The Classic Cord was one Redline that eluded me for over 10 years of collecting. Up until recently, the Cord and the Olds 442 were the only 2 cars I didn’t have in my collection. Fortunately, that changed this past March when fellow collector Scott Jones offered me a fine Magenta piece from his personal collection (pictured below). The true stars of this article however, belong to Anita Smith (aka Chickluu). Anita is a top-notch collector, and I’m honored to have her allow me to showcase some of her fine examples of the Classic Cord. Anita has been collecting for over 8 years. She’s very knowledgeable with Redlines, and has some very pristine examples in her collection.

At one point in history, E. L. Cord controlled Auburn, Duesenberg, Cord, Lycoming, Stinson Aircraft and American Airways. In 1929, Cord introduced the L-29 – the first front-wheel drive automobile. When the stock market crashed, the luxury car market virtually slowed down to a standstill. E. L. Cord then commissioned Gordon Buehrig to create a baby Duesenberg. The result was a medium priced, front-drive car that became the 810 and 812 models introduced in 1936. The cars brought style and performance to the marketplace. Features included a coffin-nose, retractable headlights and V-8 power. The 812 was available in standard and supercharged version, and only 200 of the supercharged “Phaetons” were created. This supercharged 812 was the automobile Mattel modeled their Classic Cord after.

Mattel’s Classic Cord was designed by Larry Wood. This USA only casting featured a metal base and body and a metal engine with a supercharger sticking thru a lift-up hood. It’s plastic interior only came in black. Other features included a clear windshield, a lift off black plastic roof and of course, Redline tires.

Finishes were available in twelve spectraflame colors with the hardest to find currently being Hot Pink. This casting is very desirable among collectors. C8 examples sell in the range of $75-275 loose. The most valuable Cords are Hot Pink models with pristine loose pieces selling in the $1,900-2,500 range!

Credits: Anita Smith balance of the images. Magenta Cord from the RK Stickels collection. Cord Collectors of America text and images, Tomarts guide #6, Spectraflame-the essential guide.

Additional Redlines from Anita’s collection of cars can be seen in the following book, Hot Wheels Classic Redline Era: Hot Wheels – Birth of the Redline by Angelo Von Bogart (Hardcover – Sep 28, 2009).

In 1970, Mattel introduced the Hot Wheels Club in advertisements on the back of blisterpacks and catalogs, (shown below on the back of a 1970 Canadian blister pack). Hot Wheels fans were enticed to join the club with a picture of a chrome-plated "Mustang Boss Hoss" that was exclusively provided to club members only.

Collectors could join the club for the insanely low price of $1.00, and if you did, you not only got the car, but also got the 1970 Hot Wheels "Annual" magazine, a sheet of Hot Wheels stickers, an iron-on patch, a membership card, a membership certificate and a metal badge showing the "Silver Special" car. Who wouldn’t join for a dollar? When Mattel could not supply enough Club Kits, they mailed new members an envelope with a letter indicating that their car would be sent separately.

While never shown in ads for the club, two other chrome club cars were also produced – the Heavy Chevy and King Kuda. Most members got a Boss Hoss judging by the number of these cars that are around today compared to the number of chrome Kuda’s and Chevys that are seen. All three club cars were made with white and black plastic interiors. A spectraflame colored Heavy Chevy and King Kuda were already part of the 1970 main line, and the Boss Hoss was later released to the main line in 1971.

Complete Hot Wheels Club Kits are now valued between $125-200.

Click any image to see the larger version.

The King Kuda #7 with excessive playwear is from RK Stickels childhood collection.

Note: Most kits included the Chrome Boss Hoss

Credits: Images from the RK Stickels collection. I would like to thank the following collectors for there support as well: Michael Zarnock for help in gathering club kit images and supporting literature, www.redlinespoilers.com: for help in gathering text, rare 2-Pak, BP Canadian art, club kit images, BP King Kuda, Tomarts guide #6, Spectraflame-the essential guide.

Hot Wheels Redlines collector Scott Jones recently put together this great photo montage to share with the collecting community. If you’re into Redlines then you’ll surely enjoy feasting your eyes on these great shots.

