Posted on 11/01/2017 7:45:47 PM PDT by Impala64ssa
On January 4, 1968, the first Hot Wheels car rolled off a Mattel production line. It was a 1/64-scale, dark blue 1968 Camaro RS with black roof and redline tires. 15 other models would soon join the Camaro, and the lineup became known as known as the “Original Sweet 16.” The rest, as they say, is history. These tiny cars with wide wheels and low-friction axles flying around on orange tracks soon became omnipresent in the bedrooms and dens of kids around the world. Since 1968, well over four billion Hot Wheels have been built, far exceeding the production of any other vehicle—real or scale model. The 50th anniversary milestone was celebrated on the eve of the 2017 Specialty Equipment Market Association in Las Vegas, the world’s largest automotive trade show. Because the first Hot Wheels car was a Camaro, Chevrolet is celebrating by bringing out a full-scale 2018 Camaro Hot-Wheels 50th Anniversary edition, available on coupe and convertible models in 2LT or 2SS trim. Introduced at SEMA by Jeff Gordon, Todd Christensen, and Chris Down, the Camaro features special orange paint, Hot Wheels badging, and 20-inch forged wheels that resemble its scale-model counterparts. Also included are some Satin Graphire ground effects, stripes, orange brake calipers, and details like embossed interior headrests.
Just like its full-scale counterparts, Hot Wheels cars have become hot collectibles over the years. According to Mattel, more than 40 million children grew up playing with the little metal cars, and the average serious collector has over 1,500 cars. The Holy Grail for Hot Wheels collectors is a 1969 Volkswagen van prototype known as the Beach Bomb, according to an December 2016 article in the New York Daily News. “It featured a bright pink body with two surf boards hanging out the back,” thus gaining the nickname as “the back loader.” However, the prototype was top-heavy and would not function with an available Power Booster track assembly that propelled the cars. So the prototype was widened with the surfboards relocated to the side of the van before going back into production as the “side loader.” Despite the change, some 41 versions of the prototype were mistakenly released, which accounts for their value. “According to eBay, one of the back-loader prototypes was reportedly bought by a collector named Bruce Pascal for $72,000,” the Daily News reported. If you’re ever curious about the value of the Hot Wheels cars that you may still own, Tomart’s Price Guide to Hot Wheels Collectibles is a respected source. If you’re ready to live out your childhood fantasy, the full-size Hot Wheels Camaro goes on sale in early 2018, with the package tacking on $4,995. Just steer clear of the loop-the-loops.
The metallic green Silhouette was a bad ass car.
https://youtu.be/57AKK4mCRv8
1968 commercial
I have one of those.
I have well over 1000 Matchbox and Hotwheels cars, most in those cool vinyl Matchbox cases. I know that as a kid I defaced a few Matchbox by painting them but I have so many that are still used but original. I have been trying to find out how much they are worth as I'd like to get rid of them.
I also have a bunch of the original GI Joes and things like the Fire Truck and others that all still work.
Trying to find out were I go to get a good price and not get ripped off.
Hot Wheels cars worked well on those tracks, at least on TV. In actuality, not so much :/
I had a Jaguar XKE.
https://youtu.be/HgfbVRNbVEw
Then there were Sizzlers that you could never afford.
I’d completely forgotten about Matchbox cars! I thought those were the greatest and I was too old and loyal to switch to the far inferior HotWheels.
I’ll bet Mom and Dad sold my modest Matchbox collection for pennies at a garage sale when they downsized.
Thanks for the business history lesson how atchbox got beat up and bankrupt. I didn’t know that.
Our friend down the street had the oval track with the power house that would launch the cars around the track. All of our friends had Hot Wheels and we spent hours racing them. I’d say they were the most popular toy at that time.
Mom soon found out the Hot Wheel tracks worked better than the belt when me and my brothers would get into trouble. We learned to hide the tracks then. I bet those cars and tracks are worth a fortune now.
Another fun mini car were the Stompers of the early ‘80s. They sort of took the concept the next level by adding a motor powered by a single AA battery. We used to build tracks for them by digging grooves in the dirt.
Great! Do you happen to have any of the old original Matchbox models when it was the Lesney Co.? They’d be worth something in the right locale.
“I’d rather have them playing with their toys...”
I remember the Christmas when I got every Stomper that was made.
Had to cut a couple out of my sisters hair.
I had forgotten about those. I think they even made a pulling sled for them at one time.
My mom went to a garage sale one time and bought me hundreds of Matchbox cars for $5 or $10 dollars. I was so excited I probably didn’t sleep for three days.
The joys of being a kid. Thanks mom and dad..........
Well at least they’re not playing with themselves....
We got all our Matchbox and Hot Wheels at Ed Schock’s Toy & Hobby Shop. It was heaven for kids. Ed also had the Estes rockets with the solid propellant. And a great selection of Revell plastic model warships.
All of which met their explosive demise in the drainage ditch after being shot up by BB guns.
Yep, simple little things but just tons of fun.
My parents bought the Pacific raceway sizzler set in 1970 and we had raceday everyday for what seemed like forever.What a blast it was.I had the boss 302 and it was my favorite.Man that brings back the memories.
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