Welcome to the World of Hot Wheels

Introduced in 1968 by Mattel, Hot Wheels were an instant success. Affordable-sleek hot rod designs, combined with the iconic orange track and a little gravity, made for good times that still continue today.

The first set of Hot Wheels that were released in 1968 are referred to as the “Sweet Sixteen.” These sixteen cars were also part of the first “red line” series which had the famous red stripe around the tires.

The “Sweet Sixteen” consisted of the following:

• Beatnik Bandit

• Custom El Dorado

• Custom Camaro

• Custom Corvette

• Custom Fleetside

• Custom Mustang

• Custom T-Bird

• Custom Cougar

• Custom Firebird

• Custom Barracuda

• Custom Volkswagon

• Deora

• Ford J-Car

• Hot Heap

• Python (Cheeta)

• Silhouette (Pictured below)

In the early days Hot Wheels were mostly collected by kids. That all changed in the 1990’s when collecting these die cast cars started to become popular with adults. Today there are collector clubs in almost every city., countless Facebook pages devoted to these cars and conventions all around the country that help keep their popularity alive.

Last but not least, the very best thing about Hot Wheels is that they are still only 98 cents. Yep, in spite of inflation they cost exactly the same as they did in 1968.

We have only touched the surface on the world of Hot Wheels. To learn a lot more, sit back and enjoy this Collector Guys video.