Car Wars
Models
- High detail 1∶64 models
- ACE & Modelcraft Miniatures (Australia)
- Auto World (Indiana, USA)
- GLM primarily 1∶43 (Hong Kong)
- Kyosho Die-Cast (Tokyo, Japan)
- Schuco (Germany) E, 53, 6
- Tarmac Works (Hong Kong)
- XCarToys (China)
- Wagoneer (74㎜)
| No. | Franchise | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| 012 | Adam-12 (1968–’75) | Sedan, Police (B&W) |
| 27 | Blade Runner (1982) | Sedan, Police sedan “99S” (B&W) |
| 30 | Die Hard (1988) | Sgt. Al Powell (8-L-30) |
| 44 | Blade Runner (1982) | Spinner, Police “99S” 警察 (blue) |
| 56 | Blade Runner (1982) | Deckard’s sedan (red) |
| 110 | Die Hard (1988) | Sedan, Police (B&W) |
| 279 | Die Hard 4 (2007) | Sedan, FBI Police (B&W) |
| — | Blade Runner (1982) | Spinner, Rachael’s (red) JL “Galactic Cruiser” |
| — | Blade Runner 2049 (2017) | Spinner, Peugeot (gray) |
| — | Blade Runner 2049 (2017) | Spinner, Luv’s (bronze) |
| — | Syd Mead (1963,’69) | Sentinel 280 Coup |
| — | Syd Mead (1969) | Sentinel 400 Limo (teal) Hot Wheels |
- Playmats
- Gaslands: Auto Combat Arena Wargaming Mat (48″×48″, $59⁹⁹)
- Gaslands: Wasteland Dirt Track Wargaming Mat (48″×48″, $59⁹⁹)
- Junk Stack Cars 1∶64 (3) $2³⁵
Fiction
| Title | Author | Source | Pub. | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Allston | TFG AV1001 | 1984 | BGG | |
| Hell on Wheels (AutoVentures) | Aaron Allston | TFG AV1002 | 1984 | BGG |
| Aaron Allston | TFG AV1003 | 1984 | BGG | |
| Aaron Allston | TFG AV1004 | 1985 | BGG | |
| Street Fighter (AutoVentures) | Aaron Allston | TFG AV1005 | 1985 | BGG |
| The Gauntlet (AutoVentures) | Aaron Allston | TFG AV1006 | 1986 | BGG |
| Convoy (Solo Adventure) | David Ladyman | SJG 7401 | 1984 | BGG Ama |
| Mean Streets (Solo Adventure) | W.G. Armintrout | SJG 7402 | 1987, 1990 | BGG Ama |
| Battle Road (Adventure Gamebook) | Steve Jackson | TSR 8014 | 1986 July | BGG Ama |
| Fuel’s Gold (Adventure Gamebook) | Creede & Sharleen Lambard | TSR 8015 | 1986 Oct. | BGG Ama |
| Dueltrack (Adventure Gamebook) | Scott Haring | TSR 8016 | 1987 Feb. | BGG Ama |
| Badlands Run (Adventure Gamebook) | Creede & Sharleen Lambard | TSR 8017 | 1987 June | BGG Ama |
| Green Circle Blues (Adventure Gamebook) | Scott Haring | TSR 8018 | 1987 Aug. | BGG Ama |
| Mean Streets (Adventure Gamebook) | W.G. Armintrout | TSR 8019 | 1987 Nov. | BGG Ama |
| “Street Legal” | John M. Ford | Space Gamer 58 | 1982 Dec. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “EFFIE” | Jim Lowerre | ADQ 2/1 | 1984 Spr. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Serendipity” | Ramona Richards | ADQ 2/3 | 1984 Fall | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Nightsword” (Nightsword, p.1) | John Nowak | ADQ 2/4 | 1984 Win. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Doppelganger” (Nightsword, p.2) | John Nowak | ADQ 3/2 | 1985 Sum. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Alkahest: The Deathtoll Solution” | John M. Ford | ADQ 3/3 | 1985 Fall | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Checker’s Pizza: We Deliver” | Brian Upton | ADQ 3/4 | 1985 Win. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “BLUD and Guts” | Andrew Egan | ADQ 4/2 | 1986 Sum. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Amateur Status” (Nightsword, p.3) | John Nowak | ADQ 4/3 | 1986 Fall | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Daddy’s Girl” | Ramona Richards | ADQ 5/2 | 1987 Sum. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “I’d Die For You” | Douglas E. Carey | ADQ 5/3 | 1987 Fall | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Repo Blues” | Robert J. Garitta | ADQ 5/4 | 1987 Win. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Don’t Kill the Messenger” | Christopher J. Burke | ADQ 6/4 | 1988 Win. