A Hot Wheels “50th anniversary” emblem was additionally placed beside the set’s name on the packaging. In 2016, Hot Wheels released a special assortment for the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ 1966 music “Yellow Submarine.” The collections includes 5 automobiles, a VW microbus and a yellow submarine. Hot Wheels has produced many duplicate scale models in the industry standard 1/43, 1/24 and 1/18 scales. In 2004, it released a 1/12 scale replica of the C6 Corvette. General Motors additionally released a special Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Edition, which was a blue convertible that supplied various Hot-Wheels-themed decorations throughout the automotive. In 2009, Mattel launched 42 New Models, 12 Treasure Hunts, 12 Track Stars, 24 Mystery Cars, 10 Segment Series of 10 cars, and introduced the Indy Car Series drivers.
For instance, the Pearl Driver vehicles all had pearlescent paint. Sales for the sequence fashions soared with another program also launched that 12 months known as the Bonus Car program, causing shops across the nation to have shortages. Purchasing the 4 automotive sets and sending in the packaging backs plus a handling payment gave you the opportunity to collect the bonus cars, 1 each released for every quarter of the 12 months beginning in 1996 via no less than 2000. Several new wheel designs have been additionally launched within the 1990s.
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 practical with the Power Booster observe accessory. A widened model with the surfboards mounted in facet slots was designed and launched for the 1969 model 12 months, making the “rear loader” version a rarity and really sought-after piece. As of 2018, there are about 50 “rear loaders” recognized to exist.
The Hot Wheels Collectors Nationals rotate amongst cities outdoors of California during the spring. Strauss has additionally published the quarterly Hot Wheels Newsletter since 1986 and was one of the first to unite collectors all over the world. He also writesTomart’s Price Guide To Hot Wheels, a guide itemizing historical past, automobile descriptions and values, which is utilized by almost each collector to be taught more concerning the interest and their collection. Strauss bought his collection in 2011 and retired from the Hot Wheels Newsletter. Two different innovations were launched briefly in Hot Wheels automobiles within the Nineteen Eighties – Thermal Color Change paint, and rotating ‘crash panel’ vehicles (“Crack-Ups”). The former was capable of change color on publicity to scorching or chilly water, and there was an initial launch of 20 different automobiles, available as sets of three automobiles.
Hot Wheels has also released barely bigger, extra detailed models, such as the unique Gran Toros (1/43 scale) from 1970, and the Dropstars line (a model line of “blinged” cars). Also on this bigger scale are the HIN , G-Machines and Customs lines. Starting in 2018, Hot Wheels launched a brand hot wheels new program known as the Hot Wheels Legends Tour. This program was initially launched to commemorate Hot Wheels’s fiftieth anniversary. Each year, there are 18 Legends Tour events that are held at numerous Walmart areas throughout the United States.
The year 1995 introduced a significant change to the Hot Wheels line, where the automobiles had been split up into sequence. One was the 1995 Model Series, which included all of that 12 months hot wheels garage‘s new castings. 1995 also saw the introduction of the Treasure Hunt Series . The remainder of the series included four cars with paint schemes that followed a theme.
The latter were automobiles with a panel that, on contact, would rotate to disclose a reverse side that appeared to be closely dented. Variations in crash panels included front, rear and side panels, the last of whose mechanism has confirmed to be the most sturdy. Treasure Hunt automobiles are identifiable by a label on the package deal.
Hot Wheels additionally launched a number of collector-focused traces for that 12 months, together with Favorites, which was a series that consisted of 11 highly-detailed automobiles , all with steel bodies and rubber tires. For this yr, Hot Wheels also launched a display case, which might hold up to forty eight vehicles, and could either get up on its own (via attachable “ft”) or be mounted on a wall. Eric Tscherne and Fraser Campbell together with former designer Paul Tam’s son, Alec Tam, joined the design group. Tscherne’s Seared Tuner (formerly Sho-Stopper) graced the mainline packaging from 2000 to 2003. The Deora II, one of only two Hot Wheels concept cars ever made into full-size, practical automobiles, was also released this yr. Handler found his son Kenneth playing with Matchbox cars and decided to create a line to compete with Matchbox.