Some of Scott’s photos can also be seen in the occasional Stick’s Redline Garage post here on DiecastAudio.

Welcome to Part 2 of the Heavyweights post. Be sure to check out the first part of this series for even more information and great pictures!

In the previous post, my heavyweight collection consisted mainly of original wreckers, a snorkel, a racer rig, a fuel tanker, a moving van and many restored scoopers and ambulances. Most redline purists prefer original redlines, and I appreciate that view. On the other hand, restoring one is the next best approach if the casting is trashed. Part 1 also only covered a portion of the various Heavyweight models. In this post I’ll review the remainder of the lineup as I was able to complete my redline collection in the past few years with some cool finds. I’ll also feature some blisters as an added bonus.

Introduced in 1970, the Heavyweights series has to be one of the most unique looking concepts in the redline era. The futuristic truck designs by Ira Gilford typically featured wrap around windshields and unique functioning body parts. Some were even issued in a two-part cab and trailer combination which was a first for Hot Wheels.

The Heavyweights line was available in 11 spectraflame colors and white enamel. The cabs were traditionally finished in white enamel or red or blue spectraflame. The series was issued on three different blister cards: one pictured a Fire Truck, another a Cement Mixer, and the third showcased a Tow Truck. Heavyweights are very collectable, and you can expect to pay between $25-$90 depending on the casting and condition.

Heavyweights were very popular in my neighborhood when I was growing up. My friends and I had crazy imaginations and these castings fueled our obsessions with race cars, orange track and of course, Hot Wheels!  The Scooper, Mixer, Dump truck, and Waste Wagon easily transformed the average sandbox into a major construction site just waiting to begin excavated. The gang was also pretty excited when it came to building that replica F-1 or LeMans track with a double supercharger setup and “miles” of orange track! My brother Rich and I had plenty of Grand Prix cars, along with a Wrecker and a Fire Engine. My buddy Peter had a Race Rig, Andy had a few Fuel Tankers, and John supplied the Ambulances. We certainly had no shortage of vehicles to fuel our play time!

Click any image to see the larger versions

Note: As a child I had a lot of redlines that I was able to salvage and feature in past posts. Unfortunately, I lost or traded most of my heavyweights, and the fire truck is my only surviving casting.

Credits: Images from the RK Stickels collection. I would like to thank the following collectors for there support as well: Adams Toys & Collectables: BP of the Fuel Tanker and Snorkel. RedlineJohnny: BP Race Team, and German issue Scooper. Ultrahots for the BP: Crumbler Snorkel. Dan Spaulding: BP Fire Engine and trio of Wreckers. Tomarts guide #6, Spectraflame-the essential guide.

When you think back on your childhood and playing with Hot Wheels there are a few models that could possibly define that era. We all had the Splittin’ Image, Turbo Fire and the Twin Mill in our black wheel carry case. The Twin Mill really stands out as a true fantasy car, and its always at the center of any redline bench racing session.

The Twin Mill was designed by Ira Gilford and was released in 1969 as a USA only casting. It had a metal base & body, a plastic interior that came in assorted colors, redline tires, twin plastic exposed chrome engines and a clear windshield. Some castings can be found with gold-tinted motors. The silver interior version is very hard to find.

A few examples exist with the angle of the rear fender cut more inward. These are known as “Cut Fender” variations, and they tend to fetch premium pricing the ranges between $400-$700 loose. Some castings carried chrome rear wheels (similar to the HK wheels on other castings) that were found on very late runs. Note: These are correct U.S. Wheels. Magenta, Hot Pink, Light Green, Yellow are among the most common colors with these wheels.

Finishes were available in eighteen spectraflame colors with the hardest to find being metallic magenta. This casting is very desirable among collectors and affordable to buy. C8 examples sell in the range of $40-$90 loose.

What’s cool about the Twin Mill casting is that it was the first life-size car created based on a Hot Wheels design. The full-sized Twin Mill was commissioned for the Hot Wheels 30th anniversary in 1998 and unveiled in 2001 at SEMA. The twin Chevrolet motors, supplied by General Motors Performance Products are not just for show – this car is fully operational! The current version of the Twin Mill® is painted in PPG’s Hot Wheels Spectra- flame® Anti-freeze. Note the original 1998 model was painted dark red, antifreeze is a repaint.

