Hot Wheels Yellow Submarine

When i started collecting Hot Wheels as an adult in 1996 I couldn't have imagined that there would be a Yellow Submarine in a Hot Wheels package. But twenty years later here it is: the Hot Wheels Yellow Submarine. It was also twenty years ago today Sargent taught the band to play, too!

Of course, it all started with the 1969 movie. Hippy dippy psychedelia graphics that still hold up today: of their time yet still timely.

The movie had a good soundtrack (left) sporting six Beatles tunes on side one and the George Martin Orchestra's instrumental music on side two. The movie featured many more Beatles songs not on the album until reimagined in 1999 as the "Yellow Submarine Songtrack" (right). Note the yellow sub is the sole graphic on the reissue. An iconic image.

The first popular diecast version was by Corgi. Very cool and it nicely captures the overall spirit but it's a bit long - perhaps stretched to enable the pop-up Beatles. As it rolls the periscopes turn. Corgis were 1/43 scale and the sub, while not likely to any particular scale, is approximately 5-inches long. Corgi's Yellow Submarine has been reissued over the years due to its popularity.

 

In the '60s and '70s Corgi was well-known for their licensed vehicles: '66 TV Batmobile, James Bond 007's Aston Martin, Man From UNCLE, Monkee Mobile, etc.

Along comes Mattel in the 2000's going after those licenses and others. We now have numerous 007-related vehicles (Aston Martin DB7, Lotus Esprit,etc.) and Batmobiles, Scooby Doo's Mystery Van, K.I.T.T. and even Star Trek Enterprise.

I was very pleasantly surprised late last year when I saw a Hot Wheels preview list of 2016 vehicles indicating "The Beatles Yellow Submarine". Wow! Could it be?!

Yes!! Let's start with the stunning packaging that sports all four Beatles in their glorious cartoon images positioned so they're standing behind the toy with the cartoon sub behind them. The package makes for perfect display. To date I have found only one of these and I can't bring myself to open it. Hard to find, no doubt, due to the huge Beatles fan base wanting these, too.

The vehicle is gorgeous with accurate proportions, colors and details especially impressive for a dollar toy. It's almost three inches long which is impressive. It sports four tiny wheels on the bottom to enable it to roll - it is a Hot Wheels after-all.

Concurrently, Mattel released a premium line of Yellow Submarine themed automotive vehicles with movie-related graphics. Nice but they pale in comparison to the sub.

In a cosmic way I just found this comic in today's paper. A reminder of the timelessness of the Yellow Submarine franchise.

I challenge you to stop humming this tune for the rest of the day.

All together now...

Hot Wheels Acura NSX

Mattel brings us the 1990 Acura NSX in their HW Workshop 2015 series. Introduced in 1990 by the Honda Motor Company the NSX brought the world of exotic sports cars to otherwise staid Acura lineup. Acura was known for its well-made but conservative TLs and ILs.

The Hot Wheels is quite accurate and very well done. Acura tampo on the hood and tailights/backup lights along with unexpected injection molded plastic exhaust pipes make for a fine reproduction. The windows and roof are cleverly one-piece emulating the real car's black painted roof.

The 1:1 car is below.

For 2016 Honda reintroduces the NSX and she's a beauty.

There is also a Hot Wheels version of this exciting car.

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.

Hot Wheels Bread Box

Hot Wheels Bread Box a cool custom featuring panoramic sunroof.  This was introduced as a 2010 New Model.  Mattel dropped the New Model segment for 2013 preferring to simply blend new castings with old.

The first Bread Box release sported cool Post Office-like graphics.

In time a similar paint scheme was used on the "unmarked" Treasure Hunt.  The package no longer proclaimed "Treasure Hunt", instead a small circular branding identified it to the initiated.

Inspiration for the Bread Box came from the Jeep FJ-3 Fleetvan, a compact delivery van manufactured by Willys Motors and Kaiser-Jeep from 1961 to 1965.  The FJ-3 was produced first as the right-hand-drive postal delivery vehicle seen below. The FJ-3A had an additional 19 inches of rear overhang.

Tupac Maltese

One of my favorite CDs by Tupac Maltese. 

USPS Muscle Cars (Forever®) Stamps

With the newly issued Muscle Cars (Forever®) stamps the U.S. Postal Service celebrates five iconic automobiles from the muscle car era of the late 60s to early 70s.  Muscle cars are probably the most desirable cars to adult collectors. Not surprisingly, each of the Postal Service's choices has been issued by Hot Wheels over the years.

1969 Dodge Charger Daytona

1966 Pontiac GTO

1967 Shelby GT-500

 1970 Chevelle SS 

1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda

According to the USPS website, "Muscle Cars is the third issuance in the America on the Move series. The stamps were designed by art director Carl T. Herrman. The first issuance in the series, 50s Sporty Cars (2005), was followed by 50s Fins and Chrome (2008). The Muscle Cars stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps in self-adhesive sheets of 20 (4 of each design)."

Hurry!  Get these great new stamps while they're still hot.

Hot Wheels Bump Around | HW Racing 2013

This could be my favorite Hot Wheels of all time.

Based on the scale of a small wheel this wild ride is way bigger than 1/64.  Perhaps 1/32 or even 1/24.

Not sure why Mattel went with dark chrome base when it would have been more accurate in black plastic.  Ironically in this time of cost-cutting wherein many Hot Wheels have plastic bodies because it is cheaper. And the base looks exactly like diecast though it's plastic.

Most cars in the HW Racing line have diecast bases and many have plastic bodies.  This produces a lower center of gravity which is excellent for track set racing.  The Bump Around seems like an odd choice for the racing line.

