{"product_id":"dodge-coronet-awb-mr-tomato-racing-1965-w-a1806513","title":"Dodge Coronet AWB Mr. Tomato Racing 1965 White Red ACME Models 1:18","description":"\u003cblockquote class=\"vr-tldr\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eACME Models captures the 1965 Dodge Coronet Altered Wheelbase drag racer in \u003cspan class=\"vr-scale\"\u003e1:18\u003c\/span\u003e die-cast — white and red \"Mr. Tomato\" livery on one of the most historically consequential factory race cars the NHRA ever banned.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFew factory racing programmes have left a mark on American drag racing as deep as the 1965 Chrysler Altered Wheelbase campaign. The Coronet AWB was purpose-built at Chrysler's Hamtramck Assembly plant with a repositioned front axle — moved approximately 15 inches forward — and lightweight fiberglass body panels, producing a machine that was never intended for public roads. ACME Models documents this moment in \u003cspan class=\"vr-scale\"\u003e1:18\u003c\/span\u003e die-cast with the \"Mr. Tomato\" entry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"coronet-awb-factory-weapon\"\u003eA Factory Weapon Built for the Strip\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 1965 Dodge Coronet AWB sits on Chrysler's B-Body platform, radically modified to shift mass rearward and maximise traction off the line. The rear axle was repositioned approximately 10 inches forward relative to the standard body, complementing the front axle change. Power came from a 426 cubic inch HEMI V8, producing an estimated 1,000 bhp or more in race trim. These were not homologation specials dressed for the road; they were single-purpose competition machinery, built in strictly limited numbers across Dodge and Plymouth lines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"banned-before-the-season-ended\"\u003eBanned Before the Season Was Out\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe NHRA banned the AWB Mopars mid-season in 1965, having deemed them too far outside standard production parameters. That decision effectively created the conditions for the Funny Car class — the AWB Coronets and their Plymouth counterparts are the direct ancestors of one of drag racing's most enduring disciplines. After the ban, the cars continued in AHRA events and match racing, the \"Mr. Tomato\" Coronet among them. Its white body with red lettering and accents made it one of the more visually identifiable entries of the 1965 AWB campaign.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"acme-models-118-die-cast\"\u003eACME Models and the \u003cspan class=\"vr-scale\"\u003e1:18\u003c\/span\u003e Die-Cast\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eACME Models produces this model as part of their dedicated drag racing heritage die-cast line. The \u003cspan class=\"vr-scale\"\u003e1:18\u003c\/span\u003e scale is die-cast metal construction, with the white and red \"Mr. Tomato\" livery rendered across the Coronet's reshaped body. ACME's approach to AWB Mopar subjects is notable for the attention given to the altered wheelbase geometry itself — a detail that separates a knowledgeable rendition from a generic muscle car casting. The 426 HEMI-powered drag racing lineage is a recurring focus across their American performance catalogue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"display-cabinet\"\u003eIn the Display Cabinet\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \"Mr. Tomato\" Coronet AWB pairs naturally with other ACME Models AWB Mopar releases and with \u003cspan class=\"vr-scale\"\u003e1:18\u003c\/span\u003e die-cast from the 1965 NHRA and AHRA season. A display grouping centred on Chrysler's factory drag racing programme — spanning the Coronet and Plymouth B-Body and A-Body AWB cars — traces the full arc of one of the most disruptive seasons in the sport's history. The white and red livery also provides strong visual contrast within a collection that skews toward the darker, more corporate liveries of the same era.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ACME MODELS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":60225323729280,"sku":"A1806513","price":170.9,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0922\/8828\/7104\/files\/vroomi-a1806513-front34-v2.jpg?v=1793052348","url":"https:\/\/vroomimodels.com\/products\/dodge-coronet-awb-mr-tomato-racing-1965-w-a1806513","provider":"Vroomi","version":"1.0","type":"link"}