Evel Knievel Diecast Miniatures by Ideal Toys

Mike Pigott looks at this legendary range of diecast models made by Ideal Toys in the 1970s, based on the King of the Stuntmen: Evel Knievel.Legendary stuntman Evel Knievel was one of the most famous figures of the 1970s, and Ideal’s range of toys based on his exploits are among the most widely sought-after collectibles of the era. However, while the Evel Knievel action figures and powered motorcycles are widely remembered today, a related range of diecast vehicles from Ideal Toys is perhaps not as well-known, despite being excellent miniatures. Ideal produced a range of 13 different Evel-related vehicles, some of which are scarce and valuable today.

Evel Knievel is probably the best known stunt performer of all time. Born in Butte, Montana, in 1938, his real name was Robert Knievel, but he picked up the nickname ‘Evel’ during his days as a juvenile delinquent. He worked around the country as a miner, hunting guide, insurance salesman and motorcycle dealer, but his main interest was motocross racing. Unable to support his young family in motorcycle racing, he hit upon the idea of doing stunt jumping on a motorbike. He went around small towns of the North West USA and performed a one-man daredevil show, doing all sorts of stunts on his bike, culminating in a large ramp-to-ramp jump where he would leap over cars, flames, or cages of dangerous animals. Soon he began performing at larger venues, such as county fairs. He became a popular attraction at this sort of event, jumping progressively over more and more obstacles. However, he occasionally mis-timed his jumps, which led to crash-landings and long hospital stays.In 1967, Knievel attempted to jump the massive fountains outside Caesar’s Palace Casino in Las Vegas. He completed the jump, but landed badly and skidded, causing six bone fractures and a month in hospital. Having attracted national and international attention, he began performing his stunts in stadiums, which were often packed with fans. In 1971 he made the world record by jumping over 19 cars.

Always dreaming of more spectacular jumps, he later announced he intended to jump the Grand Canyon. The National Parks Service would not allow this, so instead he settled on privately-owned Snake River Canyon in Idaho. To do this he had a specially designed, steam-powered motorbike that was shaped like a rocket, called the ‘Skycycle X-2’. Unfortunately the jump was unsuccessful as the machine’s parachute deployed early.

In 1975 he visited the UK and attempted to jump over 13 London buses at Wembley Stadium, but again he hit the ramp and was injured. Back in the USA, he successfully jumped over 14 Greyhound coaches in Cincinnati, Ohio. Knievel retired from jumping in 1977.

SELLING EVEL

Evel Knievel was a man of his word; if he made a deal to perform a stunt, he would honour the deal and do it, even if he later realised the stunt could prove dangerous. He was also very good at self-promotion; there were two feature films made about him, and a large amount of merchandise was produced using his likeness and trademarks. His best-known logo was a thick number ‘1’ finished in the colours of the American flag. He wore white leather jumpsuits with blue stripes and white stars, and most of his vehicles were finished in red, white and blue with patriotic stars and stripes.

IDEAL TOY COMPANY

Probably the best remembered product line based on Knievel was a range of miniature stunt motorcycles and other vehicles made by the Ideal Toy Company, which could be placed on a stand and ‘revved up’ using a crank. When the desired speed was attained, the bike could be released from the launcher, and would take off with a miniature Evel seated on top.

The Ideal Toy Company was founded in 1903 in New York, and its first products were teddy bears. This was later extended to dolls, and Ideal became the world’s biggest doll manufacturer through to the 1970s. In the 1960s, Ideal began producing board games, and made some of the era’s best, including ‘Mouse Trap’, ‘Hands Down’, ‘Ker-Plunk’ and ‘Battling Tops’. Ideal toys were exported world-wide, and the company practically dominated the toy, game and doll market throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s.

