Hot Wheels

For the novel, see Hot Wheels (The Hardy Boys).

Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels logo
Manufacturer	Mattel
Era	September 7, 1968–Present
Category	die cast toy
Country	United States
Web address	hotwheels.com

Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel on September 7, 1968. It was the primary competitor of Johnny Lightning and Matchbox until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the Matchbox brand from Tyco.

The original, and now famous, Hot Wheels logo was designed by California artist Rick Irons, who at that time worked for Mattel.

Models

Hot Wheels are die-cast model vehicles manufactured by Mattel and were introduced on September 7, 1968. Originally the cars and trucks were manufactured to approximately 1:64 scale and designed to be used on associated Hot Wheels track sets, but by 1970 a series of 1:43 scale 'Gran Toros' were introduced and more recently a range of highly detailed adult collector vehicles, including replicas of Formula One and NASCAR cars, have found success. However the brand remains most famous for the small scale free-rolling models of custom hot rods and muscle cars it has produced since the range first appeared. Today, there are roughly 10,000 different models of Hot Wheel Cars.

Hot Wheel Vehicles are authorized by the car makers of General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler Motors and other car makers like Ferrari, Mazda, and Toyota have licenses with Hot Wheels to make a scale model of their cars.

To make current model car of a Hot Wheel, Mattel works with the car maker to look at design blueprints of the car. Example of this is the Chrysler 300 Hot Wheel car. First the Hot Wheel Team and Mattel went to Chrysler to look at the design of 300 and an actual car. Chrysler and Mattel legal departments license the blueprints to the Hot Wheel Team. Chrysler protects the blueprint and Mattel had to return the blueprint after the Hot Wheel team looked at them.

At Mattel's Hot Wheel design center, the blueprint becomes scaled down to a 1/64 scale car. Then a mock up of the car is done and studied. After this process, the mock up becomes a die cast mock up. After these processes, the car is then manufactured.

For older scale models: Example a 1968 Chevy Nova the model maker uses blueprints from General Motors and also studies car brochures of that model year.

The head of the Hot Wheels division is Larry Wood. He has been with Mattel/Hot Wheels team since 1967. He orginally was from General Motors.

The Hot Wheels product line has also included various tracks, accessories, and other kinds of vehicles such as 'Sizzlers' rechargeable electric cars, 'Hot Line' trains, 'R-R-Rumblers' motorcycles, 'Hot Birds' airplanes and the comical half-human/half-machine 'Farbs'.

History

1968

A custom Volkswagen from 1968, one of the first Hot Wheels cars

Before Hot Wheels, the huge market for small car models was dominated at that time by the British company Lesney with their Matchbox cars. Elliot Handler, co-founder of Mattel, decided to produce a line of die-cast toy cars for boys. Although his executives thought it was a bad idea, he was able to capture much of this market by introducing a number of revolutionary features, including low-friction wheels suitable for racing on a track, and styling in tune with the times of customized, racing and show cars coming out of places like California.

There were sixteen castings released in 1968, eleven of them designed by Harry Bentley Bradley, with the first one produced being a dark blue Custom Camaro. Although Bradley was from the car industry, he had not designed the full-functioning versions of the real cars, except the Dodge Deora concept car, which had been built by Mike and Larry Alexander. Another of his notable designs was the Custom Fleetside, which was based on his own heavily-customized '64 El Camino.

Cars released in 1968

• Custom Barracuda
• Custom Camaro
• Custom Corvette
• Custom Cougar
• Custom Eldorado
• Custom Firebird
• Custom Fleetside
• Custom Mustang
• Custom T-Bird
• Custom Volkswagen (designed by Ira Gilford)
• Deora (based upon a real custom surf-truck designed by Harry Bradley for Dodge)
• Ford J-Car (based on the real race car that became the Ford GT40 Mk IV)
• Hot Heap (based upon the Model T roadster known as "Tognotti's T")
• Python w car)
• Silhouette (based upon Bill Cushenbery's custom car)

Of the first 16 cars (sometimes called the "Sweet 16" by collectors), 9 were based upon customized versions of regular production automobiles of the era, and 7 were based upon real show cars and cars designed and built for track racing. All of the cars featured 'Spectraflame' paintwork, bearings, redline wheels, and working suspension.

There was one notable difference in the first run production cars and that was a lack of "Door Cuts" in the molded cars. This was thought to be more accurate to the scale as door openings would be nearly invisible at that scale. Also, the sharp edges of the cuts in the molds would quickly wear away from the process of injection. Later they were brought back due to public opinion and toy testing on children.