Click any image to see the larger version.

Credits: Images from the RK Stickels collection. Full size Twin Mill courtesy of SEMA and Mattel. Tomarts guide #6, Spectraflame-the essential guide.

The Mod Quad has to be one of the most unusual designed concept cars of the Hot Wheels Redline era. The casting was designed by Howard Rees was issued in 1970 and 1971.

At first glance one wonders what this casting resembles. It’s look certainly takes cues from the Rod & Custom dream car show circuit and seemingly pays homage to some of the custom car greats. Its got the Tommy Ivo 4 motor configuration in the front and rear, the bubble top of a Roth, Cushenberry or Starbird custom and the lengthened body of a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado on steroids!

This casting was issued in both USA and Hong Kong versions. It has a hinged canopy that opens to reveal a detailed plastic interior that came in assorted colors. One unique clue as to what version you have is the color of the canopy glass. The Hong Kong version has blue canopy glass. The USA version has clear canopy glass with a molded circle.

The finish was available in 13 spectraflame colors with the most desirable being metallic light blue (see image below). This casting is very hard to find in a C7 or better condition and can be very pricey. A blister fresh metallic light blue can bring $175 or better. As always, it pays to be patient and keep hunting. I once found the metallic rose version with a few flee bites for $12.00!

Click any image to view the larger version

Credits: Big thanks to my left coast buddy Scott Jones and his endless help with rare pieces and added insight. Tomarts guide #6, and Spectraflame-the essential guide. Blue, Aqua, and blister mods courtesy Scott Jones collection, balance RK Stickels collection.

One of the first castings to debut in the Grand Prix series of Redlines was the Brabham Repco F1. It was based on the 1966 World Championship winning racer designed by John Cooper, built by Geoff Brabham and driven by Jack Brabham. The original car used an all aluminum Oldsmobile V8 powerplant and was tuned by Australian engine tuner Repco. See pictures of the original 1:1 scale Repco below.

Mattel’s Hong Kong casting was released on 1969 and featured a metal base, a plastic interior in assorted colors redline tires, a plastic exposed engine, and a blue windshield. The white interior version is very hard to find as are the castings with metal chrome engines. Finishes were available in nine spectraflame colors. The hardest color to find is light metallic brown. The dark green (racing green) enamel version (the true team Brabham racing color) is also very hard to find.

This casting is very desirable among racing collectors. C7 examples sell in the range of $40-$90.

Click on any image to see the larger versions.

Credits: Images from the RK Stickels collection. Tomarts guide #6, Spectraflame – The Essential Guide and Scott Jones.

In 2009, Larry Wood officially announced his retirement after 40 years with Mattel and what better way to pay tribute to a designer that has brought us so many cool casting then to  feature the Tri Baby. The Tri Baby was the first “concept car” Larry produced for Mattel.

This casting was released in 1970 in both a USA and Hong Kong version. It has a swing-up hinged rear opening engine cover that reveals 3 detailed turbine engines. It also features a wrap-around windshield in clear and blue glass, a plastic interior in assorted colors and redline tires. As with all early redlines, the base and body are cast in metal.  The finish was available in 10 spectra-flame colors with the hardest to find being metallic hot pink.

This casting is very desirable among collectors. C9 sell in the range of $40-$90.

Casting Comparison

Credits: Images from the RK Stickels collection. Tomarts guide #6, and Spectraflame – The Essential Guide.

The Classic 57 T-Bird had a body built for speed, and it’s factory styling was ahead of its time. It’s 2-seat roadster style made it an instant Hot Rod sensation as well as a customizer’s dream. The racers loved the “little birds” as well. They could pull out the factory small block V-8 and install 428 drag motors with dual quad carbs that would break speed records all day long.