As Evel Knievel was idolised by millions of young boys all over the world, it was inevitable that a range of toys would be based on his exploits. In 1972, Ideal obtained the exclusive license to produce toys of Evel Knievel. Initially action figures were released, followed by the famous Stunt Cycle, with its crank-operated mechanism. This was invented by the famous toy design company Marvin Glass and Associates, which had also devised ‘Mouse Trap’ and the Matchbox ‘Big M-X’ range. In addition to the Stunt Cycle, there were a number of other vehicles that were compatible with the launching ramp, including a Chopper, Trail Bike, Jet Cycle, Stratocycle, Skycycle, Stunt Car, Funny Car, and a combination Formula 1 Racer and Dragster; many of which Evel never actually drove. Compatible with the action figures were several non-powered accessory vehicles, including a camper van, pick-up truck and a custom van with working CB radio. There were a number of related action sets including a stunt stadium, and a ‘danger canyon’ playset. Also a number of costumes for the action figures were released, allowing kids to dress Evel up as a big game hunter or an Arctic explorer. Clearly, realism wasn’t an important factor for Ideal, which was more interested in getting as much mileage out of the franchise as possible. In fact, the Evel Knievel line was the company’s best selling range for much of the 1970s. Evel himself was probably not too bothered either, as he actually made more from Ideal Toys royalties than he did from performing stunts.

DIECAST MINIATURES

Both Evel and Ideal were out to make as much profit as they could from the franchise, and other toys were also produced, including a board game and a miniature stunt arena.

In 1976, Ideal released a range of diecast miniature vehicles based on Evel Knievel. Initially there were six models released, followed by another six in 1977; one additional model was released later. The range included six motorcycles, the skycycle, and six different types of racing car. As with the action figure line, many of the vehicles in the range had never actually been driven by Evel himself, and were just there to pad out the range. Although a fan of auto racing, Knievel never actually participated in it. Some of the motorcycles were also types never used by him.Ideal did not have a history in diecast cars and these were the first metal vehicles released by the company. They were all made in Hong Kong and were probably manufactured by an outside company for Ideal. The cars in the range were around 1/43 scale, and the motorcycles were more like 1/24 scale, but were not to a consistent size. The models were described on the packaging as being:

* Die Cast Metal
* High Impact Plastic
* Authentic Detail
* Real Moving Parts
* Highly Decorated
* 6 Scale Models to Choose From

Most of this was true, although not all models had working parts, and the second series models had ‘12 Models to Choose From’ substituted. Most items had one or more metal parts plus a number of plastic parts. All had a model of Evel fitted; the motorbikes had a full figure in soft, rubbery plastic that was detachable. The cars and Skycycle had small part-figures in hard plastic that could not be removed. All of the models were in red, white and blue, with some silver, bare metal and black parts. As advertised, both the vehicles and figures were highly decorated. This was done with a combination of hand-painting, paper labels, clear vinyl stickers and an early type of pad printing. Unfortunately, the paper labels seem very susceptible to peeling and fading – particularly the gold lettering – and the clear labels could also peel. The white plastic parts on some models could be prone to yellowing with age. On the whole, however, the quality of the models was very high; they were good likenesses of the real vehicles, well detailed and decorated. They were also good value for money; one of my items has a price sticker for £1.75 on the box! They were widely advertised in comic books at the time.

STUNT CYCLEDuring Evel Knievel’s career he rode a number of different motorcycle marques, including Honda, Triumph, Norton and Laverda, but during the 1970s he switched to Harley-Davidson. The bike he used most frequently was a Harley-Davidson XR-750, which was designed for dirt racing and had proved very successful. It was perfect for Evel Knievel, as it was fast, powerful, and fitted with strong suspension and a short tail.

The Ideal model stunt cycle was easily recognisable as a Harley-Davidson XR-750, due to its V-Twin engine and thick, double exhaust pipes on each side. The main diecast parts were the frame, which was cast in two halves and riveted together, then painted black. The front forks, which incorporated the headlights and handlebars were in bare metal and could steer; this part was very well detailed and even included the brake grips. The spoked wheels were diecast, with separate black plastic tyres. The two-part engine was in chrome plastic and included the exhaust pipes. A kick-stand was fitted, which was diecast metal and could flip down to allow the bike to stand up. The top of the motorcycle was in white plastic with a separate black plastic seat. There was a sticker on the sides of petrol tank with a blue stripe and Evel’s ‘1’ logo, while a short ‘stars and stripes’ label was fitted to the tail.The Evel figure was in soft white plastic, and like all the motorcycle-riding figurines in the range it had hand-painted blue stripes on the helmet and belt, a V-shaped blue stripe on the front of his jumpsuit, and inverted red V-shapes on his trouser cuffs, plus a clear ‘1’ label on his back. His face was touched up with pink paint. The figures were all fitted with loops on the feet to hook onto prongs moulded on the motorcycle, and his hands could grip the handlebars.