The metallic 'Spectraflame' paintwork also marked out these models from drab enamel of Matchbox cars. The attractive finishes were achieved by firstly polishing the bare metal of the bodyshells and then coating them in a clear colored lacquer, and featured such exotic colors as 'Antifreeze', 'Magenta' and 'Hot Pink'. Because 'Hot Pink' was considered a "girls color", it was not used very much on Hot Wheels cars. For most castings, it is the hardest color to find, and today can command prices ten times as high as more common colors.

In order for the cars to go fast on the plastic track, Mattel chose a cheap, durable, low-friction plastic called Delrin to use as a white bushing between the axle and wheel. The result was cars that could go up to scale 200 mph. The bushings were phased out in 1970, and replaced with flush black inner wheels with outer caps. The early years of Hot Wheels are known as the Redline Era as until 1977 the wheels had a red line etched around the tire rim, popular on muscle cars at the time.

The "Torsion Bar" suspension was simple, but flawed. Inside the car, the axles followed a "C"-like shape that was connected to the chassis. When pushed down, the axles would bend like a real car. However the axles were hard to install on the chassis while being assembled and would become detached from the lugs on the baseplate if very hard pressure was applied. Well played with cars would develop an obvious "sag" to the wheels. The suspension was redesigned in 1970 with solid axles mounted on a bar of plastic acting as a spring. Packaged along with the cars were metal badges showing an image of the car so fellow collectors could identify each other and compare collections.

Most importantly, there were designed to run on orange plastic track, which could be placed to make interesting jumps and loops. Motive power was by means of gravity, by attaching the starting point of a course to a table or chair via an included C clamp. A two-lane starting gate was available, allowing two lengths of track to be set up for racing. Later sets had both the starting gate and a finishing flag which would be tripped by the first car. One of the most famous sets was the 1970 Mongoose & Snake Drag Race Set, which reached values as high as $500 during the 1990s, but has since been produced in modified replica form. It featured yellow Plymouth Barracuda and red Plymouth Duster funny cars, loops, jumps, and even an apparatus that would deploy drag chutes after they crossed the finish line, all in a box showing Don Prudhomme and Tom McEwen.

Other sets included a Supercharger that had an electric motor and foam covered wheels that propelled the car around a loop of track as the cars passed through. Accessories included a lap counter and a speedometer. It was the combination of all of these ingredients — speed via the low-friction wheel/axle assembly and racing tires, looks due to Spectraflame paint and mag wheels, plus the inclusion of very American themes such as hot-rod designs based on true American prototypes not seen in great numbers in the competition's product lines — that laid the groundwork for the incredible success story Hot Wheels were to become.

1969

File:Twin Mill.JPG

Twin Mill from 1969, one of the most recognizable Hot Wheels designs

As it turned out, the Hot Wheels brand was a staggering success. The series "re-wrote the book" for small die-cast car models from 1968 onwards, forcing the competition at Matchbox and elsewhere to completely rethink their concepts, and to scamper to try to recover lost ground. Harry Bentley Bradley did not think that would be the case and had quit Mattel to go back to the car industry. When the company asked him back, he recommended a good friend, Ira Gilford. Gilford, who had just left Chrysler, quickly accepted the job of designing the next Hot Wheels models. Some of Hot Wheels' greatest cars, such as the Twin Mill and Splittin' Image, came from Ira Gilford's drawing board.

The success of the 1968 line was solidified and consolidated with the 1969 releases, with which Hot Wheels effectively established itself as the hottest brand of small toy car models in the USA.

Cars released in 1969

• Brabham Repco F1
• Chaparral 2G
• Chevy Nomad
• Classic '31 Ford Woody
• Classic '32 Ford Vicky
• Classic '36 Ford Coupe
• Classic '57 Bird
• Custom Charger
• Custom AMX
• Custom Continental
• Custom Police Cruiser
• Custom Fire Engine
• Ford MK IV
• Indy Eagle
• Lola GT70
• Lotus Turbine
• Maserati Mistral
• McLaren M6A
• Mercedes-Benz 280SL
• Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
• Shelby Turbine
• Splittin' Image
• Torero
• Turbo fire
• Twin Mill
• Volkswagen Beach Bomb

The Splittin' Image, Torero, Turbofire, and Twin Mill were part of the "Show & Go" series and are the very first original in-house designs by Hot Wheels.

The initial prototypes of the Beach Bomb were faithful to a real VW Bus's shape, and had two surfboards sticking out the back window. During the fledgling Hot Wheels era, Mattel wanted to make sure that each of the cars could be used with any of the play sets and stunt track sets. Unfortunately, testing showed that this early version (now known as Rear-Loader Beach Bomb, or RLBB) was too narrow to roll effectively on Hot Wheels track or be powered by the Super Charger, and was too top-heavy to negotiate high-speed corners.