The Mattel version of the Classic 57 T-Bird was released in 1969-1971, and was truly racing inspired with the aero cowl behind the drivers seat and drag pipes poking from behind the front wheel openings. Without a doubt, Mattel’s T-Bird was ready to race the orange track drag strip from the get-go.

The T-Bird was only released as a USA casting and featured a metal base, a lift up hood which reveals a metal engine, a plastic interior (in assorted colors), clear glass and redline tires. The finish was available in 18 spectraflame colors. Metallic Pink has traditionally been the most desirable color. This casting is very hard to find in a C7 or better condition and can be very pricey.

Click on any image to see the larger version

Credits: Images from the RK Stickel’s collection, Blister T-Bird, and T-Bird with red headlights from the Scott Jones collection. Tomarts guide #6, and Spectraflame – The Essential Guide.

The Hot Heap could quite possibly be one of the coolest castings Mattel has ever built, and its history makes a very interesting story.

Don Tognotti was one of the most successful Custom car show promoters of his time, but before that he built show cars. The Hot Heap was based on his 1964 modified Model T Roadster show car called “King T”, also known as “Tognotti’s T.” The King T won the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award at the Grand National Roadster Show in 1964.

By winning this award the King T was launched into stardom. Shortly after, MPC built a 3-in-1 model kit, and in 1968 Mattel released it as one of the original 16 Hot Wheels castings. A popular Hot Wheels model among many collectors, the Hot Heap is one casting that most collectors hope will be reissued in the near future.

The Hot Heap was originally issued in both a US and Hong Kong casting. The US version featured a metal engine and a color-matched, molded interior and steering wheel. The base was fairly plain with no details other than the exhaust pipes and logos (Hot Wheels, US patents pending, etc.) It also had a shorter trunk, and the leaf springs on the back were shorter and less detailed. US  castings also came clear windshields and the wheels carried a dull silver finish.

The Hong Kong casting came with a plastic chrome engine. The base was more detailed with the entire drive train molded into the base, and featured open slots to view the axles. It was also issued with chrome wheels. The trunk was also longer, and the leaf springs on the back were longer and more detailed. They also came with blue-tinted windshields, and the interior were molded in various colors with a black steering wheels.

Credits: Images from the RK Stickel’s collection, Tomarts guide #6, and Spectraflame – The Essential Guide.

The ‘36 Ford coupe is one of the most desired 1 to 1 scale cars of its time. The Hot Wheels designers must have known a thing or two about the future of street rodding back in 1969. This little coupe has the classic “California rake” with a “big-n-little” tire combo giving it that killer street stance. It sports a chopped roof and no chrome trim which is period perfect for the late sixties.

This USA-only casting was available in 17 spectraflame colors. It featured an all metal chassis and body, as well as an opening rumble seat and a dark color plastic interior. Early run examples have been found with three to nine buttons on the inside of the rumble seat.

Some castings have been located with chrome rear wheels indicating a late run as all USA castings featured silver painted wheels. The ‘36 Ford casting is very collectable, and a fair market price to pay for a good casting is $25-$50. All models featured below cost less then $30.

Click any image to see the larger version

Credits: Images from the RK Stickels collection, Note: Pink is a restoration. Tomarts guide #6, and Spectraflame – The Essential Guide.

The Hairy Hauler! This has to be one of the craziest looking castings from the 70’s. I like to think that this might what have resulted if a Heavyweight casting was given to Jesse James at Monster Garage (if Jesse worked for Mattel in the 70’s!!).

Obviously, Jesse James was not the designer of the Hairy Hauler. In fact, he was probably playing with one back then just like the rest of us Redline Collectors! In reality, the man responsible for the Hairy Hauler was Hot Wheels Designer Paul Tam. Paul designed some unique cars while at Mattel, but this one takes the cake.

This USA only casting was available in 12 spectra-flame colors and featured an all-metal chassis and body. The hinged nose canopy opened to reveal a white plastic interior. What I like the best about the Hairy Hauler is that its heavy, fast, and sleek which makes it great for orange track racing!