CHOPPERThe second motorbike model released in 1976 was a chopper, a very popular type of custom bike in the ‘70s. Evel Knievel did not use a chopper in his stunt acts, but it is likely he owned one as he loved motorcycles and spent very lavishly on himself. The model was quite clearly based on a Harley-Davidson with a custom, streamlined frame and a large sissy-bar. The metal two-part frame was painted white, and was fitted with an angled black plastic seat. The front forks were in chrome plastic and incorporated the twin headlights and handlebars. The handlebar grips and brake levers were separate black plastic pieces. The V-Twin engine and four huge, curved exhaust pipes were also chrome plastic. The frame was decorated with red stripes and ‘1’ logos, plus stars and stripes labels on the top of the fuel tank and seat back. The driver figure was noticeably larger than the one on the Stunt Cycle.

SKY CYCLEEvel Knievel’s most daring and spectacular jump occurred in September 1974, when he attempted to fly over the Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2. The Skycycle was not actually a motorcycle, but a small rocket powered by super-heated steam. The jump proved unsuccessful, as a parachute deployed too soon, and the resulting drag stopped the X-2 reaching its top speed. The stunt was one of the most talked-about events of the 1970s. American TV networks were not prepared to pay the huge amount Knievel demanded for live coverage, so instead the stunt was shown live on video feeds into cinemas – an early form of video streaming. In other countries the stunt was broadcast on TV, and as a child, this was the first time I was allowed to stay up into the early hours to watch such an event.

The Ideal version of the Skycycle was a very accurate replica, and was extremely faithful to the real thing. The upper fuselage was diecast metal, painted white, and incorporating the tail fin, rear wings with rectangular tips, and small front canards. The lower fuselage was red plastic, with two narrow wheels at the back, and a single wheel at the front. The headrest and fairing was in dark blue plastic, and was inserted through a gap in the upper fuselage. At the tip of the nose was a pointed prong in soft black plastic, presumably for child safety reasons. There were paper stickers on each side reading ‘EVEL KNIEVEL X-2’ in large gold letters, and ‘1’ labels on the tail and winglets. There were red stripes on the tops of the rear wings, and a blue label with white stars was fitted around the fairing. On the nose were more white stars on a blue field, although these were applied by pad-printing. A small Evel figure – in about 1/43 scale – was seated in the cockpit behind a clear windscreen.

FUNNY CARFunny Cars are a type of dragster with engines mounted in front of the driver and bodies that look like normal street cars. However, the bodyshells are simply fibreglass mock-ups of current road cars which are hinged at the back, and flip up to allow the driver entry. The driver sits at the rear of the car behind the massive engine and is protected by a roll cage. Funny cars race in pairs from a standing start along a measured distance, usually a quarter-mile, on a straight track.Ideal produced a large model of a funny car in its Evel Knievel action figure range. Inevitably, a similar model was introduced into the Precision Miniatures line, in approximately 1/43 scale. The bodyshell was made of diecast metal, and was quite typical of a funny car of the era, although did not appear to be based on any particular car. It was decorated with flaming ‘EVEL’ stickers on each side, a ‘33’ racing number on the roof, plus blue and red stripes along the bonnet. The headlights and grille were highlighted with silver paint. The body was fitted with front and rear windows, while the windscreen and bonnet had a cut-out area to allow the blower scoop to protrude. The base was made from thick red plastic and included the front bumper and roll cage sides. On top of this was a blue insert which included the fuel tank and driver’s seat. Attached to this was a small Evel figure in white with some painted details, and a dished steering wheel. In the centre was a huge chrome engine complete with blower and quad side pipes. The roll cage and front strut were moulded in very fine chrome-plated plastic; both parts were hinged and could flip up to hold the body open. The racing wheels were thick racing slicks with chromed five-spoke hubs, similar to those on Matchbox ‘Speed Kings’; the rear wheels being much larger.