Hot Wheels Designers Howard Rees and Larry Wood modified the casting, extending the side fenders to accommodate the track width, as well as providing a new place on the vehicle to store each of the plastic surfboards. The roof was also cut away and replaced by a full-length sunroof, to lower the center of gravity. Nicknamed "Side-loader" by collectors, this was the production version of the Beach Bomb.

The Rear-Loader Beach Bomb is widely considered the "Holy Grail" of any Hot Wheels collection. An unknown number were made as test subjects and given to Mattel employees, and today there are only about 25 known to exist. A regular production Beach Bomb may be worth up to $600, depending on condition. Market prices on RLBBs however, have easily reached the five-figure plateau. Within the last decade, one of two existing hot pink RLBBs sold for reportedly above $70,000 to a well-respected and widely known Hot Wheels collector. The Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles had a pink RLBB in its Hot Wheels exhibit. It was displayed on a single rotating platform, much like the kind used to showcase precious gems. The Hot Wheels Collectors Club released a new, updated version of the rear loading Beach Bomb in 2002 as a limited edition.

1970s

File:Top Eliminator.JPG

Hot Wheels Top Eliminator from 1974 from Flying Colors Series

1970 was a first-rate year for Hot Wheels, so Mattel came up with a new slogan for the cars: "Go With the Winner". 43 new cars appeared this year. This was also the year that Sizzlers and Heavyweights appeared. Howard Rees, who worked with Ira Gilford, was tired of designing cars. He wanted to work on the Major Matt Mason action figure toy line-up. Rees had a good friend by the name of Larry Wood. They had worked together at Ford designing cars. When Wood found out about Hot Wheels at a party Rees was holding, Rees offered Wood the job of designing Hot Wheels. Wood agreed, and by the end of the week, Larry Wood was working at Mattel. His first design would be the Tri-Baby. After 36 years, Larry still works for Hot Wheels.

Another designer, Paul Tam, joined Larry and Ira. Paul's first design for Hot Wheels was the Whip Creamer. Tam continued to work for Mattel until 1973. Among the many futuristic designs Tam thought up for Hot Wheels, some of the collector's favorites include Evil Weevil (a Volkswagen with two engines), Open Fire (an AMC Gremlin with six wheels), Six Shooter (another six wheeled car), and the rare Double Header (co-designed with Larry Wood).

Cars released in 1970

• The Demon
• Mantis
• Whip Creamer
• Peeping Bomb
• Paddy Wagon
• Porsche 917
• Seasider
• Hairy Hauler
• Sky Show Fleetside
• Sand Crab
• Swingin' Wing
• Tri-Baby
• Light My Firebird
• Heavy Chevy
• King 'Kuda
• TNT Bird
• Ferrari 312-P
• Mighty Maverick
• Jackrabbit
• Carabo
• Classic Nomad
• Sky Show Deora
• Snake funny car
• Mongoose funny car
• Boss Hoss
• Fire Chief Cruiser
• Nitty Gritty Kitty
• Red Baron
• Mod Quad

Heavyweights

• Cement Mixer
• Ambulance
• Dump Truck
• Moving Van
• Fire Engine
• Tow Truck

Sizzlers

• Angeleno M-70
• Firebird Trans-Am
• Ford Mark IV
• Hot Head
• Mustang Boss 302
• Revvin' Heaven

1971 was another big year for Hot Wheels. 50 new cars were made this year, 7 of which were Heavyweights and 12 were Sizzlers. The Sizzlers Fat Track, which was three lanes wide and allowed for even more exciting Sizzlers racing action, also debuted this year. 3 Fat Track racing sets were made.

Cars released in 1971

• Jet Threat
• The Hood
• Noodlehead
• The Bugeye
• AMX/2
• Snake II
• Mongoose II
• Bye Focal
• Grasshopper
• Cockney Cab
• Mutt Mobile
• Oldsmobile 442
• Pit Crew
• What-4
• Ice-T
• Rocket-Bye Baby
• Short Order
• Six Shooter
• Special Delivery
• Stripteaser
• Evil Weevil
• Sugar Caddy
• Snake Rail Dragster
• Mongoose Rail Dragster

Heavyweights

• Scooper
• Waste Wagon
• Racer Rig
• S'Cool Bus
• Fuel Tanker
• Snorkel
• Team Trailer

Sizzlers

• Side Burn
• Backfire
• Anteater
• Spoil Sport
• Camaro Trans-Am
• Live Wire
• Cuda Trans-Am
• March F-1
• Straight Scoop
• Indy Eagle
• Hot Wings
• Ferrari 512-S

However, 1972 and 1973 were slow years; only 7 new models (and 4 new Sizzlers cars) were made in 1972, but 24 models (as well as 7 Sizzlers) appeared for 1973. That year, to cut costs because of the inflation back then, most cars changed from Mattel's in house "Spectraflame" colors to less-shiny solid enamel colors, which mainline Hot Wheels cars still use today. Due to low sales, and the fact that many of the castings were not re-used in later years, the 1972-3 models are known to be very collectible.

