Looking for limited edition model cars to spice up your collection?

Two of the best -- and most desirable -- models have just been introduced by Danbury Mint.

Both the 1968 Dodge Charger R/T and the 1958 Thunderbird are cars that have huge followings. But unless you're prepared to spend several hundred dollars for out of production 1:24 model car kits for these cars -- or even more for promotional model versions sold in dime stores or handed out at dealers -- you're pretty much out of luck. The only others around are all the larger, harder to store 1:18 models.

The 1968 Charger R/T replicates a car that has increasingly been in demand on the auction circuit and in collectors columns. The streamlined, semifastback 1968 Charger represented a complete departure from the car that came before it, and its good looks have held up well over the years.

The red model from Danbury captures the car well. It's tough to replicate the unusual roof with sail panels in the rear, but it's spot on.

And unlike so many Mopar models, Danbury also replicated the paint overspray in certain areas of the replica, just as was done by the factory as all Chrysler Corp. products in those days were unitized bodies, without separate frames.

And the plumbing, wiring and decals for the 375-horsepower, 440-cubic inch V-8 engine are accurate, based on illustrations from sales catalogs and books in my collection.

Only one tiny foible: The tiny indicator lights at the leading edge of the hood are painted silver. On the real car, the lenses are an amber or yellow color. I also wondered about the deep red paint color, which seemed to have some maroon in it. It's a color I don't recall seeing very often, and I'm not sure how it all compares with a real Charger. Anybody out there know what color I'm referring to?

Working features on this $140 model are plentiful: Doors, hood, trunk and sun visors all operate, and front seats fold forward.

The Thunderbird model, which also sells for $140, pays tribute to an era of T-Bird that I think is little appreciated -- the so-called "Square Bird" introduced in 1958.

Purists were stunned when it was introduced because as far as they were concerned, no T-Bird worth the name could be a four-seater instead of a two-seater. That squared-off roofline was a matter of some controversy, too.

But as it turned out, this Thunderbird was only one of two American cars to increase in sales in recessionary 1958. And it ended up outselling the two-seater '57 by more than 76 percent. And it was Motor Trend's Car of the Year.

This model, which costs $140, is painted in a rarely seen, but beautiful combination: a raven black roof and a platinum metallic body. This car is so detailed that you can read the "Ford" lettering etched in the tiny hubs on the hubcaps. Even the chrome seat adjustment handles are accurately replicated, along with every other minute detail there is, down to the pattern on the material covering the trunk floor.

One wild thing about this car is that you also can snap a Continental kit on the back bumper. Oldsters among us like me remember the spare tires mounted on the back bumper -- quite popular in the 1950s and early 1960s. People had to put an addition on their garages to park the cars inside.

There are the usual details under the hood, including "FoMoCo" labeled parts: that was the name Ford used back then for some engine components and accessories. There's enough wiring and plumbing under the hood, too, to keep hobbyists fascinated.

Working parts include the usual doors, hood and trunk, sun visors and folding front seas to allow scale sized "people" to get to the back seat.

No criticisms on this one; it will hit the spot with Thunderbird enthusiasts. By the way, this is a 50th anniversary edition that will be produced only this year; so if you want it, better hurry.

More information on these models is available at www.danburymintdiecast.com.