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Challenge Night” | David N. Searle | ADQ 7/1 | 1989 Spr. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Rise of the Phoenix” | France VangLang-Hoang | ADQ 7/2 | 1989 Sum. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “And, Of Course, It Was Black” | Joel Mullins | ADQ 7/3 | 1989 Fall | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Amateur Night Rerun” | Leslie Fish | ADQ 8/1 | 1990 Spr. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Right Of Way” | Dan Lambert | ADQ 8/1 | 1990 Spr. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Angel of Mercy” (AoM, p.1) | Laura Tripoli | ADQ 8/2 | 1990 Sum. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “The Return of the Bear” | Andrew Metzger | ADQ 8/3 | 1990 Fall | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Living Down Justice” | Ian Knights | ADQ 8/4 | 1990 Win. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Meeting the Inlaws” | Andrew Metzger | ADQ 9/1 | 1991 Spr. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Mercy Bullet” | Karol Szolvani | ADQ 9/2 | 1991 Sum. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Epilogue” | Robert J. Garitta | ADQ 9/3 | 1991 Fall | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Road Trip” (AoM, p.2) | Laura Tripoli | ADQ 9/4 | 1991 Win. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Comeback” | Daveed Gartenstein-Ross | ADQ 10/1 | 1992 Spr. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “HERO For Hire” | Christopher J. Burke | ADQ 10/1 | 1992 Spr. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Telegraph Road” | Ian Knights | ADQ 10/2 | 1992 Sum. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “National Past Time” | Daveed Gartenstein-Ross | ADQ 10/3 | 1992 Fall | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Oldest Trick in the Book” | Michael Stackpole | ADQ 10/4 | 1992 Win. | ᴡʜ23 |
| Car Warriors #1 “The Mad Mex” | Chuck Dixon | Epic Comics | 1991 June | Wp Mw |
| Car Warriors #2 “Diamonds and Steel” | Chuck Dixon | Epic Comics | 1991 July | — |
| Car Warriors #3 “The Run” | Chuck Dixon | Epic Comics | 1991 Aug. | — |
| Car Warriors #4 “Bloody Blacktop” | Chuck Dixon | Epic Comics | 1991 Sep. | — |
| The Square Deal (trade paperback) | David Drake | Tor 0-812-51989-2 | 1992 Sep. | Ama |
| The Square Deal (Car Warriors 1) | David Drake | Tor 0-812-53030-6 | 1993 July | Ama |
| Double Jeopardy (Car Warriors 2) | Aaron Allston | Tor 0-812-53463-8 | 1994 Dec. | Ama |
| Back from Hell (Car Warriors 3) | Mick Farren | Tor 0-812-51990-6 | 1999 Jan. | Ama |
| Back from Hell (Car Warriors) | Mick Farren | Tor 0-812-51991-4 | 1999 Mar. | Ama |
| “White Gold” | Matt Riggsby | Pyramid 3/85 | 2015 Nov. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Muckleshoot” | Matt Riggsby | Pyramid 3/86 | 2015 Dec. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Ten Minutes In October” | Steven Marsh | Pyramid 3/87 | 2016 Jan. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Rapid Raj” | Matt Riggsby | Pyramid 3/88 | 2016 Feb. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Five Best Places To Nearly Get Killed Before You Die!” | Matt Riggsby | Pyramid 3/89 | 2016 Mar. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Good Old Days” | Matt Riggsby | Pyramid 3/90 | 2016 Apr. | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Tech Support” | Matt Riggsby | Pyramid 3/91 | 2016 May | ᴡʜ23 |
| “Cicero” | Matt Riggsby | Pyramid 3/92 | 2016 June | ᴡʜ23 |
| “A Word From Our Sponsor” | Matt Riggsby | Pyramid 3/93 | 2016 July | ᴡʜ23 |
Autoduel
Publication
CGW (1986 March) “Taking a Peek” Computer Gaming World No. 26 p. 8
