| Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, started by | | | | models of custom hot rods and muscle cars it has |
| American toymaker Mattel in 1968. Mattel was the | | | | produced since the range first appeared. |
| primary competitor of Johnny Lightning and Matchbox | | | | There were sixteen castings released in 1968, eleven |
| until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the | | | | of them designed by Harry Bentley Bradley, with the |
| Matchbox brand from Tyco. Originally the cars and | | | | first one produced being a dark blue Custom Camaro. |
| trucks were manufactured to roughly 1:64 scale and | | | | Some of the cars released in 1968 are Custom |
| designed to be used on associated Hot Wheels track | | | | Barracuda, Custom Camaro, Custom Corvette, |
| sets, but by 1970 a series of 1:43 scale 'Gran Toros' | | | | Custom Cougar, Custom Eldorado, Deora, Ford J-Car, |
| were introduce and in more recent times a range of | | | | Python, Silhouette and many more. All of the cars |
| highly comprehensive adult collector 1:18 scale | | | | attributed 'Spectraflame' paintwork, bearings, redlines |
| vehicles, including replicas of world race cars like | | | | wheels, and working suspension. For most castings, it |
| Formula One and NASCAR. However the brand | | | | is the hardest colour to find, and today can command |
| remains most famous for the small scale free-rolling | | | | prices ten times as high as more common colours. |