Click on any image to see the larger version

Turbofire! It’s concept speaks speed, style, and imagination. This casting shows the artistic depth and imagination of designer Ira Gilford. If this car was built in 1-to-1 scale it would probably wear a custom badge from the Winfield or Barris shops and would be finished in a 50’s style, custom fade candy paint scheme. It’s sleek sloping lines, small canopy and wild turbo fan engine certainly let ones imagination run wild! If the superhero Flash had a car, the Turbofire would probably be in his garage.

By far, this casting has to be one of the top five most recognized from the Redline era. The Turbofire was a USA-only casting and was available in 18 spectraflame colors. Its plastic interior came in assorted colors and featured a lift up rear hood that revealed its metal engine. The Turbofire is one of my favorites as a collector as they are available in good supply and at affordable prices.

Click any image to see a larger version

This month’s article was the subject of a resent conversation with fellow Redline collector, Mike Reardon. Mike was recently doing some remodeling work on a house when he discovered an old 1960’s publication. Within the pages was an article that featured the Dodge Charger III concept car (see image below). Sure enough Mike thought the car resembled the Hot Wheels release of the 1969-1971 Torero, and he’s correct.

Hot Wheels Designer, Ira Gilford took the Dodge concept car and brought it to life as the 1/64th Torero. This casting was only issued in a USA version. It features a hinged front opening hood that reveals a detailed Hemi engine, a clear wrap-around windshield, a plastic interior in assorted colors, (with brown being hard to find), and redline tires. Finish was available in 19 spectraflame colors, with the most desirable being metallic yellow. Torero’s with chrome like wheels are believed to be from late run castings.

This casting is very easy to find and makes a great choice for entry level collectors. Good C-6 examples can be had for around $20.

Joe Kelly Jr. from The Car Room Magazine had a great conversation about Hot Wheels Redlines and Redline restorations with Connecticut Valley Diecast Vice President, Bob Stickels. Yes, indeed – the same Bob from “Sticks Redline Garage” here on DiecastAUDIO. Enjoy!

Thanks again to Ralph Riccardi for manning the camera and all the great editing!

When one thinks of the Redline Spoiler series, the TNT Bird has to stand out as one of the most unusual casting ever produced. Based off the 1967-1970 Ford Thunderbird, and working off the 1968 Hot Wheels Custom T-Bird casting, this car was significantly re-styled and re-proportioned by Ira Gilford. It has an exposed metal motor, a rear spoiler, the “California Hot Rod” stance and large wheels in back with mediums up front.

Released in 1970, it was available in 9 spectra-flame colors, with a black roof with white stripe on cowl, roof, and deck lid. Black numbers (ranging from 1 to 9) appear in a round circle on the doors. A water-slide decal sheet with sponsor logos was also included. Other features included blue tinted glass, a plastic interior and a metal base. This casting was only produced in Hong Kong.

The TNT is very collectible as quantities are plentiful. They are most often found in green and blue, and tough to find in C7 or better condition in the remaining 7 colors. The cars featured in this article include originals from my childhood collection. They include my first TNT Bird (in green with water-slides applied in random all over the car), 2 restorations and redo’s of the 2006 RLC release. However, the one that trumps them all is the pink car I acquired a few years back. The seller claimed that the car belonged to an ex-Mattel employee. I’ve had that car reviewed, and it seems to be original. As a collector you gotta love the hunt and the stories that tag along. Enjoy.

If you’re attending this year’s Summer Smash in Warwick, Rhode Island and have always wanted to make the jump into collecting vintage Redlines, then here’s one opportunity that might just help get you over the “sticker shock” of Redline collecting. Stick’s Redline Garage is generously offering up one of their original restored Heavy Chevy Redlines for the Saturday night charity auction. Not only will the winning bidder be walking away with a lovingly restored Redline, but they will also be helping raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation!

All these cars pictured below will be on display during the show, and one will be selected and auctioned off. The selected car will also come along with custom theme packaging. Stick’s Redlines are high quality restoration and very collectible, so this will certainly make a great addition to anyones collection.

Note: The club car pictured is an original and will not be part of the selection for the auction.