If you want a bigger bumper car that your kids to ride on you won't do better than the Radio Flyer 740 Classic Bumper Car (Google Affiliate Ad) seen below.

2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: A Hot Wheels I'd Like To See

I'd like to see a Hot Wheels 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.  

The new Stingray is drop dead gorgeous.

The rear end is already somewhat controversial but I like the Camaro influenced taillights lending it a nice family resemblance.

The '09 Corvette Stingray Concept was introduced by Mattel in their 2010 lineup and is a beauty.

In 1968 Mattel jump-started the Corvette revolution by introducing the toy car as one of the original 16 Hot Wheels before the real one hit the streets.  This third generation Vette was an all-new body style radically different from the previous one.

The '14 can't be too far behind.

2012 Hot Wheels Car Of The Year Award

HTBomb's 2012 Hot Wheels Car Of The Year Award goes to

Larry Wood's Altered Ego.

Likely the most controversial release of 2012 the Altered Ego is also the car of the year.  Some people love it, some people hate it.  A few have even attempted to "fix" it by chopping it up and moving the front wheels back to where they belong.  That's cool but boring.

A note about how the award was decided. Other blogs attempt to legitimize their choices by accepting votes yet the fine print reveals only a handful of people took the time to vote.  Here at Magical Hot Wheels Blog we simply go with what we like.



For more about the Altered Ego go here.

Vintage Hot Wheels Ads

Back in the 60s Mattel ran many ads in comic books.  The following ad introduced many kids to the exciting new world of Hot Wheels cars.  It featured the original 16 castings.

 

Not only did Hot Wheels look great but they could do something Matchbox couldn't: race down the track.   Kids like me wanted their Hot Wheels to be the fastest and it was easy to set up match races in one's room.  Best of all: no batteries required; only required gravity to make it work.  The iconic loop was introduced in the earliest of sets.

Battery powered devices were introduced to compete with then popular slot car tracks.  These enabled Hot Wheels to zoom around a closed circuit race track.

Later ads switched to photos which were not as cool looking.  But the idea of challenging to a race was very tempting.  Mattel also ran TV commercials but that is a topic for a future post.

Hot Wheels Porsche 908 Spyder Hybrid

Gorgeous new hybrid from Porsche.  Another beauty from Hot Wheels.  Poised on my desk this car looks real with tampo headlights and Porsche emblem, realistic dark grey interior with 3-spoke steering wheel and well-bolstered racing buckets.  When Mattel designers nail it they really nail it.

The Porsche 918 Spyder is a mid-engined sports plug-in hybrid powered by a 4.6 litre V8 engine and two electric motors. Porsche plans to manufacture 918 units as a 2014 model with deliveries starting winter 2013.

*From the 2013 HW Showroom segment.

 

Hallmark Ornaments: A Hot Wheels Christmas Keepsake

Hallmark has a tradition of producing annual ornaments.  I have collected a few of them over the years primarily those dealing with my favorite redline years.  The Deora is among the first Hot Wheels cars and this ornament is a miniature replica of the car in its blister pack complete with collector button.

Deora

And who can resist a Silhouette with tiny vinyl carrying case?  I couldn't.

Silhouette

Not to mention everyone's elementary school favorite lunchbox and Thermos.

Splittin' Image

In honor of Hot Wheels' 30th anniversary Hallmark created a TwinMill on orange track loop.  Classic. 

TwinMill

The ornaments look great even without a tree and I hang mine from a shelf in the display cabinet with my redlines. Thanks to the Internet many of these are still easily found.  Why not start your collection today?

Hot Wheels '55 Chevy Bel Air Gasser

Introducing Mattel Hot Wheels Chevy Gasser new for 2013 from the HW Showroom series.

Gassers were a part of the early drag racing movement that began during the mid-1950s and continued all the way through the late-1960s. They paved the way for faster cars like the altered wheelbase A/FX (or “Altereds”) and funny cars.

The Hot Wheels gasser has authentic primer gray paint and hand-letter style graphics.  My only issue is it leans a bit too much to the rear so much so that it looks like it's lifting off the starting line.

The concept was to simply provide as much weight transfer over the rear wheels as possible to provide the best traction.  Tall tire was the name of the game with gassers, so radiused rear wheelwells were par for the course, as were fenderwell headers and weight-saving punch holes found across the front suspension and frame.

I think you'll agree that the gasser look is quite sexy. And Mattel captured the overall aesthetic quite nicely.

2013 Hot Wheels Special Edition Camaro

Finally, a Hot Wheels car you can drive to the supermarket.  Ever wonder what it would be like to drive a Hot Wheels car?  Well wonder no more.  Chevrolet has announced the 2013 Hot Wheels Special Edition Camaro.  Sporting Hot Wheels stickers on bodywork, front grille, sill and banks, wheels and a few other places not to mention discreet flames on the hind quarters.   It even has redline stripes on the wheels.

All this can be had for under seven grand plus the price of a Camaro, with V6 and V8 options in coupe and convertible.

While I enjoy collecting Hot Wheels I'm not quite ready to announce it to the world.

The Camaro is a fitting tribute as the first Hot Wheels released back in '68 was the Custom Camaro (a reasonable facsimile seen next to the '13 in the Sema photo above.  And Camaros remain collector favorites.

If you can't come up with the cash for the real car you can surely spring a buck for the regular issue toy version available soon at your favorite toy store or department.

The newest Hot Wheels Camaro...

Hot Wheels Special Edition Camaro

And the first...

Hot Wheels Custom Camaro