Cars released in 1972

• Side Kick
• Mercedes-Benz C-11
• Funny Money
• Open Fire
• Snake Rear Engine Dragster
• Mongoose Rear Engine Dragster
• Ferrari 512-S

Sizzlers

• Double Boiler
• Flat Out
• Up-Roar
• Co-Motion

Cars released in 1973

• Double Header
• Superfine Turbine
• Sweet 16
• Police Cruiser
• Show Off
• Mercedes-Benz 280-SL
• Dune Daddy
• Alive '55
• Street Snorter
• Porsche 917
• Ferrari 312-P
• Sand Witch
• Double Vision
• Buzz Off
• Odd Job
• Prowler
• Red Baron
• Ice-T
• Xploder
• Mercedes-Benz C-11
• Highway Robber
• Paddy Wagon
• Mongoose
• Snake

Fat Daddy Sizzlers

• Fireworks
• Highway Hauler
• Lawmill
• Needle Nose
• Ram Rocket
• Devin
• Steering Trailer

In 1974, Hot Wheels introduced its Flying Colors line, and added flashy decals and tampo-printed paint designs which helped revitalize sales. As with the low-friction wheels in 1968, this innovation was revolutionary in the industry, and — although far less effective in terms of sales impact than in 1968 — was copied by the competition, who did not want to be outmaneuvered again by Mattel product strategists.

Cars released in 1974

• Road King Truck (not a Flying Colors model; in Mountain Mining Set only)
• Volkswagen Bug
• Grasshopper
• Baja Bruiser
• Rodger Dodger
• Steam Roller
• Sir Rodney Roadster
• Breakaway Bucket
• Winnipeg
• Rash 1
• Funny Money
• Carabo
• El Ray Special
• Heavy Chevy
• Top Eliminator

In 1977, the Redline Wheel was phased out, with the red lines being erased from the wheels. This also cut costs, but also reflected that the red lines popularized during the era of muscle cars and Polyglas tires were no longer current.

1980s

File:Torino Tornado.JPG

Hot Wheels Torino Tornado from 1985 with Hot Ones Wheels

What happened in the 1980s for Hot Wheels sent them in the path of what they are today. In 1981, Hot Ones wheels were introduced, which had gold-painted hubs and thinner axles for speed. Ultra Hots wheels, which looked like the wheels found on a Renault Fuego or a Mazda 626, were introduced in 1984 and had other speed improvements. Hot Wheels started offering models based on 80's sports and economy cars, like the Pontiac Fiero or Dodge Omni 024. In 1983, A new style of wheel called Real Riders were introduced, which had real rubber tires. Despite the fact that they were very popular, the Real Riders line was short-lived, because of high production costs. In the late 80s, the Blue Card was introduced, which would become the basis of Hot Wheels cars still used today.

Two other innovations were introduced briefly in Hotwheels cars in the 1980s - Thermal Color Change paint, and rotating Crash Panel vehicles. The former were able to change color on exposure to hot or cold water, and there were an initial release of 20 different cars, available as sets of three vehicles. The latter were vehicles with a panel that, on contact, would rotate to reveal a flip side which appeared to be heavily dented. Variations in crash-panels included front, rear and side panels, the last of which's mechanism has proven to be the most durable.

1990s

File:Hot Wheels 002.jpg

A 1990s Hot Wheels car still in the package.

1995 brought a major change to the Hot Wheels line, where the cars were split up into series. One was the 1995 Model Series, which included all of that year's new castings. In 1996, the Model Series was renamed to First Editions. 1995 also saw the introduction of the Treasure Hunt Series (see below). The rest of the series included four cars with paint schemes that followed a theme. For example, the Pearl Driver cars all had pearlescent paint. Sales for the series models soared with another program also introduced that year called the Bonus Car program, causing stores across the nation to have shortages. Purchasing the four car sets and sending in the packaging backs plus a handling fee gave you the opportunity to collect the bonus cars, 1 each released for each quarter of the year starting in 1996 through at least 2000. Several new wheel designs were also introduced in the 90s.

In 1997, Hot Wheels signed a sponsorship deal with NASCAR driver Kyle Petty, and thus began making replicas of NASCAR race cars. Hot Wheels signed another deal in 1999 with five Formula 1 teams to manufacture scale model Formula 1 cars.