Attendees of The Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels 6 had the opportunity to gaze upon some of the rarest Hot Wheels in the world. Sid Belzberg, the new owner of RedlinesOnline.com (soon to be ToyCarExchange.com) graciously brought a small portion of his amazing collection to be put on display. Here’s a shot of the main display case. I’m sure Redline and vintage Hot Wheels fans will recognize more than a few gems in this one!

Click the image to see the larger version

Photo Credit: Victor Valle, Valle Photography

You can also watch Joe Kelly Jr. interviewing Mike Zarnock as they go through some of the great pieces in Sid’s collection!

[via photobucket.com]

Can you think of a better way to feature a Redline drag car then with the real deal? A 1-to-1 racing machine. Dan Spaudling of Harrisville, Rhode Island has such a ride. Some of you know Dan from the Hot Wheels events from coast to coast, but he’s also a weekend drag racing ace. Dan started with a 1970 Ford Maverick coupe, built from scratch, by Dan and his Dad. The Blue Oval Rocket is powered by a 351 Ford Windsor with a single carburetor running no nitrous, best ET is 10.26 @131 mph in the 1/4 mile. The car has been featured in numerous publications including Mustang Illustrated, Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords magazine.

Now lets talk about the little Maverick that could. The Mattel version, released in 1970 as the Mighty Maverick was based on a re-proportioned concept of the Ford Maverick by Howard Rees. It had a metal base and lift up hood that revealed a metal engine with 8 carbs. It was available as a Hong Kong or USA casting with a plastic interior with blue or clear glass. One of the coolest features was the black plastic spoiler on the rear deck and the white racing stripe on the roof. Its flawless finish was available in 15 spectraflame colors. This casting is very hard to find in a C7 or better condition, and as you might imagine, are very pricey.

Here’s a quick casting comparison:

USA casting:
Clear windows, opening hood, wide stripe on roof, interior in black with molded dash, steering wheel and rear wing.

Hong Kong casting:
Blue windows, opening hood, thin stripe on roof, interior in black with molded dash, steering wheel and rear wing.
Optional Brown interior and wing, only found in copper and orange spectraflame. Also, some HK’s have been found with satin black roofs.

I would like to thank Jim Lombari and Dan Spauding from the Rhode Island Hot Wheels Club, and Scott Jones (via the web) from California for their contributions this months post.

Note: Frantic Ford drag car-Dan Spaulding. Aqua, Apple Green, Pink-from: Jim Lombari collection. Packaged Olive & Blue, Red, and 75 reissue with tampo-from: Scott Jones collection. Balance: RK Stickels collection

In the last Stick’s Redline Garage post I focused on The Python. Bill Cushenbery also built a sister car to the Python. That futuristic concept roadster was called the “Silhouette.”

The Silhouette premiered in January 1963 at the San Mateo Autorama, and by 1969 it became a Hot Wheels casting. It was probably the most remembered car of this era, especially in a metallic red that matched the original candy color – minus the dark faded highlights (see pictures below). Minor modifications were made to Cushenbery’s original design by the Hot Wheels staff when designing the die-cast version. Those changes included a taller blown motor with dual carbs, med wheels in back with smalls up front and removal of the side pipes.

This casting was available in 16 spectraflame colors and featured a matching color base. The Silhouette, like the Python, is one of my favorites as a collector as they are available in good supply as well as being an affordable casting to collect.

Note: all resto’s carry repro wheel from the redlineshop.com.

The recent announcement of Redlines Online‘s sponsorship of Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels 6 is sure to excite Redline collectors, but the pairing will also bring the opportunity for collectors to see some some of the rarest Hot Wheels cars in existence. Here are some of the cool rare cars that will appear at the convention (as listed on wwhw6.com):

“…For example, from the Redline era you will see a brown Custom Charger, one of only two known to exist; a silver Custom Charger prototype; a purple Olds 442; a pink Rodger Dodger pre-production model, one of only two known to exist; the first Toy Fair Van made, a hand-painted prototype; and a red Open Hood Scoop Mustang in the package! These are just to name a few…”

The Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels 6 staff also released this official press release about the sponsorship:

WATERBURY, CT — Redlines Online (www.redlinesonline.com), the popular collectors web site for aficionados of vintage Hot Wheels Redline cars, has been named the official sponsor of Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels® 6. Redlines Online is owned by noted Hot Wheels® collector Sid Belzberg and his wife Alicia. Sid’s personal Redline collection contains some of the rarest Hot Wheels® cars in existence, many of which will be on display at Wild Weekend 6.