DRAGSTERThe next model in the range was a Top Fuel dragster, a type of dragster with an extended front end and engine mounted behind the driver. Like funny cars, top fuel dragsters raced in pairs on a straight measured track, but with much faster acceleration due to the huge rear wheels and ethanol-powered engines.

Ideal had a dragster-type vehicle in its action figure range, although this was a ‘two-in-one’ car that was a combination Formula 1 racer and top fuel dragster; it had an extending nose to convert it into a dragster, but was really a poor representation of both. The diecast miniature was a very accurate representation of a dragster of the era, in around 1/50 scale. It had a diecast upper body that included the front spoiler, parachute pack and a very finely cast roll bar. It was painted white with ‘stars and stripes’ decals on the spoiler and in front of the cockpit, plus very long decals on each side with red and blue stripes and ‘1’ logos. A separate metal spoiler was fitted to the rear and also had a ‘stars and stripes’ label. The rear parachute pack was painted red with black straps. A small Evel half-figure was seated in the cockpit, complete with chromed steering wheel and wing mirrors, plus a clear plastic windshield. The base was white plastic, and there were chromed struts behind the front wheels. A large engine was mounted behind the cockpit and was fitted with a blower and quad exhausts. The wheels were something of a contrast, with narrow bicycle spoked types up front and massive thick slicks at rear.

FORMULA 5000Formula 5000 racing was a type of motor racing popular in the 1970s. It used open-wheel cars that looked like Formula 1 racers, but without the strict rules and high costs of F1. The Formula 5000 name came from the maximum engine size allowed, which was anything up to and including a five-litre motor.

Ideal’s diecast Formula 5000 car was a lot more realistic than the large plastic Formula 1 / Dragster combination, and was generally a good representation of a 1970s open-wheel racer in 1/43 scale. Like the other cars in the range, it was a type never driven by Evel Knievel; however, this one had some truth behind it. Evel was a huge fan of Indycar racing, and in the mid-70s he sponsored a car driven by his friend Gary Bettenhausen, which had a passing resemblance to the Ideal model.

The model Formula 5000 car did not have a lot of metal in its construction; only the upper body was diecast up to the roll bar. It was painted white with a ‘33’ racing number on the nose, ‘1’ logos on the front wings, and a V-shaped ‘stars and stripes’ decal around the cockpit. The base was in white plastic, as was the rear spoiler and air scoop. There was a large engine at the rear with a pair of dual exhaust pipes. The wheels were similar to the funny car. There were more ‘1’ decals on the sides of the air scoop, and more ‘stars and stripes’ on the rear wing, plus sponsor decals for ‘Champion’ and ‘Union 76’ on the sides.

SERIES 2A second series of six models was released in 1977. This assortment consisted of three motorcycles and three more racing cars. This time only one of the models appears to be based on a real vehicle. The second series were not on sale for as long as the first series models, and as a result are much harder to find.

STRATOCYCLEThe only model to be based on a real vehicle was the Stratocycle. This particular motorbike was used solely in the feature film Viva Knievel, in which Evel – playing himself – performed a range of stunts while taking on a fictitious gang of drug smugglers. The Stratocycle was mainly a show bike and was not used for any of the dangerous stunts. It was based on a Harley-Davidson XLCH, a limited edition Sportster. Heavily customised, it was fitted with a racing-style fairing at the front, small wings, and an aeroplane-style tail behind the seat!Ideal’s model of the Stratocycle was largely faithful to the real thing. It had a two-part metal frame that was painted black and riveted together enclosing a chrome plastic Harley V-twin engine. The front forks were diecast and included the front disc brakes. The handlebars were also unpainted diecast and were riveted to the forks. The fuel tank and tail were in dark blue plastic with a separate black seat fitted. The most eye-catching feature of the bike was the racing fairing which was moulded in blue and adorned with a large American bald eagle motif, just like the real vehicle. The eagle was a large paper label, as were the red and white stripes below the ‘wings’. A clear plastic windshield was glued to the top of the fairing. Several more stickers with white stars were affixed to the bodywork. The diecast wheels were a new design with seven spokes, and were fitted with black rubber tyres. A working diecast kick-stand allowed the bike to stand up. The Stratocycle is one of the rarest and most desirable models, and can change hands for several hundred pounds.

