Hot Wheels James Bond 007 Goldfinger DB5

As part of the 2014 HW Workshop/HW All Stars line Mattel introduces the 1963 Aston Martin DB5 made famous in the 1964 James Bond Goldfinger movie.

For a dollar toy it is beautiful and reasonably accurate for a 1/64 scale car. Attention to detail front and back are sweet with the round instead of squared wheel wells being the most obvious detraction. Tampo headlights and hood ornament are a nice touch as is the film-accurate license plate number (appearing only in back). The grey plastic grille even looks good instead of chrome. And yes the steering wheel is on the right side.

However, it sports none of the film gadgets that made it famous: ramrod bumpers, tire slashers, rotating license plates, armor sheild or most noticeably the ejector seat that made the 1960's Husky/Corgi Jr. so popular. Perhaps a tampo line would suffice to indicate where the hatch would be. 

I applaud Mattel for the DB5 because it looks great but it's a bit of a stretch to market this as a James Bond vehicle. See a silver DB5 and one immediately thinks Bond, James Bond.

Hot Wheels Volkswagen Kool Kombi Bus

The 2013 HW Showroom series brought us this fantastic vehicle.

The first Hot Wheels release was green. Note the clever flipped tailgate improvising as a wing. It's a bit cartoonish ala Dave Deel's finest right down to the surfboard tucked inside the tailgate.

 The real deal.

There's even a LEGO version.

What does the future hold for the Kombi?  VW has teased with concepts over the years.

Update: VW introduced the ID. Buzz in 2025. Beautiful design but sadly EV's were declining in popularity and the Buzz will not be back in 2026.