”. The two ...

Read More »

Early Wasps: Maisto 1946 Vespa 98 and 1953 Vespa 125 U

When Piaggio Aircraft, the Italian helicopter factory was closed by the Allied Forces after the end of World War II, owner Enrico Piaggio was driven to produce a motor-scooter to provide affordable transportation for the masses. He wasn’t too thrilled with their first product, the 1945 Piaggio MP5, which was nicknamed “Paperino”, so his engineers went back to the drawing ...

Read More »

Not a “Little Bastard”: Maisto 1955 Porsche 550A Spyder

The iconic 1953-56 Porsche 550 Spyder is often associated with the late American actor and Hollywood icon James Dean. It seems that glamour, speed and danger are part of the racing sports car’s mystique. For the benefit of those who are not in the know, the Porsche 550 is a mid-engine car with an air-cooled horizontally-opposed 4-cylinder engine. It followed ...

Read More »

More Power for the Plastic Fantastic: Bburago and Maisto 1957 Chevrolet Corvette

To continue our story from yesterday’s Miniature Wheels feature about Chevrolet’s Plastic Fantastic, we leave our 6-cylinder 150-horsepower Pennant Blue 1954 Corvette behind and go over to our V8-powered 290 hp Venetian Red 1957 Corvette. As we mentioned yesterday, these “solid-axle” Corvettes are first-generation cars (C1) that debuted as a roadster in 1953 and underwent several upgrades, starting with a ...

Read More »

First-Generation Plastic Fantastic: ERTL 1954 Chevrolet Corvette

In 1951, Harley Earl, the head of General Motors’ Styling Section convinced his bosses at GM to build an all-American two-seat sports car. As avid fan of sporting cars, Earl observed that soldiers returning after serving overseas following World War II were bringing home small European sports cars. Earl’s Special Projects crew began working on the new car under the ...

Read More »

The Very First Production Porsche: Maisto 1948 Porsche Type 356-001

From 1945 to 1947, Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche had the difficult task of steering the small fledging company founded by his father, Dr. Ing. Ferdinand Porsche, who was imprisoned by the Allied forces on December 15, 1945 for alleged war crimes. At the same time, Ferry, as the younger Porsche was known, was working on a new two-seat sports car ...

Read More »