SUPER JET CYCLEThe Super Jet Cycle does not appear to be based on any real motorbike, and looks to be a scaled-down version of the larger jet cycle from the action figure range. The only difference is that it had solid, chrome jet engines rather than translucent red ones with sparking action! The angular body was diecast and cast in two halves, with very wide foot-rests. A bizarre-looking chrome engine was fitted underneath, while two big jet engines in chrome plastic were attached to the rear. The front forks and handlebars were in black plastic and could pivot slightly, while a paper label showing the dash controls was fitted in the centre. The wheels were the same as on the stunt cycle, although the rear wheels were almost totally enclosed. The seat was blue plastic and a diecast kick stand was fitted. A rectangular chrome headlight was fitted to the front. The body was painted white and had ‘1’ decals and red stripes applied.

DRAG BIKEUnlike the Super Jet Cycle, the Drag Bike is based on a real type of racing motorcycle, although it was not a sport that Knievel participated in. Drag bike racing is similar to dragster racing, and involves pairs of powerful motorbikes racing on a quarter-mile straight track from a standing start. The drag bikes are heavily modified, often with extended bodies to accommodate the huge engines.The Ideal drag bike was a very accurate model in about 1/30 scale. It had a white diecast frame made from two parts. Fitted inside the frame was a pair of chrome plastic Harley-Davidson V-Twin engines mounted in tandem. The front forks were unpainted metal, with diecast handlebars bolted on top. The front wheel was the same as on most other bikes in the range, although the rear wheel was a solid disc. A red plastic fuel tank was attached to the top, with a blue plastic part representing the seat and rear mudguard. The Evel figurine was much smaller than on the other bikes, and is in a semi-prostrate position. There were ‘1’ logo transfers on the front forks and rear panels.

FORMULA JThe next three cars were based on more types of motor racing that Evel Knievel was never associated with. Formula J is a type of GT racer. However, the name is quite confusing, as there was no type of motor racing actually called ‘Formula J’. It appears to be based on the Ford J-Car, a flat-topped development of the Ford GT40 from the mid-1960s. The J-Car was a strange choice for Ideal to model, given that it was not successful in racing and was ten years out of date.

However, the Ideal miniature captured the shape of the J-Car very well. The upper body was painted red, and had a separate, rear-hinged opening engine cover. The base was made of blue plastic, extending up to the sills. Another blue plastic component incorporated the interior and rear engine mounts. The chrome V-8 engine was very detailed and could be seen clearly when the cover was raised. In the cockpit was a painted Evel half-figurine and a black plastic steering wheel. The windscreen and headlight covers were in transparent amber plastic. There was a chrome plastic air intake at the front, and the wheels were five-spoked mag slicks. Affixed to the top was a ‘stars and stripes’ decal in blue and white. A ‘33’ racing number was stuck on the nose (presumably that was Evel’s lucky number), and there were sponsor decals along the sides.

SUPER STOCKThis model also has a fairly ambiguous name; it was called ‘Super Stock’, although this title would indicate a heavily-modified car used for drag racing. The style of vehicle, plus the numbers on the side, indicates it is more of a racing stocker. While not credited as any particular car, it generally resembled a Chevrolet Camaro.It had a white diecast body with a red plastic bonnet scoop and thick ‘stars and stripes’ decals on the bonnet roof and boot. There were ‘77’ racing numbers on each door, a change from ‘33’. The base was blue plastic, with a black grille and chrome plastic bumpers at front and rear. The interior was blue with a red roll cage and window netting, black steering wheel and a truncated Evel figure. The wheels were similar to the Formula J.

RAT TRAPAnother model with a bizarre name, Rat Trap appears to be based on a modified stock car. This is a type of oval dirt-track racing using very heavily modified road cars that is popular in the USA. Modified stockers use the rear half of a standard car, but with a heavily altered front end and engine, and are surrounded by heavy bumper bars.

The Ideal version was an accurate-looking model, but with very little diecast metal in it. Only the coupe body from the windscreen back was metal, and was painted red. The base and interior were blue plastic, with a half-figure of Evel behind the steering wheel. There was no bonnet, with only a sloping, riveted panel over the engine. This part was made from white plastic and also incorporates the interior roll cage. The engine was chrome plastic and included the side pipes. There were white plastic bumpers protecting the sides and rear, while a red bumper surrounded the engine area. The wheels were the same as the Super Stock, but protruded outside the bodywork like a real modified stocker. There were blue and white ‘stars and stripes’ decals on the roof and boot, and ‘Evel Knievel’ logos on the side, with the number ‘X9’ affixed to the nose.