As a result of the Redlines Online sponsorship, the energy and creativity focused on Wild Weekend 6 is at an all-time high. “The partnership between Redlines Online and Wild Weekend 6 is a perfect fit… Sid and Alicia Belzberg are passionate collectors, and as the new owners of the Redlines Online site, their passion will transform a good web site into a great one. We are very grateful for their generous sponsorship of Wild Weekend 6, and we’re looking forward to working with them,” said Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels® 6 promoter Randy Price.

Be sure to visit the official Wild Weekend of Hot Wheels 6 website for more information of event tickets and activities.

[via wwhw6.com]

The Python, originally labeled the “Cheetah,” was modeled after the fully functioning Car Craft Dream Rod show car built by Bill Cushenbery. Rumor has it that the name change was needed since Car Craft Magazine and Cushenbery would not release licensing rights to Mattel. Slight modifications were made by the Hot Wheels design staff for the final tool. Those changes included a blown motor, removal of the side pipes and a painted roof to simulate a vinyl top. This casting was available in 19 spectraflame colors, and had two wheel and motor variations.

The Python was available in two manufacturing variations – a USA and Hong Kong casting. There were slight modifications to each origin of production, see below for comparison. On the USA version, the body hangs halfway over base in front, but has no overhang in back. In addition, the engine sports twin carbs. On the Hong Kong version, body hangs over the base in front and back with a supercharged engine sitting on the base.

The Python is one of my favorite Redline castings as they are available in good supply and are affordable to collect. The Purple Python in my collection is original, but was acquired with a missing the painted roof and without wheels. For now it wears a set of “repro-sneakers” until I can get a good set of originals to add. The pink with black roof is also part of my collection, but I commissioned James Sweetring (aka “Rooster”) out of his Utah custom shop for this restoration.

Click any image to see the larger versions

Note: all resto’s carry repro wheel from the redlineshop.com.

Mattel’s Heavyweights were introduced in 1970 and encapsulate one of the most unique looking concepts in the redline series. They were futuristic trucks designed by Ira Gilford and came with wrap around windshields and featured really cool functioning body parts. Some were issued in a two-part cab and trailer combination, a first for Hot Wheels (with Larry Wood responsible for the trailer designs). The series was issued on three different blistercards: a fire truck, a cement mixer and a tow truck.

My favorite has to be the Scooper bodied Heavyweight. As a child I would pick up small rock, dirt or anything I could find that would fit in the bed. Probably the hardest one for me to find for my collection was the Racer Rig and Snorkel. The Racer Rig is near mint, and I love loading a variety of race cars on the trailer. The Snorkel shows some early sign of being a crumbler, so I’ll have to watch that closely.

Heavyweights Part 2 will feature all my new finds that weren’t available in my collection at the time of this post.>

Note: all resto’s carry repro wheel from the redlineshop.com.

This time around we look at one of my favorite rides – the “Classic ’32 Ford Vicky.” This little baby is one of the most collectible early Redlines. It was designed by Larry Wood who gave it the California hot-rod look.

This US-only casting has a metal chassis and a plastic interior that came in assorted colors. It was also designed without hood sides, so the killer motor really stands out. The Vicky also featured a smooth black painted roof insert, open front suspension (very rare), redline wheels and an exterior finish that was available in 15 spectra-flame colors!

As with previous articles, I’ve added a photo of a 1:1 scale “Vicky” as reference.

Note: all resto’s carry repro wheel from the redlineshop.com.

This time we look at another 50′s styled custom Hot Wheels – the ’69-70 issued Nomad.

