toynutz.com
Zee Toys Dynawheels
History and Check List

Photos and Text By Mr. Dana Johnson

Before Redbox International purchased Zyll Enterprise (around 1998), and before the Motormax line was introduced by Redbox, many of the Motormax castings still available today were originally produced and marketed by Zyll Enterprise under the Zylmex and Zee Toys brands.  Two Motormax 3" series have been documented - the 6000-Series and the J-Series.

Zylmex models are the oldest and most valued die-cast toys produced by the company.  Even the earliest Zylmex models were designated with a "D" preceding the model number on the base, and many were later reissued as Zee Toys Dynawheels.  Thanks to contributions by Kenneth Dwain Harrelson, one model, an armored half-track (below) remains an anomaly.  Additional contributions by Julian Soundy provides a previously unknown version of D82.

Zylmex T431  Armored Half-Track

Zylmex T514 Type T-61 Tank, plastic body in camouflage paint
[not pictured]

- - -

Zee Toys arrived later, being divided into two lines:

Dynawheels - less expensive, less detailed toy vehicles with plastic bases and no working parts

Pacesetters - more detailed toy cars usually produced with opening doors and die-cast metal bases.

The Toy Car Collectors Association  presents this special collector’s check list of known Zee Toys Dynawheels by model number.  The links below will direct you to lists for the other Zee Toys and Motormax series:

Many of the old Zee Toys Pacesetters and Dynawheels castings are still available as Motormax models, in many cases with original model number still imprinted on the base, although only Pacesetters bear any description of the vehicle they represent.  Regardless, some are more recognizable than others and have been named accordingly.  Others are referenced only by model number.  Value remains around $1-2 for most models, although some are selling on eBay for $3 or more.  Motormax reissues and color variations abound.

On May 18th, 2005, I received an e-mail from Peter DeVore in Colorado.  He helped provide corrections and updates to this list.  Then, on January 19, 2006, I visited Zed's Zee Toys website at www.geocities.com/MotorCity/4882/ and found the missing models to complete this list.

Recently, Bob Goldie contacted me regarding D21 and D24 on July 19, 2007.  His additional information has been incorporated.  More recently, I obtained some more information on variations (listed below) from Julian Soundy and Brian Mackey.

ZEE TOYS DYNAWHEELS

D1 BRM F1

D2 Ferrari

D3 Cooper Maserati

D4 Eagle

D5 Brabham Repco F1

D6 Lotus Climax F1

D7 McLaren Ford BV F1

D8 BRM H16 F1

D9 Porsche 914

    v.1 metallic red

D10 Fortuna Custom

D11 Sand Dragger

D12 Rebel Custom

D13 Hurricane Dragster

D14 Tornado Custom

D15 1911 Renault

D16 Red Baron Hot Rod

    v.1 metallic blue

D17 Baja Bug Hot Rod (not a VW Bug)

D18 Ford Pickup Custom Rod

D19 Monza GT

D20 Volkswagen

    v.1 yellow with orange sun splash on roof

D21 Chaparral / Sand Dragger

D22 Dragster

D23 Dune Buggy

    v.1 plain

    v.2 Police

D24 Bubble (copy of Hot Wheels Silhouette)

D25 Ford Model T

D26 Ford GT

D27 Honda F1

D28 Ferrari F1

D29 Lotus Ford F1

D30 McLaren F1

D31 Matra F1

D32 Repco F1

D33 Lotus F1

D34 Ferrari F1

D35 Jaguar E-Type

D36 Lotus Europa

    v.1 yellow

D37 Mercedes 300SE

D38 Lamborghini Miura

D39 DeTomaso Mangusta

D40 Mini Minor

    v.1 orange (Zylmex)

D41 Citroën SM

D42 Audi 100 LS

    v.1 sedan

    v.2 Sheriff

D43 Datsun TV Wagon

D44 Rolls Royce

D45 Ford Capri

D46 Chevrolet Vega GT

D47 BMW 2002

D48 Lamborghini Marzal

D49 Early '70s Boss Mustang

D50 Renault

D51 Opel

D52 Mercedes Benz C111

D53 Ford Mk IV

D54 Lola Chevrolet T-70 Mk III

D55 Porsche 935 Turbo

D56 Lancia Stratos

    v.1 red

D57 BMW Turbo

D58 Toyota Tow Truck

D59 Toyota Covered Flatbed Truck 

D60 Toyota Stake Truck

D61 Lamborghini Countach

    v.1 metallic blue

    v.2 yellow

D62 Porsche 908/936

    v.1 metallic gold

    v.2 metallic silver

D63 Fiat X1/9

    v.1 metallic dark green

    v.1 hot pink

D64 Porsche 910

    v.1 metallic blue

D65 BMW 2002 Racer

D66 Toyota Garbage Truck

D67 Toyota Cargo Truck 

D68 Toyota Van Truck

D69 Morgan Plus 8 (copy of Tomica #F2)

    v.1 red (above left; Tomica original version above right for comparison)