EVEL KNIEVEL’S DOWNFALL

Given Evel’s popularity and success, it would appear that things were looking rosy. Unfortunately, in late 1977 things began to go downhill for him. A former promoter wrote a tell-all book which painted a very unflattering portrait of Knievel. This enraged Evel, who confronted the promoter and bashed him severely with a baseball bat. Knievel was arrested and sentenced to a prison term.

At this point Knievel’s sponsors including Harley-Davidson ended their association with him. In particular, Ideal Toys no longer regarded him as a fit role-model for children and stopped producing Evel Knievel toys. The diecast line was discontinued, while the action figure and stunt bike range was later reissued with new, generic characters.

THE THIRTEENTH MODELOne further diecast miniature was released by Ideal, and was probably issued in late 1977 just before the assault scandal took place. The Café Racer was the thirteenth and last model in the series. It was not mentioned in any advertising, and even the box it was packaged in did not list it on the back, only the 12 previous items. It is uncertain whether it was a one-off additional model, or whether it was meant to be first in a third wave of six models.

CAFÉ RACERThe Café Racer was a type of bike that originated in British motorcycle culture in the 1950s. They were low-powered bikes, but highly tuned and often fitted with accessories to make them look like racing bikes. The name came about because the riders often used to congregate around restaurants on the motorways. Whether Evel Knievel owned a Café Racer is uncertain, although as he treated himself to a lot of motorcycles, it’s possible that he did. Many motorcycle manufacturers produced commercial café racers during the 1970s, including Harley-Davidson.

Ideal’s last Precision Miniature was another interesting and accurate model. Surprisingly, it was not based on a Harley, as it did not have a V-Twin engine. The black frame was diecast, and had a chrome plastic engine and metal kick-stand enclosed. The front forks were bare metal and included a front mudguard. The handlebars were also diecast and had brake grips. The wheels were diecast with black rubber tyres; they were a larger size than the previous models. The fuel tank was white plastic with a separate blue seat. The front fairing was actually made from three parts: a clear windscreen, a white centre section and a blue lower portion, which were glued together and decorated with a red stripe label. There was a ‘stars and stripes’ decal along the top and ‘1’ labels on the rear quarters. The Evel figure was hunched over and appeared to be travelling at speed.

Café Racer is a very rare model, with many collectors unaware of its existence. Mint and boxed examples can fetch up to £400.

PACKAGINGThe models were packaged in colourful window boxes, with a picture of Evel on the header card. The boxes were, unsurprisingly, in red, white and blue with lots of stars and stripes. There were three sizes of boxes: the cars came in standard box, the motorbikes came in tall boxes, while the two long vehicles – the Dragster and the Skycycle – came in low, wide boxes. There was a card insert in the box, and the models were attached to this with twist-ties. The first series vehicles had black and white drawings of the first six models on the rear of the packaging, while the second series models had colour photos of all 12. The Café Racer came in a second wave box. Affixed to the cellophane window was an oval-shaped red sticker with the name of the enclosed model.There were also two gift sets released: one containing the first six models, and another with four motorcycles.

Evel Knievel soon fell out of favour with the public, and without income from royalties, or sponsors for his stunts, subsequently went bankrupt. The models soon disappeared from toy shop shelves. However, Ideal toys were distributed all around the world, and a lot of Evel Knievel merchandise was sold. I didn’t have any of the Precision Miniatures or stunt vehicles when I was a kid, although I recall a lot of kids at school having them. The first series models are reasonably easy to find at affordable prices, but the second wave are hard to find. The Stratocycle and little-known Café Racer are particularly sought-after by collectors.

As for Evel, he wasn’t totally forgotten about. Johnny Lightning would go on to produce a small range of Evel Knievel vehicles in the 1990s.

This article first appeared in the July 2019 edition of Diecast Collector magazine.

Text and photos (c) Mike Pigott 2020.