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• Hot Wheels are die-cast model toy cars popular with children and adult collectors alike. The line was introduced in 1968 by the toy manufacturing giant Mattel, to compete with the leading Matchbox-brand cars. Hot Wheels' authentic styling, working suspensions, "fast" wheels and other features quickly made them a staple of the boy's toy market.

• Fast Facts

  1. Introduced in 1968
  2. Designed by Rick Irons
  3. Originally featured only "souped-up" custom hot rods, but later included stock models
  4. Price of approximately $1 has remained relatively constant over 40 years
  5. Date of each car's design copyright is etched into base
  6. Models made in 1972 and 1973 very rare, sought by collectors

• Race Tracks

  Hotwheels have never included an electrical propulsion system, like the Tyco-brand cars of the late 1970s, but Mattel has long marketed flexible "race tracks" that the cars can be pushed along. Some of these sets have entered a realm of pure fantasy that contrasts with the authentic designs of the cars: 2005's Gorilla Attack set is a roller coaster themed track stalked by an angry gorilla figurine.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Mattel | LEGO | GI Joe | [[ Pokémon]] | Polly Pocket | Power Rangers | Skateboards | Spider-Man Toys | SpongeBob SquarePants | Star Wars Toys | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Thomas the Tank Engine | Transformers

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