Details about this Model:
Car Name: 1983 Molly / Buick Grand National Prototype
GMP Part Number: 8009
Vehicle Color: red
Interior Color: black/gray
Production Run: 2400
Release Date: June 2002
Window Sticker Included: no
Envelope For Window Sticker: no
Lithograph Made: yes
Lithograph Production Quantity: 300
Litho Autographed by: Molly Sanders
COA Included: yes
Outer Box: yes
Part of a Set/Group: no
THIS is the 9th car in the series.
This was the first car where the outer box had a sticker put on by EE, indicating the Limited Edition number from the production run.
(previous to this, the # was just hand-written on the outer box).
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This is the only model in the entire series that has GMP’s new (at the time) website listed on the bottom of the outer box: gmpdiecast.com
This would also be the last car produced (for the entire series) that had ANY website listed for GMP on the outer box!
The bottom of the inner box would also change to the new website address. (it use to read www.peachgmp.com)
The inner box has GMP’s (checkered flag) logo stamped in silver foil on the face and both end sides.
The Certificate of Authenticity has a shadow image of the Grand National logo behind it.
This would be the first issue to have a new id/info label placed on the lithograph box (instead of EE’s logo being stamped in ink).
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The Lithograph Box says:
Molly 1983 Red Prototype Grand National Diecast / LithoGraph Set
Artwork Painted And Signed Personally By Molly
(a picture of the diecast car appears on the left side under the above, with the statement below that follows)
This artwork was painted by Rollin “Molly” Sanders personally. After all 300 lithographs of the original were printed, he then personally signed each one. The lithograph contained in this protective box has been matched to the GMP diecast Molly 1983 red prototype Grand National of the same serial number and is intended to be kept together with the diecast car as a set.
Epitome Exclusives Limited Production Guarantee
It is Epitome Exclusives strict policy to destroy all production plates and extra copies of limited edition lithographs made during production. Other than the production number stated, only a few first run copies and unnumbered extras for replacement will exist. Epitome Exclusives lithographs are museum quality artwork that will never again be produced in any size, shape or form.
(The Epitome “e” logo was placed under that statement)
(To the right of the above statement, showed a picture of the lithograph, with the statement:)
LIMITED EDITION OF 300
(below it, followed by the actual limited edition car number printed underneath that)
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The lithograph has the Molly Designs logo on it, with a copyright date of 2002.
Molly autographed each of the 300 copies using a silver marker.
The model inside the styrofoam container was itself wrapped in a soft thin piece of what feels like styrofoam. (this material had not been used before this point, and would only be used on 2 other {near future} cars in this entire series: #8001B & #8103 – the 2 chrome cars in the oversized boxes).
This red prototype model shows the differences on what the GN could have been:
red paint, GN logo placed on the upper left portion of the grill (instead of the “Buick” nameplate on the lower right), GN emblems on the lower front portion of the doors (as opposed to on the tops of front fenders near the doors), clear front parking lights (which was standard on pre-1984 Regals), full-width front air dam, lower corner marker lights on the front fenders, nascar rims, etc.