In 1998, Mattel celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Hot Wheels brand by replicating various cars and individual packaging from its 30-year history and packaging these replicated vehicles in special 30th Anniversary boxes.

Treasure Hunts

Main article: Treasure Hunt Series

File:Hot Wheels 2005 130.png

A 2005 Mini Cooper Treasure Hunt still in the package.

The Treasure Hunt series was introduced in 1995 with 12 cars that were specially detailed and produced in limited numbers. The initial run consisted of 10,000 units worldwide. The Treasure Hunt Series was an instant hit, and as a result, production increased to 25,000 units per car in 1996 and 1997. Mattel stopped publicly releasing production numbers on the Treasure Hunt line in 1998.

Treasure Hunts are packaged and labeled as "Treasure Hunt" or "T-Hunt" in a green bar with a picture of a treasure chest. The cars are decorated with flashy designs and usually have special "rubber" wheels. While they market at the retail price of all other cars, they have a high resale price tag on the Internet and in stores specializing in collectibles when first released. The Internet price does typically stabilize once more of the cars are available on the market. Sometimes collectors will see this as the car dropping in price but empirical data strongly indicates otherwise. Instead, the high prices we see initially are the result of the Internet boom. When only a few new Treasure Hunts are available on the market and hundreds of collectors are after it, the price will skyrocket. Data collected over the past twelve years actually indicates the price on Treasure Hunts is rising quite well in general. Often when collectors quote a value, they do not take into account shipping costs and risk as negative factors in the on-line market.

Treasure Hunts are not only released as individual cars, but also in complete boxed sets through Mattel's Redline Club or through JC Penney. These sets are more rare than the Treasure Hunt cars themselves with known production numbers ranging from as low as 2,000 to 6,000 sets. The set is generally worth the combined value of each car plus the packaging it comes in that makes it a unique set and is considered to be worth even more than a loose set of the individual cars.

In 2007, Mattel changed the Treasure Hunt lineup by releasing 12 regular and 12 "Super" Treasure Hunts. The production numbers of the regular Treasure Hunts are thought to be greater than the number of Super Treasure Hunts and they feature un-modified existing Hot Wheels models in colour schemes unique to the Treasure Hunt range. The Super Treasure Hunts are often finished in the newly re-created 'spectraflame' paint finish and include the more authentic 'real-rider' wheels that have personified the Treasure Hunt line since its inception.

2000

A new generation of Hot Wheels Designers came in. Eric Tscherne and Fraser Campbell along with former designer Paul Tam's son, Alec Tam, joined the design team. Many still work for Mattel today. Tscherne's Seared Tuner (formerly Sho-Stopper) graced the mainline packaging from 2000 to 2003. The Deora II, one of only two Hot Wheels concept cars ever made into full-size, functional cars, was also released this year.

File:Deora2.JPG

1:18 scale Deora II in a metalflake blue paintjob.

2001

File:Hot Wheels Shredster.jpg

Hot Wheels First Edition, Shredster.

During this year Mattel issued 240 mainline releases consisting of 12 Treasure Hunts, 36 First Editions, 12 Segment Series with 4 cars each, and 144 open stock cars. Popular models that debuted include the Hyper Mite and Fright Bike.

2002

For 2002, the mainline the consisted of 12 Treasure Hunts, 42 First Editions, 15 segment series of 4 cars each, and 126 open stock cars. Popular new models included the `68 Cougar and the Nissan Skyline.

2003

Hot Wheels celebrated its 35th anniversary with a full-length computer animated Hot Wheels movie called Hot Wheels Highway 35 World Race. This movie tied into the Highway 35 line of cars that featured 35 classic Hot Wheels cars with special graphics and co-molded wheels. Another celebrating moment in the 35th anniversary was the creation of a full-sized model of the Deora II shown at the Hot Wheels Hall of Fame event at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.

Die cast model of a 1:18 Formula 1 car. This is a Ferrari F2005 model driven by Michael Schumacher in the 2005 season

Also in commemoration of Hot Wheels' 35th anniversary, recording artist and Hot Wheels supporter Rick Tippe was commissioned by Mattel to write a song about Hot Wheels. CD singles featuring the song were given out in grab bags at the 35th Anniversary Convention in California.

2003 also saw the release of five cars themed after Sega video games: Jet Set Radio Future, Space Channel 5, Shinobi, House of the Dead and Super Monkey Ball

2004

In 2004, Hot Wheels unveiled their "Hot 100" line, comprised of 100 new models. These new models included cartoonish vehicles such as the 'Tooned (vehicles based on the larger Hot Tunerz line of Hot Wheels created by Eric Tscherne), Blings (boxy bodies and big wheels), Hardnoze (enlarged fronts), Crooze (stretched out bodies), and Fatbax (super-wide back tires and short bodies). These vehicles did not sell as well as Mattel expected, and many could still be found in stores throughout 2005. Mattel also released 2004 First Editions cars with unpainted Zamac bodies. They were sold through Toys 'R' Us and were made in limited numbers.

