Hot Wheels’ major competitor for years was Matchbox until Mattel bought Tyco in 1996. During the fledgling Hot Wheels period, Mattel wanted to ensure that every of the automobiles could be used with any of the playsets and stunt track sets. Tooned (vehicles based mostly on the bigger Hot Tunerz line of Hot Wheels created by Eric Tscherne), Blings , Hardnoze , Crooze , and Fatbax (super-wide rear wheels and brief hot wheels bodies). Fatbax models included autos such as the Toyota Supra and Corvette C6. These vehicles didn’t promote in addition to Mattel anticipated, and many might nonetheless be found in shops all through 2005.
The latter were vehicles with a panel that, on contact, would rotate to reveal a reverse side that seemed to be closely dented. Variations in crash panels included front, rear and side panels, the last of whose mechanism has confirmed to be essentially the most durable. Treasure Hunt vehicles are identifiable by a label on the package.
The incontrovertible fact that a few of the vans are unlicensed permits the castings to be universally used in any Team Transport set no matter theme (for example, a Chevrolet-branded truck wouldn’t make sense in a Ford-themed set). Although “Team Transport” is labeled under the Car Culture line, they are a separate class of Car Culture autos than the usual 5-car sets, possessing different barcodes and prices. These automobiles retail for over thrice the retail worth of a “primary” automotive, and are produced in considerably hot wheels garage fewer numbers. There are lots of, perhaps even hundreds, of web pages dedicated to Hot Wheels collecting. Collectors are in search of everything related to Hot Wheels, from only new castings to only Red Lines and every thing in between. For the most half, it is a comparatively cheap interest, in comparison with coin amassing, stamp accumulating or Barbie amassing, with mainline vehicles costing about $0.97-$1.08 at retail.
In 2008, all the sequence and autos have been relatively just like 2007’s automobiles. Also in 2001, Mattel issued 240 mainline releases consisting of 12 Treasure Hunts, 36 First Editions, 12 Segment Series with four vehicles every, and one hundred forty four open inventory cars. Popular fashions that debuted include the HyperMite and FrightBike. In 1974, Hot Wheels launched its ‘Flying Colors’ line, and added flashy decals and “tampo-printed” paint designs which helped revitalize sales. Hot Wheels is a partner and sponsor of the Australian stunt rider Matt Mingay’s Stuntz Inc group, and likewise sponsors him in the Stadium Super Trucks.
The Beach Bomb is a VW microbus with a pair of surfboards poking out the rear window. This design failed preliminary testing, proving to be top-heavy and not functional with the Power Booster track accessory. A widened model with the surfboards mounted in side slots was designed and released for the 1969 mannequin 12 months, making the “rear loader” version a rarity and very sought-after piece. As of 2018, there are about 50 “rear loaders” known to exist.
The value has not changed much in nearly forty years, though in actual terms the fashions have dropped considerably in worth (a Hot Wheels automobile cost $0.98 in 1968 and costs $0.98 at present, in spite of inflation). After the automobiles are not out there at retail the fee can range significantly. A frequent automotive might promote for lower than retail, whereas some of the more difficult cars can sell for many hundred and even hundreds of dollars. The highest worth paid for a Hot Wheels car was near $70,000 in 2000 for a pre-production model of a Volkswagen Rear Loader Beach Bomb (the asking value was $72,000).
Hot Wheels World’s Best Driver , launched for iOS, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation three, Wii U, and Xbox 360. Hot Wheels Track Attack , launched for the Nintendo DS and Wii. Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 , released for the Nintendo DS and Wii. Hot Wheels Ultimate Racing , released for the PlayStation Portable. Hot Wheels Turbo Racing , released for the Nintendo sixty four and the PlayStation.