Bogart Von - Hot Wheels Classics: The Redline Era

Classics

The Redline Era

Angelo Van Bogart

2009 Krause Publications, Inc.,
a subsidiary of F+W Media, Inc.

All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, withoutpermission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a critical article orreview to be printed in a magazine or newspaper, or electronically transmitted on radio, television, or the Internet.

Published by

700 East State Street lola, Wl 54990-0001
715-445-2214888-457-2873
www.krausebooks.com

Our toll-free number to place an order or obtain a free catalog is (800) 258-0929.

HOT WHEELS and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by, and used under license from Mattel, Inc. 2009 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mattel makes no representation as to the authenticity of the materials contained herein. All opinions are those of the authors and not of Mattel.

All Hot Wheels images and art are owned by Mattel, Inc. 2009 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Cover photography by Kris Kandler

Library of Congress Control Number: 2009923873

ISBN-13: 978-1-4402-0240-7
ISBN-10: 1-4402-0240-0
eISBN: 978-1-44021-941-2

Designed by Heidi Bittner-Zastrow
Edited by Paul Kennedy

Printed in China

Dedication

For Ryan Gilman, Tom Bartsch and Jeremy Tietz, the good friends who help me get into just enough trouble to keep life interesting.

Acknowledgments

The passion for Hot Wheels cars burns strong with many collectors, and a small but important few helped bring this book together. Foremost were the Mattel designers, past and present, who took time from their busy schedules to recall their thoughts on these toys and share their memories for this book. Without them, its difficult to imagine a die-cast car world as exciting as many of us have experienced since our youth and into our adulthood.

The collections of several people made this book a visual feast of vintage Hot Wheels. The collections of fellow Hot Wheels collectors Mark Meredith, Colin Bruce III, Pete Cambio, Anita Smith, Edward Wershbale, Tom Michael and Bob Whaley are the source for many of the great Hot Wheels cars included in this book. For opening their collections to me and our photographers, I am deeply indebted.

Finally, the photographs in this book are largely the handiwork of Kris Kandler, a photographer with the patience and vision to capture Hot Wheels with a fresh eye each time she points her camera towards them. For her professionalism in every endeavor through which I have worked with Kris, I offer my deepest appreciation.

Bibliography

Clark, Jack and Wicker, Robert P. Hot Wheels: The Ultimate Redline Guide, Identification and Values, 1968-1977.

Paducah, Kentucky. Collectors Books, 2003

Leffingwell, Randy. Hot Wheels: 35 Years of Speed, Power, Performance and Attitude. St. Paul, Minnesota.

MBI Publishing Company, 2003.

Ragan, Mac. Hot Wheels Cars. St. Paul, Minnesota. MBI Publishing Company, 2001.

Stearns, Dan. Standard Catalog of Die-Cast Vehicles. Iola, Wisconsin. Krause Publications, 2002.

Strauss, Michael Thomas. Tomarts Price Guide to Hot Wheels Collectibles, Fifth edition. Dayton, Ohio. Tomart Publications, 2002.

Wershbale, Edward. Hot Wheels Spectraflame: The Essential Guide. Iola, Wisconsin. Krause Publications, 2008.

Contents

The Life and Times of the Redline Era

1968

The Custom Camaro rocks the die-cast toy world as part of the Sweet 16, the first run of Hot Wheels cars that sets in motion one of the most successful toy lines in history.

1969

The Volkswagen Beach Bomb, a nod to the California surfing culture, is the hottest casting to come out of 1969 as Mattel expands its Hot Wheels line from 16 to 40 castings.

1970

Based on the fabulous and sporty 1955 Chevrolet Nomad, Mattels ultra-cool Classic Nomad highlights a year that also saw the introduction of the Heavyweights series.

1971

One of the most collectible castings introduced in the Redline era, the Larry Wood-designed Olds 442 stands out as the years lone realistic muscle car.

1972

Open Fire, the AMC Gremlin-influenced casting, is one of only seven new releases in 1972, the last year of the vibrant, candy-colored Spectraflame era.