AUTODUEL: Wins the 1986 CGW trademark award. Four companies share the pie on this game.: Texas Instruments, Steve Jackson Games, Origin Systems, and Electronic Arts. AUTODUEL is based on the popular board game CAR WARS. The scenario is post-nuclear war America (2030 AD). Auto duels are a popular form of entertainment (and survival). You design your own vehicle—with weapons, armor, engine, etc.—and take it on the road to fame and fortune. Based on the subject matter alone this game is likely to be a big sales winner. Apple.
Review
Oxner, Bill (1986 May) “AUTODUEL” Computer Gaming World No. 28 pp. 24–25
Rolling out of the Big Apple on the Jersey Turnpike, headed for Philly. As you pass the city gates you check to make sure your body armor is snug. Front machine gun and rear minedropper are loaded and ready. The armor plate on the front and sides of your car is the best you could afford. Check the radar for road outlaws and cycle gangs. The road is clear as you put the pedal to the metal for a nice Sunday drive in the year 2030.
Autoduel is based on the popular boardgame Car Wars. The setting is a post-nuclear war America, where the legal system has disintegrated. The highways are host to large numbers of cutthroats and pirates, all armed with various lethal weapons. However, these same byways are also your roads to fame and fortune. You can rise to the top of the heap as a courier, carrying valuable cargo from city to city, or as a vigilante, clearing vermin from the freeways. If you’ve seen the MAD MAX movies, you get the picture. Mano-a-mano combat with the All-American symbol, the automobile.
Autoduel is a role-playing game with arcade aspects. You begin as a pedestrian with $2000 in your pocket. Since pedestrians have lifespans measured in hours your first chore is make enough money to buy a car. Autodueling is a popular sport, similar to the gladiatorial contests, and you can participate in the Amateur Night at the local arena. You are provided with a loaner car and machine gun. If you survive you win cash and increase your prestige and skills. Winning three such events will give you sufficient money to purchase a car and get into the real world of travel and adventure.
The auto assembly plant has a very wide range of options, to allow you to put together a vehicle to your own taste. It may be a rabbit, built for speed, with little armor and few weapons. This type is useful for courier assignments. You may see yourself as Charles Bronson and prefer a turtle. Lots of armor and many types of weapons. This one doesn’t have room for cargo but it will put fear in the hearts of the bad dudes on the highway. You can choose from such toys as machine guns, flamethrowers, lasers, rockets, smokescreens, recoilless rifles, etc. One of the most popular aspects of the boardgame seems to be the variety of vehicles and weapons that can be utilized. Catalogs are available that constantly add new variants to the game, it seems likely that additional data disks for the computer version will also be forthcoming.
Your character is rated for prestige, health, driving skill, marksmanship and mechanical ability. Higher prestige permits you to carry more valuable cargo, at higher pay scales. Prestige is increased by successful combat and completed cargo runs. It can go down if you fall prey to temptation and sell your cargo at the local bar. Driving skills help you in handling your car on the road and in the arena. It is increased by road travel or victory in the arena. Marksmanship helps you to shoot more accurately and cause more damage. It is increased by successful combat. Mechanical ability helps you to salvage weapons and ammo from defeated vehicles. It can be increased by taking lessons at the local garage.
