How old is Hot Wheels?

Hot Wheels^® might be the best-selling toy brand of all time, with a total production of more than 6 billion cars since the brand's founding in 1968.

What is the oldest hot wheel car?

1) The first Hot Wheels car that was produced was a dark blue custom Camaro in 1968. You may recognize the Camaro name from Transformers movies; Bumblebee transforms into the muscle car while saving the day.

How old is Hot Wheels today?

Hot Wheels is an American brand of scale model cars introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968.

How much did the first Hot Wheels cost?

These initial models sold for 69 to 89 cents each (which is about $6 to $7.60 today, accounting for inflation), said Bruce Pascal, an avid Hot Wheels collector and author of Hot Wheels Prototypes which includes the narrative history of the toy. An early Hot Wheels advertisement featuring some of its original cars.

Which is older Matchbox or Hot Wheels?

Hotwheels and Matchbox cars are very popular toys, and they can also make valuable collector's items. Matchbox and Hot Wheels gave children an early itch to become car enthusiasts. Hot Wheels hit the toy shelves in 1968 to compete with the already thriving Matchbox cars that were introduced to the world in 1953.

The Hot Wheels Story

What's the most expensive Hot Wheels car?

1 1969 Pink VW Beach Bomb

While other colors were also produced, the pink one was the rarest of the bunch. It's now owned by collector Bruce Pascal who boasts the most expensive Hot Wheels car in the world and its value keeps going up. Currently, you can expect to pay $175,000 for one of these toys.

Why are Hot Wheels hard to find?

During the pandemic, it was hard to find any of these models because of production issues, supply chain snarls, and other factors. But Hot Wheels can still be hard to find today, even though those issues have largely cleared up. That, collectors say, is because of resellers.

How many Hot Wheels exist?

Mattel, Inc. Since 1968, more than 4 billion Hot Wheels® cars have been produced.

Who owns the most Hot Wheels?

Mike Zarnock has the world's largest Hot Wheels collection, a record he's held for nearly two decades. 30,000 cars are kept inside 2,500 square feet of storage space in his home owned by Mike Zarnock.

How many Hot Wheels are made each year?

Nowadays, there's one made every 16 seconds; that's a rate of around 500 million cars each year, with the ecosystem surrounding their design, engineering and manufacturing looking every bit as mature as those for the full-size cars they mimic. So much more than a toy, Hot Wheels has become a phenomenon.

How many Hot Wheels get made a year?

With licensing in place with movie studios and just about every automaker on the planet, Mattel now produces 519 million Hot Wheels toys per year. That equates to about 10 million Hot Wheels cars and trucks rolling out per week, or about 16.5 each second.

Are Hot Wheels worth collecting?

And old toys are also in high demand right now. A collection of Hot Wheels cars from your childhood can turn into an excellent investment. It is not unexpected that collectors would have an interest in owning these Mattel items, given the fact that some Hot Wheels automobiles have skyrocketed in price and demand.

What was Hot Wheels first name?

The first line of Hot Wheels die-cast cars introduced were called “The Sweet 16,” and made their debut at the International Toy Fair in 1968. “The Sweet 16” were 16 cars whose designs were inspired by California muscle cars and hot rods.

What toy cars are worth money?

Are Matchbox cars worth any money?

While many old toys are now considered collectibles, some are worth more than others. Matchbox cars, for example, can range in value from a few dollars to several hundred dollars. The value of a particular Matchbox car depends on several factors, including its condition, rarity, and age.

Are pink Hot Wheels rare?

Of those only 150-odd were made, in other colors. It's said only two of the original prototypes were made in pink, which is what makes Bruce's model so valuable. It's literally a piece of Hot Wheels history!

Does Hot Wheels have every car?

Hot Wheels has designed a die-cast toy car for nearly every car ever manufactured and has customized some of the most iconic cars in the world including Dodge Dart, Chevrolet Camaro®, Ford Mustang, Porsche 911 and Volkswagen Beetle to name a few.

What does the 250 mean on Hot Wheels?

Each year HW releases 250 different castings in the mainline. Each car is given a collector number, not including recolors. This happens to be number 37/250 for that years mainline.

What is the fastest Hot Wheels car?

According to the website fastest hot wheels dot com, the current fastest Hot Wheels or Matchbox car, is the Hot Wheels Ambulance Super Van, 2010 edition. The 1970 Super Van Ambulance is no longer the world's fastest Hot Wheels car. The world's fastest Hot Wheels car is the red Ferrari 360 Modena from Hot Wheels.

Who invented Hot Wheels?

In the 1960s, Elliot Handler, a cofounder of Mattel, Inc., envisioned a die-cast car to surpass the popular English Matchbox brand. He wanted a line of toy cars to dominate Mattel's boys' division just as its Barbie doll had become the strongest brand in its girls' division.

How many unique Hot Wheels cars are there?

There are 20,000 different variations of Hot Wheels cars in existence. Hot Wheels partner with nearly every auto manufacturer in the world. Over 130 new car designs are introduced each year & they're sold in over 150 countries.

What is the world most rare Hot Wheels?

Officially known among Hot Wheels heads as the Hot Wheels Collector Number 271 with a blue card, there are only 12 of these in existence. Released in 1995, the Collector Number 271 is likely the rarest model Hot Wheels car from the 90s. The Collector Number 271 is worth around $3,500.

What is the hardest hotwheel to find?

What are the special Hot Wheels called?

Treasure Hunts (sometimes T-Hunts) are mainline segment series of Hot Wheels cars introduced by Mattel in 1995. They began as 12 cars every year; one released per month. Now there can be 12 or 15 T-hunts.