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