Here’s a cool fact about this car. It first appeared as a concept show car for General Motors Motorama traveling caravan of car shows. The concept was GM’s first station wagon bodied dream car. It was originally built on a stretched 1953 Corvette chassis and appeared as a 1954 show car called the Chevrolet Nomad. It had a 54 corvette body with the trademark Nomad ribbed roof, full quarter panel side glass and rear hatch. Thank god the design gurus at GM thought better and left the Corvette as a 2 door sports car and shifted the Nomad design to the all new 1955 Bel Air chassis!

Hot Wheels designers kept most of the Nomad styling intact rounding out the wheel opening to give the car a lower stance for orange track racing. Other features were an opening hood, metal chassis, an interior in white only and an exterior available in 12 spectra flame colors.

About the “roofless” Nomad shown: Well, my brother took a hammer to that one in 1971, so I cut off the back and made the “El Nomadino!”
Restored in purple spectra.

Note: all resto’s carry repro wheel from the redlineshop.com.

Custom Cars big and small have always caught my eye. As some of you know my hobby is collecting and designing 1-to-1 customs. 50′s era customs are my favorite. Well the custom car world was in full swing in the states during the early 50′s and late 60′s. Builders such as Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, Bill Cushenberry and Daryl Starbird were household names in those pocket-size Rod & Custom magazines. Roth’s Beatnik Bandit and Cushenberry’s Silhouette were scaled down from full size prize winning customs to 1968 Mattel releases. So, I’ve always wondered where the ideas and thoughts came from with the origin of the Sugar Caddy.

Well, I would say that might point to the full-size bubble tops that came out of Daryl Starbird’s “King of the Bubble Tops” stables. Daryl’s “Pedicta” show car was just one of many customs he built on Ford, Chevy and Cadillac chassis that Mattel took notice of when designing the Sugar Caddy. Mattel already had an Eldorado casting, so why not modify it.

This casting was available in 12 spectra-flame colors and had a plastic interior that came in assorted colors. The Sugar Caddy is one of my favorites, designed by Ira Gilford, it sports an exposed engine, glass roof and spoiler door decals.

Note: The Orange Sugar Caddy with black roof and racing stripes is part of my collection, but I commissioned James Sweetring “AKA, Rooster” out of his Utah custom shop for this restoration. I’ve also included a shot of the original “Pedicta” as reference.

Note: all resto’s carry repro wheel from the redlineshop.com

This week I’ll be showcasing one of my favorite heavy-weight castings. The Pit Crew car was produced from 1971-1972. It was a concept car designed by Larry Wood and Howard Rees. It came in one color only, white with assorted interior colors. A functional rear hatch opened with a set of assorted tools that would slide out. I always wondered what this casting would look like in spectra-flame finished rather than basic white enamel.

I had collected spare fillers over the years that needed restorations, so then next step was a trip to the paint booth. The rose pink carries a set of repro decals and the dark blue was done to resemble the missing Hot Wheels race team series casting that never was. The remaining bodies buffed out like chrome so they were shot with antifreeze and ice blue. One ponders why Mattel never offered this casting in the optional color palette most redlines enjoyed. They really missed the boat.

Note: all resto’s carry repro wheel from the redlineshop.com.

Its my pleasure to announce that Bob Stickels will be contributing a new regular column to the site! As Vice President of the Connecticut Valley Diecast, Bob regularly contributes his “Stick’s Redline Garage” column to the club’s monthly newsletter. Starting today, his column will reach a much wider audience as part of the Hot Wheels oriented content here on diecastAUDIO.

Each post of Stick’s Redline Garage features Bob’s take on classic original Redlines. You’ll get background information on a specific casting in each post as well as great photos of both the original cars and some of the pieces that he has lovingly restored. Since Bob has already been writing the column for the CVD newsletter for a while we’ll spend the next few months getting caught up with the great content he has already written.

Readers of diecastAUDIO can expect to see 2 Redline Garage posts a month until we get caught up. Then it will scale back to once a month and be in sync with the CVD Newsletter releases. However, if you like Bob’s column be sure to leave comments and let him know that you’d like to see more!

The first Sticks Redline Garage post on the site features The Pit Crew casting and shows off many pictures of Bob’s vision of the car if Mattel went beyond the basic white enamel. To find out more about Bob, be sure to check out the his bio on the About page.