Auto Expo 2018: Hot Wheels celebrates its golden jubilee
Words by Afzal Rawuther
Hot Wheels will be celebrating its 50th anniversary at the Auto Expo 2018. The hugely loved brand that makes toy cars is showcasing two life-sized versions of its popular cars – a classic car and a contemporary one. The Hot Wheels insignia is painted across the cars. Formed in 1968, the company, has made a name for itself as the brand to turn to when one is looking at toy cars. Their spunky collection which often includes muscle cars and hot rods is generally a kid’s first point of contact with the automotive world. Fascinated with the miniature versions of these cars, we often endear ourselves to cars when we grow older.
Mattel co-founder Elliott Handler collaborated with a car designer and rocket scientist to create a toy car that looked cooler and performed better than other toy cars of the era – much like how we want our cars to be. Hot Wheels, today, is the largest selling toy in the world, having manufactured over 6 billion cars since 1968, which is roughly 16.5 cars per second!
The design of the classic car stays loyal to the brand’s signature style. The classic muscle has a grunge look with its all black body and chrome highlights. The car features a lip spoiler on the rear tail and an air dam in the front. The interiors too keep up with the theme with a unique chain design steering wheel and a skull head gear knob. The upholstery is draped in red leather to complement the rest of the interior.
The contemporary car features sporty bits like the bumper designed with a bold horizontal line and broad air inlets that add to the car’s wide and sculpted look. A swanky black roof, and a rear tail gate spoiler also add to the visual appeal. The headlight cluster, the fog lights and the tail lights feature LEDs.
