Chevron Cars Sally School Bus

Made By:

Chevron

Scale:

N/A

MSRP:

$18.99

Overview:
Packaging (Design):	8/10
Packaging (Durability):	7/10
Casting (Body):	8/10
Casting (Interior):	10/10
Casting (Chassis):	9/10
Casting (Engine):	N/A
Paint (Exterior):	N/A
Paint (Interior):	N/A
Paint (Trim/Graphics):	10/10
Overall Panel Fit:	10/10
Total Score:	8.9/10

 

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Background

Sally School Bus introduced a new size class to the series, smaller than the semi trucks, but quite a bit larger than even the biggest vehicles. This size would be used again with the release of Fuller Fire Truck in 2008.

Packaging

Sally's box uses an "open frame" design similar to Cary, the same depth and height but a fair bit shorter at just 11½" (290mm). Her roof is packed separately to show it off as a removable feature, but otherwise remains at risk for dust accumulation and damage thanks to the open design. The box is printed in blue inside and out, with various school-themed graphics scattered across the front, top, and end panels. Her name and the Chevron Cars logo are centered at the bottom of the front panel, and the Chevron logo/name and "Keep your Neighborhood Clean ♻" are printed on both ends near the bottom of each panel. The solid end flap has three photos and some text showing off the toy's features, and the back panel has a large illustration of Sally at the head of a line of cars on a suburban street with her door open and the usual feature callout and safety warning. The bottom of the package has a photo of Sally with callouts for her moving eyes, opening door, flip-out stop sign, seat, and removable top, along with the usual marketing paragraph: "Sally School Bus loves her job. You can tell just by her big, big smile. What makes her smile is seeing the kids each morning. As she merrily rolls along, the kids laugh and giggle and sometimes they'll sing songs. Sally would love to join in, but her horn only plays one note." The customer feedback card and "Owner's Manual" are packed inside the the trailer.

Casting/Paint

Following the trend set by the standard Cars, Sally is cast almost entirely in a single color ABS - in her case, "school bus yellow" - with a black chassis. Three black stripes run down each side and over the rear wheel arch, and "Chevron Cars Township" is printed just below the side windows. "School Bus" is written at the front and back of the roof, and "Emergency Exit" is centered on the back door. Other paint apps include red for the roof lights and upper taillights, orange for the front marker and lower taillights, and silver for the grille and rear door handle. Her mouth is the usual black with white teeth, and her eyes are green with soft pink lids. Everything is sharp and clean, perfectly aligned to the molded marks without a hint of ghosting. The rear bumper is glossy black to match the stripes, with the standard "Techron" license plate sticker. Black plastic is also used for the stop sign, which has a red sticker applied to both sides. The sideview mirrors are cast in silver plastic with chrome reflective surfaces. The windows are clear plastic, and the side windows are open to various heights.

The interior is cast in a pale blue-green with a black steering wheel, silver safety bar next to the steps, and a black painted tread for the steps and center aisle. Each seat has two sets of seat belts, and the dashboard is detailed with a gauge cluster, CB radio, and door lever. Underneath, the chassis includes front and rear suspensions, engine bottom, transmission, driveline, and single exhaust pipe. The front wheels are extra wide singles, black vinyl over gray plastic, and the rears are the same style but with a groove near the center to denote duals.

Features/Accessories

Probably the most built-in play features of any of the Cars, Sally has a removable roof, opening door, swing-out stop sign, and moving eyes. The roof simply clips in place with a tab front and rear (the panel is symmetrical, so it can't be put in "backwards"), and holds well enough to not fall out on its own. Pushing it to one side is the easiest way to get it off, which gives full access to the ten bench seats inside. The door and stop sign are both activated by a red button just behind the right front wheel: press lightly, and only the door opens; push firmly, and the door opens and the sign pops out. Both close by simply pushing them back into place, where they'll click securely. Her eyes follow the usual method of pushing down on the front axle and rolling forward to make them move left to right.

Accuracy

Other than a slight reshaping of the front fenders, this is a very accurate recreation of Sally's ad appearance. The grille, marker lights, and hood are all spot-on, there are the correct number of windows down the side, and there's even the small angled panel transition between the door and floor on the right side. There are a few paint differences: the ad model was a lighter/paler yellow, lacked the black side stripes, had a black windshield divider, had a white border on the stop sign, and used a different typeface for the "School Bus" text on the roof. The black stripes aren't quite lined up as they would be on an actual school bus, but they get the point across. Sally measures approximately 11" (280mm) long, 4¼" (108mm) wide, and 4½" (115mm) tall.

Overall

Another great entry in the Chevron Cars series, with a bunch of unnecessary (albeit welcome) details and high-quality casting and assembly work.