Each city in Autoduel has various facilities that your character can visit. Some cities contain many buildings, some cities are hick towns. These facilities include: a garage for repairing damage and taking mechanic lessons; a weapon shop for new guns or ammo; a salvage yard where looted items can be sold; Joe’s Bar where you can get a drink and hear rumors; the Gold Cross office where you can recuperate or get a clone made; the American Autoduel Association office where you can get road information and pick up courier tasks; the Assembly Plant where new autos are purchased; a Casino (Atlantic City only) where you can gamble; etc. There are a sufficient number of different venues to keep the game interesting and provide the character with a wealth of choices.
The goal of the game is basically survival! As your skills and wealth increase you will find more challenging assignments given to you, but there doesn’t seem to be a “final” goal to reach. Frankly, none of us have survived long enough to find out.
The arcade aspect of the game comes in the movement of the car and the use of the weapons. You direct the car via a joystick and fire weapons with the joystick button. Choices of weapons are made on the keyboard. The game requires a fair amount of manual dexterity. Your enemies are lethal and clever, there is very little room (or time) for error. Until you have enough money to buy a real battlewagon you will find the going extremely difficult and death not uncommon. It is not impossible to survive but be prepared for a fairly long learning curve.
Speaking of death, we should note that it is not possible to completely “save” a character as you do in other RPG adventures. Your character’s aspects are being constantly updated as you play. You are able to stop the game and save to disk. However, if you are killed in combat, that death is automatically updated on the disk and you will be unable to restart the game from a point prior to death. The game itself provides the option of buying a clone. The clone is saved separately and you would then be able to start the game again from the point where you purchased the clone. However, a clone is very expensive and you would be well into a game before you could afford such a luxury. A helpful hint here is that your data disk is not copy protected. You can quit the game at a certain point and your character is saved. You then copy the data disk, giving you two identical character disks. If you are killed in the next stage of the game you can use the other copy of the character disk to restart the game. Your character is dead on one disk but alive (at an earlier point in time) on the second disk. Not exactly kosher, but death lurks around every corner in this game and we found it a useful way to keep on trucking.
This reviewer is not normally an adventure game aficionado. However, I liked this one quite a bit. The setting is interesting and the options varied. The game design is clean, the graphics excellent and no bugs were found. Be aware that good handeye coordination is essential and success will not be found quickly. If the manufacturer follows the boardgame strategy of introducing new weapons, vehicles and maps then this game will be a success for years to come. Highly recommended.
Hints
CGW (1986 June) “Strategically Speaking” Computer Gaming World No. 29 p. 36
- AUTODUEL (Origin Systems)
After creating a character, take a bus straight to the Atlantic City Casino. Poker offers the best odds, bet $100 at first then gradually increase as you have more money until you get around $40,000. Then you can create a car that will survive on the roads. Next, to build prestige and driving skills, take several courier tasks at a time between cities. In the beginning, these will pay only small amounts but you will eventually get better courier jobs as you build up prestige. Avoid duels on these courier jobs. Use oil jets to escape.
Save your character frequently onto another disk by selecting the “Old Driver” option. Then save the current character from “Side B” onto a separate disk. When it prompts you for your new driver, use that same disk or just leave Side B in. Experiment with as many different car designs as possible. Get ideas from Uncle Albert’s Catalog and AADA Vehicle Guide which you can order or buy in a gaming shop.
If you are all shot up and caught in a city with no garage – (1) go to a truck stop, (2) ask for a bus. When it asks you if you want to leave your car on the street, press the ESC key for “none” and the bus will take you and your crippled car to the selected city without a potentially fatal drive on your own four wheels.
Always check for rumors but check them out by bus since they will sometimes lead you all over the map before you finally reach the original source. Later in the game, you can build up workmanship by playing vigilante which also gets you alot of money for salvage. Lead your opponents to crashes into corners and finish them off from around the corner or from a distance.
- Keith Comfort, Bellaire, TX