2005

In 2005, Hot Wheels continued with new "extreme" castings for the 2nd year, debuting 40 distorted cars, in addition to 20 "Realistix" models. The rest of the line included the standard 12 Treasure Hunts, 10 Track Aces, 50 Segment Series Cars, and 50 Open Stock Models. Four Volkswagen "Mystery Cars" were offered as a special mail-in promo. Each Mystery Car came with a special voucher. Upon collection of all 4 vouchers, one was able to send away for a special 13th Treasure Hunt, a VW Drag Bus. Photos: [1]

Hot Wheels also unveiled its new "Faster than Ever" line of cars, which had special nickel-plated axles, along with bronze-colored Open-Hole 5 Spoke wheels. These adjustments reduce friction dramatically, resulting in cars that are "Faster than Ever." The first run of these cars were available for a limited time only, from the beginning of October towards the end of November 2005.

Also, the continuation of the movie Hot Wheels Highway 35 World Race called Hot Wheels AcceleRacers was created, taking place two years after Vert Wheeler won the World Race. It is featured in four movies and many short segments where the drivers (old ones, gangs, like Teku, Metal Maniacs, the evil Racing Drones, and the stealthy Silencerz). All of the shorts and previews of the movies were placed on a temporary website that was deleted shortly after the last movie.

2006

File:CivicSiSemaEdition.jpg

A 2006 Sema Edition CivicSi sporting the special Dropstars logo.

The 2006 releases consisted of 38 First Editions (all realistically proportioned), 12 Treasure Hunts, 12 Track Aces, 60 Segment Series, 96 Open Stock Models and 5 Mystery Cars. Some limited editions produced in 2006 include a Honda Civic Si sporting a Dropstars logo that was only available at the 2005 SEMA convention and the CUL8R with Faster Than Ever (FTE) wheels which was only available by mail. 2006 is also the year that Sizzlers were re-released.

2007

In 2007, Mattel released 36 New Models (formerly First Editions), 12 Treasure Hunts (with a hard-to-find regular version and even rarer "super" version of each), 12 Teams of 4 cars each (formerly Segment Series), 24 Code Cars (codes imprinted on underside of the car that can be used to unlock web content), 12 Track Stars (formerly Track Aces), 24 Mystery Cars (packaged on a card with a blacked-out blister, so the buyer cannot see which car is inside without opening it), and 24 All Stars (formerly Open Stock). In late 2006, a new package design for 2007 was released. Some 2006 cars and all 2007 cars released so far are packaged on a blister card with the new design. Hotwheels released a series called Modifighters, which are similar to transformers except for the fact that they were originally cars and were modified into robots.

2008

Mattel celebrated 40 years of Hot Wheels with a cross-country road trip. Mattel released 40 new models, 12 Treasure Hunts, 12 Track Stars, 24 Web Trading Cars, 24 Mystery Cars, and 12 Teams of 4 cars. With the 2008 release of the Speed Racer movie, Mattel has released models based on the Speed Racer cars. They have also started releasing the 2009 Generation of Hotwheels cars

2009

Mattel is releasing 42 New Models, 12 Treasure Hunts, 12 Track Stars, 24 Mystery Cars, and 12 Segment Series of 10 cars.

Collectors

Through the years, Hot Wheels cars have been collected mostly by children, but in the last ten years there has been an increase in the number of adult collectors. Mattel estimates that 41 million children grew up playing with the toys, the average collector has over 1,550 cars, and children between the ages of 5 and 15 have an average of 41 cars. Most believe the collecting craze started with the Treasure Hunts in 1995. Mike Strauss has been widely hailed as the father of Hot Wheels collecting; he has organized two collectors' events each year in some form since 1986. The first event was the Annual Hot Wheels Collectors Convention, normally held each year in the fall. The convention occurred in various locations around the country until 2001, when the first Annual Hot Wheels Collectors Nationals was put together. Since then, the Conventions are held each year in southern California. The Hot Wheels Collectors Nationals rotate among cities outside of California during the spring. Mike has also published the quarterly Hot Wheels Newsletter since 1986 and was one of the first to unite collectors all over the world. Mike also writes the Tomart's Guide To Hot Wheels, a book listing history, car descriptions and values. It is used by almost every collector to learn more about the hobby and their collection.

In 2001, Mattel saw how much collecting was affecting their sales and put together HotWheelsCollectors.com as an online way to unite collectors by offering limited edition cars, information about upcoming releases and events, as well as chat and trade boards. Each year, they sell memberships to the Redline Club, which gives members the opportunity to order additional limited edition cars, as well as access to areas of the site with information such as sneak previews of new cars.

