![]() Mattel decided to retool the casting in 2005, with Mark Jones at the helm of the project. If you do manage to come across one of these cars, don't be shocked if you'll have to pay up to $2,000 per unit for the carded version. But you can find an extensive Online Redline Guide that showcases all the particularities of each given model. While the rear end on it is part of the base, it's part of the body on the Hong Kong version. There are some differences between the two, one being that the hood is smaller on the US Corvette. And that explains how the diecast version of the car could be ready at about the same time as the real one was making its way into dealerships across the United States.įor 1968, there were 15 versions of the Custom Corvette for the USA and 10 for Hong Kong, offering a plethora of colors for kids and collectors alike to choose from. ![]() Reportedly, he snuck into GM's offices to get his hands on the blueprints for the 1968 Corvette. The man who designed it was Harry Bradley, who had previously worked for General Motors. The Custom Corvette was introduced in 1968 as part of the Sweet Sixteen series.Īnd for the first 11 years, this was one of three Corvette castings to be sold as part of a Hot Wheels collection. Naturally, the company started rather slow, at least compared to what it's up to these days. That's one part for every 11 years of diecast history. So, given that Hot Wheels is celebrating its 55th anniversary next year, I decided to split the story into five different parts. Initially, I thought I would write a story about all the HW Corvettes in one go, but I realized that one could probably write an entire book on the topic instead. There are about 60 different castings for the Corvette, but I haven't finished the calculation on how many different color variations there are just yet. And that would have taken the total number of HW Corvettes up to about 500 variations or so.īut once I started digging, I realized I had completely underestimated Mattel's prowess in coming up with new products every year. With Pascal as a guide, here are the hottest Hot Wheels.And the question was: how many different Hot Wheels Corvettes are there? I could have guessed that there are about 20 or 30 different castings, each with dozens of variations. Even if they’re cheap, some are still highly sought after by artists and customizers who wish to cut costs in their restoration efforts. The cheaper Hot Wheels, known as beaters, are worth a couple dollars, at most. Pascal said that just like with real cars, adding aftermarket parts or custom paint can actually devalue the original. ![]() That doesn’t mean swapping parts on what you already own will turn you into a celebrity at the next Antiques Roadshow. It’s toward the end of the production run when the people who assembling the cars begin dipping into different parts buckets. Pascal told us Hot Wheels can use as many as 30 different sets of wheels a year. The true diamonds are models with unreleased colors or wheel combinations. What’s the difference between a 10-cent toy, and one worth more than a real Porsche Taycan? According to Bruce, low-volume models in original condition are the cream of the crop, even when their age is showing. ![]() His collection of more than 7000 items is valued at just over $1 million. We called our old friend and Hot Wheels-fanatic Bruce Pascal to check up on what’s changed since last year in terms of rare and valuable cars. Hot Wheels celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018 with one of its best years ever.
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