Chris Mullis has been very busy lately, with many special projects for various people, like Tom Stumpf's (Tom's HO Slot Cars) Lead Sled. He started focusing on Specials a few years ago, and has been gracing the hobby with magnificent productions like his wonderful GTO, Roadrunner, and Cuda. His newest attempt is the 70 Olds, 442.

The 442 was a special brand of Muscle car, which, like its cousin the GTO, combined a lot of luxury with performance. In 1968, the car went to the sleaker lines it held through 8 years, until it was reduced to a mere shadow of its ancestors when GM tagged a compact with the moniker. Lucky for us, Chris chose the 1970 version to produce.

A very stylish car, with elegant hood scoops, big trumpet dualies, sharp looking hood lock downs, slick wheels, gracefully understated details, and just a flash of striping. The Mullis version captures all those with exact precision. He even included the driving lights and holes in the lower front bumper, and the backup lights in the rear, as well as the four side lights.

Two things separate an HOD car from most every other manufacturer or HOPRO (we can't think of an exception in the Thunderjet lines, and only Jason Boyes BRM's comes to mind for all around). First is quality of workmanship (material, fit, paint, detail); second is accuracy of proportions. This 442 is dead on!

The first place to look for fit and preciseness is the wheel wells. The Thunderjet chassis, on a long wheel base, aligns with incredible correctness to this body. The second place to look is from the top of the car, and unlike many makers who compromise proportion to fit the chassis, some how Mullis gets it perfect with the same chassis that others find difficult to place under their creations. Superlatives cannot be overused to express how well this car nails both these tests. You can even look at the car straight on, sideways, or from the rear, and the lines flow just like the original. We've seen many companies get one or two angles right, but to succeed from all 5 is unprecedented.

Another place to look are the window posts. Nearly every other example of T-jet body makes these look like baseball bats, when they should be toothpicks. A look at the side view of this car and you are immediately stricken with the elegance and accuracy of the car from gunwails to rocker panels. Even the bumpers are so well designed that they protrude over the fenders to the exact degree that the 1:1 car does, yet they fit flawlessly tight and sure into the body.

The last detail is the wheels. Though they were not painted like the originals because the detail is too small to succeed, these chromed beauties are exact replicas in their elements. HO Detroit has once again given us something that deserves to be called a Special Edition.

The cars will be available through the HO Detroit site. Cost is $100 per car. For the people who are members of the HO Slot Car Mailing List, there will be a special, very limited, Goonsquad Version (contact slotcarbob@aol.com for information on that car only). All cars come as shown, with silicones all around, and a numbered, signed card in the box.