Sesame Street die-cast cars (Tyco/Fisher-Price)

The second line of Sesame Street die-cast cars was a set of Matchbox cars produced by Tyco in 1996 and 1997. Tyco and the Matchbox brand were acquired by Mattel in 1997, and the die-cast line continued under the Fisher-Price brand from 1998 to 2005.

The basic design -- with outsized Sesame characters driving a variety of vehicles -- came from the first line of Sesame cars, produced by Hasbro starting in 1981, and continued by Category:Playskool from 1985 to 1995.

1996
Tyco began the line in 1996 with a set of six cars.


 * Bert's Tow Truck
 * Big Bird's Fire Engine
 * Cookie Monster's School Bus
 * Elmo's Taxi
 * Ernie's Dump Truck
 * Zoe's Sports Car

Big Bird's Fire Engine and Cookie Monster's School Bus are the only cars to remain continuously in production from the first set of cars in 1996 until the end of the line in 2005.

1997
In 1997, the Tyco/Matchbox line added 6 new cars, bringing the total to 12:


 * Bert's Tow Truck
 * Big Bird's Buggy (new)
 * Big Bird's Fire Engine
 * Cookie Monster's Airplane (new)
 * Cookie Monster's School Bus
 * Elmo's Cement Mixer (new)
 * Elmo's Taxi
 * Ernie's Dump Truck
 * Ernie's Police Car (new)
 * Grover's Helicopter (new)
 * Oscar's Garbage Truck (new)
 * Zoe's Sports Car

1998
In 1998, Fisher-Price released six new cars, and dropped six, keeping the total at 12.

Elmo and Ernie switched cars this year -- 1997's line included Elmo's Cement Mixer and Ernie's Dump Truck, and 1998's included Ernie's Cement Mixer and Elmo's Dump Truck. Also, Big Bird's Buggy was replaced with Baby Bear's Buggy, a repaint of the same car with a different character.


 * Baby Bear's Buggy (new)
 * Big Bird's Fire Engine
 * Big Bird's Mail Truck (new)
 * Cookie Monster's Airplane
 * Cookie Monster's School Bus
 * Elmo's Dump Truck (new)
 * Elmo's Locomotive (new)
 * Ernie's Cement Mixer (new)
 * Ernie's Police Car
 * Grover's Helicopter
 * Oscar's Garbage Truck
 * Telly's Front Loader (new)

The six cars dropped from the line were Bert's Tow Truck, Big Bird's Buggy, Elmo's Taxi, Ernie's Dump Truck and Zoe's Sports Car.

1999
In 1999, Fisher-Price added two new cars and dropped two from the line, keeping the total at 12.


 * Baby Bear's Buggy
 * Big Bird's Fire Engine
 * Big Bird's Mail Truck
 * Cookie Monster's School Bus
 * Count's Mobile (new)
 * Elmo's Dump Truck
 * Elmo's Locomotive
 * Elmo's Wave Rider (new)
 * Ernie's Cement Mixer
 * Ernie's Police Car
 * Grover's Helicopter
 * Telly's Front Loader

The two cars dropped from the line were Cookie Monster's Airplane and Oscar's Garbage Truck.

2000
Starting in 2000, the card's design was changed. No new cars were produced during this period, just reissues of old cars with the new card design.
 * Baby Bear's Buggy
 * Big Bird's Fire Engine
 * Big Bird's Mail Truck
 * Cookie Monster School Bus
 * Count's Mobile
 * Elmo's Dump Truck
 * Elmo's Locomotive
 * Elmo's Wave Rider
 * Ernie's Cement Mixer
 * Ernie's Police Car
 * Grover's Helicopter
 * Telly's Front Loader

2002
In 2002, Fisher-Price released three of the cars in a Construction Vehicles set:


 * Elmo's Dump Truck
 * Ernie's Cement Mixer
 * Telly's Front Loader

2005
In 2005, Fisher-Price reissued some of the cars, with a new card design.
 * Big Bird's Fire Engine
 * Cookie Monster's School Bus
 * Elmo's Locomotive
 * Ernie's Police Car

Complete list

 * Baby Bear's Buggy (1999-2000)
 * Bert's Tow Truck (1996-1997)
 * Big Bird's Buggy (1997)
 * Big Bird's Delivery Truck (1997, 30th Anniversary set)
 * Big Bird's Fire Engine (1996-2005)
 * Big Bird's Mail Truck (1999-2000)
 * Cookie Monster's Airplane (1997-1998)
 * Cookie Monster Cargo Van (1997, Car Carrier)
 * Cookie Monster's School Bus (1996-2005)
 * Count's Mobile (1999-2000)
 * Elmo's Cement Mixer (1997)
 * Elmo's Dump Truck (1998-2002)
 * Elmo Formula One Racer (1997, Car Carrier)
 * Elmo's Locomotive (1998-2005)
 * Elmo's Sports Car (1997, 30th Anniversary set)
 * Elmo's Taxi (1996-1997)
 * Elmo's Wave Rider (1999-2000)
 * Ernie's Buggy (1997, 30th Anniversary set)
 * Ernie's Cement Mixer (1998-2002)
 * Ernie's Dump Truck (1996-1997)
 * Ernie's Police Car (1997-2005)
 * Grover's Helicopter (1997-2000)
 * Oscar's Garbage Truck (1997-1998)
 * Telly's Front End Loader (1998-2002)
 * Zoe's Sports Car (1996-1997)