Hot Wheels is an American brand of scale model cars invented by Elliot Handler and introduced by his company Mattel on May 18, 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until Mattel bought Matchbox owner Tyco Toys in 1997.

Every licensed Hot Wheels model is designed from a clean sheet. It must be the easiest job in the world, right? Manufacturers send 3-D renderings of production cars to the Mattel Design Center then artists scale it down from 1:1 to 1:64, add a snazzy paint job, and clock out.

Larry Wood Larry Wood and his some of his Hot Wheels designs. Wood was born in Middletown and lived there until he was eight years old when his father moved the family to Haddam, where he lived until the age of 18.

Each Hot Wheels made today contains die-cast or metal in them but less than they did in 1968, Wu said. Parts of each car - which are produced in a limited number of colors - are also made of plastic; sometimes that can be the body or the chassis of the car.

*Hot Wheels Basic Cars Assortment is the #1 selling toy in the world, based on units sold, according to NPD. The “Sweet 16,” the first set of die-cast cars, included custom designs based on real life hot rods and reflected California's custom car culture.

When kids play with Hot Wheels, every attempt teaches them to take on challenges, develop problem-solving skills, and cultivate a growth mindset.

20,000 different models Over 130 new variations of Hot Wheels designs are manufactured each year, and these colorful and unique designs are sold in over 150 countries. There are also over 20,000 different models in existence overall, making a complete collection something that's nearly impossible to acquire.

TG: And what about designs unique to Hot Wheels? Ted: We've got a team of over 40 designers, across many disciplines.

For most of Hot Wheels' history, the vehicles have been produced in Asian countries (Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, China, etc.) and exported around the world for their sale.

Bhd. (MMSB) commemorated its 40th anniversary in Malaysia today with the announcement of a plant expansion, expected to be completed in January 2023. The world's largest Hot Wheels manufacturing plant, MMSB is also the world's only manufacturer of Hot Wheels singles, the top-selling toy globally in 20211.

For most of Hot Wheels' history, the vehicles have been produced in Asian countries (Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, China, etc.) and exported around the world for their sale.

For most of Hot Wheels' history, the vehicles have been produced in Asian countries (Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, China, etc.) and exported around the world for their sale.

Different wheels, windows, paint, colors, and graphics can all lead to different, valuable variants of vintage Hot Wheels. If they released a limited-edition car, the price of those rare Hot Wheels would skyrocket. If there are any manufacturing errors, your car is considered one of a kind.

In general, wheels are used for: low production costs – this is the case if we compare the prices for wheels and tracks; speed – compared with tracks, the wheels need a lower amount of torque to move on from stationary; maneuverability – the wheels provide high maneuverability compared with continuous tracks.

Fast Facts

• Hot Wheels was first introduced in 1968 to the toy industry during NEW YORK TOY FAIR.
• Hot Wheels' birthday is celebrated on MAY 18.
• The first Hot Wheels car off the line was a dark blue CUSTOM CAMARO.
• The first Hot Wheels cars to be sold were the "SWEET 16"
• OVER 6 BILLION Hot Wheels have been produced since 1968.

Modern Mainline Wheels