D70 Ferrari 365GT Berlinetta Boxer

    v.1 hot pink with blue accent trim

    v.2 red with no markings

    v.3 yellow with black accent

D71 Ford Capri

    v.1 black with silver and red accents

    v.2 black with no markings

    v.3 black with red and white sticker on roof

D72 1914 Prince Henry Vauxhall ("1941 Vauxhall"  imprinted on base)

    v.1 silver with black fenders

D75 Datsun 260Z

    v.1 metallic blue with no graphics

    v.2 metallic blue with silver graphics

    v.3 yellow

D76 Chevrolet Corvette

    v.1 silver upper

    v.2 orange yellow 

D77 Ferrari 308

    v.1 red with black interior

D78 Nissan 300ZX

    v.1 metallic red with white racing stripe, "28", "300ZX" on nose

D79 Honda CR-X

    v.1 metallic dark green upper, black lower

    v.2 red upper, metallic grey lower

D81 Toyota MR2 Police

D82 Police Car

    v.1 black and white Police

    v.2 Fire Dept

    v.3 white with orange stripe

D83 Volkswagen Golf GTI

    v.1 red with black graphics

    v.2 blue with yellow graphics

D84 Volvo 760

    v.1 metallic graphite grey

D85 BMW M1

    v.1 blue

    v.2 yellow

D86 Jaguar XJ-S

    v.1 metallic red

    v.1 enamel red

D87 Audi Quattro / CPS

    v.1 white with rally trim

    v.2 lime green with bat design

    v.3 purple with green flames

D88 Ferrari Testarossa

D89 Porsche 928S

    v.1 silver with brown interior

    v.2 silver with black interior

    v.3 yellow with red and black stripes, Pennzoil

    v.4 blue and yellow

D90 Mazda RX-7

    v.1 red with rally graphics

    v.2 orange-yellow with dark blue graphics, black interior

    v.3 metallic orange-yellow with dark blue graphics, tan interior

    v.4 white with blue graphics

D91 Ferrari 308

    v.1 blue with black

    v.2 red

D92 Chevrolet Camaro

    v.1 metallic blue with gold trim

    v.2 metallic blue with no trim

    v.3 burgundy with yellow and blue trim

D93 Pontiac Firebird

    v.1 white with red firebird logo

    v.2 black with gold firebird logo

D94 Fiat Abarth (copy of Matchbox #9, 1982; #74, 1984)

    v.1 white with red and green rally graphics (above left; Matchbox original version above right)

    v.1 metallic blue with red and green rally graphics

D95 Porsche 959

    v.1 metallic blue

D96 Nissan MID-4

    v.1 black with hot pink graphics, "MID-4" on sides

    v.2 black with pale purple graphics, plain sides

D97 1986 Pontiac Firebird T-Roof

    v.1 metallic yellow with blue graphics

D98 Chevrolet Camaro

    v.1 metallic purple

    v.2 metallic dark green

D99 GMC Off-Road Pick-Up

    v.1 red

D100 Off-Road VW Bug

D101 Stock Car

    v.1 deep orange, "TECH POWER", "86"

    v.2 pale orange and blue, "GTX", "88"

    v.3 "Mode" graphics

    v.4 "Champion" graphics

D102 Crew Cab Pickup

    v.1 gold with hot pink graphics

D103 Vintage Wagon ('57 Chevy Nomad)

    v.1 orange, earlier version with fins

    v.2 orange, later version with cropped fins

    v.2 yellow, later version with cropped fins

D104 Sand Buggy

D105 Ford Mustang SVO

D106 VW Beetle Convertible

    v.1 light blue with purple graphics

D107 Mitsubishi X2S Show Car

    v.1    burgundy

D108 Ferrari F40

    v.1 red

    v.2 white with fuchsia and pink graphics

D109 AMG Mercedes

    v.1 silver with blue "Karl" graphics

    v.2 fluorescent orange with dark blue graphics

    v.3 blue and yellow

D110 Jaguar XKE

    v.1 metallic blue with white interior

D111 Formula One Racer

    v.1 white and red

    v.2 black and grey

    v.3 blue and yellow

    v.3 red

    v.3 yellow

D112 Hot Rod

    v.1 olive green, plain sides

    v.2 bright green, graphics on sides

    v.3 red

D113 Pontiac Banshee

    v.1 original casting

    v.2 Concept Car - generic modified casting

D114 Toyota 4-Door Sedan

    v.1 white with white interior

    v.2 pearl white with butterscotch interior

    v.3 red

    v.4 hot pink

D115 Lamborghini Diablo

    v.1 yellow

D116 Mercedes-Benz Coupe

    v.1 metallic dark green

D117 Peugeot 405 T16

    v.1 black

    v.2 pale green

D118 Ford Mustang II

    v.1 black

    v.2 yellow

D119 '70 Hemi 'Cuda

    v.1 orange

D120 McLaren M-8A CanAm

D121 '70s Indy Racer

    v.1 lime green

D122 Dodge Charger

    v.1 metallic teal blue

D123 Chevrolet Ambulance

D124 '70s Chevrolet Blazer

D125 '70s Ford Bronco

    v.1 metallic dark green

D126 never produced

D127 never produced ('95 Chevrolet Camaro)

D128 never produced (Hummer)

D129 never produced (Nissan GTP)

D130 never produced (Cobra 427)

D131 never produced ('57 Corvette)

D132 never produced ('69 Corvette)

D133 never produced (Toyota Airport Lift Van Truck)

D134 never produced (Toyota Airport Stair Truck)

D135 Ford Tank Truck (Aviation Fuel); same tooling as P336

If you know of any Zee Toys or Motormax models that aren’t on this list, please let me know.  Thanks.

Dana Johnson

PO Box 1824

Bend  OR  97709-1824

E-mail toynutz@earthlink.net