There are hundreds, probably thousands, of web pages dedicated to Hot Wheels collecting. People are collecting everything from only new castings to only Redlines and everything in between. For the most part it is a relatively inexpensive hobby, when compared with coin collecting, stamp collecting or Barbie collecting, with mainline cars costing about $1 (USD) at retail. The price has not changed much in almost 40 years, although in real terms the models have dropped significantly in price. After the cars are no longer available at retail the cost can vary significantly. A common car may sell for less than retail, while some of the more difficult cars can sell for many hundred or even thousands of dollars. The highest price paid for a Hot Wheels car was $72,000 in 2000 for a Volkswagen Beach Bomb, a VW microbus with a pair of surfboards poking out the rear window. This version was a prototype of which only 25 are known to exist. The model was introduced into the Hot Wheels range for 1969 with a significantly modified body design, widened to enable it to pass through the Hot Wheels power booster

Dates on Cars

The date on the base of a Hot Wheels car is a design copyright date, not a manufacturing date. (Specifically, the date is the copyright date for the design of the base of the car, but there are only a handful of cases where that is not the same as the copyright date for the design of the entire car.) The date is usually the year before the car was first introduced, but it is sometimes the same year.

Mattel reuses many models of Hot Wheels cars, both as part of the regular line and as "commemorative" replicas. As a result, a car with the date 1968 on the base could have been made at any time between 1968 and the present.

Hot Wheels Classics

File:Hotwheels classics.JPG

2005 Hot Wheels Series 1 Classics car still in package

The Hot Wheels Classics line was an immediate hit with enthusiasts everywhere. The new line focused on muscle cars, hot rods, and other offbeat vehicles (such as a go-kart, a motorhome and even an airplane), many from the company's first ten years (1968-78) of production.

Series 1 from 2005 consisted of 25 models, each with all-metal body and chassis, decked out with Spectraflame paint, in packages similar to those used from 1968–1972. Each car had a retail price of about three to four dollars (USD) and each of the 25 cars were released with 7 or 8 different colors. Models included the '57 Chevy Bel Air (pictured at the right), the '63 Ford T-Bird, and the '65 Pontiac GTO.

There were also track sets in similarly-retro packaging, and 1:18 scale Hot Wheels Classics. The Classics version of the Purple Passion was released with Real Riders tires at the San Diego Comic Con. Mattel also produced a Classics Olds 442 in Spectraflame blue for the 2005 Toy Fair.

In late 2005, Series 2 now consisted of 30 models including the '67 Camaro Convertible, the '69 Dodge Charger, and a '65 Mustang Mach 1. There was also supposed to be a separate "Mustang Funny Car" (as listed on the blisterpack rear checklist) but this was apparently charged to a Plymouth Barracuda Funny Car during production.

In 2006, a Series 3 line of Classics was introduced, again containing 30 models with multiple colors of each vehicle. Models included the '69 Pontiac Firebird, a Meyers Manx dune buggy, and the Richard Petty '70 Plymouth "Superbird."

In 2007, Series 4 debuted with just fifteen models. However, in recognition of the 40th anniversary there were two packaging versions available - models came with a collectible metal pin (featuring a portrait of the involved vehicle) or were sold alone as in the previous three series. Models included a VW Karmann Ghia, a '68 Mercury Cougar, and the "Red Baron" hot rod.

In 2009, Series 5 has 30 models. For the first time, there are chase cars in the classics series. These cars feature real rubber tires. A few models included are Copper Stopper, 1970 Pontiac GTO, and Hammer Sled.

Special Model Lines

Hot Wheels has also released slightly larger, more detailed models, such as the original Gran Toros (1/43rd scale) from 1970, and the Dropstars line (a model line of "blinged" cars). Also in this larger scale are the HIN (Hot Import Nights), G-Machines and Customs lines. These lines were introduced in 2004–2005.

Hot Wheels has produced many replica scale models in the industry standard 1/43rd, 1/24th and 1/18th scales. In 2004 They released a 1/12th scale replica of the C6Corvette.

Other lines from Hot Wheels include: R-R-Rumblers & Chopcycles (motorcycles introduced in 1971), Hotbirds (metal airplanes), Sizzlers, XV Racers, Hot Tunerz and Stockerz.

Over the years, Mattel has also teamed up with other retail organizations to produce special models available through those retailers. The list of retailers includes Avon, Chuck E. Cheese, Dinty Moore, FAO Schwarz, Full Grid, General Mills, Getty, HEB, Hills, Hormel, Hughes Family Markets, JC Penney, JC Whitney, Kay-Bee Toys, K-Mart, Kellogg's, Kool-Aid, Kroger, Lexmark, Liberty Promotions (contracted the series of special models for Jiffy Lube), Little Debbie Snacks, Malt-O-Meal, McDonald's, Mervyn's, Otter Pops, Rose's Discount Stores, Shell, Target, Tony's Pizza, Toys-R-Us, Union 76, Valvoline, Van de Kamp's, WalMart, and White's Guide to Collecting, as well as several Major League Baseball franchises to name a few.

Sizzlers

File:BossMustangSizzler.JPG

Boss Mustang Sizzler

The Sizzlers were a 1970s Hot Wheels spin off with a built-in motor and a tiny rechargeable battery. (The X-V racers of the 90s were similar.) They were introduced in 1970 and became an instant smash. Sizzlers run on the regular "orange" Hot Wheels track, and Mattel created special race sets with U-Turns, multi-level spirals and loops to take advantage of the cars' electric motor. Two lane race sets such as the California/8 race set were developed that allowed Sizzlers to race side-by side, until Mattel created the black Fat Track, which is three lanes wide, with steep banked curves, and designed to allow Sizzlers to run free. In action, Sizzlers display a unique, competitive "passing action" when running on the Fat Track, as if each car were piloted by an impatient driver trying to jockey ahead of the rest. The Fat Track sets included the "Big O," "California 500," and Super Circuit" race sets, and accessories such as the "Scramble Start" (a four-car starting gate), "Lap Computer" four car lap counter, and "Race-Timer" stop watch.

File:Sizzler Cal8 set.jpg

Early Sizzlers race set

Six cars were made in 1970, 12 cars were made in 1971, and 4 cars were made in 1972. The "Fat Daddy" Sizzlers (oversized bodies with huge tires) were introduced in 1973. Mattel put the Sizzlers on a hiatus after that year, and in 1976 they created Sizzlers II. That next year, the Night Ridin' Sizzlers (which had headlights you could turn on or off) were created. Because of faded popularity (because of perhaps poor marketing(*), Mattel permanently stopped Sizzlers production in 1978.

(*)Special Note about Mattels marketing of the Sizzlers line: Children and parents had difficulty when trying to collect Sizzlers cars because it was difficult to discover what models existed (Printed displays of the entire line were rare).

Sizzlers were (and are) charged with four or two D battery chargers called the Juice Machine and Goose Pump respectively. Later, the Power Pit was introduced--which was an electric charger that plugged into any household AC outlet and resembled a race track garage or pit stop. A 90-second charge of the tiny internal NiCad battery gives up to five minutes of frenetic run time. It has been said that the 90-second charge time was "the longest minute and a half in a kid's life," as they waited impatiently for the car to charge sufficiently to get back into the race.

The Sizzler electric technology spun-off into the Hotline Trains, which ran on track similar to regular Hot Wheels, and the Earthshakers construction vehicles. Both lines of vehicles were charged using the Sizzler Juice Machine or Power Pit.

In the 1990s, toy company Playing Mantis re-released Sizzlers in NASCAR stock car models and reproduced the Fat Track as the "Stocker 400" and "Mach 500" track sets. The Juice machine was renamed the "Mega-Charger" and incorporated a more efficient "trickle charge" rather than the "dump charge" of the original machines. Interest in the Sizzlers line began to increase once again. They were taken off the market after Mattel filed a lawsuit against Playing Mantis. However, Sizzlers returned again in 2006, when Mattel struck an exclusive deal with Target stores to re-release Sizzlers cars, the "Big O" Fat track, Juice Machine and car carrying case--all in the original packaging from the 1970s. As of January 2009, the Sizzlers line has been discontinued by Target.

Real Life

Real life versions of popular Hot Wheels Twin Mill, Deora II and Whatta Drag have been created and Tom Meents owns the Hot Wheels monster truck.

See also

• Planet Hot Wheels
• Johnny Lightning
• Tomica
• Matchbox (toy company)
• Corgi Classics Limited
• Mettoy-Corgi
• Majorette
• Maisto
• Jada Toys

References

• Hot Wheels, A collectors guide — Bob Parker, 2001
• Mike and Diane Strauss — "The Hot Wheels Newsletter" — Feb. 2006
• Leffingwell, Randy (2003). Hot Wheels: 35 Years of Speed, Power, Performance, and Attitude. Motorbooks International. ISBN 0-7603-1573-6.
• Strauss, Michael (2002). Tomart's Price Guide to Hot Wheels, Updated 5th Edition. Tomart Publications. ISBN 0-914293-52-4.

External links

• Hot Wheels Official Site
• Hot Wheels on ToyPedia